INFLUENCER MARKETING

Influencer Marketing ROI: How to Calculate, FREE Calculator + 4 Templates

Alexandra Kazakova

By Alexandra Kazakova
10 min READ | Dec 4 2024

Table of contents

Influencer marketing ROI quantifies the financial returns of influencer marketing campaigns against the investment made.

Problem: 30% of companies don’t follow the ROI from their influencer marketing campaigns.

These business owners can’t gauge whether the influencer fees and marketing budgets allocated help.

Nor if they influence their target audience effectively.

Solution: Calculate this metric to make data-driven decisions, optimizing campaign performance and budget allocation for future strategies.

We’ll teach you how to measure and interpret influencer marketing ROI.

And we’ll share a free calculator tool to simplify this task.

Let’s dive in.

P.S.: Looking to maximize your Influencer Marketing ROI with creators who align perfectly with your brand?

Use inBeat.co’s advanced database to find influencers based on engagement rate, follower count, and audience demographics. Plus, access our free toolkit to project campaign costs and evaluate potential ROI.

Interested? Book a FREE Demo now!

TL;DR:

Definition: Influencer marketing ROI measures the financial return on influencer marketing campaigns compared to the investment.

Problem: 30% of companies don't track ROI, leading to unclear campaign effectiveness.

Solution: Calculating ROI helps optimize strategies, justify budgets, and improve campaign results.

How to Calculate:

  • Formula: ROI = (Revenue - Campaign Cost) / Campaign Cost x 100.
  • Example: A $10,000 revenue campaign with $2,500 costs yields a 300% ROI.

Free Tools and Calculators:

  • Instagram Engagement Rate Calculator: Analyze influencer engagement.
  • CPA Calculator: Calculate cost per acquisition.
  • ROAS Calculator: Measure return on ad spend.

Factors Affecting ROI:

  • Influencer reach and engagement.
  • Campaign costs and conversion rates.
  • Tools like UTM tags and affiliate links aid precise tracking.

ROI by Metrics:

  • Industry ROI: Gaming (9:1), Fashion (8:1), Tech (5:1).
  • Platform ROI: Instagram (7:1), TikTok (6.5:1), YouTube (6:1).
  • Influencer Types: Nano-influencers (9:1) outperform Mega-influencers (4:1).

Tips to Boost ROI:

  • Align influencers with campaign goals and audience.
  • Use authentic content and platform-specific strategies.
  • Leverage tracking codes and data analysis tools.

Case Studies:

  • Hurom: Achieved a 2.5x ROAS with targeted influencers.
  • GenomeLink: Increased registrations by 124% through data-driven strategies.
  • GreenPark: Boosted app installs by 6x using gaming influencers.

Key Takeaway: Regularly calculate and refine influencer marketing ROI to ensure campaigns drive growth, optimize budgets, and align with business goals.

What Is Influencer Marketing ROI?

Influencer ROI is the profit you obtain from your influencer marketing efforts.

But it’s not as easy as a subtraction you do in first grade.

Remember those 30% of companies that don’t follow their influencer ROI? Well, some of the remaining 70% don’t do a great job either.

Here’s why:

Traditional ROI calculations focus more on direct sales and less on engagement or long-term brand loyalty fostered through digital channels.

Remember: You want to look at other key metrics like engagement rates, conversion rates, and, ultimately, revenue generated versus cost spent.

Doing this in-depth analysis is especially pertinent, considering that influencer marketing is poised to grow significantly, with the industry estimated to reach a market size of $30 billion by 2024.

And that’s a solid year-over-year growth from previous valuations​.

Source

This growth has a very clear explanation:

Influencer marketing works. And it has a high ROI.

For instance, campaigns featuring influencer content generate, on average, $9.60 in earned media value for every $1 spent.

This is a higher ROI compared to other digital marketing channels like SEO or pay-per-click ads, where the returns per dollar spent are significantly lower​.

For example, the ROI of PPC ads is $5 for each $1 spent.

Besides, calculating ROI in influencer marketing helps you justify marketing expenses to your company’s stakeholders.

And your boss.

Of course, a properly analyzed ROI helps marketers make informed decisions, refining strategies for future campaigns.

That brings us to the next point:

Factors Affecting Influencer Marketing ROI

Factors affecting influencer marketing ROI vary, but these core elements define the impact of each influencer campaign:

  • Influencer reach: Larger follower counts may not guarantee results, but when paired with an active audience, reach can drive conversions. For instance, a nano-influencer with 5,000 followers and a 10% conversion rate means you’re making 500 sales. But a macro-influencer with 500,000 followers and a meager 0.5% conversion rate means 2,500 sales.
  • Pro tip: Inactive followers reduce the likelihood of conversions even if the engagement rate seems high. Use this free fake follower checker to see if you’re partnering with the right creators.
  • Audience engagement: Engagement metrics, like click-through rates, ThruPlays, and hook rates, show how many potential customers interact with influencer posts. Higher engagement rates signal deeper engagement, creating lasting impact for brands aiming to build customer loyalty.
  • Campaign costs and influencer fees: A higher budget for influencers doesn’t always mean better returns. Balancing influencer fees with expected outcomes keeps your influencer marketing budget on target.
  • Conversion rates: Conversion rate influences direct sales and is central to assessing the ROI of influencer marketing. Tracking conversions through custom URLs or promo codes is an effective strategy for measuring financial returns from a single campaign.

Remember: Adjusting influencer reach, audience engagement, campaign costs, and conversion rates strategically allows brands to target specific customer journeys, optimize conversion stages, and ultimately achieve a positive return on influencer marketing efforts.

To streamline your ROI calculations, our free toolkit offers powerful tools tailored for influencer marketing.

These calculators help marketers accurately assess factors like conversion rate, campaign cost, and engagement metrics to make data-driven decisions.

Here is how easy they work so you can have a bird’s eye view of your campaign ASAP:

  • Enter an Instagram username in the text box and click "Check Profile" to analyze engagement rate, average likes, comments, and other metrics for the specified profile.
Instagram Engagement Rate Calculator
  • Enter values for any two fields (Total Cost, Conversions, or CPA) to automatically calculate the third value for your campaign's Cost Per Acquisition or Cost Per Action.
CPA Calculator (Cost Per Acquisition or Cost Per Action)
  • Enter your Ad Spend and Ad Revenue to calculate the ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) percentage and view the visual comparison in the chart.
ROAS Calculator

You can easily use our other free tools to streamline your calculations, as we showed you above.

How to Calculate Influencer Marketing ROI

The basic formula for calculating Influencer Marketing ROI is straightforward:

ROI = (Revenue from Campaign - Campaign Cost) / Campaign Cost x 100.

Suppose your influencer campaign generated $10,000 in revenue, with a total campaign cost of $2,500, including influencer fees and additional costs for content creation and product samples.

Applying the formula:

ROI = ($10,000 - $2,500) / $2,500 x 100, results in an ROI of 300%.

This positive ROI indicates the campaign returned three times the initial investment.

For deeper engagement metrics, our Influencer ROI calculator helps you track specific conversions, assess the engagement rate of individual influencers, and evaluate data-driven decisions for future campaigns.

Pro tip: To make sure you’re calculating your influencer marketing ROI correctly for each influencer, use affiliate links, UTM tags, and individual landing pages. After all, you want to identify your top-performing creators and content so you can mimic the same strategies.

Let’s see how it works:

Free Influencer Marketing ROI Calculator

Utilizing our influencer ROI calculator simplifies tracking the financial impact of influencer marketing campaigns.

This powerful tool enhances accuracy in measuring direct sales and engagement metrics, enabling marketers to make data-driven decisions and optimize future strategies.

Here are step-by-step instructions to use our free influencer ROI calculator:

  1. Set your campaign budget:
  • Use the slider under "Your campaign budget" to select your desired budget amount.
  • Alternatively, enter a specific budget value in the input box next to the slider.
  • Select the currency from the dropdown (e.g., USD).
  1. Select average followers per Influencer:
  • Adjust the slider under "Avg. followers per influencer" to indicate the typical follower count of the influencers you plan to engage.
  • You can also enter a specific follower count in the input box.
  • Choose the influencer type from the dropdown (e.g., Nano, Micro), which correlates to different follower ranges.
  1. Add content types:
  • Choose the type of content each influencer will post by adjusting the number of posts, stories, and videos:
  • Click the + button to increase the number of stories, posts, or videos.
  • Click the button to decrease the number if needed.
  • This allows you to customize the content distribution in your campaign.
  1. View estimated results:
  • After setting your parameters, the calculator will display estimated campaign results on the right side of the screen:
  • Estimated reach: The projected range of audience reach.
  • Number of influencers: The approximate count of influencers required within the given budget.
  • Engagement: Estimated range of engagements (likes, comments, etc.).
  • Impressions: Estimated range of impressions (views).

Influencer Marketing ROI Template

1. ROI by Industry

Influencer marketing ROI varies significantly across industries due to differing audience behaviors, product types, and campaign objectives.

Below are estimated average ROI figures based on our available data:

2. ROI by Channel

Different social media platforms offer varying ROI based on their user demographics, engagement levels, and content formats.

Below are estimated average ROI figures for key channels:

3. ROI by Type of Posts

4. ROI by Type of Influencer

Influencers are categorized based on their follower count, and each category offers different ROI dynamics.

Below are estimated average ROI figures:

Tips for Improving Influencer Marketing ROI

Boosting influencer marketing ROI requires a strategic approach to influencer selection and content optimization.

Here are effective tips to maximize engagement and conversions in your campaigns:

  • Select influencers aligned with campaign goals: Look for influencers with high engagement metrics and a follower count that matches your target audience. For example, a beauty brand targeting Gen Z might prioritize micro-influencers on Instagram who maintain a 5% engagement rate with younger followers.
  • Craft authentic content: Influencers known for genuine, relatable content often see deeper engagement. Encourage influencers to share personal stories about the product, as this boosts trust and the likelihood of conversions, especially when targeting niche markets.
  • Leverage platform-specific strategies: Optimize content based on the social media channels in use. For example, TikTok’s short-form videos excel at driving conversions for direct sales, while Instagram carousels can increase engagement by 64% over standalone posts.
  • Incorporate data from tracking codes and custom URLs: Using unique tracking codes for each influencer post helps you capture engagement and conversion rates accurately, allowing adjustments for future campaigns based on reliable data.

One powerful tactic: Use the Engagement Checker tool in our toolkit to make sure your influencers have high engagement rates relative to follower count.

This helps spot active audiences and avoid influencers with inflated follower numbers so you can maximize conversions and avoid wasted budget on inactive followers.

Real-World Examples of Good Influencer Marketing ROI

Here are some real-world examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns executed by our sister agency, inBeat:

1. Hurom Campaign:

inBeat collaborated with Hurom to target health-conscious consumers through content creators focused on wellness and lifestyle.

By carefully selecting influencers with a high engagement rate and dedicated follower count, inBeat drove a 2.5x increase in ROAS.

Pro tip: Each influencer post included custom URLs and discount codes, enabling Hurom to track direct sales and optimize the influencer marketing budget effectively.

For GenomeLink, inBeat crafted an influencer marketing strategy aimed at users interested in genetics and personal data insights.

The campaign generated a 124% increase in completed registrations by leveraging influencers with audiences who value data-driven health insights.

This approach strengthened GenomeLink’s customer journey and gave them insights into future strategies for audience targeting and conversion optimization.

3. GreenPark App Installs:

To amplify GreenPark's user base, inBeat partnered with influencers known for gaming and interactive content.

This strategy led to a 6x increase in daily app installs, showcasing yet again the power of influencer marketing in driving app adoption.

They also used unique tracking codes and promo links to accurately measure campaign performance and refine ongoing engagement strategies.

And that led to more sustained growth.

Maximizing ROI: The Key to Successful and Sustainable Influencer Marketing

Calculating ROI in influencer marketing is what you need to do to assess the effectiveness of your advertising efforts.

And, of course, to ensure optimal allocation of your marketing budget.

As you continue to become better at influencer marketing, evaluate and tweak your strategies based on your ROI data.

The point is to ensure that your marketing expenses contribute positively to your business goals.

After all, you want to drive growth and success in your influencer collaborations.

Ready to maximize your Influencer Marketing ROI? Contact inBeat.co for marketing-savvy influencers and tools to elevate your campaign's performance.

Try it out today! We have a free option that waits for you.

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