One of the first steps to running a successful influencer marketing campaign is to set up the right budget. However, a large budget does not translate to instant results or a high return on investment either. For influencer marketing to work, you don’t need an outrageous budget to get started. Instead, you need the right budget that includes specific key information depending on your goals; this will and should vary.
Here are the keys to creating a successful influencer marketing budget:
Understand Your End Goal
This is by far the most important step to your entire influencer marketing campaign. Without clearly defining your goals, you can’t know what materials you need or who you can hire for the project—leaving many costs unaccounted for.
Pick Your Influencer Campaign Strategy
Each influencer level comes with a different set of fees and expectations. Typically, the fewer followers you have as an influencer, the lower the rate.
The following are common set rates for each level of influencers for a single post on Instagram:
- Nano – Influencers with 1,000 to 10,000 followers charge a rate of $10 to $100.
- Micro – With 10,000 to 100,000 followers, they charge around $100 to $500.
- Macro – They have 500,000 to 1 million followers and charge $5,000 to $10,000.
- Mega – Over 1 million followers cost $10,000 and up.
These are just estimated ranges that many companies have reported. The numbers can still vary outside of these ranges due to their metrics compared to your specific campaign goals, what type of content they create, and the platforms they use. In addition, follower numbers do not automatically transfer into a positive return on investment. This means these numbers should just be used as a baseline or starting point.
Pick your Pricing Model
While many influencers will charge a set price, that doesn’t mean there are no other ways to do it. Here are some common pricing models to pick from:
- Cost Per Engagement
- Cost Per Acquisition
- Cost Per Click
- Cost Per Mentions
- Set Compensation Package
It’s important to note that even if influencers charge a set price, you can use these payment models to determine if the return on investment is worth it. For example, if the influencer is charging 500 dollars for one post and your goal is to get at least 1,000 engagements, then the following formula can be used:
$500/1000 = 0.5 * 100 = 50%
For this example, your return on investment would be 50%. As long as the influencer can show supporting metrics or other information that the post will get that much engagement, this would be a great partnership and more than worth your money.
Determine Other Campaign Costs
Influencer compensation is not the only cost needed to run a campaign. Remember to highlight products used, travel expenses, tools, software, third-party services, and any other supporting material costs required.
As outlined above, your budget is determined and set by your campaign goal. Keep it specific and clear to easily determine the right costs and run a more successful campaign.