Influencer Marketing Campaign: The 70/30 Rebook-vs-Test Budget Split

Lauren Maxwell, Director of Influencer Marketing at Dreamland Baby, shares the exact scaling framework she has refined across seven years and multiple brands including Athletic Greens and Orifi. She argues that the first three to six months of any ambassador program must be devoted to high-volume outreach so you learn precisely who your ambassadors are before you spend a dollar on paid partnerships.

Maxwell recommends starting paid influencer spend small and month by month, then applying a 70/30 budget split: 70 percent goes to rebooked partners who have already proven performance, and 30 percent funds new test partners to protect ROI while still expanding reach. She also advises locking in rates by rebooking partners twice in advance, since influencer rates rise constantly and early commitment keeps costs low.

The same test-and-scale logic applies to podcast advertising. A well-run influencer marketing campaign eventually flips the dynamic entirely: agencies and managers start coming to you.

Watch to see how Lauren sequences each phase so the program builds on itself rather than starting over every quarter.