Survey: How to measure influencer marketing’s value in 2018

Measurement of influencer marketing is gradually becoming more sophisticated. However, that doesn’t mean ROI concerns are a thing of the past.

According to a survey conducted by Linqia, 39 percent of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2018. Just 5 percent plan budget decreases, yet more than three-quarters of marketers struggle to determine influencer marketing ROI, citing it as the “top challenge” of 2018.

“As the industry matures, marketers need to take a serious look at their measurement methodologies and hold their influencer marketing programs to the same measurement standards as their other media investments,” the report states.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. When measuring influencer marketing programs, marketers cite engagement (87 percent), clicks (59 percent) and conversions (54 percent) as top performance indicators, but authoritative metrics remain elusive.