This week, Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge.com, dropped an interesting YouTube video breaking down everything he’s learned from spending over $10 million on influencer marketing.

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Sean’s been a devoted YouTube viewer since 2016—so when he says he believes in the power of influencer marketing, he means it. That belief shines through in the success of Ridge, a very successful bespoke wallet company, built in large part on a powerhouse influencer marketing strategy.

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As Sean details in his video, Ridge has tested every kind of creator partnership you can imagine, from $50 shoutouts to $50,000 integrations. He’s bought stories, feed posts, podcast ads, YouTube shoutouts, and everything in between. The result? A deep understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and how creators, platforms, and brands should approach influencer marketing in 2025.

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Here are some key takeaways from his insightful video:

The Influencer Marketing Landscape in 2025: What You Should Know

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Influencer marketing isn’t a trend—it’s the evolution of word-of-mouth. Sean traces its roots back to the days of radio, when DJs casually endorsed products on-air. That evolved into PR campaigns in the ‘90s and 2000s, which aimed to get brands featured in magazines or worn by celebrities. Then Instagram changed the game: one photo of Kim Kardashian with a product could drive tens of thousands of purchases. Today, influencer marketing has effectively replaced traditional PR.

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Here’s how Frank suggests thinking about influencer marketing buys for brands in 2025:

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• Feed posts: Standard social media placements (Instagram, TikTok). Often bundled with smaller platforms like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
• Stories (ephemeral content): These are lightweight, linkable, and low-risk for creators. They disappear quickly, which makes them less “sacred” than feed content.
• In-content reads: Think YouTube midrolls and podcast shoutouts. These native placements often perform best because they feel organic.
  

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Unlike Meta ads, which rely on precise targeting and endless optimization, influencer marketing is about impression quality. You’re not just reaching people—you’re doing it through someone they trust.

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And trust is the keyword here. “Influencer marketing is just scaled-up word-of-mouth,” Frank says.

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How Ridge Built a Killer Influencer Strategy

Ridge has grown into a multi-hundred-million-dollar brand by selling high-quality, minimalist wallets for men. But how did they turn influencer marketing into a powerful revenue engine? Sean breaks down some of Ridge’s key “unfair advantages.”

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1. Low-Competition Niches = Better ROI

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• Ridge targets men’s lifestyle—a space with fewer influencer-hungry brands
• That means $10 CPMs, vs. $40–$100 in crowded verticals like beauty
  

2. They are “Influencer-Safe”

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• Creators aren’t risking their reputations by promoting Ridge because it is a quality product.
• They don’t fall into “creator-unfriendly” categories like crypto or sketchy supplements.
  

3. Endemic vs. Non-Endemic:

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• Most brands stick to endemic creators—people whose content aligns directly with the product (think: fishing influencers selling fishing rods). Ridge does the opposite.
• They often use non-endemic creators—those whose audiences still need a wallet, even if wallets aren’t their main focus. Think car enthusiasts, family vloggers, even gardening YouTubers.

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Why it works:

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• These creators aren’t staking their reputation on the product.
• The recommendation feels casual, not salesy.
• Costs are often lower, with similar (or better) performance.

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Ridge has turned this strategy into a scalable, trust-driven growth engine. It’s low-risk, high-trust. No one expects these creators to be wallet experts, so the pitch feels authentic.

Final Takeaway:

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Sean emphasizes the importance of building a brand that creators feel good about promoting. While the industry often focuses on whether a creator is “brand safe,” Sean flips the script—asking instead if the brand is “influencer safe.” This perspective can sharpen your strategy by helping you define the kind of creators you want to partner with. His approach of exploring non-endemic creators is a fresh, strategic angle that has the potential to drive strong ROI.

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