5 Smart Influencer Marketing Goals to Guide Your Strategy

Now’s the time to map out your influencer marketing goals if you’ve been sleeping on ‘em.

This rings true whether you're planning your next campaign or have one in progress.

The stakes are high for marketing campaigns right now. So many brands are working with fewer resources and higher expectations. That’s why goal-setting is so important.

In fact, goal-setting marketers are 4x more likely to succeed with their projects. 

The same applies to your influencer strategy. That’s because goals…

• Guide your campaigns. A defined vision encourages more meaningful content and engagement.
  
  
• Create accountability. Tying your campaigns to specific objectives helps you measure (and deliver!) the results you're expected to.
  
  
• Manage expectations. This rings true for you, your teammates and key stakeholders.

In this post, we break down actionable influencer marketing goals and how to nail them.

5 Realistic Influencer Campaign Goals and How to Achieve Them

Spoiler alert: there is no “right” reason to run a campaign.

What matters is that you define relevant goals and outcomes for your brand. Many of the goals below actually overlap. That’s just an added bonus of working with creators!

For each influencer marketing goal we outline below, we’ll also break down…

• Strategy tips and real-world examples of brands achieving each objective.
  
  
• KPIs and metrics to tie to your goals. This makes campaign reporting less of a hadache.
  
  
• A sample SMART statement to help you translate your influencer goals into action. The SMART framework is a proven strategy for setting business goals. SMART goals are…
  
  
  • • Specific
    • Measurable
    • Achievable
    • Relevant
    • Time-sensitive

The more attention you give to these details, the more likely your campaigns are to succeed.

And with that, let’s dive in!

Goal #1: Earn More User-Generated Content (UGC)

No surprises here. One of the biggest benefits of working with creators is the ability to get UGC at scale. This includes videos, photos and Stories from influencers you can promote long-term.

KPI(s): # pieces of unique content, time saved

Key Results and Outcomes

• Get more authentic promotional content. Influencers give a much-needed human touch to your marketing strategy. Lifeless flat lays and static photos don’t do your product justice. Appealing to modern consumers means being human. We've seen firsthand how creators bring products to life.
  
  
• Reduce time spent creating content. This includes everything from social posts to creative for ads or your website. By repurposing UGC, you reduce the burden of content creation for your team.
  
  
• Increase performance throughout your marketing funnel. Consider how  UGC is proven to boost clicks and conversions. This is especially true for social ads and product pages.

Sample SMART Goal Statement

Specific: We will run a UGC gifting campaign on TikTok promoting our new body butter. 

Measurable: Our campaign will result in 150 unique, influencer-generated videos. 

Achievable:  This goal is realistic based on our past experience partnering with influencers. Our creator network has grown and our inbox is filled with pitches. Also, we have additional bandwidth to gift products this year thanks to our new hires.

Relevant: Our initial campaign will raise awareness for the launch of our body butter. We will supplement our emails, ads and organic social feeds with the influencer content we earn.

Time-sensitive: Our campaign will begin next month and run for at least 90 days. 

Tips for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

• Pay close attention to your creative briefs. Want your product presented in a particular way? Maybe in a certain setting or with your brand’s logo clearly visible? Well, your instructions need to reflect that. If you’re comfortable with influencers “freestyling” their posts, that’s okay too.
  
  
• Make sure you retain full usage rights to your creators’ content. This is where a well-crafted influencer agreement comes into play. Pro-tip: if you plan to run your content as ads, you need to be upfront about it.
  
  
• Play the long game! We’ve found that user-generated content campaigns are most effective when running long-term. 

For example, it can take a few months for campaign hashtags to gain momentum. Note how Vessi earned 1,000+ posts to their #nomorewetsocks tag throughout 2022.

Source: @adventurin.with.aspen

Goal #2: Build Brand Awareness

Among our influencer marketing goals, this one is pretty broad.

That's because building awareness is a byproduct of any influencer campaign. 

Still, doing so should be a priority.  Recent data says awareness is the most important objective for marketers right now.

Given the fierce competition in so many industries, we totally understand why. 

Influencers offer an opportunity to introduce your brand to new customers ASAP. Standing out today means having hundreds of creators make enough noise to boost your organic reach. 

KPI(s): reach, interactions (ex: shares, comments @mentions), #hashtag uses

Key Results and Outcomes

• Highlight and reinforce your brand identity. When it comes to positioning, influencers can hone in on what makes you and your products unique. Want to present yourself as an alternative to other players in your space? Let creators do the talking on your behalf.
  
  
• Increase your share of voice on social media. Consider how influencers have built-in audiences of thousands of potential customers. The more people you partner with, the more eyeballs on your brand. The upside of micro-influencers is that their audiences are often more targeted.
  
  
• Drive meaningful conversations around your brand. The more back and forth between you, influencers and your target audience, the better. Social engagement goes hand in hand with greater reach. Not to mention helping brands rank in social search.

Sample SMART Goal Statement

Specific: We will run an awareness campaign on IG Reels promoting our new tooth-whitening kit.

Measurable: Our campaign will generate 100+ Reels from micro and power-middle influencers. Our target creators’ follower counts will be between ~2,000 and ~50,000 followers.

Achievable:  We will achieve this goal by gifting products to relevant influencers in our network. If necessary, we will outsource to an influencer marketing agency or platform.

Relevant: The campaign will raise awareness for the launch of our tooth-whitening kit. Campaign Reels will be focused on positive results and how easy the kits are to use. We’ve had success with influencer marketing campaigns on TikTok. We want to translate those results to Instagram.

Time-sensitive: Our campaign will run until we earn at least 100 Reels. The gifting campaign will start at the beginning of Q1. We will begin republishing and promoting creator content in Q2 to coincide with our product launch.

Tips for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

• Focus on your brand’s priority social platforms. Whether that means TikTok or Instagram is totally up to you. Consider that influencers can grow your presence on platforms where you aren’t super active. This is often the case for brands on TikTok that have a bigger following elsewhere.
  
  
• Include your brand’s unique selling point in your creative instructions. If your brand has notable ingredients, materials or a special story, let creators know! Providing some sort of “wow” factor will get your influencers excited. This often results in better content, too. 
  
  
• Empower influencers to give their authentic opinions. Creative direction matters but never try to put creators in a box. Some of the best influencer content feels totally unfiltered. 

Check out how the creator below gushes over a gifted perfume on TikTok. The fact that she's initially skeptical about the product makes her post even more impactful. The creator's enthusiasm is authentic and contagious, too. 

Source: @perfumerism

This is the sort of lightning in a bottle that brands can capture via influencer marketing campaigns.

Goal #3: Drive Positive Reviews and Social Proof

The value of product reviews is well-documented with modern consumers.

Food for thought: 79% of people look at the volume of reviews a product has before buying. That means the more, the merrier when it comes to reviews.

Chances are you'd rather have 120 (or 1,200!) glowing reviews versus a dozen, right? Influencer content can contribute to your chorus of positive reviews online. They can likewise illustrate the claims that your satisfied customers make.

KPI(s): # of positive reviews, # pieces of unique content, @mentions

Key Results and Outcomes

• Showcase the positive results and performance of your product(s). Consider how influencers can strengthen your review-sourcing strategy via social proof.
  
  
• Build your brand’s credibility. If your company has few marketing assets beyond stock photos, creators can help. Think about it: would you trust a product with no reviews or actual videos tied to it? Show potential customers that your product is awesome instead of just telling them. 
  
  
• Source more reviews! Every positive post and comment from a creator can translate into a review. The more creators you have boosting you, the more reviews you have on hand.

Sample SMART Goal Statement

Specific: Our brand will run a gifting campaign to promote our probiotic seltzer on TikTok.

Measurable: Our campaign will result in at least 50+ taste test videos on TikTok.

Achievable: Our goal of 50 unique videos is realistic based on our current influencer outreach and contact list of 100+ vetted creators. 

Relevant: We will feature these videos on our website and also run them as Spark ads. Unlike our kombucha line, we currently lack “authentic” content for our seltzer products. None of our competitors are promoting probiotic seltzer products on TikTok yet.

Time-sensitive: Our campaign will begin in Q2 2023. Promotional videos and ads will run in Q3.

Tips for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

• Delight creators by sending them free products with high value. The popularity of PR packages speaks for itself. Just remember: influencer marketing represents a value exchange. If you want great content, you need to provide great value in terms of the products you ship.
  
  
• Put extra effort into your influencer communication.  This includes your thank yous, follow-ups and gifting notes. Top-tier creators get pitched by brands all the time. Think about what you can do to stand out from the crowd.
  
  
• Brainstorm opportunities to repurpose and promote your positive reviews. 

For example, check out KOS' feed of reviews on-site. This includes reviews via influencer content sourced from Instagram.

Source: KOS

Goal #4: Generate Leads and Support Sales

If your influencer marketing goals are sales-related, make sure you maintain realistic expectations. The modern buyer’s journey is rarely a straight line from content to checkout. 

That said, there are many ways that influencers can generate meaningful leads. We’ve seen firsthand how brands drive sales on TikTok and Reels with creators.

KPI(s): traffic, link clicks

Key Results and Outcomes

• Boost conversions across your funnel. Consider that shoppers are 6x more likely to engage with a product page featuring UGC. As noted earlier, creator content can lift conversions across marketing channels.
  
  
• Drive more traffic to your offers and product pages. For example, many brands work with creators to promote an upcoming launch or ongoing sale.
  
  
• Nurture and convert customers from social media. Just because someone doesn’t buy now doesn’t mean they won’t buy next week, month or year. More touchpoints and engagement via creators can help.

Sample SMART Goal Statement

Specific: We will run a gifting campaign on Instagram to promote our avocado eye mask.

Measurable: We will earn posts from at least 100 creators. We will assess the top-performing posts and run the “best” five as branded content ads.

Achievable:  We will start by reaching out to creators we’ve worked with in the past. If needed, we will identify additional creators through a third-party platform or influencer marketing agency.

Relevant: We have seen great results with branded content in the past but have yet to run a creator campaign for this particular product. 

Time-sensitive: The campaign will begin in mid-Q1 2023 with assets gathered and ads being run by Q3 2023.

Tips for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

• Don’t forget about your existing customers! Data says that repeat customers generate 300% more revenue than new ones. Influencers are perfect for retention campaigns that transform one-off buyers into loyal fans.
  
  
• Remember that tracking influencer sales is tricky. Pay attention to metrics such as traffic or @mentions related to interest in your brand. Total sales don't tell the whole story.
  
  
• Save your best influencer content for your product launches. Influencers can get more eyes on your product launches and existing promotions ASAP.

Check out how PillowtalkDerm builds buzz for a product launch with a creator post. Notice how the brand engages interested buyers and points them to their store. This is a great example of aligning your influencer campaign goals with social sales.

Source: @pillowtalkderm

Goal #5: Customer Retention and Community Engagement

Instead of scrambling for new customers, try empowering ones that already trust you.

As noted earlier, repeat customers are more valuable to brands than one-off buyers. 

Not a huge surprise, right?

Thing is, influencers play a valuable role in customer retention and community engagement. Creators can kickstart your brand’s UGC production. Likewise, they can keep your company’s social feeds customer-focused. 

KPI(s): reach, interactions

Key Results and Outcomes

• Earn more user-generated content in the form of photos, videos and reviews.  Research from PowerReviews says review volume isn’t the be-all, end-all for brands. You also need recent reviews to look legitimate to buyers. Scalable influencer content provides a consistent influx of new reviews and product-focused content. This means fresh posts for your social feeds, too.
  
  
• Drive more meaningful interactions between your brand and customers. Your goal should be to talk with your followers, not just post at them. Consider how you can make your customers active participants in your social presence.  Running ongoing influencer marketing campaigns can do the trick.
  
  
• Gather valuable customer insights and feedback. The importance of listening to your customers on social media can’t be overstated. Want to know how your followers feel about our latest product or launch? Empower them to sound off! Then, take notes.

Sample SMART Goal Statement

Specific: We will run an engagement campaign focused on our brand's Instagram community.

Measurable: Earn an average 2-3% engagement rate on our branded content. Increase our brand mentions by 20% and earn at least 200 posts on our branded hashtag.

Achievable: We will achieve this goal by incentivizing UGC through contests, reposts, giveaways and customer showcases. We have earned strong customer engagement in the past but had to decrease our posting frequency due to layoffs last year.

Relevant: We want to reenergize our Instagram presence after losing organic reach and engagement. Our branded ads and customer content performed well in the past. We want to continue building our customer community on Instagram long-term.

Time-sensitive: Our UGC will run until EOY 2023. We will reassess performance and engagement at the end of each quarter.

Tips for Your Influencer Marketing Strategy

• Repost your influencer content alongside your organic UGC. Your customers want to see real people with your products. Consistently posting customer content satisfies that desire. When you have an ongoing stream of user and influencer-generated content coming in, doing so is a cinch.
  
  
• Don’t just post about products. Customer retention is about so much more than offers and deals. Questions, memes and playful content are all fair game for the sake of engagement and showing off your brand’s personality.
  
  
• Make a conscious effort to respond to comments, @mentions and @tags. Going the extra mile to personalize your comments is a plus. Doing so will help your brand and its personality stand out in a sea of competitors. 

For example, Warby Parker regularly posts content from creators and influencers alike. This drives consistent engagement and gets people talking in their comments. This strategy is good for brand loyalty and satisfying the Instagram algorithm.

Source: @warbyparker

How to Hit Your Brand’s Influencer Marketing Goals Faster

Brands today want to see a crystal clear ROI for influencer marketing.

Unlocking that ROI starts by defining specific influencer campaign objectives. If you want to see "success," you need to know exactly what that means in terms of outcomes and KPIs.

And if you’re not 100% about your influencer campaign goals or how to proceed, Statusphere can help.

Our micro-influencer platform has helped 400+ consumer brands scale their micro-influencer marketing campaigns and crush their goals. For example, we've helped brands boost their in-store retail presence and generate rights-ready content to supplement their paid social strategies.

With Statusphere's software, your brand gets a control center that tracks all of your crucial campaign data in one place. In-depth reporting on your creators' content and performance means you have a constant pulse on progress toward hitting your influencer marketing goals.

Want to learn more about how our platform works? Contact one of our experts today and see how Statusphere can scale your influencer marketing and campaign ROI in a fraction of the time.

This article was first published in January 2023. It was last updated June 20, 2023.