Tomoson Influencer Marketing Study: The $6.50 ROI Claim in 2026

The Tomoson influencer marketing study is a 2015 survey of marketers that reported businesses earned an average of $6.50 in revenue for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. It is still quoted in blog posts and pitch decks, but it was a self-reported survey run before TikTok, Reels and the current FTC rules. Treat it as an early signal that influencer work can pay, not as a forecast for your own budget.

Below is what the study found, where it falls short, how platforms and agencies compare on cost, what the FTC expects, and how to measure your own return instead of borrowing a ten-year-old average.

What did the Tomoson influencer marketing study find?

The headline finding was an average of $6.50 in revenue for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. Tomoson, a self-serve platform that matched small businesses with bloggers and social creators, ran the survey in 2015 and published the results as a marketing report.

Several other findings are usually quoted alongside the headline, as widely reported:

• Top performers: about 13% of respondents said they earned $20 or more for every $1 spent.
• Budget plans: 59% said they planned to increase their influencer marketing budget over the following 12 months.
• Channel growth: respondents ranked influencer marketing as their fastest-growing online customer acquisition channel, ahead of organic search, paid search and email.

The study mattered because it was one of the first attempts to put a dollar figure on influencer work for ordinary businesses rather than only big consumer brands. That is why searches like "influencer marketing Tomoson small business" are still common. Owners want to know whether the $6.50 figure applies to a coffee roaster, a skincare startup or a local gym.

Is the $6.50 return still a reliable number in 2026?

No, not as a planning number. It is an average of what respondents said they earned, collected in a very different market, and it was never designed to predict results for a specific business.

Here are the main limits to keep in mind before you quote it:

• Self-reported returns: respondents estimated their own revenue; there was no audited sales or attribution data behind the figure.
• Selection bias: people who answer a survey from an influencer platform are likely already using influencer marketing and feel positive about it.
• Average versus typical: a small group reporting $20 or more per dollar pulls the average up, so a typical respondent likely earned less than $6.50. That is an inference from how averages work, not a published median.
• Loose cost definitions: "per $1 spent" may not include free product, shipping, staff time or tool subscriptions.
• Different platforms: 2015 influencer marketing ran mostly on blogs, YouTube, Instagram photos and Facebook. Short-form video, TikTok Shop and creator affiliate programs did not exist in their current form.
• Different prices: creator rates, ad costs and competition for attention have all changed since then.

A fair reading is simple: influencer marketing can return more than it costs, and results vary a lot between businesses. The only number that should drive your budget is the one you measure from a small test, covered later in this guide.

How does influencer marketing work for a small business now?

You pay or send product to a creator whose audience matches your customers, they make content that features your product, and you track what that content produces. The basic idea has not changed since 2015, but the deal formats have multiplied.

The most common deal types for small budgets:

• Gifted product (seeding): you send product with no guaranteed post. It is cheap, but output is unpredictable.
• Flat fee per post: you pay for agreed deliverables, such as one Reel and three Stories.
• Affiliate or commission: the creator earns a percentage of sales through a code or link, so you pay only for results.
• Partnership or Spark ads: you run paid ads from the creator's post or handle, which often performs better than brand-handle ads.
• UGC-only content: the creator makes videos you post on your own accounts or use in ads, without posting to their audience.

Most small businesses start with nano creators (roughly 1,000 to 10,000 followers) and micro creators (roughly 10,000 to 100,000). These tiers are industry conventions, not platform definitions. Smaller creators tend to charge less, accept gifted deals more often and have closer relationships with their followers.

Influencer marketing platforms vs agencies: which fits your budget?

A self-serve platform is the cheaper option if you have time to find, brief and manage creators yourself. An influencer marketing agency makes sense when you have budget but no staff hours, or when you need dozens of creators at once.

Pricing for third-party tools changes often, so check current plans and cancellation terms before committing. Many offer free trials that are enough to run a first small campaign.

What to look for in a cheap influencer marketing tool

• Audience location and age data, so you can confirm followers are in the US or Canada if that is where you sell.
• Engagement rate and growth history, which help spot sudden follower jumps.
• Fake follower or audience quality checks.
• Built-in briefs, contracts and payments, so you are not chasing invoices by DM.
• Monthly billing with easy cancellation, which matters more than feature lists for a budget platform.

When an agency is worth the cost

An agency earns its fee when you need many creators across several platforms, legal review of contracts, or paid amplification managed alongside the organic posts. If you only want five creators a quarter, a self-serve tool or native marketplace is usually enough. Ask any agency how they report results and whether they use unique codes or links per creator.