Working with influencers may appear beyond the reach of Swiss SMEs. In most cases, however, there is no need to rely on celebrities. Local profiles with a predominantly Swiss audience are often more relevant and more cost-effective.
"Influencer marketing consists of collaborating with a personality to promote an idea, a project, a product or a brand," explains Raphaël Troussier, Program Director of the Master’s in Digital Marketing & Communication at CREA Geneva. With a volume of around USD 120 million, influencer marketing already represents a significant share of the digital advertising market in Switzerland. The trend remains upward. With an estimated annual growth of between 7% and 8%, the market could reach USD 150 million by 2029. "It is a growing market, with a positive return on investment," he adds.
Contrary to common assumptions, influencer marketing is not reserved for large companies with the resources to collaborate with international celebrities. A study conducted in 2024 by Bocconi University in Italy showed that nano-influencers (up to 10,000 followers) achieved significantly higher engagement rates than macro profiles (between 100,000 and one million followers). This resulted in a return on investment 46 times higher (EUR 0.37 per follower, compared with EUR 0.008).
Prioritizing authenticity
Nano- and micro-influencers (around 50,000 followers) often maintain a close connection with their target audiences. When, for example, they highlight a local café or a neighborhood fitness center on their account, their audience is more likely to identify with the content. In Switzerland, collaborating with a celebrity is rarely cost-effective. "Online audiences expect credible and authentic content that they can relate to," says Raphaël Troussier. "With the growing volume of AI-generated content, authenticity has become a central criterion." Algorithms now increasingly target users who are genuinely interested in the topic of a particular post, beyond the account’s followers. "A large proportion of people who view content do not necessarily follow the influencer’s profile. This underscores the importance of a good brand fit between companies and influencers", adds Tanja Hermann, Director of the Zurich-based influencer marketing consultancy House of Influence.
Building a long-term strategy
For Raphaël Troussier, a successful influencer strategy requires a long-term perspective. "Isolated actions may generate short-term attention, but their effect diminishes rapidly if they are not part of a coherent approach developed over several years." Companies are therefore advised to structure collaborations over time and, where appropriate, to develop ambassador partnerships. Such arrangements can strengthen the credibility of the relationship between the company, the influencer and their audience.
A further requirement is to define clear objectives. "Companies are often highly focused on content, tone and format. However, the first question should be what they aim to achieve: greater visibility, improved reputation or increased sales?" The selection of influencers, formats and messages depends directly on these objectives, a point also emphasized by Tanja Hermann.
In addition, diversifying both profiles and formats, for example, testimonials, product tests, live content, competitions or promotional codes) is important. "Content should be planned, sequenced and coordinated over time, taking account of seasonality and the company’s objectives," explains Raphaël Troussier.
Selecting the right profiles
While initial contact is often straightforward, a key challenge is selecting the appropriate profile for an SME. Specialists recommend combining quantitative criteria, such as the account’s effective reach and its alignment with the target market, with qualitative criteria (values, lifestyle, editorial consistency, quality and originality of content). "An influencer’s credibility does not depend on the size of their community, but on their positioning and the quality of their content," recalls Tanja Hermann. Paid specialist tools such as Kolsquare, InfluData or Irion make it possible to filter profiles according to thematic, geographic or demographic criteria. Professional support through an agency may also be considered.
Measuring the impact of a collaboration
Social platforms provide numerous indicators for assessing the impact of a collaboration, including number of views, engagement rate, shares, comments and clicks. "It is essential to align these data with the objectives defined in advance by the company," says Raphaël Troussier. "This ensures that performance measurement remains relevant, particularly for qualitative profile analysis, negotiations and the strategic framing of the collaboration."
On the theme
Preventing "bad buzz"
"By partnering with an influencer, a company does more than simply access their audience," emphasizes Raphaël Troussier. Influencers must be able to remain consistent with their identity. If they change their tone or positioning to satisfy a brand, their community may react negatively. Cases of bad buzz are often linked to an inappropriate choice that contradicts the company's values.
To reduce this risk, SMEs should define a clear framework in advance and prepare a crisis management plan specifying who communicates, in what tone and with which messages. In terms of crisis management for influencer marketing, "speed of communication are decisive in containing a controversy," concludes Raphaël Troussier.
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Last modification 05.03.2026
