In today’s digital world, brands want results they can measure—and rightly so. You’re not running influencer campaigns just for fun. You’re doing it to build trust, increase visibility, and ultimately drive sales. That’s where ROI (Return on Investment) comes in. If you can track it, you can grow it.
This guide explains how to measure the real impact of influencer marketing, the key metrics you need to watch, the latest industry benchmarks, and how platforms like Referwo make it easier to see exactly what’s working.
Why Tracking ROI Matters
If you’re spending time or money on influencer marketing, you need to know what you’re getting back. ROI gives you a clear picture:
- Are your campaigns profitable?
- Which influencers are delivering?
- Where should you invest more (or less)?
According to a 2024 study by Influencer Marketing Hub, 89% of marketers say ROI from influencer marketing is as good or better than other marketing channels. What’s more—top-performing campaigns can deliver up to $20 for every $1 spent.
When brands track ROI properly, they move from “hoping for engagement” to scaling what actually works.
Real Stats That Back It Up
Let’s get to the good stuff. According to this industry report:
- Influencer content gets 4X more clicks than traditional ads.
- UGC (user-generated content) boosts purchase intent by up to 79%.
- Brands see an average $4.12 in media value for every $1 spent.
Industry-wide, influencer marketing has matured into a data-driven, revenue-positive channel—especially for DTC and e-commerce brands. In fact, a recent HubSpot report found that 68% of marketers consider influencer marketing ROI to be higher than other forms of advertising. Additionally, campaigns using influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok have been shown to outperform traditional ad formats by as much as 11 times in terms of return on ad spend (ROAS).
What Does ROI Actually Mean in Influencer Marketing?
In simple terms, ROI is:
(Revenue – Cost) ÷ Cost x 100
So, if you spend $1,000 and earn $3,000:
[(3,000 – 1,000) ÷ 1,000] x 100 = 200% ROI
But ROI in influencer marketing goes beyond just tracked sales. It also includes:
- The value of content you can reuse (UGC)
- Long-term brand visibility
- Trust-driven conversions from word-of-mouth
It’s not just what you make today—it’s also the compounding value that builds over time.
One major advantage with influencer marketing is that brands don’t always need to pay influencers in cash. With gifted campaigns, brands can offer free product samples in exchange for exposure and content creation. The true cost of such campaigns is often just the cost of goods (COGS)—not retail value—making this approach incredibly cost-effective, especially for DTC brands with strong margins. You’re essentially turning inventory into content, awareness, and conversion power.
Key Metrics You Should Be Tracking
1. Sales from Discount Codes
Give influencers unique discount codes. It’s a simple and clear way to attribute sales.
2. Affiliate Sales
Track clicks, conversions, and revenue from affiliate links. Referwo handles this automatically.
3. Conversion Rates
How many people actually buy after engaging with influencer content?
4. Engagement Quality
Likes are nice, but shares, saves, and comments show real interest.
5. Content Output (UGC)
How much content did influencers create? This matters because you can repurpose it for ads, emails, and product pages.
6. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Don’t just track one sale. Understand how influencer-acquired customers behave over time.
Real ROI, Real Brands: Success Stories from Referwo
Thread the Word
- 174 influencers
- 480+ pieces of UGC
- $50,000 in tracked sales
- ROI: 283%, ROAS: 6x
Euclove
- 139 influencers
- $41,888 in verified sales
- ROI: 2000%, ROAS: 30x
Hannah & Henry
- 260+ content pieces
- $44,000+ in sales
- ROI: 265%, ROAS: 5.2x
These aren’t vanity metrics—these are revenue-driving campaigns tracked and verified through Referwo.
How Referwo Helps You Track ROI (Without Spreadsheets)
Referwo is built for performance-driven brands that want more than just likes.
✅ Unique Discount Codes — Easily assign and track redemptions per influencer
✅ Affiliate Link Tracking — For Shopify & WooCommerce, everything is synced automatically
✅ Real-Time Dashboards — See your ROI, sales, and UGC content at a glance
✅ Automated Payouts — Influencers get paid when they perform. Simple.
Learn more: Performance-Based Influencer Marketing
How to Maximise ROI from Your Campaigns
- Run a hybrid of gifted + affiliate campaigns to test creators at low risk
- Focus on micro-influencers for better engagement and lower CAC
- Brief influencers well to get quality content the first time
- Reuse UGC in email marketing, product pages, paid ads, and retargeting campaigns
- Review influencer performance monthly—then reinvest in your top performers
📘 Bonus: Download the 2025 Affiliate Influencer Marketing Playbook
Shopify or WooCommerce? You’re Covered
Referwo integrates directly with your store:
- Track every sale from influencer codes in real time
- Automate commission payouts
- Set up affiliate campaigns with zero hassle
You don’t need developers or complex integrations—just plug in and go.
Benchmarking Against the Industry
According to data from Influencer Marketing Hub and inBeat (2024 reports): – 70% of brands now track sales and conversions as their #1 KPI in influencer campaigns (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2024) – The average campaign generates $5.78 in revenue per $1 spent (inBeat, 2024) – 82% of marketers plan to increase or maintain influencer budgets in 2025 (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2024)
If your brand isn’t measuring ROI, you risk falling behind in a channel that’s increasingly performance-first.
Final Take: Make Every Campaign Count
Influencer marketing is powerful—but only if you know what’s working.
With Referwo, you don’t just guess. You track. You test. You grow.
Here’s what makes it work: – 📊 Real-time visibility into campaign sales and performance – 🔗 Built-in discount code and affiliate tracking for accurate attribution – 🧾 Auto-generated performance reports (no manual reporting needed) – 🛒 Seamless Shopify and WooCommerce integrations – 💡 Insights into top-performing influencers so you can reinvest with confidence
So whether you’re just starting or scaling up, now’s the time to measure your impact—and double down on what performs.
Let’s Turn Your Influencer Marketing into Sales
🚀 Start Your Free Trial or 📅 Book a 15-Minute Demo and see how Referwo makes ROI easy, fast, and totally trackable.
