In the Influencer Marketing world, the secret sauce to success goes beyond the content... And lies in the data.
By tracking the right metrics, you can confidently choose creators that align with your brand, and then assess the impact of your content.
Let’s break down which influencer marketing metrics to look at before collaborating with a creator, and which to focus on when reviewing their content’s performance.
Pre-Collab: Choosing the Right Content Creators
Selecting influencers isn’t about who has the most followers or the flashiest feed — it’s about who will authentically connect with your audience.
Here are the top metrics to consider when vetting creators for your campaign.
Audience Demographics
- Why it matters: It’s crucial that your influencer’s followers align with your target demographic.
- Metrics to look at: Age, gender, location, and interests. Most platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) offer demographic insights on creator accounts. You’ll want an influencer whose followers match your ideal customer profile.
Engagement Rate
- Why it matters: Engagement indicates how well an influencer connects with their audience. A highly engaged following is likelier to interact with branded content.
- Metrics to calculate: Divide the total engagements (likes, comments, shares) by the total followers, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
- Good to know: Average engagement rates vary by platform. For instance, a 2-3% engagement rate is solid on Instagram, while on TikTok, engagement rates around 5-7% are generally the sweet spot.
Follower Growth Rate
- Why it matters: An influencer with consistent, organic follower growth is likely gaining real followers interested in their content. Sudden spikes could signal a viral moment, while erratic growth might suggest fake followers.
- Metrics to calculate: (Current followers – followers at start of time period) / followers at start of time period, expressed as a percentage.
- What to watch out for: High follower growth might look good, but it’s important to verify if it aligns with authentic content trends or a possible history of follower purchases.
Content Quality & Relevance
- Why it matters: Quality content that feels native to an influencer’s page performs better and enhances your brand image.
- Metrics to assess: Video clarity, sound, captions, storytelling skills, and relevance to your niche. It’s more subjective, but look for consistent themes, authenticity, and storytelling.
Past Brand Collaborations
- Why it matters: Past collabs can reveal whether they’re experienced and capable of producing professional content that resonates with an audience.
- Metrics to check: Look at the engagement and comments on past branded posts. An influencer who integrates brand messaging seamlessly and attracts positive engagement is a keeper.
Post-Collab: Reviewing Influencer Content Performance
Once your campaign’s live, it’s time to measure how well the content performed.
Here are the essential metrics to track.
Reach
- Why it matters: Reach tells you how many unique users saw the content, giving you a sense of brand exposure.
- Metrics to track: The number of unique accounts reached by each post or story. Some platforms may also break down reach by followers vs. non-followers, which is helpful for campaigns focused on brand awareness.
Impressions
- Why it matters: Impressions reveal the total number of times content was viewed, which is useful for understanding repeat engagement.
- Metrics to track: Impressions by post, story, or video, ideally compared to reach. A high impressions-to-reach ratio suggests multiple views per user—a potential sign of engaging content.
Engagement Rate
- Why it matters: Engaged followers are far more likely to consider your brand than passive viewers.
- Metrics to calculate: Engagement (likes, comments, shares, saves) divided by total reach. Since followers may engage with different types of content, it’s helpful to compare the engagement rate of the influencer’s organic posts versus branded ones.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Why it matters: CTR is vital for campaigns focused on driving traffic to your site or landing page.
- Metrics to calculate: (Total clicks on link / total reach) x 100. Platforms like Instagram Stories with “Swipe Up” links or TikTok’s link-in-bio can track these.
- What’s a good CTR? Industry standards vary, but a 1-2% CTR is a decent starting point, depending on your call-to-action.
Conversion Rate
- Why it matters: Ultimately, you want your campaign to lead to tangible results, whether that’s sales, sign-ups, or downloads.
- Metrics to track: (Total conversions / total link clicks) x 100.
- Pro tip: Ensure you’re using UTMs or tracking links to attribute conversions correctly. This way, you can measure the precise impact of your influencer’s content.
Sentiment Analysis
- Why it matters: Sentiment analysis helps you understand the emotional response to your content. Was it positive, negative, or neutral?
- Metrics to analyse: Number of positive comments, mentions, or shares versus negative ones. Tools like Brandwatch or Talkwalker can help you analyse sentiment on social media.
- Use case: If people are sharing and speaking positively about your content, it means your brand’s message resonated. But if comments are mixed, it could be time to tweak the messaging.
Return on Investment (ROI)
- Why it matters: ROI helps measure the financial effectiveness of your campaign—did you make more than you spent?
- Metrics to calculate: (Profit – cost of campaign) / cost of campaign x 100. If direct sales are hard to track, consider using proxy metrics like reach or conversions.
- Industry benchmarks: A positive ROI is always the goal, but campaigns focused on brand awareness might prioritise reach and engagement over immediate profit.
Tips for Tracking Influencer Marketing Metrics Effectively
- Set Clear Goals
Define what success looks like for your campaign: brand awareness, traffic, conversions, or engagement. Your goals will help shape which metrics matter most.
- Use Influencer Analytics Tools
Leverage agencies who prioritise their technology like us at Sticki, or consider alternative tech tools. Many of these tools provide demographic breakdowns, engagement analysis, and other useful performance data.
- A/B Test When Possible
Trialing content with different influencers, creative styles, or CTAs can help you identify which combinations work best for your brand.
- Don’t Ignore Long-Term Results
Some influencer content has a longer shelf life. Track metrics for 3-6 months post-campaign to see if there’s an “echo effect” where content continues to attract attention and traffic.
With this guide, you’ll have the power to choose the right influencers and accurately measure the impact of their content. Stick to these metrics, fine-tune your approach as needed, and you’ll be set for influencer marketing success. Sounds like a lot? We’ll do it for you.
