# Influencer Performance — Measurement & Attribution

## Earned Media Value (EMV) Calculation Methods

### What is EMV?
Earned Media Value assigns a dollar value to organic social engagement and impressions generated by influencer content, benchmarked against what equivalent paid media exposure would cost.

### Standard EMV Formula
```
EMV = (Impressions x CPM Benchmark / 1,000) + (Engagements x CPE Benchmark)
```

### Platform-Specific CPM & CPE Benchmarks for EMV

| Platform | CPM Benchmark | CPE Benchmark | Notes |
|----------|--------------|---------------|-------|
| **Instagram Feed** | $8 – $15 | $0.10 – $0.30 | Higher for fashion, beauty, lifestyle |
| **Instagram Reels** | $5 – $12 | $0.05 – $0.15 | Reels generally earn lower CPM but higher reach |
| **Instagram Stories** | $4 – $10 | $0.08 – $0.20 | Measure replies and sticker taps as engagements |
| **TikTok** | $3 – $8 | $0.03 – $0.10 | High reach, lower CPM; virality potential skews values |
| **YouTube** | $15 – $30 | $0.15 – $0.50 | Premium CPM; count views, likes, comments |
| **LinkedIn** | $20 – $45 | $0.50 – $1.50 | B2B premium; smaller audiences but higher value |
| **Twitter/X** | $3 – $8 | $0.05 – $0.15 | Lower engagement rates; best for conversation starters |

### EMV Limitations
- EMV is a **directional metric**, not a precise ROI measurement
- Different agencies and platforms use different benchmarks, making cross-comparison unreliable
- EMV does not account for sentiment, brand lift, or downstream conversions
- Use EMV as one signal among many — never as the sole success metric

---

## Attribution Models for Influencer Marketing

### Attribution Methods Comparison

| Method | How It Works | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best For |
|--------|-------------|-----------|------------|----------|
| **Promo codes** | Unique discount code per creator, tracked at checkout | Direct revenue attribution; easy to implement | Only captures discount-motivated buyers; code sharing skews data | DTC e-commerce, product launches |
| **UTM links** | Unique UTM-tagged URLs per creator, tracked in analytics | Granular traffic and conversion data; works with GA4 | Doesn't work in non-clickable formats (Stories without links, TV) | Website traffic, content marketing |
| **Affiliate links** | Unique tracking links with commission on conversions | Self-funding model; aligns creator incentives | May not capture view-through or assisted conversions | Always-on programs, performance partnerships |
| **Brand lift study** | Pre/post survey measuring awareness, favorability, intent | Measures upper-funnel impact; captures non-click influence | Expensive; requires large sample size; 4–6 week timeline | Brand awareness campaigns, major launches |
| **Pixel tracking** | Platform pixels track conversions from creator content | Automated; real-time data | Privacy restrictions (iOS 14.5+, cookie deprecation) limit accuracy | Paid amplification of influencer content |
| **Engagement attribution** | Correlate engagement spikes with conversion spikes | Captures organic influence; no tracking infrastructure needed | Correlation is not causation; many confounding variables | Awareness campaigns; supplementary analysis |
| **Post-purchase survey** | "How did you hear about us?" question at checkout | Captures word-of-mouth and dark social influence | Self-reported; low completion rates; recall bias | DTC brands; validating influencer contribution |

### Multi-Touch Attribution Approach
For campaigns with multiple influencers and channels, use a blended model:
1. **First-touch**: Credit to the influencer who introduced the consumer to the brand
2. **Last-touch**: Credit to the influencer whose content preceded the conversion
3. **Linear**: Equal credit across all touchpoints
4. **Time-decay**: More credit to touchpoints closer to conversion
5. **Data-driven**: ML model assigns credit based on observed conversion patterns

**Recommended approach**: Use last-touch for direct response campaigns and linear/time-decay for awareness campaigns. Always supplement with post-purchase surveys.

---

## Influencer Campaign Reporting Template

### Campaign Overview
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Campaign name | |
| Campaign dates | |
| Objective | |
| Total budget | |
| Number of creators | |
| Total deliverables | |

### Performance Summary Table

| Metric | Definition | Total | Per Creator Avg | Benchmark | vs. Benchmark |
|--------|-----------|-------|----------------|-----------|---------------|
| **Reach** | Unique accounts that saw the content | | | | |
| **Impressions** | Total number of times content was displayed | | | | |
| **Engagement** | Total likes + comments + saves + shares | | | | |
| **Engagement rate** | Engagements / Reach x 100 | | | | |
| **Video views** | Total video views (3-sec or platform-defined) | | | | |
| **Video completion rate** | Full views / Total views x 100 | | | | |
| **Link clicks** | Clicks on tracked URLs or swipe-ups | | | | |
| **Click-through rate** | Clicks / Impressions x 100 | | | | |
| **Conversions** | Purchases, sign-ups, or defined conversion actions | | | | |
| **Conversion rate** | Conversions / Clicks x 100 | | | | |
| **Revenue generated** | Total tracked revenue from influencer activity | | | | |
| **CPE** | Cost per engagement (Total spend / Engagements) | | | | |
| **CPC** | Cost per click (Total spend / Clicks) | | | | |
| **CPA** | Cost per acquisition (Total spend / Conversions) | | | | |
| **CPM** | Cost per thousand impressions (Spend / Impressions x 1,000) | | | | |
| **ROAS** | Return on ad spend (Revenue / Total spend) | | | | |
| **EMV** | Earned media value | | | | |

### Individual Creator Performance

| Creator | Platform | Deliverables | Reach | Engagement | Eng. Rate | Clicks | Conversions | Cost | CPE | CPA | ROAS |
|---------|----------|-------------|-------|------------|-----------|--------|-------------|------|-----|-----|------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |

---

## Benchmarks by Industry & Platform

### Engagement Rate Benchmarks

| Industry | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn |
|----------|-----------|--------|---------|----------|
| **Beauty & Skincare** | 2.5% – 4.0% | 4.0% – 7.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | N/A |
| **Fashion & Apparel** | 2.0% – 3.5% | 3.5% – 6.0% | 2.5% – 4.5% | N/A |
| **Food & Beverage** | 2.5% – 4.5% | 5.0% – 8.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | N/A |
| **Health & Fitness** | 2.0% – 3.5% | 4.0% – 7.0% | 3.5% – 5.5% | 1.5% – 3.0% |
| **Technology** | 1.5% – 2.5% | 3.0% – 5.0% | 4.0% – 6.0% | 2.0% – 4.0% |
| **Travel & Hospitality** | 3.0% – 5.0% | 4.0% – 7.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | 1.0% – 2.0% |
| **B2B / SaaS** | 1.0% – 2.0% | 2.0% – 4.0% | 2.5% – 4.0% | 2.5% – 5.0% |
| **Finance / Fintech** | 1.0% – 2.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | 2.0% – 4.0% |
| **Gaming** | 1.5% – 3.0% | 5.0% – 9.0% | 4.0% – 7.0% | N/A |
| **Parenting / Family** | 2.5% – 4.0% | 4.0% – 7.0% | 3.0% – 5.0% | N/A |

### Cost Efficiency Benchmarks

| Metric | Good | Average | Below Average |
|--------|------|---------|---------------|
| **CPE (Instagram)** | < $0.15 | $0.15 – $0.40 | > $0.40 |
| **CPE (TikTok)** | < $0.08 | $0.08 – $0.20 | > $0.20 |
| **CPC (all platforms)** | < $1.50 | $1.50 – $4.00 | > $4.00 |
| **CPA (DTC e-commerce)** | < $25 | $25 – $75 | > $75 |
| **CPM (Instagram)** | < $10 | $10 – $25 | > $25 |
| **ROAS (promo code)** | > 5x | 2x – 5x | < 2x |

---

## Brand Lift Study Methodology

### Study Design
1. **Control group**: Audience not exposed to influencer content
2. **Exposed group**: Audience confirmed exposed to influencer content (platform pixel or survey screener)
3. **Sample size**: Minimum 500 per group for statistical significance; 1,000+ preferred
4. **Timing**: Pre-campaign baseline survey + post-campaign measurement (7–14 days after last post)

### Key Brand Lift Metrics
| Metric | Survey Question Example | Target Lift |
|--------|------------------------|-------------|
| **Unaided awareness** | "What brands come to mind when you think of [category]?" | +5 – 15 points |
| **Aided awareness** | "Have you heard of [Brand]?" | +10 – 25 points |
| **Brand favorability** | "How favorable is your opinion of [Brand]?" (1–5 scale) | +0.3 – 0.5 points |
| **Purchase intent** | "How likely are you to purchase from [Brand] in the next 30 days?" | +5 – 15 points |
| **Message association** | "Which of these statements do you associate with [Brand]?" | +10 – 20 points |
| **Ad recall** | "Do you recall seeing content about [Brand] from a creator?" | +15 – 30 points |

### Running a Brand Lift Study
- Use platform-native tools (Meta Brand Lift, TikTok Brand Lift) when budget exceeds $30K
- For smaller campaigns, run manual surveys via Typeform or SurveyMonkey
- Require minimum 2-week campaign duration for measurable lift
- Control for other marketing activity running concurrently

---

## Content Performance Ranking

### Ranking Methodology
Rank each piece of influencer content using a composite score:

```
Content Score = (Engagement Rate x 0.30) + (Reach Index x 0.25) + (Conversion Index x 0.25) + (Content Quality Score x 0.20)
```

| Component | How to Calculate | Scale |
|-----------|-----------------|-------|
| **Engagement rate** | Engagements / Reach x 100 | Normalize to 0–100 within campaign |
| **Reach index** | Creator reach / Average campaign reach | Normalize to 0–100 |
| **Conversion index** | Creator conversions / Average campaign conversions | Normalize to 0–100 |
| **Content quality** | Manual review: visual quality, storytelling, brand integration | 0–100 subjective scale |

### Use Cases for Content Ranking
- Identify top-performing content for paid amplification (whitelisting/dark posting)
- Determine which creators to re-engage for future campaigns
- Build a library of "what works" creative reference for future briefs
- Justify budget allocation shifts toward top performers

---

## Long-Term ROI Tracking

### Beyond the Campaign Window
Influencer marketing impact extends well past the posting date. Track these longitudinal metrics:

| Timeframe | What to Measure | Method |
|-----------|----------------|--------|
| **0–7 days** | Direct response: clicks, conversions, promo code redemptions | UTM, promo code, pixel tracking |
| **7–30 days** | Delayed conversions, branded search lift, organic traffic increase | GA4, Google Search Console, post-purchase surveys |
| **30–90 days** | Customer lifetime value of influencer-acquired customers vs. other channels | CRM segmentation, cohort analysis |
| **90–365 days** | Content longevity (evergreen YouTube/blog content continues generating views) | Platform analytics; track ongoing impressions |
| **Ongoing** | Brand sentiment shift, share of voice change, community growth rate | Social listening tools; brand tracking surveys |

### Influencer-Acquired Customer Cohort Analysis
- Tag customers acquired through influencer campaigns in your CRM
- Compare LTV, repeat purchase rate, and AOV against other acquisition channels
- Track referral behavior — influencer-acquired customers often refer others at higher rates
- Calculate true ROAS including LTV, not just first-purchase revenue

### Portfolio Performance Dashboard
Maintain a rolling dashboard tracking:
- Total influencer spend (monthly/quarterly/annual)
- Aggregate ROAS across all influencer partnerships
- Top 10 performing creators (by composite score)
- Cost efficiency trend lines (CPE, CPA, CPM over time)
- Content library growth and reuse rate
- Brand lift metrics (if tracked)
