In a new episode of The WARC Podcast, Paul Stringer, WARC’s managing editor of research and insights, interviewed Dan Wilson, Chief Data Officer and Co-Founder of the marketing-science powered, strategy, media and creator agency, Charlie Oscar, about the effectiveness of influencers and creators.
Wilson defines creators as those producing content for amplification through paid channels, while influencers rent their audience for reach on their own channels.
Takeaways
Econometric analysis of creator and influencer campaigns from 30 brands revealed three key lessons:
Most revenue impact is indirect
- 80% of the overall impact from influencer campaigns is indirect, meaning consumers see content but don’t immediately act, influencing later actions in other channels like search.
- Measuring only direct, click-based responses captures only a fifth of the true value.
- MMM allows for a comprehensive understanding of business impact, including those who don’t click on ads, providing a more accurate view than click-based responses.
Not all content and influencers are equally valuable
- Video content is up to four times stronger on a revenue per reach basis than static content. Instagram stories and event-linked content also show stronger revenue uplifts.
- Smaller influencers, or those in unexpected niches (e.g., lifestyle influencers for a fashion brand), can yield significantly higher revenue per reach due to closer audience relationships.
Context matters for performance
- The effectiveness of content and influencers changes based on the business context, such as business as usual (BAU) periods, sales cycles, or product launches.
- Celebrities and macro-influencers excel during sales and product launches due to their broad reach when there’s new messaging, while mid-sized and macro creators perform stronger during BAU periods because their audience hasn’t been as frequently exposed to brand messages.
- A blended strategy, using the right influencers for the right context, is crucial.
Listen to ‘The true value of creator marketing’ on The WARC Podcast, available now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
