SQA2 Case Studies: Influencer Marketing
Overview
An influencer marketing technology platform serving major global brands needed to evolve from an early-stage startup QA approach to a scalable, structured, and high-impact quality strategy. Manual testing, limited documentation, and inconsistent releases were slowing them down. SQA² stepped in with a Fractional QA model, delivering immediate structure, improved defect detection, increased test coverage, and the foundation for long-term scalability. Our work reduced risk, enabled faster releases, and built confidence in the product among internal teams and stakeholders.
Project Background
The client operates in the influencer marketing industry, offering an AI-driven platform that connects brands with creators across social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. Their value lies in intelligent influencer-brand matchmaking, campaign management, and real-time performance analytics.
At the time of engagement, the client was transitioning from startup mode into a more mature organization. With just a few developers and one overwhelmed QA resource, their growth required a reliable QA partner. SQA² was selected over hiring in-house, due to our competitive pricing, flexibility, and ability to scale QA resourcing as their needs evolved.
Challenges
The platform faced major QA and operational issues that hindered growth:
- Testing was entirely manual, slowing down release cycles.
- Releases were unstructured and unpredictable.
- Test cases were undocumented or lacked clear steps.
- There was no standardized QA process.
- Most QA knowledge was locked in the heads of a few individuals.
These gaps created high defect leakage, frustrated internal teams, and put influencer campaigns at risk. The lack of shift-left practices meant bugs were discovered too late, delaying launches and creating rework. Broken deployment pipelines added additional friction, while unclear documentation made it difficult for teams to collaborate.
Solutions Implemented
SQA² implemented a QA strategy focused on stabilizing releases, increasing test coverage, and enabling growth. Key initiatives included:
- Manual functional, regression, and exploratory testing
- API testing using Postman
- Documentation and realization of over 3,000 test cases
- Knowledge transfer through documentation of backend flows, how-tos, and shift-left QA strategies
- Introduction of GraphQL Network Inspector, now widely used across the dev team
- Participation in grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives, and daily standups
Our QA 2.0 approach addressed gaps in requirements quality (by refining acceptance criteria), design quality (via Figma reviews), and code quality (by reviewing PRs and identifying test gaps).
We advocated for early QA involvement, contributing to product ideation and driving consistency across teams. While automation contributions have been limited due to resource constraints and aggressive timelines, the groundwork has been laid for scalable, ongoing improvement.
Outcomes
Our work delivered meaningful progress across the board:
- Significantly increased test coverage with over 3,000 documented cases
- Reduction in defect leakage and increased issue detection during feature development
- More structured and predictable release cycles
- Enhanced collaboration across QA and development teams
- Internal recognition from leadership and team members
In addition to execution improvements, we’ve taken an active role in tracking key QA-specific metrics. These include the time it takes for bugs to be fixed, the number of times bugs need to be retested, and how often bugs are tied to missed acceptance criteria. These insights are informing ongoing conversations with the client around improving quality at the source.
As a result, we’re helping champion more shift-left practices, advocating for better-defined requirements, and promoting earlier QA involvement. We’re also working closely with the team to implement a sustainable automation strategy that will increase early defect detection and further reduce manual overhead. These efforts reflect our commitment not just to testing, but to partnering with the client in driving long-term quality improvements.
Client Feedback
Client stakeholders have shared consistent appreciation for our impact:
- “Thanks so much for patience, diligence, and hard work in the last few sprints! We’re so appreciative of the help from you and the rest of the SQA team!”
- “I don’t think I’ve worked with a team this good in finding defects.”
Beyond these individual messages, our QA team has developed a strong reputation internally as a reliable, embedded extension of their engineering function. Leadership regularly acknowledges the consistency and depth of our testing, and team members frequently highlight our diligence and communication during sprint reviews and retrospectives.
Our ability to adapt to evolving priorities—while continuing to surface critical defects and improve test planning—has led to greater trust and strategic involvement across the organization. We’re not just seen as testers, but as partners in quality, helping to shape how development and release processes are executed.
Lessons Learned and Best Practices
- Early QA involvement uncovers issues before they become bottlenecks.
- Documentation and test planning dramatically reduce internal dependencies.
- Flexible, Fractional QA resourcing allows growing companies to scale QA without overcommitting budget.
- Influencer marketing platforms require robust API testing, end-to-end flows, and campaign validation to support brand and creator trust.
Contact Us
If you’re building or scaling a technology platform in the influencer marketing space, we can help you build a high-functioning QA program without the overhead. SQA² delivers scalable, embedded QA teams that grow with your business. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn how we can support your quality goals.
