By now, you know that we have to track the results of any influencer campaign to deem it successful. If we can’t measure and report on the campaign’s performance, it’s impossible to determine its effectiveness.
This process already involves a lot of moving parts, and with influencer campaigns, it can get even more complicated. A brand might have Instagram influencers promoting products on that channel, Youtube influencers offering reviews on that platform, and a marketing team in the middle, trying to keep track of things coming in from all sides.
Thankfully, with some preparation, you can stay organized and make sure you don’t miss your campaign’s results. Data is key here. And if you wield it properly, it can take a burden off your shoulders once it comes time to analyze results.
Set up an analytics platform
Before you can start with anything else on this list, make sure you have an analytics platform in place. Google Analytics is a good place to start, as it’s comprehensive and free. Moreover, there’s a wealth of information and courses to get you up to speed on using it.
Analytics will be the backbone of measuring how your website performs during your campaign. You’ll be able to get a sense of the users who visit your site and how they progress through your landing pages. When you analyze the information Analytics provides, you can discover new insights about your users and find ways to improve your brand’s online presence.
Use UTM links to measure web traffic
Common goals in influencer marketing, like brand awareness or increased sales, involve getting people on your website. Influencers promote your products and include a link to your page—easy enough. But how can you see the traffic that influencers bring in?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. Urchin was Google Analytics’ predecessor, and although the platform has since changed names, UTMs have kept theirs. These data tags are added to the end of links to help you see, in Analytics, where traffic on your website comes from. There are three key parameters required when constructing a UTM:
- utm_source – the source of the traffic, like a search engine, a newsletter, etc.
- utm_medium – the medium used to bring the traffic, like email, CPC, etc.
- utm_campaign – the name of your campaign, for example holiday_campaign
So, for example, if your brand is running an Instagram campaign with various influencers to promote your holiday line of products, you might want to make the source “Instagram,” the medium the “Influencer’s name,” and the campaign “holiday2020”.
And in case you didn’t know, Google provides the free-to-use Campaign URL Builder to help you create your UTM links in a flash.
Give influencers unique discount codes
Another great way to track campaign results is with the use of influencer-specific discount codes. These are common on social media and with good reason. People love saving money. Discounts look extra good next to a positive review by an audience’s favorite influencer.
However, discount codes aren’t just good for encouraging sales. They also allow brands to track which social networks or which influencers bring in the most sales. This way, you can better understand where your revenue comes from and what type of influencer connects best to the people who buy your products. Further, you can bookmark good influencers for future collaborations.
@leuleu_theblue is advertising a unique coupon code to redeem at @themaxbone.
As one tip, don’t make unique discount codes too long. The influencer’s name and a number are good options, or maybe something related to your campaign. Just don’t make it too difficult to copy, as some users who can’t copy/paste might be turned off by the extra effort.
Use branded hashtags and brand mentions on social media
In addition to tracking the KPIs of your influencer campaigns, you’ll also need to collect the media published by influencers. This media is good to include in your final reports as samples of what type of content was published. It’s also a potential feed for content for your social profiles.
In order to make sure you don’t miss content, you can ask influencers to mention your brand or use a branded hashtag. This way, it will be easier later on social media to find the posts related to your campaign.
London-based model and fashion influencer @thinklikekandie tagged @asos in her photo, which incorporates one of their blazers.
And just as an aside, encouraging your followers to mention your brand or use a branded hashtag when they publish content that contains your products may help you find influencers in the future. Someone who tags you may end up having the right look, follower count, and engagement rate for your next campaign!
Conclusion
Like most things in life, when it comes to influencer marketing campaigns, a bit of planning really pays off. Establish UTMs, discount codes, and any desired brand mentions/hashtags before starting your campaign.
Also, make sure you clearly explain to Influencer Campaigns what you expect them to include in their posts. The better-coordinated everyone is, the more chance you have at reaching your campaign goals.