# Marketing Influencer Instagram: Turning Existing Customers Into Ambassadors

By [Brenda Daniel](/content/field-guide/mentors/bren-daniel/index.html)  
**Growth Partnerships**  
Caraway

Bren Daniel, a nine-year influencer marketing veteran who built Caraway's influencer and ambassador program from scratch, breaks down how to source creators without burning your budget or your reputation. Her core argument is that inbound partnerships are your safest starting point because those creators already love your brand, which means you set the terms rather than competing against big-brand budgets on cold outreach. She traces Caraway's early success to a surge of inbounds in March 2020, when creators were confined at home and cooking content was in high demand.

For teams ready to go beyond waiting, Bren recommends three concrete moves:

- announce your partnership program on your own social channels
- list yourself on creator marketplaces
- use a tool that scans your Shopify customer base to identify buyers who already have an audience

That last tactic, turning existing customers into brand ambassadors, is where Instagram influencer marketing gets surprisingly efficient. Watch to see exactly how Bren prioritizes these channels when budget and bandwidth are limited.

## Themes

- **Sourcing & Vetting**  
- **What to Book**  
- **Paid Social**  
- **Contracting**  
- **Measuring**  
- **TikTok Shop**

### More mentors talking about: Sourcing & Vetting

- [Ali Appelbaum](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-ali-appelbaum/index.html)  
  Influencer Marketing Leader, formerly Tonal  
- [Delaney Henson](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-delaney-henson/index.html)  
  Head of Social & Influencer Marketing, Oura  
- [Kendall Dickieson](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-kendall-dickieson/index.html)  
  Head of Creator Partnerships, Graza

### More about: Sourcing & Vetting

- [TikTok Influencer Database: Why Friend-at-Bar Beats Marketing Speak](/content/field-guide/video/tiktok-sourcing-by-micah-whitehead/index.html)  
  by Micah Whitehead  
- [Instagram Influencer Marketing: Using Suggested Accounts to Source Free](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-ali-appelbaum/index.html)  
  by Ali Appelbaum  
- [Influencer for Instagram: Why Counterintuitive Niches Win Sourcing](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-kendall-dickieson/index.html)  
  by Kendall Dickieson  
- [Instagram Marketing Influencer: Beyond Follower Count Vetting](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-delaney-henson/index.html)  
  by Delaney Henson  
- [Vetting Instagram Influencer Metrics: The 2-3% Engagement Floor](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-vetting-by-lydia-lee/index.html)  
  by Lydia Lee  
- [IG Influencer Marketing: Why Customer Subsets Beat Follower Counts](/content/field-guide/video/instagram-sourcing-by-liv-soibelman/index.html)  
  by Liv Soibelman