7 KPIs for Influencer Marketing (And How To Track Them)
Proof your influencers aren't ghosting. 👻
Remember when getting your mom to post about your lemonade stand was the height of influencer marketing? Times have changed — and so have the metrics we use to measure success. If you're ready to get serious about your campaigns, knowing the right KPIs for influencer marketing isn't just helpful — it's essential.
Today's influencer marketing is less about hoping for the best and more about knowing exactly what your collab brought to the table. Let's break down the seven most important KPIs you should be tracking (and exactly how to measure them).
Why Tracking KPIs for Influencer Marketing is Important
Let's be real — working with influencers without tracking KPIs is like throwing a party and not checking if anyone showed up. Not exactly the vibe we're going for.
Tracking these metrics helps you:
Know exactly which influencers are delivering the best results for your brand
Understand what type of content resonates with your target audience
Make data-driven decisions about future campaign investments
Show the actual value of influencer marketing to stakeholders (because "trust me, it's working" doesn't quite cut it anymore)
Plus, with influencer marketing spending expected to hit record numbers this year, you need to know your money's going to the right places. These KPIs are your BFFs in making sure every collab counts.
1. Engagement Rate
Think of engagement rate as the digital equivalent of your high school popularity rating — except this time, we can actually measure it.
Engagement rate shows you how many people are actually interacting with your influencer's content versus just scrolling past it. Here's how to calculate it:
Total Engagements (likes + comments + saves + shares) ÷ Total Followers × 100 = Engagement Rate
Pro tip: An engagement rate between 1-5% is considered good, but micro-influencers often see rates as high as 8%. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, anything above 10% is absolutely crushing it.
2. Reach, Impressions, and Views
These metrics are like counting heads at a party — how many people actually showed up, and how many times did they come back for more snacks?
Reach tells you the number of unique users who saw your content, while impressions and views show how many times your content was displayed (yes, that means some people saw it multiple times).
Track reach and impressions directly through the influencer's analytics dashboard or by requesting screenshots of their insights for specific posts. Views are public on both Instagram and TikTok and can be monitored on the influencer’s page.
3. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR is the digital equivalent of actually getting people off their couch and into your store. It measures how many people liked your content enough to take action — AKA, they didn't just double-tap and bounce.
Total Clicks ÷ Total Impressions × 100 = CTR
The tea? Most influencer content sees a CTR between 1-3%. But here's where it gets interesting — micro-influencers often see higher CTRs because their audience is more engaged and niche-specific.
4. Conversion Rate
Here's where the rubber meets the road — or should we say, where the likes meet the wallet. Conversion rate shows you how many people actually took the desired action (purchasing, signing up, etc.) after seeing your influencer's content.
Track this by:
Using unique promo codes for each influencer
Creating specific landing pages
Setting up UTM parameters in your links
5. Brand Mention Sentiment
We're giving major Taylor Swift energy here — because like her, you want people talking about you, but in a good way.
Monitor the comments and responses to your influencer's posts. Are they positive? Neutral? Giving major red flag vibes? Tools like Mention can help track this at scale.
6. Return on Investment (ROI)
Let's talk money, honey. ROI tells you whether your influencer collab was worth the investment.
ROI = (Revenue Generated - Campaign Cost) ÷ Campaign Cost × 100
Remember: Some campaigns are about brand awareness rather than direct sales, so adjust your ROI calculations accordingly.
7. Follower Growth
This is your "slow burn" metric — it might not show immediate results, but it's crucial for long-term success. Track how your follower count changes during and after influencer campaigns in your brands’ social media insights or analytics page.
Here's what healthy follower growth typically looks like after an influencer campaign:
Week 1: Initial surge (hello, new friends!)
Weeks 2-3: Natural drop-off (saying goodbye to the lurkers)
Weeks 4+: Stabilization of genuine followers
How to Track These Influencer Marketing KPIs Like a Pro
Time for some real talk: tracking these metrics manually is like trying to count raindrops — technically possible, but why would you? When it comes to measuring KPIs for influencer marketing, you need a system that works as hard as you do.
Here's what we recommend:
Use a social media management platform that integrates with your analytics OR
Set up a detailed spreadsheet with the KPIs you want to track (budget-friendly option)
Review metrics monthly to optimize future campaigns
Ready to Level Up Your Influencer Marketing?
Tracking these KPIs is just the beginning — and that's where we come in. As a boutique social media marketing agency in Phoenix, Arizona, Scott Social isn't about doing everything — we're about doing everything right.
We elevate and streamline your social media presence, from creating thumb-stopping content to building genuine community connections that turn your metrics into magic. Ready to see what strategic influencer marketing (and actually tracking it) can do for your brand? Let's chat about making your next campaign a chart-topper.
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WRITTEN BY:
Halie Engler
Social Media Strategist + Copywriter
