Latest / Influencer Marketing with Fexingo: Creators, Sponsorships, and Modern Endorsement Deals / Why Influencers Now Use Personalized Video at Scale
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment that I think a lot of listeners have experienced. You buy something from a small brand, or you sign up for a newsletter from a creator you like, and then a day later you get a video — not a generic welcome video, but a video that says your name, mentions what you bought, and thanks you personally. It's not a deepfake. It's not a celebrity recording millions of variants. It's a real human being who filmed one take and somehow made it feel like it was for you. Luna: I've had that happen. It's a little startling at first, but honestly it makes me feel seen. And I've wondered — how do they do that without spending hours per person? Lucas: That's exactly what we're talking about today — personalized video at scale. It's become a major tactic in influencer marketing, especially for creators who are trying to move beyond the spray and pray approach of posting to a feed and hoping the algorithm does the rest. Instead, they're using tools — some of them surprisingly simple — to send hundreds or even thousands of unique, one-to-one video messages to fans, customers, or subscribers. And the results are wild. Luna: Define wild. Like, give me a number. Lucas: Okay. There's a skincare influencer — I won't name her, but she's got about 400,000 followers across platforms. She started using a platform called Bonjoro — that's B-O-N-J-O-R-O — which lets you record a video template and then merge in a person's name and a piece of data about them, like what product they bought or what question they asked. She sent personalized thank-you videos to every single person who bought her new serum in the first week of launch. Her conversion rate on the second purchase from that cohort was 340% higher than the control group. That's not a typo — three hundred and forty percent. Luna: Okay, that is wild. But wait — is she recording 400,000 videos? No way. Lucas: No, no. The magic is that she's not. She records maybe 20 to 30 different versions. Different intros, different product mentions, different energy levels. The software stitches them together based on rules. If the customer bought the serum and it's their first order, send version A. If they're a repeat buyer, send version B. If they bought the full routine, send version C. The creator never has to think about it after the initial recording session. Luna: So it's like a choose your own adventure, but for video. And the recipient has no idea it's templated? That feels borderline deceptive, maybe? Lucas: It's a fair question, and the creators I've talked to are very aware of that line. The best practice seems to be: use real footage, real voice, real enthusiasm — but be transparent that you're using automation for scale. The skincare influencer I mentioned actually says in the video, 'Hey, I'm recording this as part of my welcome series, but I wanted to say a personal thank you.' It's honest. And people still love it because it feels more personal than an email. Luna: Honestly, if today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. And I mean that sincerely. We keep this show ad-free because listeners like you chip in. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, that's the place to say 'thanks.' Lucas: Yeah. And it really does make a difference. Even a couple bucks helps us keep the lights on and the topics fresh. So if you're inclined, we appreciate it. Luna: Alright, back to the video. So what kind of data are they using to personalize? Just names and purchase history, or more? Lucas: It varies wildly. Some creators pull from their CRM — if they have one. Others use simple data from the platform itself. For example, if a fan comments on every single YouTube video for six months, a creator can tag that person as a 'super fan' and send them a different video. Some tools like VideoGen — that's V-I-D-E-O-G-E-N — let you pull in data from a spreadsheet. You can merge in the person's name, their location, the product they bought, even the specific question they asked in a DM. Luna: Okay, so the tech is getting easier. But what's the cost? Is this only for big creators with teams? Lucas: Not anymore. Most of these tools are subscription-based. Bonjoro starts at about $49 a month for a single user, with a cap on how many videos you can send. VideoGen is about $30 a month. A creator with 10,000 followers can absolutely afford that — and the return is often immediate. One lifestyle creator with 50,000 followers told me she sends personalized videos to every new subscriber who opts in during her launch periods. She spends maybe two hours recording 10 templates. That generates about $3,000 in additional sales per launch. So the ROI is something like fifty-to-one. Luna: That's insane. But I wonder about the downside. What happens when a fan realizes the video isn't truly one-on-one? Could it backfire? Lucas: It can. I've seen a few cases where creators got called out on Reddit or Twitter for using 'fake personalization.' The key is managing expectations. If a fan thinks you spent 10 minutes custom-recording a video just for them, and then they find out it's a template, they feel tricked. But if the video says 'Hey, thanks for being part of my community — I'm recording a batch of these to say a personal hello,' it's fine. Also, the content of the video still has to be good. A templated video that's flat and boring defeats the purpose. Luna: So it's not a silver bullet. It's a tactic that requires thought. Are there any industries where this is working especially well? Lucas: Beauty and skincare, for sure — that's the biggest category. But also fitness coaching, online courses, and even B2B. I talked to a LinkedIn influencer who sells a consulting package — he sends a personalized video to every lead who fills out his contact form. He says his close rate went from 12% to 28% just by adding that one step. It's not just for $20 products. Luna: That makes sense. In B2B, trust is huge. A video from a real person can shortcut weeks of email back and forth. So what's the next frontier? Are we going to see ai generated personalized videos where the creator doesn't even have to record? Lucas: We're already seeing it. There are tools that let you upload a 10-minute video of yourself, and then the AI generates thousands of versions with different names and contexts. It's still a little uncanny valley, but it's improving fast. Some creators are using it for low-stakes messages — like 'thanks for subscribing' — and reserving real recordings for high-touch moments like a first purchase or a complaint. I think we'll see a hybrid approach become the norm. Luna: And what about privacy? If a creator is pulling data from a purchase or a comment, that's data the fan gave willingly. But could it get creepy? Lucas: Absolutely. If a creator references something too specific — like 'I saw you liked that post about your dog' — it can feel like you're being watched. The rule I hear from creators is: use data that the person explicitly shared in that context. Purchase data? Fine. A comment on a video? Fine. But don't cross-reference data from different platforms without permission. That's a trust breaker. Luna: So the bar is: don't be a stalker. That's a pretty low bar, but apparently some people miss it. Lucas, what's your take on where this is heading in the next 12 months? Lucas: I think personalized video is going to become table stakes for mid-tier and top-tier creators within a year. The tools are getting cheaper, the AI is getting better, and fans are starting to expect it. The creators who get ahead of it now — who build a system that feels genuine and scalable — are going to lock in loyalty that's hard to replicate. The ones who phone it in with generic, low-effort templates will get tuned out. Quality and authenticity still matter, even when you're using a bot. Luna: So it's not about replacing the human touch — it's about amplifying it without burning out the human. Lucas: Exactly. The best creators I've seen use automation to buy themselves time for the moments that really matter. They don't automate the heartfelt apology to a disappointed customer. They don't automate the celebration video for a milestone. They use templates for the routine thank-yous, and they save their energy for the exceptions. That's the smart play. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I might actually try this for my own newsletter. Any advice for a first-timer? Lucas: Start small. Pick one trigger — like a new subscriber — and record 3 versions. Use a tool like Bonjoro or VideoGen. Send 10 videos manually first to test the flow. Then ramp up. And always include a way for the recipient to reply. The replies are often the best part. Luna: Good advice. And if any of you try it, let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear your results. Lucas: That's what we've got for today on Influencer Marketing with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. See you next time.