Essential Lessons for Influencer Marketing Success

Creator marketing drives results. But most brands still don’t understand how it generates business value compared to traditional paid channels.

The measurement challenge is real. Only 38% of brands measure influencer campaigns on ROI, with just 26% using conversion as their primary KPI. When brands do measure, 50% focus solely on click-attributed sales or voucher codes.

The result? Most brands conclude creator marketing isn’t profitable. They’re wrong.

At Charlie Oscar, we use Marketing Mix Modelling across 30 brands to measure total business impact. Here’s what the data reveals:

80% of influencer revenue comes from indirect impacts – people who see creator content but don’t click links or use codes.

This is broadcast-style impact. The same way TV builds brands through mass reach.

For every £1 you track through clicks, there’s another £4 in untracked impact that only exists because of creator reach.

The proof is in channel performance when influencers are active:

• Paid social performs 20-30% stronger with creator support
• Paid search shows 15-20% stronger CTR with reduced diminishing returns
• Brand searches increase up to 30% with strong creator reach

These uplifts wouldn’t exist without creators.

Reach and likes don’t equal revenue. The content driving biggest engagement isn’t always what drives biggest business impact.

We measure “revenue per reach” – how much revenue any creator content generates per 1,000 reach. The patterns are clear:

📹 Video content drives 4x more revenue per reach than static content

🖼️ Instagram Stories deliver strongest revenue per reach – 3x more than TikTok, 8x more than Reels

🎬 To-camera reviews, unboxing and event content significantly outperform product placement and tutorials

Counter-intuitively, broader audience creators frequently outperform category-specific influencers. Fashion brands see higher revenue per reach from lifestyle creators than fashion influencers. Why? Lower competitor presence means stronger cut-through.

Understanding these revenue behaviours lets us optimise for business success, not vanity metrics.

The content that performs best on average isn’t the content that performs best in each context.

Creator impact varies significantly across business periods: BAU, pre-sale, during-sale, and product launch.

Celebrities work hardest when delivering “new messages” – their revenue per reach peaks during sales and launches.

Ambassadors deliver weaker BAU value but significant value during launches and sales. Long-term brand association helps when promoting new messages.

Mid-sized creators deliver stronger BAU performance. Less brand association means bigger uplifts without sales hooks.

All content works harder during sales, but relative value is larger on established relationships like ambassadors and celebrities.

There’s no universal “best content” or “best creator.” Understanding when each type works hardest lets us match content to business strategy.

These insights transform creator measurement from soft metrics and direct sales to full-funnel business growth.

Focus on these areas:

• Measure indirect impact alongside direct impact. Previously “unsuccessful” campaigns may be valuable growth levers.
• Prioritise content driving revenue uplift, not just engagement. Focus on under-appreciated content and niches delivering disproportionate value.
• Use creators to access new audiences beyond algorithm-favoured lookalikes.
• Align creator strategy to business cycles. Match different creators and content types to when they deliver maximum value.
• Let data inspire creativity. Data-driven briefing enhances rather than limits creative success.
• Getting clear on these behaviours brings creator marketing in line with established channels. It helps value and justify investments based on business impact they drive.

Creator-led brands understand these relationships instinctively. Proper measurement lets all brands capture these growth opportunities.

The data is definitive. The opportunity is extraordinary. The question is: will you adapt your approach to win?