The Inflated Influencer Part 2: Digging deeper for real metrics behind influencer success

In the ephemera of social media, where follower counts often steal the spotlight, brands are beginning to recognize that bigger isn’t always better. As influencer marketing continues to evolve, the metrics that truly signify an influencer’s impact are becoming more nuanced and complex. Beyond the sheer number of followers, brands are now digging deeper, seeking qualities and metrics that more accurately predict an influencer’s effectiveness in driving engagement, brand loyalty, and conversions.

In the second part of this series, we explore the evolving landscape of influencer marketing, uncovering the hidden metrics and essential qualities that can make or break a campaign’s success. From engagement rates to audience authenticity, and from content quality to alignment with brand values, discover what truly matters when identifying the perfect influencer to amplify your brand’s voice.

Also read:

The Inflated Influencer - Part 1: How fake followers deceive brands and consumers

Beyond follower count

Beyond follower count, what metrics or qualities should brands prioritize when identifying effective influencers for their campaigns?

Definitely engagement rates, says Yasha Gohil, Senior Media Buyer - Influencer Marketing at Admatazz. “It’s easy to gain followers, but getting real engagement is a different story. That’s why we focus on engagement rates, looking at both the quantity of interactions and their quality. For instance, a high number of robotic comments suggests a lot of fake followers. We also watch out for “micro circles”, where influencers exchange fake positive comments to inflate their trustworthiness. While this might help them initially grow, brands shouldn’t be fooled. It’s crucial to look beyond surface-level engagement and dig deeper,” she adds.

Raghav Bagai, Co-founder, SW Network, suggests that when brands are looking out for influencers, they need to look beyond just how many followers someone’s got. “Engagement is huge! What matters more is that people should actually interact with the influencer. Plus, you want to vibe with the influencer’s style and values and know their audience. Are they authentic and relatable? Are they the right fit for your brand? So, it’s not just about the numbers, it’s about that real connection that makes the campaign pop!”

“We also check CPM and CPV, as these metrics are crucial, alongside the engagement rate of the influencer the brand is planning to collaborate with. Additionally, we often consider city bifurcation, gender ratio, and the average views and likes across the influencer's profile to identify the right set of influencers,” adds Bagai.

Ajay Kulkarni, Director - Growth, BARCODE Entertainment, advises brands to prioritize metrics such as engagement rates, audience demographics, content relevance, estimated media value, and above all alignment with brand values when identifying effective influencers for their campaigns.

Over and above the basic metrics like gender, content genre, language, age group of the influencers, brands should deep dive into the audience insights of the creator, says Rubeena Singh, Country Manager India and MENA, AnyMind Group. “Where are they from? What are their content and brand affinities? How is the engagement rate? It is also recommended that brands check the previous brand collabs done, to get an idea of the content quality, category expertise and branded content engagement and video views that the creator garners. All of these insights are available on our platform, AnyTag, for our client brands to access,” she adds.

Beyond the allure

Brands should avoid falling victim to inflated follower numbers and ensure they’re partnering with genuine influencers. The allure of large follower counts can be deceptive, leading companies to invest in partnerships that may not yield the desired results. Inflated follower numbers and inauthentic engagement are prevalent issues, posing significant challenges for brands striving to ensure authenticity and effectiveness in their influencer collaborations. Brands need to adopt strategies in order to navigate this complex terrain, ensuring they partner with genuine influencers who truly resonate with their target audience and drive meaningful engagement.

When identifying effective influencers for their campaigns, brands should prioritize metrics beyond mere follower count, says Sreeram Reddy Vanga, CEO & Co-Founder, Kofluence. “Authentic engagement rates, measured through likes, comments, shares, and saves, offer a more accurate reflection of an influencer’s impact on their audience. A high engagement rate indicates that the influencer’s content resonates with their followers, fostering genuine interactions and potential for brand advocacy. Additionally, relevance and alignment with the brand’s values, audience demographics, and campaign objectives are crucial. Beware of influencers with a large following but minimal engagement, as it may signal inauthenticity,” he explains.

According to Sreeram Reddy Vanga, scrutinizing post comments is essential, as high engagement numbers don’t always translate to genuine interactions.

“By evaluating these factors, brands can minimize the risk of partnering with fake influencers and ensure effective collaborations. To avoid falling victim to inflated follower numbers, brands can employ several strategies to vet potential influencers thoroughly. Beyond surface-level metrics, they should delve deeper into audience demographics and authenticity of engagement. Analyzing the consistency and quality of engagement over time can reveal whether an influencer's following is genuine or artificially inflated,” he says.

Also, he adds, assessing an influencer’s past collaborations is a tried and tested method to determine if their audience aligns with the brand.

“Additionally, observing how they integrate sponsored content can provide insight into their authenticity. Furthermore, if multiple brands have repeatedly chosen to partner with them, it indicates credibility. Regular posting frequency is crucial, impacting engagement, reach, and loyalty. Finally, conducting thorough background checks and seeking recommendations from industry peers can further validate an influencer’s credibility and ensure alignment with the brand’s values and objectives,” concludes Sreeram Reddy Vanga.

Brands can avoid inflated follower numbers by prioritizing engagement metrics, verifying audience demographics, assessing content relevance, and aligning with influencers who authentically resonate with their target audience, says Ajay Kulkarni.

He cites the example of a recent campaign for a custom clothing brand. “We meticulously analyzed potential influencers beyond just their follower count. One particular influencer stood out despite having a lesser number of followers. Despite the smaller audience size, this influencer boasted significantly higher engagement rates and consistently delivered high-quality content that deeply resonated with our brand’s values and target audience. This example underscores the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity. By partnering with this influencer, we were able to achieve remarkable results, demonstrating that authenticity and relevance are paramount in influencer collaborations,” says Kulkarni.

Rubeena Singh suggests that brands must ensure that they check the audience credibility and fake follower counts of influencers. In addition, she adds, by properly deep diving into the creator’s audience insights, along with their content style, tonality, and branded content expertise, they can ensure that they foster meaningful creator partnerships that drive business value.

“I don’t mean this as a sales pitch, but it is crucial to work with genuine marketing agencies that understand the foundations of marketing,” says Yasha Gohil, adding, “They should be aligned with your brand’s goals and know how influencer outreach can help you achieve them. We have the tools and experience to separate grain from the chaff, and we also have advanced ways to measure success of the campaign. Don’t look at just getting in touch with an influencer. Look at the method of shortlisting and reporting metrics to get a more genuine result.”

While a high follower count may seem appealing, it doesn't necessarily equate to effective engagement or campaign success, opines Sachin Modi, Co founder and CEO, vhub.

"We encourage brands to look beyond mere numbers and focus on engagement rates, audience quality, and content relevance. Our influencer analytics tools provide detailed insights into the demographics, interests, and genuine engagement levels of influencers' audiences. This helps brands identify influencers who truly resonate with their target market, ensuring a more authentic and effective collaboration. Apart from follower count, you should look at engagement rate, growth rate, demographics of the audience. Our analytics tools provide deep insights into the online spending behaviour of an influencer's audience as well," adds Modi.

According to Sachin Modi, brands frequently face challenges in distinguishing truly influential creators from those with artificially boosted metrics. "Our AI-driven platform is designed to facilitate precision in discovering influencers through cutting-edge analytics and lookalike tools. These resources enable brands to identify influencers whose audiences authentically align with their target demographics. A standout feature of our platform is the 'audience overlap' metric provided by our lookalike tool. This metric quantifies the overlap between the follower bases of the brand and the influencer, ensuring collaborations are strategically targeted to reach the brand’s core audience," he adds.