What is influencer marketing and how to navigate it

Social media can grant people celebrity status overnight, with many going on to sign influencer marketing deals to promote products and services to their large following.

It’s an industry which has exploded over the last few years, with 57% of Gen Zers wanting to become social media influencers. The appeal of attending flashy events, receiving the hottest products, and securing lucrative brand deals is enticing, but it’s not all positive. Influencers can work long hours with untraditional schedules, as well as face online scrutiny. Not all reach the dizzying heights of financial freedom either, with a statistic showing that over 48% of surveyed creators earn $15,000 or less annually.

Despite the massive influx of people trying their hand in the role, influencer marketing continues to be a successful type of advertising for many brands.

In fact, global influencer advertising spending is expected to reach nearly $48 billion by 2027, suggesting that the appeal of influencer marketing isn’t slowing down any time soon.

This guide details everything you need to know about influencer marketing, including why it’s effective and successful strategies that convert followers into customers.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is where businesses form partnerships with individuals who have a large following to create content and help develop or promote a brand. The goal of these partnerships could be to shape buying behavior, boost brand awareness, or enhance the perception of the company.

Virtual influencer Lil Miquela has racked up millions of followers

The most popular platforms for influencer marketing include Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, podcasting, and blogs.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach with influencer marketing, as brands can utilize different methods of content creation and promotion. Examples include:

• Product placement: An influencer will feature the product within a video but not necessarily focus on selling it.
• Affiliate link: The influencer will be able to offer their followers a unique link or discount code to buy a product or service. When there’s a purchase, the influencer will earn a small commission.
• Co-branded content: A piece of content will be collaborated on and posted to both the brand account and the influencer’s platform.
• Sponsored post: The influencer directly promotes a product or service, with the brand able to have oversight of the messaging.
• UGC licensing: User-generated content, or UGC, is a more organic and less sales-oriented approach. Businesses can license UGC (if agreed upon) to reuse it in marketing materials and on the brand’s social platforms.

Why influencer marketing still matters

While it seems like everyone and their granny are becoming influencers, this is not a new phenomenon.

Although they’re different from the people we see dominate our social media feeds now, “influencers” have always been prominent in society. 

In the 18th century, for instance, the British potter Josiah Wedgwood gained approval from Queen Charlotte for his work. The Royals have long been seen as influential, and the potter took this stamp of approval and leveraged it within his pottery, which became known as “Queensware.”

Reality stars emerged as a new form of influencer in the early 2000s, with their style splashed on the covers of tabloids worldwide. Now, the term “influencer” has been bolstered by its connection to social media.

The dominance of social media, driven by the amount of money people can earn through this career path, has led to many aiming to become professional influencers.

But even when the market appears to be getting saturated, influencer marketing still matters. It can bring many benefits to businesses, including:

• Greater targeted reach: Brands can partner with influencers who already have a community that aligns with their ideal customer demographic, allowing brands to deepen their reach or even expand into new audiences
• Better engagement: Influencers are constantly vying for engagement, with their content often performing better than branded content
• Increased brand awareness: Collaborating with someone who has an engaged audience can help a brand reach a wider demographic

Partnering with influencers amid a decline in ad trust

Influencer credibility remains a hot topic in the industry, particularly as consumers appear to be growing increasingly fond of authentic content created by users.

According to a recent report, 58% of people have bought something as a result of an influencer endorsement. At the same time, only 74% trust or somewhat trust influencer content compared to 87% who trust general advertising.

A massive 64% of respondents said they distrust influencers when they don’t disclose their relationship to the brand they’re promoting. Influencer partnerships, like celebrity endorsements, need to properly note sponsored content.

Although the figures aren’t great for those in the industry, they represent how vital best practices are for bridging the gap between influencers and their audiences (learn more about best practices in the “Structuring influencer campaigns that convert” section of this guide.) 

As the social media sphere evolves, working with people who properly disclose paid opportunities and create content that can stop the doomscroll is key.

Smaller influencers are paving the way for brands

While prominent influencers have a huge audience, engagement is the most important factor. As a brand, you want to work with someone who has an audience that will interact with the influencer’s content, preferably those who have built a community that involves your desired target audience.

According to statistics, nano-influencers (those with fewer than 10,000 followers) have the highest engagement rate, with 47% of marketers reporting successful partnerships with smaller micro-creators.

Influencer marketing works across full-funnel marketing

Influencer marketing isn’t limited to being used only for the top of the funnel (TOFU), as influencers can also play a major role in the middle (MOFU) and bottom of the funnel (BOFU).

It’s a marketing strategy that can address all the typical business pain points, whether that’s reaching a wider audience, targeting a specific audience, driving conversions through social media, or building social proof and trust.

Funnel stage	Goal	Influencer impact	Example of influencer work
TOFU	To drive brand awareness	Introduces the brand in a natural way to their engaged audience	A fashion creator can film an “Outfit of the Day” and feature your dress in the video
MOFU	Establish trust and nurture leads	Incorporates the product or brand into their content to build trust	The fashion creator does a review or a “Here’s how to style” video featuring your new summer collection
BOFU	To convert	Keeps the customer engaged in the brand and offers exclusive codes or content	The fashion creator takes to their social media platform to share details about your pre-summer sale and shares a discount code with their audience

How influencer marketing can outperform other forms of marketing

While campaign performance will differ from brand to brand, the companies that use influencer marketing report earning an average of $5.79 for every $1 spent. According to the data, 13% of businesses drive $20 or more in revenue for every $1 spent.

Average ROI can be higher than digital ads, with research pointing out that Google Ads delivers, on average, $2 in revenue for every $1 spent. The same report suggests that the average ROI for Facebook Ads has declined to $1.75 for every $1 spent. Facebook Ads previously used to generate higher results—$4 from just a few years ago.

In a time of economic uncertainty, emphasizing ROI and conversions over brand awareness has become a top priority for marketers, according to a recent report. In fact, 60% of marketers agree that influencer marketing has a higher ROI than traditional advertising.

Aside from the financial ROI, influencer marketing is a major driver of word-of-mouth, too. About 80% of consumers say they’re more comfortable making an impulse purchase if an influencer or friend recommends the product.

Types of influencers

There are five types of influencers, categorized by follower count.

Nano influencers

Nano influencers have between 500 and 10,000 followers. 

Pros: Nano creators are often more cost-effective influencer collaborations due to their smaller target reach. Despite the numbers, they can have higher engagement rates compared to other categories.

Cons: While virality is always a possibility, these creators simply don’t have as many eyes on them in comparison to others, so the reach is more limited.

Examples: Jenna Goodfellow (8.6K on TikTok), Sierra Fullerton (4K on TikTok), Meryanne Sammak Makeup (5.7K on TikTok).

Sample use case: Wedding make-up artist makeupbycharlt creates make-up bridal inspiration content and has tutorial videos on her TikTok. If a cosmetic brand is releasing a setting powder or spray, partnering with wedding make-up artists could be beneficial as staying power is a major need for products in this industry.

Micro influencers

These influencers have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers or subscribers.

Pros: Micro influencers can have substantial reach with strong engagement levels, which is a sweet spot that many marketers are looking for. The content is likely polished due to experience, but prices aren’t as high as those of macro or mega influencers.

Cons: You may be competing with several other brands the influencer is working with—consideration of their content as a whole is vital to determine if it aligns with your brand.

Examples: Aimee Kelly (59.6K on TikTok), Exe Eve (57.3K on TikTok), Celeste Evans (67.8K on TikTok).

Sample use case: Aisha Zaza, who posts fitness-related content on social media, has 28.1K followers on Instagram. She posts frequently about fitness competitions. If a hotel chain wanted to attract athletes and fitness enthusiasts who travel to these competitions, it could partner with an influencer like Zaza. In her videos showcasing her experience at a fitness event, she could include information about the hotel.

Macro influencers

Moving up another tier, macro influencers have between 100,000 and one million followers.

Pros: These creators have a massive reach and can drive many more eyes on your brand. They’ll also be experienced in working with brands for influencer marketing.

Cons: A high follow count could mean the engagement rate isn’t in the range you’re looking for.

Examples: India Moon (293K on Instagram), Cinzia Baylis Zullo (551K on Instagram), Danielle Pheloung (553K on TikTok).

Sample use case: Audfin on TikTok, who has 165K followers, owns a popular coffee brand, “The Nitro Bar,” which has three locations. Her TikTok highlights her days as a business owner. A partnership could be ideal for brands like Square Up, which has point of sale (POS) systems. The product could be featured in her “day in the life” content, which could pique the interest of fellow store owners who follow her.

Mega influencers

Mega influencers have over one million followers and are sometimes considered to be celebrities in their own right.

Pros: You can gain celebrity-level exposure and influence, as these people have strong followings who are loyal to them. Speaking strictly in terms of volume, these are the best influencers to maximize reach.

Cons: Working with mega influencers is costly, as they can hand-pick the best deals according to suitability and price.

Examples: Alix Earle (7.5M on TikTok), Jackie Aina (3.2M on TikTok), MrBeast (415M subscribers on YouTube)

Sample use case: If you’re a luxury beauty brand aiming to build credibility, Jackie Aina could be a perfect match as she’s known for having authority within the space. She’s honest and would be great for a long-term ambassadorship that could run over a three-month period, with products featured in “get ready with me” content and unboxing videos on both YouTube and TikTok.

Virtual/AI influencers

Virtual influencers are accounts created by AI, with the character taking on the role of an influencer.

Pros: Your influencer marketing partnership can be more personalized and allow for more consistent messaging, as it’s fully customizable to match what you’re looking for. Additionally, virtual influencers are always available and can gain attention due to their uniqueness.

Cons: Human nuance and emotional connection are missing, and some audience members may be opposed to the use of AI.

Examples: Aitana Lopez (371K followers), Lil Miquela (3.4M followers on TikTok), Liam Nikuro (11.5K Instagram followers).

Sample use case: The virtual influencer Aitana Lopez is a gamer and fitness lover. If a brand is launching a new mobile gaming app, working with gaming-related influencers—including those who are virtual—could help generate traction.

How to build an influencer marketing strategy

Although influencer relationships can generate significant exposure for brands, a strategy is necessary to ensure you maximize the benefits of this advertising technique. 

Follow these steps to build out a successful influencer marketing strategy.

1. Define goals and overall KPIs

The base for creating an influencer marketing strategy begins like any other traditional marketing strategy, as you must first identify the goals of working with these creators.

First, determine whether you’re seeking increased brand awareness or conversions. While the two are linked, the strategy changes depending on your aim. This will help inform everything from what type of influencer you will work with, what platforms, and even how much content you wll need.

Brand awareness

If brand awareness is the focus, partnering with like-minded influencers who have large followings could be the way to go, as this would ensure high visibility. Creating fun challenges with influencers to share, running giveaways, or using an always-on ambassadorship can boost reach.

Conversions

If you’re primarily interested in conversions, target influencers with high engagement rates. They may not have a huge number of followers, but they can have a loyal community. The influencer’s following should closely resemble your desired target audience.

Second, are you looking for always-on ambassadorships? Or do you only want to utilize the work of influencers when there’s a product to launch? 

Ambassadorships

If you’re looking for a deeper relationship (and a slow build) between the brand and influencer, where the brand can become a consistent part of someone’s content, an ambassadorship is for you. These partnerships generally stem from deeper alignment between your brand values, the influencer’s audience demographics, and overall usage of the influencer marketing platform.

Campaign-based partnerships

If, however, you’re aiming to generate a whole lot of buzz and reach ahead of a product launch date, a campaign-based plan could be best. These can be high-impact as they’ll be something new for the influencers’ audience to see vs. content they’ve already become accustomed to.

2. Choose the right platforms

Each social media platform serves a purpose for marketers, with slight differences in who’s using each channel and how.

TikTok

If you’re looking for virality, TikTok is the platform for you. The platform has a large Gen Z audience, but its average age has increased over the years. In 2022, 35% of users were between the ages of 18 and 24. Two years later, in 2024, 25 to 34-year-olds were the largest demographic at 30%, followed by the younger age group at 25%.

TikTok requires more genuine, authentic, and less-polished content, so corporate photoshoots showcasing products wouldn’t work well here. Instead, enlist the help of influencers and UGC creators to show off your product naturally in mini vlogs, day-in-the-life content, or in short-form reviews. 

Instagram 

Instagram is another platform with a younger audience (compared to a platform like Facebook), with its average age as of January 2025 lying somewhere between 25 and 34 years old. While this channel still manages to attract a younger audience, it’s slightly more polished than TikTok.

Aesthetic content (which is visually appealing and cohesive with colors and style) has long worked well on Instagram, with photo dumps (or carousels) being a popular addition alongside Reels and Stories. While carousels, posts, and Reels stay on an account’s page forever (unless they’re deleted), Instagram Stories last for 24 hours. After this period ends, the story will be removed from the profile and feed.

YouTube

If you’re looking for a way to post content that’s more detailed, in-depth, and long-form, consider YouTube. The platform also heavily pushes YouTube Shorts, offering the option to post short-form videos as well. Both forms need to be fun and engaging, as anything too corporate won’t appeal to a broader audience.

Long-form platforms like YouTube enable creators to go into greater depth, which can be beneficial for product reviews, tutorials, or vlogs. These platforms allow you to focus more on educating your audience, as the videos have more permanence (they don’t disappear like Instagram Stories). 

This longevity can extend reach and discovery, even post-campaign, as the video will be on YouTube for years to come.

Podcasts

Podcasts are another option for longer-form content that’s useful for mid-funnel education. The focus shouldn’t be sales as direct selling can be jarring for listeners. Instead, give value back to the listeners—whether through interviews with industry experts, sharing customer stories, or breaking down myths in your niche. 

Someone listening to a podcast will be doing so for either entertainment or learning purposes, not to feel like they’re being sold to constantly. Aim to build brand trust and interest, and demonstrate authority at this stage.

LinkedIn

If your brand is B2B-facing, LinkedIn is a great option. It’s used by corporate professionals, including those who are decision-makers within their orgs. While influencer marketing has been around for over a decade, LinkedIn influencer marketing is still a relatively new business, so targeting this platform could put you ahead of your competitors.

3. Know your audience

Once you know the goals and which platforms you want to focus on, it’s time to hone in on your audience.

If you haven’t already, create a user persona—this will help guide you and your team when deciding what’s right for your target demographic. 

The exploration into your customer persona should be as detailed as possible. Consider including:

• Age and gender
• Location
• Income level, along with spending habits
• Occupation and/or industry
• Interests and hobbies
• Decision drivers (price point, sustainability/ethical considerations, influencer recommendations, etc.)
• Brands they currently love and buy from
• Style preferences
• Social media usage (which apps they use and who they follow)
• Preferred content types

Knowing who your target audience already follows and which content they prefer to consume will help significantly with drafting a strategy.

For example, your target audience is a 27-year-old woman living in New York:

• Demographic: 27-year-old woman living in NYC who works in marketing
• Psychographic: Ambitious, deeply values growth, curious
• Behavioral: In her spare time, she’s consuming self-improvement and business-related content via podcasts, YouTube, and LinkedIn
• Aspirational figure: Self-made female entrepreneurs like Emma Grede
• Brands she loves: Rhode, Canva, Audible, Notion, Glossier, Alo, Good American
• Spending habits: She’s willing to save up for something more expensive, but she shops in the mid-luxury price point and below
• Social media usage: Spotify, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok

Based on this example, utilizing female entrepreneurs would work best. The founder of Odd Muse, Aimee Smale, would be the perfect influencer to work with to match the target audience. She’s built a strong community (141K followers on Instagram) based on her sharing her entrepreneurial journey of building a fashion brand. 

Although initially based in the UK, Smale has moved to New York to oversee her US-based store. She posts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and her podcast. 

Odd Muse is accustomed to working with brands on marketing campaigns—Smale shared videos from a brand trip to the Silverstone Grand Prix, hosted by the financial service Airwallex, and has also recently worked with Adobe and Shopify on her social media channels.

A brand working with Smale could ask her to tie her brand story or learnings from over the years into a video for social media to promote their product/service. Sponsoring her podcast would be another good opportunity.

How to find the right influencers

Even if you have an incredible marketing strategy involving influencers, it will only be effective if you select the right people for your brand and its target audience.

Start with an organic search

You don’t have to use specific discovery tools to get started; an organic search is a great way to learn more about your target audience and the context around what they watch or consume.

To begin, choose a platform to explore and type in specific keywords, hashtags, or any influencers you’re already familiar with in the space.

Your search could bring up new accounts, as well as comments that may mention relevant topics you could dive into. It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s beneficial for gaining a deeper understanding of your intended audience.

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Tip: Searching for content creators by follow count is easy on TikTok, as the platform itself has it as a filter option. Go to the search bar -> search for your topic -> users -> the three dots in the corner -> filters -> click on the follower count you’re interested in.

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Use influencer discovery platforms

Now that you’ve got a list of organically-found influencers, it’s time to knuckle down and find the people you may have missed.

CreatorIQ’s “Discover” solution utilizes AI-powered discovery to provide you with smart recommendations based on your chosen filters. The tool can search millions of public creator profiles across every social network, and you can refine the selection by saving the people you’d be interested in working with.

Once you have a list of saved searches, the tool will automatically generate recommendations based on the people you already like.

Aspire IO is another influencer discovery tool that utilizes AI and advanced filters to source high-performing creators. You can select the platform you’re interested in and filter by age, location, and follower count.

The tool also features an AI Reverse Image Search function. If you already have an example of high-performing influencer content, use the function to pull up results that feature other creators that match your brand’s aesthetic.

Upfluence is a tool that promises “no more manual searches,” as its software has advanced audience filtering and built-in AI features. It can show you influencers based on engagement rates, audience size, audience fit, and more. 

Additionally, Upfluence allows you to see which creators are already fans of your brand, with data showing that influencers who already know and love the brand are seven times more likely to accept a collaboration.

Vet creators before negotiating rates

Now that you’re armed with a long list of possible collaborations or partnerships, it’s time to vet the influencers.

You need to know their average engagement rate as well as the authenticity of their audience. In some cases, people will buy followers, which results in bots following their page and giving them an inflated follower count.

Both CreatorIQ and Aspire can help with the vetting stage as they present key metrics and greater details about the influencers’ audience.

When analyzing engagement rates, the higher the better. A solid engagement rate is typically between 1% and 3%, but 3% to 5% is considered strong. Anything higher is exceptional.

It’s not just about the metrics, though—you should conduct a deep dive into the influencer’s content to ensure it aligns with your brand and its values. You’ll also want to verify that all of the influencer’s videos/images are of high quality.

Structuring influencer campaigns that convert

Influencer marketing can drive real results, but it requires a strategy to capture attention, spark interest, and lead to conversions.

With this in mind, here are four factors to consider when creating a strategy for campaigns.

One-off vs. long-term relationships

Both one-off and long-term relationships can be successful in influencer marketing, but they need to be used at different stages in the funnel.

A one-off collaboration is ideal for limited-time campaigns or product launches, as it can drive short-term sales and awareness spikes ahead of a new collection’s release.

In contrast, a long-term partnership or ambassadorship can drive credibility and trust, as followers perceive the content as more authentic when they see the influencer using the product time and time again. 

Long-term partnerships are great for the consideration stage (middle of the funnel) and decision stage (bottom of the funnel) as consistency can build credibility—long-term partnerships can educate about the product in a deeper way than what a one-off relationship could achieve. Additionally, influencers can tailor the messaging to hit their audience’s pain points.

Ideally, a combination of both one-off and long-term relationships can be established with a range of influencers.

Timelines, revisions, and posting windows

Depending on who you’re working with, the influencer must know the desired timeline of the campaign from the outset, which can help reduce hiccups like delayed content.

You should convey the following information to the influencer and their management:

• When the brief or product will be sent to them
• What deliverables are needed (whether it be posts, stories, video content, blogs, etc.)
• Content submission deadlines
• When the posts need to go live

With the deliverables, the influencer needs to know what type of content you want them to create. This could be video content for Instagram Reels or TikTok, or it could be images for Instagram posts or Stories. Other possibilities include YouTube integrations, YouTube videos, livestreams, blog posts, newsletter mentions, LinkedIn posts, Facebook posts, or messaging for a podcast.

The influencer contract should include a timeline for revisions, as it will give you time to check the content and request any necessary changes. Specify a number of revisions (usually no more than two rounds, but it depends on the size and scope of the deliverables, plus the quality of the deliverables you’re receiving). 

Additionally, include a posting window in the formal agreement. If content is posted late, the impact can be lackluster—especially if it’s supposed to be created for a campaign or launch.

Briefs vs. creative freedom: Balance control with authenticity

There’s a delicate balance between ensuring the brand’s messaging is clear and precise in an influencer’s post while maintaining their tone of voice.

The latter is the reason why the influencer has built a following. If their voice isn’t respected, the collaboration can come off as inauthentic or may not have the reach you’re hoping for.

Your messaging should sound natural when read out loud and not be so restrictive that it doesn’t work well with the influencer’s aesthetic. You don’t want the influencer to sound robotic or as if they’re being held hostage! To avoid this scenario, try sending the influencer prompts with general bullet points instead of a specific script to follow.

Influencer Holly Morris, who started out working in creative strategy before turning to social media influencing, speaks about the importance of allowing for creative freedom often on LinkedIn:

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“Please remember it should always be audience first, brand second. There *needs* to be a reason for the audience to want to watch the video, and you asking for [a] brand mention in the first three seconds, followed by 17 USP’s being listed off, is *not* going to work. I could do a whole post on the importance of the social currency dynamic being right in brand deals.”

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UTM parameters and affiliate links for tracking

If there’s one thing you absolutely must do ahead of influencer content being posted, it’s ensuring that each partner has a unique UTM link to include when posting about your product service.

Without it, you’re unable to quantify the results of the content—the personalized link enables you to track performance through dashboards like Google Analytics.

When you have UTM links set up and ready, you’ll be able to see which influencers are driving the most traffic, engagement, and conversions. Without these details, you’re wasting valuable marketing budget if the chosen creators aren’t driving sufficient traffic or conversions.

Legal and compliance considerations

Once you’ve begun discussing work with an influencer, create a contract detailing the agreement. It needs to include usage rights (and for how long!), along with payment terms and content approvals.

Whitelisting vs. paid boosting

The basis for how you’ll work together should be included in the contract, including whether whitelisting will be carried out or paid boosting.

Whitelisting is where the influencer will grant you access to run ads about your product or campaign through their social media account. This means the ads will be coming from the influencer account, which can feel more authentic to their audience as the content is able to be pushed directly to their community.

Paid boosting is another option where an influencer will create the desired content and post it to their channels, then the brand pays to turn that content into an ad on the same social media platform. This can be a good option when the content’s performing well (with high engagement) and you wish to boost it further.

Content rights and licensing agreements

To avoid intellectual property issues, identify the licensing terms from the beginning, including where the content will be used (and possibly reused), how long it will be used for, and what rights the brand is acquiring (e.g., exclusivity and paid usage).

You’ll need to have the necessary content rights and licensing agreements in place. When discussing rates, a content creator will likely also quote for paid ad usage, relating to a base rate fee and then a percentage (example: base rate + 50% of base rate for over 90 days).

The influencer may also provide additional content if they agree to ad testing sets. Ad testing is particularly helpful when A/B testing, as you can analyze which hook works best for your audience.

FTC regulations

It’s important to remember regulations that influencers must adhere to, particularly when it comes to disclosing paid partnerships, gifted products, and brand ambassadorships (#ad, #sponsored, etc.) within the content. The disclosure must be clear to the audience and not buried deep into the content.

These guidelines are set by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), with the latter being UK-based and the former focused on the US.

According to the FTC, disclosure is needed when an influencer has a financial, employment, personal, or family relationship with a brand. There shouldn’t be any assumption that an influencer’s followers already know about an established brand relationship. If an influencer is given a product for free (or has received a discount), they need to make a disclosure even if they weren’t asked to mention that product.

The FTC says that simple and clear language must be used, with simple explanations like “Thanks to [example] brand for the free product!” Other terms like “advertisement,” “ad,” and “sponsored” can be used, too.

It’s only when there’s no brand relationship that disclosure doesn’t have to be made.

How to measure influencer marketing ROI

Successful marketing strategies need to convert in some way (including brand awareness), so being able to measure the impact of your campaigns is key. This information equips you with the knowledge to make data-driven decisions about the strategy, such as replicating what’s working to drive even more success and adjusting poor-performing campaigns to fix what didn’t go well.

Track the following metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaigns.

Reach and impressions

Each social media platform will display metrics such as reach and impressions, which are the basics for understanding how well a post has performed.

Reach is the number of unique viewers who have seen the content, while impressions is the total number of times your content has appeared on screens. Impressions include people who have watched the content more than once.

Engagement rate

You should also be calculating an engagement rate to understand the number of people who have actually interacted with the influencers’ content in some way. The calculation for this is:

total engagement divided by total followers, multiplied by 100 = engagement rate

Clicks and conversions

Clicks refers to the amount of times a user clicks on a link that’s hosted within the social media content. A link in the bio, or as a swipe-up on an Instagram Story, are included in this metric. Other examples are when a call-to-action button is clicked on.

It’s important to check clicks as it shows how many people were interested enough to learn more. Clicks can also tell you how strong the hook is that’s been used, as well as the link placement.

Conversions happen after the link is clicked, when someone has completed a desired action. Typically, purchasing a product, filling out a form, or downloading an app/guide are all considered conversions.

Tracking conversions is key as it plays into return on investment, affiliate performance, or sales impact. It’s a direct correlation of how successful a campaign or influencer content has performed.

When it comes to measuring clicks and conversions, you always need to ensure the influencers are using links correctly. There’s nothing worse than having some amazing content posted that’s attracted tons of views, and a bunch of people are left asking, “How can I actually buy this?” without any clear path to getting onto your site.

This is where the aforementioned UTM link and smart link tools should be used. Connect them to your Google Analytics account (or any other preferred analytics platform like Shopify—more on analytics tools in a bit).

Remember, each influencer should have a unique UTM link, which can be created using a tool like Google’s Campaign URL Builder. This specific link should be used by the influencer in either their bio or as a story swipe-up for the duration of the campaign or the time period agreed upon.

You’ll be able to track the outcome of campaigns more effectively under Google Analytics by clicking on “Acquisition,” then “Campaigns.”

Cost per engagement/conversion

Understanding cost per engagement (CPE) and cost per conversion (CPC) is crucial because it helps you see how efficiently your budget is driving results.

The CPE focuses on how much you’re paying for every like, comment, save, or share. The formula is:

CPE = total spend / total engagements

Similarly, CPC is how much you’re paying for a completed action, whether that be filling out a form, downloading an app or guide, or making a purchase.

CPC = total spend / total conversions

Knowing these metrics can take the guesswork out of your influencer marketing campaigns, as you’re able to see whether the results are worth the spend. Going forward, the details of CPE and CPC can be used to influence budget decisions.

Once you have CPC and CPE collected for different types of influencers, you’ll be able to spot which niches and follower ranges are performing best for your business.

Research suggests that YouTube has the lowest cost per engagement with an average CPE of $0.04. This means that the video-focused platform is the cheapest out of the other social media channels to generate engagement. The lower CPE, the less you’re paying for each engagement (which could be views, likes, comments, or shares).

As for the different types of influencers, those in the nano range are reported to charge the least and have an average CPE of $0.06 on TikTok, $0.59 on Instagram, and $0.25 on YouTube.

Analytics tools

Rather than doing everything manually, which can be time-consuming and not even possible with certain metrics (like checking affiliate links), analytics tools can quickly give an insight into the effectiveness of campaigns.

An attribution platform is a tool where it’s possible to see which marketing channels or content contributed to a conversion. Knowing this information can give marketers insights on which influencers are bringing a greater ROI.

Rockerbox is an influencer attribution tool where marketers can measure the true ROI of their chosen influencers. It gives isolated reports measuring the success metrics of traffic, purchases, and revenues, as well as reports looking at the paths your customers took before making a purchase. For influencers specifically, Rockerbox can track the impact of promo codes, URLs, and multiple marketing touchpoints.

GA4, which is the latest version of Google Analytics, shares the numbers behind the traffic as it collects data on how people find your site, the pages they visit, how long they stay, and the actions they take.

Not only does this allow you to see which campaigns are performing well, it gives audience information, too, like demographics, interests, and even the devices that your visitors are using.

Shopify, the e-commerce platform, also offers data exploration and real-time monitoring. It can tell you how much money your store is making across channels, what it’s taking for site visitors to become customers (conversion rate), and how much traffic your site is getting, along with other details.

To measure your ROI, Shopify includes a view of your marketing investments with attribution, customer acquisition cost, and return on ad spend reporting.

Metrics to track include:

• Link clicks: How many times users have clicked on the link in your content (it could be in the bio, story, or ad).
• Reach: The number of unique viewers who have seen the content.
• Engagement rate: The percentage of people who have interacted with the content compared to the amount of people who have seen it. Engagement includes likes, comments, shares, and saves.
• Landing-page views: The number of people who click through and view a specific landing page, whether it’s a signup form or product page.
• UTM link performance: The data from a URL with a tracking code, showing where traffic has come from and how it has performed on the site.
• Conversion rate: The percentage of people who completed a desired action after visiting a link. The action could be completing a signup form, downloading a software, or purchasing a product.
• New customers: The number of people who are first-time buyers that have been acquired during a campaign.
• Discount codes used: How many times a custom influencer discount code has been applied at checkout.
• Affiliate link revenue: The sales value generated through an influencer’s affiliate link.

Lift studies and brand recall surveys

A brand recall survey is all about understanding whether an audience remembers the brand or a specific campaign. This method of measuring effectiveness of campaigns can be seen in ads online asking, “Which of these brands have you seen on YouTube recently?”

The surveys assess just how impactful (or forgettable) the campaign has been and whether the message was conveyed. With this knowledge, future marketing efforts can be adjusted to have a stronger message or a better influencer fit.

Brand recall surveys should be used after a campaign has run. They can be displayed as a poll on social media, through email marketing, or as a pop-up on your website.

A lift study quantifies the impact of the campaign, whether that be a change in behavior (purchase consideration) or improving brand perception. It aims to show how people actually feel about a campaign or piece of content.

Typically, a survey is given to both a test group (who saw the influencer content/ads) and a control group (who didn’t see the ads). The groups are asked brand-related questions, and the difference in the responses from the groups is known as the “lift.”

What’s the value beyond the click?

While there are several tangible and quantitative metrics to help determine the success of influencer marketing, the true reach extends far beyond them.

SEO benefits

In a world of AI Overviews and changing algorithms, the boost to SEO that influencer marketing may bring can be substantial. Every time a creator uses a backlink to the site, it signals to web crawlers that the website is of interest, trustworthy, and valuable to a wider audience.

As a result, just as with traditional PR, when high-quality backlinks are secured through a successful influencer marketing campaign, they can enhance a site’s domain authority, enabling it to rise in the search engine results.

Furthermore, in July 2025, it was announced that Google and Bing are now indexing Instagram posts. This news means the content could begin to appear in AI Overviews, image packs, and Discover feeds, building an even greater connection between SEO and social media.

To stay ahead of the curve, the content your brand posts needs to be consistent with the company’s messaging, relevant to the brand, and incorporate keywords into captions and content.

Positive sentiment

When traffic is generated through links and/or recommendations, engagement on the site can improve as well, as the audience has already shown sufficient interest to click through. 

The clicks through to the webpage could increase time on site, lead to repeat visits, and boost conversions, all of which are positive signals for Google and other search engines.

Reusing influencer marketing content

Seeing beautiful content created and pushed out by influencers is always a positive for any business, but the strategy can be taken one step further.

If your contract allows for it, repurpose the influencer’s UGC in paid advertising, email marketing, and in organic social content. 

When content is reused through cross-posting across multiple channels, it can extend the value and ROI of the video/post. It extends reach and visibility without having to spend more budget on another piece of content. Additionally, it keeps the product top of mind for users as they may see the same message displayed across different channels. Not only does this keep it prominent for them, it helps drive recall.

According to the “seven touches” principle, it takes seven times for a customer to see your brand to make meaningful action. The theory is based on psychology, as repetition can build familiarity. Familiarity then builds trust.

Emerging trends in influencer marketing

Marketing is a rapidly changing industry, and working in the influencer space is no exception. Here are the latest trends and how brands are adapting them for different purposes.

AI-generated influencers and deepfakes

There’s now a growing breed of influencers who are not human. AI-generated influencers are blurring the line between reality and virtuality.

While some are branding these AI moves as being innovative and ahead of the curve, there are concerns in the marketing industry that these creations will take over the role of humans—especially as there’s no risk of them becoming ill or overworked.

One of the first AI influencers was Aitana Lopez, who was created in 2022 by the Spanish agency The Clueless. “We started analysing how we were working and realised that many projects were being put on hold or cancelled due to problems beyond our control,” said agency founder Rubén Cruz in an interview with Euronews.

“We did it so that we could make a better living and not be dependent on other people who have egos, who have manias, or who just want to make a lot of money by posing.”

While this is an emerging trend, it’s not always well received. In 2024, the fashion and lifestyle publication SheerLuxe announced its newest editor known as Reem Bot on its Instagram page, which has half a million followers.

The arrival of Reem caused quite a commotion. Although the company didn’t initially reveal Reem’s ethnicity, some questioned, based on the bot’s appearance, why the magazine created a woman of color using AI instead of hiring someone.

SheerLuxe released a statement saying the bot was “created in partnership with an AI imagery creator from the Middle East, and that is reflected in her likeness.”

“Reem was born entirely from our desire to experiment with AI,” the company explained.

B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is no longer known for posting stuffy graphics or simply announcing whenever someone new joins the team. B2B influencers have taken over and begun partaking in influencer marketing.

It’s a new phenomenon that has been bolstered by the platform introducing new features, such as the carousel post and videos. In fact, short-form video is the fastest-growing content category on LinkedIn in 2025.

The benefit of B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn is that those who have gained followers are typically focused within specific niches and already have some form of expertise on the topic.

Amelia Sordell, for example, has over 239,000 followers and shares posts on personal branding. With her following, she would be classed as a macro influencer.

Carrie Rose, a micro influencer with over 90,000 followers, discusses search-first content marketing and has quickly grown an audience as she shares insights into her journey of running a US and UK-based marketing agency.

Creator-led brand incubators

A creator-led brand incubator is when an already established influencer takes on the role of launching and growing the brand. They’re either a founder or co-founder and are the face of the company in its marketing materials and branding. 

This approach is different from an influencer partnering with brands, as instead the influencer is promoting something they’ve cofounded or led themself.

When done well, a company can leverage the following of the influencer and turn their built-in audience into a business that can gain traction from the beginning.

For example, influencer Emma Chamberlain, who got her start on YouTube and can now be seen on the front row at fashion events around the world, has a hit brand, Chamberlain Coffee.

Her love for coffee has been evident throughout her videos. In an interview with Refinery 29, Emma said the decision to start a coffee company “was so natural and it made so much sense. It was such an obvious decision.”

Five years after it was founded, Chamberlain Coffee is now stocked in Target, Erewhon, and Whole Foods. The company has also opened a popular coffee shop in LA.

Not only has the brand successfully harnessed the power of Emma’s following (14.7M on Instagram alone), her unique style is evident in the packaging, flavors, and marketing.

Community-led influencer strategies

Focusing on the community appears to be the way forward for many brands, as it’s a great way to build a loyal customer base.

Examples of community-focused experiences by Fayt, Odd Muse, and Refy

Refy, a British-based makeup and skincare brand, was one of the first to buck the trend of an influencer trip. Instead, they flew some of their community members on a branded trip to Mallorca.

An influencer trip is where a brand invites established content creators on an expenses-paid travel opportunity so the influencers can create engaging content about the experience. Refy, however, opted to send some of their followers and customers on the all-expenses paid trip.

The result? People loved it. “Literally followed along the whole time, looked amazing! Please do more!!” said a commenter on Instagram, along with many expressing how much they loved this approach.

@itzjustalyssaa Forever grateful @REFY #fyp ♬ original sound – galleria.. k

While the people on the trip weren’t necessarily influencers, several participants created organic content on their own accounts, which helped spread the word about the community trip and showed potential customers that the brand cares about the people on the other end of the transaction.

The Australian fashion brand Fayt the Label did the same thing late last year. The founder, Brittney Saunders, even opened a TikTok video with the line “I’m just going to come right out and say it, brands need to stop taking influencers on extravagant trips and instead take their customers.”

This interest in community building comes at a time when there’s a growing dislike of the traditional influencer brand trip online, with people making videos on social media to say they’re “fed up with influencers getting everything for free.”

The shifting sentiment has caused some influencers who post about brand trips involving VIP boxes at concerts or attending sports events to receive backlash if they haven’t previously expressed a liking for that artist/sport/festival, etc.

Utilizing both both influencer and community trips in your brand strategy

Even though a shift is starting to take place where more community-focused events are popping up, influencer trips are still an approach that can drive massive reach, virality, and high ROI. Remember, it’s through established influencers—whether nano or mega—that high-quality, shareable content can be created.

An influencer trip makes the most sense when you’re aiming for a high impact and want premium content created. If you’re planning an influencer event or trip, ensure that the influencer has a genuine interest in being there. Not only will it look more sincere in any content posted (plus, they might be eager to post more about their experience), it will be appreciated by those watching the content.

While influencer trips do continue to be beneficial for brands, consider incorporating community-based events or experiences into your strategies as well. Community events can build loyalty and provide brands with a bank of user-generated content. They’re particularly great when testing new markets or products, or for when a brand wants to give back to its customers. 

Influencer marketing continues to be a booming industry

Even with changing algorithms and ongoing discussions about banning social media platforms, influencer marketing can still be a core component of an effective digital strategy.

Keep reading to see how social media distribution fits into the bigger picture of your content marketing strategy.