This week on VelociTEA, Emily and Forrest break down the most common mistakes they see on both sides of influencer marketing: the brands and the creators.

They talk about why brands get into trouble when they over-control messaging, chase only “big names,” or try to hide sponsorships instead of owning them. On the creator side, they unpack the pitfalls of losing your voice, overpricing yourself out of your ROI, overloading your audience with sponsored content, and letting AI flatten the very credibility people follow you for in the first place.

The throughline is simple: the best influencer marketing works when both sides know who they are, act like real partners, and don’t try to be sneaky.

Traditional PR is dead. Attention is the new currency.

In this episode of VelociTEA, Emily and Forrest talk about how PR teams are adapting to a world where content creators can function like journalists, analysts, or something entirely new. They discuss how brands should think about influencer relationships, why treating creators like traditional press often fails, and how PR, marketing, and influencer teams can collaborate.

In technical communities, trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Developers have a nose for authenticity and credibility. In this episode of VelociTEA, Emily and Forrest talk about why the best tech content often looks a little imperfect. From avoiding “AI slop” to letting creators speak in their own voice, they break down the subtle signals that separate credible content from manufactured marketing. *No wine was harmed in the making of this episode.