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Influencer Marketing Return on Investment, better known as Influencer ROI, is the metric that will tell you whether or not your influencer campaign actually delivered value. Brands earn an average of $5.78 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing campaigns.
In some cases, especially in high-performing sectors you can see returns of $20 or more per dollar invested, showcasing the high-profit potential of well-targeted influencer strategies. In the fitness niche you can get an average ROI of $5; the beauty and skincare sector has an average of $7.50 and in the Fashion sector you can get $11 over every dollar spent on average.
However, your expected ROI depends heavily on your industry, your target audience, and the social media platform you choose. Whether you're marketing on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X or Facebook, different categories have different benchmarks for success.
In this article we'll go through everything you need to know about influenced marketing ROI, how to calculate it and examine the specific benchmarks depending on your industry. Let’s dive in!
Influencer marketing ROI (Return on Investment) is a metric that evaluates the profitability and effectiveness of influencer marketing campaigns by comparing the revenue generated to the costs incurred.
In other words, ROI tells you what you as a brand will get in return for working from an influencer. The correct formula for estimating your Influencer Marketing ROI is:
Let’s make it clearer with an example! Pretend your brand partnered up with a fitness influencer on Instagram. You paid them $1,500 for a series of videos promoting your new protein powder. Time went by and the campaign generated $5,000 in sales directly tied to the influencer’s content.
So in this scenario, your brand earned a 233% return on investment. That means for every $1 you spent, you made about $3.33 in return ($1 back plus $2.33 in profit).
Influencer Marketing ROI can vary significantly depending on the industry your brand is working in. Products for daily routines or that have a lower prices, often lead to faster purchasing decisions, making it easier to see your campaign returns.
On the other hand, higher paying products or services may require more consideration and time to get actual conversions, but can still benefit from strategic influencer efforts.
Here’s a breakdown of average ROI by industry, how influencer marketing works in each case and expert tips to help you optimize your results.
Quick note: These figures are estimates and can vary depending on each specific brand and the actual campaign results.
There are some industries and niches that hold higher ROI. Among them are the following:
In the Beauty and Skincare industry the average ROI ranges from $5 to $10 on every dollar spent on the campaign.
Influencer Marketing works really well within these industries as it can be highly visual, really highlighting the product’s effectiveness and performance. The products are well suited for tutorials, how to videos that can go really well on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Pro Tip: While conducting your campaign, you can leverage videos in the skincare routines formats, before and after and GRWM (get ready with me). Showcase the products naturally in each video so users will want to add them to their daily routines as well.
In the Fashion industry the average ROI ranges from $4 to $18 per dollar spent.
In this industry the aspirational insight is key, that’s why it is really important to align the brand identity with the right creators. Style and tone are key here as you want to show through those influencers the power of your brand and inspire users to choose your products.
Pro Tip: You can focus on fast fashion, accessories and content with styling tips to almost guarantee fast wins.
In the Fitness and Health industry the average ROI ranges from $3 to $7 per dollar spent during the campaign.
This is a highly trusted space. People tend to follow creators in the fitness niche for a long time and come to really trust their life choices and recommendations.
Pro Tip: If you are in this industry, don't lose your chance to promote supplements, workout plans or routines using influencer marketing as a tool to get to the target audience of your brand.
In the Consumer and Tech Gadgets industry the average ROI ranges from $3 to $6 per dollar spent.
In order to get the best engagement possible, you should aim to partner with creators that make reviews and unboxing content. Here you may not have as many sales as in other niches, but your average order value (AOV) is higher due to the type of products and services that you offer.
Pro Tip: Partner with creators that make reviews and content explaining different tech features.
There are some industries and niches that hold mid-tier ROI. Among them are the following:
In the Home and Living industry the average ROI ranges from $2 to $5 per dollar spent.
In this industry people may need a longer time to really think before making a purchase decision. They are trying to buy something expensive and for the long term so there’s a research period before actually buying something.
Pro Tip: Take advantage of tutorials or home transformations series success to really show off what your brand offers.
In the Food industry the average ROI ranges from $2 to $4 per dollar spent during the campaign.
This ROI can fluctuate depending on product type, audience targeting, and the campaign's content strategy. Brands in the snack or functional beverage space often see higher returns due to strong repeat purchase behavior and impulse buying tendencies.
Pro Tip: Partner with creators who make content around taste tests, honest reactions to new food and snack sampling content to generate FOMO (fear of missing out) to get people to want to buy your products.
In the Travel and Hospitality industry the average ROI ranges from $1.50 to $4 per dollar spent during the campaign.
Travel is a high-consideration purchase. While the immediate return may seem lower compared to other industries, influencer campaigns in this space are primarily designed to drive brand awareness, inspiration, and long-term interest, rather than instant bookings.
Pro Tip: Work with aspirational creators and visually rich content to really communicate the idea / essence of your brand.
There are some industries and niches that hold lower ROI. Among them are the following:
In the Luxury Goods industry the average ROI ranges from $1 to $3 per dollar spent during the campaign.
Campaigns in the luxury fashion, jewelry, and high-end lifestyle sectors often prioritize brand equity, exclusivity, and long-term positioning over instant sales.
Pro Tip: Collaborate with prestige creators; focus on brand lift.
In the Finance industry the average ROI ranges from $0.50 to $2 per dollar spent.
Financial products require a high level of trust, and audiences often need time to research, compare, and consider before taking action.
Pro Tip: Find online credible voices and create long-term educational content.
In the Educational industry the average ROI is harder to establish because these kinds of campaigns focus more on trust building, thought leadership, and lead generation rather than immediate sales.
Pro Tip: Position influencers as niche experts in your area.
Influencer Marketing can be used for any brand but it can also vary widely from brand to brand, from industry to industry. That’s why there’s no exact recipe for success. In order to master your influencer marketing campaign you should know and understand the influencing factors behind the ROI numbers.
The product you offer is directly related to the possible results of your campaign. Products or services designed for daily use like snacks, fashion accessories or skincare, tend to convert faster because the purchase decision is low risk.
On the other hand, if your brand offers high consideration items like furniture, tech or even financial services, users must go through more research and time comparing different options before making a decision and having an impact on your ROI.
The type of product you offer is related to the stage in the marketing funnel, the stage on the consumer journey. There are products with short journeys and decision making, while others need more time and thought.
Influencer content at the bottom of the funnel often drives quicker and more measurable ROI. Meanwhile, top of the funnel campaigns more focused on brand awareness rather than sales, are harder to measure but great for long term trust and brand perception.
The more loyal the creator’s audience is, the better to build credibility upon your brand and product offerings. Creators with loyal, niche-aligned audiences often outperform “bigger” influencers with generic followings.
Think of the best match for your brand and type of product. In industries where credibility and trust are a must, like in fitness, health or finance, ROI improves significantly when influencers are perceived as trusted sources or experts.
There are some products that match better with influencer content strategy. Visually engaging items like make-up, clothes, or tech gadgets naturally fit in platforms like TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. When there’s a clear and engaging way to show the product in action, audiences are more likely to respond.
AOV is the average amount a customer spends in a single purchase. It’s calculated by dividing total revenue by the number of orders.
Expensive items may seem less conversions, but with only one purchase can generate a lot of revenue. This is why industries like luxury goods, or tech can have ROI that might look modest in volume but strong in value.
Any product that is for quick consumption or subscription based like supplements, protein powder, coffee, tea, skincare combos or any other DTC (Direct To consumer), tend to have a stronger lifetime ROI. This is because the initial influencer investment that got people interested and making purchases, is the one that keeps them coming month after month to re-store their original product.
For DTC brands, the key is customer retention. By partnering with influencers over the long term, you can make creators reinforce these habits over time so people keep purchasing your products.
No matter what brand, product or service you have, a tip that is good for everybody is to partner with influencers that are considered experts in your space. You don’t want just some random creator talking about your product, you want them to add value so potential customers get to know you and, in the best case scenario, buy something from you.
Every marketing campaign has its own goals that can go into the different funnel stages. The goal is the main thing the brand wants to achieve with the campaign and the funnel is a place in the consumer’s behavioral journey.
The three funnel stages are:
Influencer marketing can be used to target different stages on the customer journey.
Industries like beauty, fashion or fitness often generate product demos or unboxings, tutorials and share content with affiliate links that work better at the bottom of the funnel. This type of content is directly focused on sales or subscriptions. These campaigns are usually optimized for quick actions like clicks or purchases, making your ROI easier to track and more immediate.
On the other hand, industries like luxury, education or finance tend to be more related to the top or middle funnel, aiming at building brand trust and generating a relationship with potential customers. These types of campaigns are essential for long term results, but they may not drive sales.
Even though bottom of funnel objectives are higher and faster to track, it does not mean middle or top funnels are less valuable. In order to get the best results, you should always align your strategy with the proper funnel goals. If you are seeking for immediate ROI, focus on creators skilled on the bottom of funnel tactics. However, if your goal is to build trust or brand reputation, top and middle funnel creators are the way to go.
Just keep in mind that while bottom funnel ROI is often easier to track quantitatively, top and middle funnel success may require you to look at some other specific metrics to measure influencer marketing success such as brand sentiment, engagement or direct traffic over time.
While direct revenue and sales conversions are essential when tracking ROI, especially in the bottom of funnel campaigns, metrics not related to money play a vital role in evaluating the success of middle and top of funnel efforts. These metrics include:
These metrics help you gather information about the customer loyalty and long-term results of your campaign.
No matter the industry your brand is located in, you can always do some things to maximize your ROI and run a successful influencer marketing campaign!
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Here are different scenarios where brands manage to drive successful influencer marketing campaigns!
COSMEDIX is a leading skincare brand. They launched its “COSMEDIX Crowd” Influencer Program to tap into the power of authentic marketing.
The brand partnered up with influencers across Instagram who specialized in beauty, skincare routines, and product reviews. These creators produced user-generated content (UGC) that included product demonstrations, skincare tutorials, and honest testimonials.
Later on, the brand repurposed this content across its digital marketing channels, including email, paid ads, and their own social media, to build trust and drive conversions.
The campaign delivered impressive results:
Made.com is a popular home and living brand known for its modern, stylish furniture and home decor. To increase its brand visibility and boost social media engagement, Made.com launched the “YouTube Madeover” Series.
In this campaign, influencers created home makeover videos showcasing how Made.com’s products could transform living spaces. These influencers partnered with the brand to demonstrate practical applications of its furniture and decor in real-life settings.
The campaign produced impressive results:
Avène is a renowned skincare brand in the healthcare and dermatology space, known for its scientifically-backed, sensitive skin solutions. To boost its brand credibility and emphasize its commitment to education, Avène Spain launched a campaign featuring dermatologists and key opinion leaders in the skincare industry.
The campaign focused on educational content, where healthcare professionals and skincare experts shared their experiences with Avène products, helping build trust and authority within the skincare community.
The campaign generated solid results:
Measuring influencer ROI can seem a little bit difficult, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, especially if you have the right tools.
When running a small campaign or managing multiple influencers at the time, this few tools can really help you track performance and calculate your returns effectively:
You can create and use trackable URLs to monitor clicks, conversions and traffic driven by each one of the influencers you partnered up with.
You can use Google’s Campaign URL Builder for an easy setup.
You can also create unique discount codes assigned to each creator to track how many users were incentivized to visit your site or make a purchase.
Codes are great for directly tying sales to a specific influencer and track individual performance.
You can use Google Analytics to measure site traffic, user behavior, and conversion data from influencer campaigns. Pair it with UTM parameters to attribute performance accurately.
You can use it for free and track every influencer-driven activity on your site.
Influencer Hero is a marketing platform that offers built-in ROI tracking, performance analytics, campaign management, and reporting.
Great for brands that want an all-in-one solution. Here are the main benefits:
Influencer Hero offers flexible plans based on your needs, starting from $249/month for smaller teams. Custom pricing is available for enterprises and agencies.
If you are starting small, don’t have extra budget or simply don’t want to add any specific online tool, you can always trust your spreadsheets. For smaller campaigns, manually logging metrics like sales, engagement, and referral traffic works—just be sure to stay consistent.
Pro Tip: No matter which way you decide to go, using more than just one of these tools and cross-checking the data is the best option at getting the full picture of your influencer campaign’s performance.
Influencer marketing is a great strategy that can help your brand growth, whether you are in fashion, beauty, skincare or finance. No matter the industry you are working in, tracking your ROI is going to help figure out which tactics work and which don’t, enabling you to make the necessary adjustments for future campaigns.
With the right influencer partnerships and effective performance metrics, your brand can consistently achieve impactful results.
To accurately measure influencer ROI across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, it's important to use UTM links, custom promo codes, and affiliate links. These tools allow you to track specific traffic and sales generated from influencer content, giving you clear insights into which platform and influencer type performed the best.
Choosing the right influencer depends on your campaign goals and funnel stage. For bottom-of-funnel campaigns focused on immediate conversions, consider partnering with influencers who specialize in product reviews, demonstrations, or unboxing. For top-of-funnel campaigns that aim to build brand awareness and trust, opt for influencers who focus on long-term engagement, education, and aspirational content.
ROI benchmarks vary by industry because different product types and sales cycles require different marketing approaches. Beauty & Skincare products may yield higher ROI due to quick decision-making and impulse purchases, while luxury goods campaigns focus on brand perception and long-term relationship building. Understanding these differences helps brands tailor their influencer strategies to their industry’s needs.
A common mistake is focusing too much on immediate sales and overlooking metrics like brand sentiment, engagement, and direct traffic, especially for top-of-funnel campaigns. These qualitative metrics can indicate long-term value even if direct sales are not immediately visible. Ensuring that all campaign stages are measured properly, from awareness to conversions, will give a more accurate picture of ROI.
In high-investment industries, ROI measurement often requires a focus on brand equity, trust-building, and thought leadership. Collaborating with prestige creators and industry experts can help elevate brand perception. Additionally, focusing on educational content, authentic storytelling, and building long-term relationships with influencers will foster trust and lead to higher conversions over time.
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