Kolsquare Budget Report 2026: Stretching spend, scaling influence

Everything you need to plan, allocate, and defend your influencer marketing budget in 2026 — with real data, tested methods, and practical examples.

How this guide helps you build your budget

1. Step-by-step allocation framework
Recommended percentage breakdowns for each budget line: talent & activations, paid amplification, tools & tech, and production/admin.

2. Campaign vs. budget matrix
Decide what to activate based on your available investment — from micro-influencer quick wins, affiliate models, and gifting to bigger bets like ambassadors or mega KOLs.

3. KPIs & dashboards
Learn which metrics to track at every stage — from EMV and reach to CPA, ROAS, and CLV — and how to report them to your leadership or finance team.

4. Full-funnel playbook
Integrate UGC, affiliate programs, paid (Spark/Meta Ads), retail/social commerce, and OOH/TV to move from visibility to revenue.

5. Real & hidden costs to consider
Understand the full picture — fees, contracts, EU compliance, licensing, creator payments, and management time.

6. The tech that saves you money
See how an AI-powered platform like Kolsquare reduces operational costs and boosts ROI across discovery, brand safety, performance tracking, payments, and reporting.

Case studies that turn numbers into strategy

Filorga – Authority + storytelling → €421.39K EMV and 926.29% ROI
Paulmann x Team Lewis – Market entry through earned influence → €353K EMV and +1,107% ROI
Berocca x La Louve – €137K investment → €1.68M EMV, +1,170% ROI, and 8.31M reach

The result

Walk away with a clear, defensible influencer marketing budget, a roadmap of activations by investment level, and the KPIs that connect influence to business impact.

Ready to plan smarter?
👉 Download the full Kolsquare 2025 Budget & Forecast Report.