How Influencer Marketing Works—And How To Measure Success
Collab, create, and convert, babe! ✨
Can you remember a world without influencers? Neither can we.
Truth be told before we had the influencer of 2024, our culture always had influencers. Talk about a Pokemon evolution glow-up.
On social media, influencers have become the powerhouse behind helping brands build authority, creating conversations, and establishing connections in the digital realm.
But how does influencer marketing work exactly? More importantly, how can your brand track the success of influencer marketing campaigns and see real results as quickly as you bought the Alix Earle light? Let’s break it down. ⬇️
What Is An Influencer Really?
Before there was Barbie and that America Ferrera speech, there was Jane Austen and Emma. Both hot (and honest) take on womanhood and the female perspective, just in different time periods. So basically, Jane Austen was an influencer in her own time.
The OG influencers are also public speakers and TedTalk hosts who traveled, shared their wisdom, and became the voices of authority in their fields.
Now, the torch has been passed to today's influencers, as they’re becoming established authorities in their areas of expertise, sparking conversations, and, of course, helping brands make 👏 those 👏 sales.
Is Influencer Marketing Just A Sales Tactic?
Yes and no.
While a lot of brands employ influencer marketing strategies to help increase sales, these campaigns are also a means of building authority and fostering engagement.
Through influencer partnerships, brands aim to establish a credible presence in the market and create meaningful conversations around their products and services.
Brand awareness AND sales born out of influencer marketing are both measurable—if you know what to track.
How to Track Influencer Campaign Success
Goal #1: Brand Awareness
What to Track:
Follower Growth: An increase in followers indicates a growing audience interested in your brand. Be sure to note your audience size prior to the campaign so you can get a clearer idea of just how much the influencer campaign impacted your following
Impressions: This metric showcases the amount of times influencer content appeared in your audience’s feed. It helps gain an understanding of your brand’s visibility.
Hashtags & Keywords: Keep track of the usage of branded hashtags and keywords, such as your brand name or a campaign slogan. Finding content via this type of search can also let you know who is trying your product/service, loving it, and talking about it.
Goal #2: Conversion
What to Track:
Trackable Links: You can create different links for different influencers or campaigns that will help you track how much conversion they are generating for your brand. Each URL you assign to an influencer or campaign can easily be tracked through a tool like Google Analytics.
Discount & Affiliate Codes: Affiliate codes are typically used to help generate sales and aid affiliates in making a commission. Discount codes are usually a limited-time deal. Either way, you can track the use of these codes in sales.
Goal #3: Content Performance
What to Track:
Engagement: Measure how each piece of content performs by tracking the number of likes, comments, saves, shares, and clicks. Not all of these engagements will matter for all campaigns, but they are always good to keep track of.
Engagement Rate: Calculate a piece of content’s engagement rate by dividing the number of post engagements by the number of account followers.
And How Do We Know All This? We Do It Every Day.
UGC is dominating in 2024—don’t let your brand fall behind the curve. Scott Social is your go-to boutique marketing agency specializing in influencer marketing.
We specialize in influencer research, outreach, and campaign management. From finding the perfect creatives to cultivate captivating content to managing your partnership with them, we've got your back. Just ask Americana Motor Hotel or HealthScope Labs.
Don't just join the influencer conversation; lead it. Connect with us today, and let’s get influencers dying to work with your brand!
WRITTEN BY:
Angela LaRose
Copywriter + Social Media Strategist
