5 Ways to Ask Creators to Help Track ROI

I recently read an article claiming that Creator Marketing was "at an inflection point". As I read further, it became clear that brands are having trouble truly tracking the return on investment from influencer campaigns. Does this have to mean that creator marketing is on its way out? Of course not. In fact, it’s more pertinent than ever to solve these problems before they arise within your strategy. 

We’re here to answer one of the most common questions brands face: How do we actually track ROI from influencer campaigns?

Truthfully, ROI tracking isn’t something a brand has to confront all alone. It can be a shared effort between you and the creators you work with. As is true in most business, the key is clear, direct communication. By asking creators to implement small but impactful tracking methods, you can avoid frantic guesswork.

Here are 5 phrases to use when asking creators for ROI help.

1. “Can you include a unique tracking link in your content?”

Affiliate or UTM links allow you to see exactly which sales or site visits came from a creator’s post. This small ask gives you clean attribution and helps measure cost-per-conversion.

2. “Would you be open to adding a swipe-up link or link-in-bio for the campaign?”

Link placement is one of the simplest ways to measure traffic. If the deliverables are Instagram Reels or grid posts, ask creators to pin or prioritize your campaign link in bio during the promotion window.

3. “Could you provide screenshots of your content’s analytics after posting?”

Creators often have access to deeper engagement metrics than you can see publicly, like reach, audience demographics, and click-through rates. Getting those screenshots helps align content performance with your campaign goals.

4. “Can you suggest a discount code that’s exclusive to your audience?”

Unique creator codes are one of the most straightforward ways to tie conversions back to a campaign. They also give the creator’s community a perk, making the promotion feel more authentic and attractive.

5. “Would you be able to include a short poll or call-to-action in your post?”

Engagement-based ROI doesn’t always mean sales. Polls, comments, and audience responses can measure awareness and intent. Asking creators to invite direct interaction gives you another layer of valuable campaign data.

It’s important to remember that not every creator will be open to all five steps, especially smaller creators or in campaigns with a low budget. The idea is to create an open channel of communication in order to see beyond the basic public metrics of likes, follower reach, etc., in a way that works for everyone involved.

At CreatorCatalyst.ai, we help you go one step further by:

-Matching you with creators who understand brand alignment and ROI.
-Offering insights into creator audience data.
-Providing reports that you can easily share with your team or clients.‍

‍Book a demo with CreatorCatalyst.ai and see how simple ROI tracking can be.

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