Start with a clear goal
Pick one main goal before the campaign starts: awareness, traffic, sign-ups or sales. The goal decides which numbers you will judge it on.
Metrics at each stage
- Awareness: reach, views and impressions
- Engagement: comments, saves, shares and likes
- Traffic: link clicks and website visits
- Conversion: orders, sign-ups or installs from tracked links and codes
How to track results
- Give each creator a unique link with UTM tags
- Use a unique promo code for every creator
- Send traffic to a dedicated landing page
- Use affiliate links where you pay on performance
- Add a "How did you hear about us?" question at checkout or sign-up
Formulas worth knowing
- Engagement rate = engagements ÷ reach × 100
- Click-through rate (CTR) = clicks ÷ views × 100
- Cost per click (CPC) = spend ÷ clicks
- Cost per acquisition (CPA) = spend ÷ orders or sign-ups
- Return on ad spend (ROAS) = revenue ÷ spend
- ROI % = (revenue − total cost) ÷ total cost × 100
Common mistakes
- Judging only on likes and follower counts
- Skipping tracked links, so sales cannot be traced
- Judging too early when buyers take time to decide
- Ignoring the value of reusable content
What a good report looks like
A good report ties the numbers back to your goal and says what to repeat and what to change. See our sample campaign report for the format we use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate for influencers?
It varies by platform, niche and creator size, so compare creators within the same niche rather than against a single number.
How long should I wait before measuring results?
Look at early numbers after the first week, then again a few weeks later, since some buyers convert after the content has been seen more than once.
Can I measure ROI without sales tracking?
You can track reach, engagement and traffic, but sales-based ROI needs unique links, codes or a landing page.