In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, influencers have emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Their ability to connect with audiences on a personal level has made influencers a sought-after tool for brands looking to expand their reach and drive engagement. However, the impact of influencer media on a paid media strategy is not always straightforward.

How much impact does an influencer actually have?

One of the primary difficulties in measuring ROAS with influencers lies in the gray area that is attribution. Influencer campaigns often span multiple touchpoints, making it challenging to determine which specific interaction or content piece led to a conversion. Unlike digital paid media channels with clear click-through attribution models, influencers may impact consumer behavior through awareness, consideration, and loyalty stages, making it harder to attribute a direct conversion to a single interaction.

Not all impressions are created equal

Influencers have the potential to be valuable assets to a campaign, but their effectiveness can change depending on where they’re at in their own journey in the macro sense. Imagine starting with micro influencers—hidden gems with smaller yet fiercely engaged audiences. They can pack a powerful punch, driving conversions and captivating their loyal followers with their authenticity. There’s something far more relatable about someone who advises you to ‘run not walk’ with sub 100k followers and drive through conversions with a more targeted or niche audience.

As they become macro influencers (and inevitably start their own activewear line or pre-workout supplement), their value becomes more about creating upper-funnel buzz and getting your product out there to a massive audience.

Here’s another piece to consider—the lifecycle of their content matters, too! Fresh and exciting creative (when leveraged on the appropriate platform) gets people pumped up and engaged, while the same old stuff can leave your audience feeling underwhelmed and bored with an obviously paid post.

Combine influencer campaigns with paid strategies to further leverage influencer content—and drive conversions

It’s important to distinguish between pure influencer campaigns and amplified influencer content or pay-per-click (PPC) strategies. There’s no magic formula when it comes to perfecting frequency, whether or not you believe in the “rule of 7”, it’s safe to say that driving consideration often requires more than one impression. Even if a traditional influencer sponsorship is extremely persuasive, they’re often not prolific, and data doesn’t lie. Leveraging paid strategies or boosting influencer content allows for a product to get in front of an audience multiple times, increasing the likelihood of someone making a purchase (while building look-alikes in the process…but we’ll save that blog for another day).

Influencer-based tactics have undoubtedly emerged as powerful solutions, but how and where you amplify them is arguably more important than the content itself. Integrating influencer strategies in a media plan can provide an additional layer of reach and engagement, extending the impact of the campaign and maximizing its effectiveness. If nothing else, it’s the tactic of the hour… and if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.