How to Track Results of TikTok Influencer Marketing

There's one big question I get every time I talk about influencer campaigns on TikTok: how do you track results? Here's what I've learned so far:

• Adding links to an influencer's profile, especially with UTM parameters, lowers your reach

• Adding promo codes lowers your reach. The language doesn't matter; that word sounds pretty much the same in most world languages.

As a result, every time you try to track TikTok videos, TikTok algorithms understand that and lower the results of your video. TikTok doesn't want you to rely on organic reach and not try their paid ads (which, in my opinion, are pretty ineffective right now). This negatively affects influencer ad integrations. We've seen cases where a TikTok influencer who regularly gets 500K-1M views got only 10K views just because the advertiser asked for a UTM link and a promo code. While that influencer asked for several thousand dollars, the result was a total disaster.

So, how can we track TikTok influencer campaigns when we can't track clicks, installs, and purchases?

You can track:

1. Reach

2. CPM (Cost Per Mille, or cost per thousand views)

3. Increase in organic traffic

How? TikTok has nothing against spelling out your brand name, showing your URL, or showing how to find your website in Google or in the App Store. Here are some examples:

https://www.tiktok.com/@ifluent/video/7369728744891747590

https://www.tiktok.com/@maddybesogood/video/7371083951835843872

With these data, you can judge whether you need to hire that influencer or not.

Some people might say that CPM and reach aren't enough to track effectiveness. However, if you're consistently getting a CPM of $2-3 for the US market, while most PPC ads bring $20-30, that's not so bad.

Key Takeaways:

1. Avoid using trackable links or promo codes in TikTok influencer content, as they can significantly reduce reach.

2. Focus on metrics like reach, CPM, and increases in organic traffic to gauge campaign success.

3. Encourage influencers to mention your brand name, URL, or how to find you in app stores without direct links.

4. Compare the CPM of your influencer campaigns to other advertising methods to assess their value.

5. Remember that while these metrics may seem less direct, they can still provide valuable insights into your campaign's performance.

By adapting your tracking methods to work within TikTok's algorithm preferences, you can still gather meaningful data on your influencer marketing efforts while maximizing your reach and engagement.