Every brand we onboard asks the same question in the first call: how do we know it's working? The honest answer is that no single metric proves an influencer campaign worked. The dishonest version of the same answer is the one most agencies give: 'reach times engagement rate divided by CPM equals ROI.' That number is not ROI. It's a flattering coincidence.
The four-layer framework
We measure every campaign across four layers, and we agree which layer is the success metric before kickoff. Mixing them up after the fact is how brands convince themselves a campaign worked when it didn't.
- Layer 1 — Reach & exposure: views, impressions, hours watched
- Layer 2 — Engagement quality: comment sentiment, save rate, share rate
- Layer 3 — Demand signals: branded search lift, direct traffic, site sessions
- Layer 4 — Conversion: tracked codes, UTM revenue, attributed pipeline
What each layer is good for
Layer 1 is awareness. Layer 2 tells you whether the audience cared. Layer 3 tells you whether the campaign moved the market. Layer 4 tells you whether it moved your business. Most campaigns can credibly claim to win on 2 of these 4. Almost none win on all four.
"If your agency is presenting a single ROI number, ask them which layer it's measuring. The answer will tell you everything."
The trade-offs
Deeper attribution costs more — pixel setup, code generation per creator, post-campaign data exports. For brands under €30k a quarter, layer 4 measurement often costs more than it returns in insight. We say so on the first call.
