DTC Podcast Bonus: The Future Is Human: How to Scale Your Creator Marketing Program (Without Losing Trust)
Nov 12, 2025
Donatas Smailys, Co-founder and CEO of Billo, discusses the evolution of creator marketing. He emphasizes treating it as a systematic approach rather than ad-hoc efforts. The conversation highlights the diminishing importance of follower counts, advocating for performance metrics to guide creator selection. Donatas explains how AI can enhance human creativity, while the concept of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) emerges as crucial for future content discoverability. He also addresses the balance between authenticity and the rise of synthetic creators in marketing.
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Why Billo Was Founded
- Billo launched in 2020 to solve scalable creative needs for DTC brands that couldn't afford big influencers.
- They built a marketplace to help creators earn and brands to buy performance-focused creative.
Creator Marketing As A System
- Creator marketing must be treated as a repeatable system rather than one-off influencer blasts.
- Use organic posting to surface performance signals and feed creative that becomes paid ads.
Followers Lose Priority To Performance
- Follower counts matter less as algorithms prioritize viral moments and content signals.
- Evaluate creators by performance signals, not purely by audience size.