How to Measure Success of an Influencer Campaign

Today?s gaming audience on social media platforms like YouTube and Twitch is estimated to be at 665 million people worldwide. This audience is more than HBO, Netflix, ESPN, and Hulu combined - with over half of a billion just on YouTube. For game publishers, this is a huge opportunity; two out of three viewers watch gaming content to learn about the titles they want to play.This is where influencer marketing comes into play: expanding beyond static inventory buys and innovating your user acquisition strategy. Tapping into new UA channels also means rethinking your metrics of success. These channels challenge you to sometimes look past direct measurement. It might feel risky, but the payoff can be greater than any traditional interstitial campaign.I work with influencers (creators) and game publishers everyday to directly connect opportunities for both sides. At Chartboost Influence, that?s exactly what our platform does - empower creators and game developers to launch successful influencer campaigns together. Here?s what advertisers need to know about the value of a YouTube impression, beyond the CPI.

First, let?s talk about what you can directly measure

All influencer campaigns you launch should have performance measurements in place, whether you are running a CPI, CPV, or flat fee campaign. Chartboost Influence is integrated with a number of third-party tracking partners that will allow you to track performance on a network level. Before your campaign begins, you?ll also want to review target influencers to better understand their viewership and channel data.While game developers are often used to CPI campaigns, most influencers prefer the flat fee sponsorships. This is mainly because of the impact of organic adoption these campaigns drive, which, in the end, backs out to your campaign goals. These flat fee campaigns are ultimately the most balanced for both advertiser and creators for final measurements of success.So how should you think about measurement in your next influencer marketing campaign? Let?s explore three key measurements of success for influencer campaigns.

Choosing the right campaign type and influencer partners

Take the time to understand each influencer?s audience. For example, in Chartboost Influence you can see viewer demographics data by gender, age, and top ten countries of viewership, as well as historical engagement. Think about how your target influencer?s audience aligns with your game?s player profile.The true reach and engagement of your target influencer may not be as intuitive as you think it would. Often, advertisers experimenting with influencer marketing go for the biggest influencer with the largest channel. This won?t always help you efficiently reach your campaign goals. The influencer?s channel audience demographics, the average number of views that influencers drive, impression-to-click rates, and click-to-install rates are much more likely to indicate success. This is how you?ll get the most bang for your buck.

The key success metrics you need to know

1. Tracking organic uplift: Today, neither YouTube nor Twitch allows sponsored embedded links, so influencers rely on verbal and visual callouts and unique tracking links to drive their viewers to the download page in the app store. While it?s possible to track metrics with these links as mentioned above, in reality, most viewers just head to the app store to download a game. What this means is you?ll see a spike in ?organic? installs. On average, the advertisers we work with estimate one organic download for every two paid downloads. At it?s highest organic lift, advertisers have seen an almost 20/80 split between paid tracking and organic installs.When tracking during a certain time period, it?s clear what?s driving organic growth during an influencer campaign. And with custom online content, advertisers will often see ongoing organic grow over time, especially if the video becomes an organic hit.2. The lifespan of original content (hint: it never expires): The majority of views and installs will come within the first 72 hours, though that sponsored gaming content will drive significant engagement for up to six months since the content will forever remain on the influencer?s channel. Unlike your campaigns that end as soon as you hit your budget, this content continues to build SEO and compound value with ongoing installs and lowering eCPIs.3. Brand value continues beyond launch: When looking into partnerships with powerhouse gaming influencers, one should remember the value of the brand created by the influencer. This value may increase your upfront costs but, with their reach, results in better performance over time. If your game is a genuine hit with the influencer, it also can lead to new original content like, as in the case of The Battle Cats by Ponos and their partnership with Matt Shea, Ihascupquakes, and more.What started out as a one-time sponsored placement with Matt Shea via Roostr turned into a series of almost 40 episodes to date! This built an expanded partnership to create custom in-game content for Matt Shea?s viewers. Ponos is no stranger to influencer marketing ,and while CPI will always remain their preferred campaign type, they realize the effect an influencer?s brand has on the success of their franchise.

The true value of YouTube impressions

From brand awareness to directly measurable metrics to the long lasting organic impact, influencer marketing is a critical piece of UA strategy. It?s a new kind of user acquisition that challenges us to rethink our metrics and define new indicators for success. In the field of mobile game marketing, these are the tactics that keep strategies fresh and impactful.Want to learn more? Visit chartboost.com/influence