The essential ingredients for successful influencer campaigns

Working with the right talent can turn a campaign from ordinary to extraordinary. But it’s easy to get distracted by flashy metrics. Focus on value over volume. Here are seven key things to consider to ensure your investment in influencers works hard for you.

1. Engagement

Follower count is just one piece of the puzzle and doesn’t paint the full picture. When working with talent, it’s tempting to chase big numbers, thinking they guarantee strong ROI. Spoiler: They don’t always.

Engagement stats are often more telling. They show how many followers are actually seeing the content. Be vigilant and check these stats across different platforms, as they use different metrics. Life events relevant to the talent, like weddings or proposals, can make engagement skyrocket. Securing talent during such times can give your content extra traction.

2. Fame and expertise

Depending on your campaign, working with someone who has expertise or fame in a particular area can boost your brand’s credibility. An expert’s audience already trusts them, which can transfer to your product. Similarly, famous faces naturally attract attention and interest.

3. Audience

Audience relevance is crucial. Does the talent align with your objective? For example, if targeting Gen Z, choose someone who resonates with this demographic. Some platforms offer deeper insights beyond age, revealing who else the audience follows and their interests. This can uncover niche topics that diversify your campaign and uniquely engage your target audience.

4. Selling power

Predicting traditional ROI through selling power is tricky. It shouldn’t be your bottom-line metric unless highly relevant. Use a test-and-learn strategy to identify top sellers. Different creators excel in different areas. Talk to your creators. They usually know what sells to their audience and provide valuable, authentic insights.

5. Brand values

Strong alignment with your brand’s core values creates authentic partnerships. It helps narrate what you stand for, whether it’s sustainability, charity or making a difference in people’s lives. This alignment can significantly enhance your brand’s story.

6. Content creation

Consider the type of content you need — stills or video, chatty or not, slick transitions or raw footage. Choosing talent who fit the content brief can streamline the approval process. While brand guidelines are helpful, avoid stifling creativity with rigid briefs. Allow creators control to benefit performance, as native content resonates more with their audience, driving likes and engagement.

7. Platform

Consider platform-specific performance metrics. On Instagram, focus on follower and engagement metrics, while on TikTok, overall likes can be more insightful. Timing for measuring success also varies. Instagram and TikTok might show results from 24 hours to a month, while YouTube requires long-term tracking. YouTube content often garners great results, but they aren't immediate and can continue to perform well over time.

Identifying talent for campaigns isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy. Your campaign objectives should guide which metrics to consider and measure. Long-term strategies should include brand awareness, focusing on talent with aligned values and a relatable audience. This generates authentic partnerships, benefiting the content, consumers and your product. Such an approach drives ongoing brand awareness, fame and consideration, creating a lasting impact.

Ashleigh Skinner is the influencer and publicist lead at Instinct PR, a consumer and fashion PR agency. Ashleigh has more than a decade of experience in PR and influencer marketing in agency, client side at River Island and as a content creator herself.