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…
In this post, we break down actionable influencer marketing goals and how to nail them.
Skip to Section 👇5 Influencer Marketing Goals Brands Should Set |
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…
The more attention you give to these details, the more likely your campaigns are to succeed.
And with that, let’s dive in!
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
For example, check out KOS' feed of reviews on-site. This includes reviews via influencer content sourced from Instagram.
Source: KOS
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.