Let’s say you’ve accepted the hard truth: your influencer marketing program can’t just “feel good”—it has to perform. Now what?

In Part 1, we covered why most influencer programs fail: they’re not tied to business results. Now, let’s talk about how to actually connect your KPIs to business impact—so you can prove (and improve) what’s working.

Here’s the playbook:

1. Define Business Goals First, Always

Before you look at creators, hashtags, or platforms, you need clarity on what you’re trying to achieve.

Common business goals might include:

• Brand awareness

• Customer acquisition

• User-generated content (UGC) creation

• Loyalty and retention

• Conversion rate lift

• Average order value increase

Every campaign should ladder up to one of these goals. If it doesn’t, why are you running it?

2. Match Your Influencer KPIs to the Funnel

Once you know your goals, align them with metrics that matter at each stage of the customer journey:

Top of Funnel (Awareness):

• Impressions

• Reach

• Views

• Follower growth

Mid-Funnel (Consideration):

• Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)

• Saves

• Click-through rate (CTR)

• Website visits

Bottom Funnel (Conversion):

• Conversions (sales, sign-ups)

• Revenue driven

• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

• Return on investment (ROI)

Loyalty/Post-Purchase:

• Repeat purchase rate

• Customer lifetime value (CLTV)

• Net promoter score (NPS)

• Referral traffic or word-of-mouth

3. Use Attribution Tactics to Track the Right Way

Too many brands stop at vanity metrics. Instead, layer in:

• UTM parameters for trackable links

• Affiliate links and promo codes for direct attribution

• Post-purchase surveys to ask “How did you hear about us?”

• First-party data from your CRM and eCommerce platforms

Pro tip: Create custom dashboards that visualize influencer impact alongside your other marketing channels.

4. Report With Context

Don’t just present numbers—tell a story.

• What did you set out to achieve?

• What worked? What didn’t?

• What are you optimizing next time?

This is where influencer marketers build internal credibility: by treating influencer campaigns like real marketing—not one-off PR stunts.

5. Share Results Across the Org

You’re not just reporting to your team—you’re educating your company. Share wins (and lessons) with cross-functional teams like:

• Growth / Performance Marketing

• Brand / Creative

• Product

• Customer Success / Support

Influencer marketing doesn’t live in a silo—it supports the entire customer journey.

Final Thought

The best influencer programs in 2025 don’t just go viral—they go deep. They connect brand moments to buyer journeys. They tie influencer stories to sales impact. They earn trust and revenue.

So if you’re ready to stop guessing and start proving, here’s the question you need to answer:

Are your influencer KPIs just numbers? Or are they driving the business forward?

That’s the difference between a campaign and a strategy.

Part 3, anyone?