“People trust people more than brands.”

Every entrepreneur is competing for the same thing.

Artificial intelligence is generating endless content. Advertising costs continue to climb. Consumers are overwhelmed with messages, making it harder than ever to earn attention.

The challenge isn’t creating more content.

It’s earning trust.

I recently spoke with influencer marketing strategist Yuliya Gorenko about this challenge. You can hear our full conversation at The Tony Durso Show.

Many business leaders still misunderstand influencer marketing because they still see it as a trendy experiment.

Yuliya sees it as the digital evolution of something that’s always existed.

Long before social media, communities trusted respected voices. Friends recommended businesses. Industry experts shaped opinions. Technology didn’t invent influence—it amplified it.

“Word of mouth is the most trusted channel.”

She explained that technology hasn’t changed that principle. Instead, it has expanded it. Today, trusted recommendations can reach thousands—or even millions—of people while maintaining much of the same credibility. That’s why respected experts, podcast hosts, and creators often influence buying decisions more effectively than another polished advertisement.

That insight also explains why so many companies become disappointed with influencer marketing.

Some expect one campaign to generate immediate sales. Others judge success by a coupon code or a short-term spike in revenue. Yuliya encourages businesses to think differently. Like every other marketing channel, trust compounds over time. The strongest brands don’t build credibility with a single promotion—they earn it through consistent value and authentic relationships.

She challenged another common misconception.

Many executives assume influencer marketing is difficult to measure.

According to Yuliya, it’s often easier to measure than traditional advertising because digital campaigns allow businesses to track engagement, website traffic, conversions, and customer behavior with remarkable precision—when campaigns are built with clear objectives and proper attribution.

Perhaps the most practical takeaway was her “Influencer Sauce” framework.

Instead of treating influencer marketing as a separate initiative, she encourages companies to weave trusted creators into campaigns already underway. Product launches, educational campaigns, events, and promotions all become stronger when credible voices help tell the story. Rather than reinventing your marketing strategy, amplify what’s already working.

As I reflected on our conversation, I realized we weren’t really talking about influencer marketing at all.

We were talking about something deeper.

We were talking about trust.

Technology will continue to evolve.

Artificial intelligence will become more capable, and new platforms will continue to appear.

AI can automate tasks and help businesses operate more efficiently.

But Yuliya doesn’t believe technology replaces human influence.

If anything, she believes it makes authentic relationships even more valuable. As automated content becomes more common, people will naturally look for trusted voices to help them separate genuine value from endless digital noise.

Near the end of our conversation, Yuliya said something that perfectly captures where business is headed:

“The power of human connection and human influence is not going anywhere.”

For entrepreneurs, that’s more than a marketing lesson.

It’s a reminder that while technology will continue to change, trust will remain one of the most valuable assets any entrepreneur can build.

The full conversation with Yuliya Gorenko  is available on The Tony DUrso Show including audio and the complete interview transcript.

(Originally published in the Del Norte Triplicate.)