Carl Heyerdahl
Carl Heyerdahl
Carl Heyerdahl

Published in Negotiation

Image credit by Carl Heyerdahl

Steven Lewis

Steven Lewis

Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Foam

January 20, 2025

💼 How to Prove a Creator’s Value to Brands (With Data)

Brands want results—here’s how to showcase your creators’ true impact.

If you’re still pitching Creators to brands based on follower count and “great engagement,” you’re playing in the kiddie pool while serious talent managers are closing five- and six-figure deals.

Brands don’t want influencers. They want sales, customer growth, and measurable impact. If you can’t prove that your talent delivers results, you’re just hoping brands will take your word for it. The best talent managers don’t sell Creators—they sell business results. And they do it with data that makes brands feel like working with your talent is the smartest investment they can make.

Leading a pitch with “This Creator has 1M followers” is a losing strategy. Brands don’t care about big numbers if they don’t translate into real performance. They want to know how many sales, sign-ups, and conversions a Creator actually drives. They look at click-through rates to measure whether an audience took action or just scrolled past. They analyze customer acquisition cost (CAC) and return on ad spend (ROAS) to determine if Creator marketing is a profitable channel. Audience loyalty and retention matter more than one-time viral hits because repeat customers prove true influence. Brand lift metrics show whether a campaign increased searches, website traffic, or sentiment shifts.

On the flip side, brands no longer buy into vanity metrics. Follower count is meaningless when brands have been burned by fake engagement. A high engagement rate isn’t enough if it doesn’t lead to measurable action. A one-off viral post rarely delivers long-term value. Without business impact, these numbers don’t matter.

Knowing what to measure is one thing. Proving it? That’s where real negotiation power comes in. Brands don’t want vague claims—they want clear, trackable evidence.

  • UTM links and Google Analytics track website visits, conversions, and sales driven by Creator content.

  • Unique discount codes and affiliate links provide precise revenue attribution.

  • Social listening tools monitor brand sentiment and audience discussions before and after a campaign.

  • Direct audience polls measure brand awareness shifts.

Data means nothing if it’s not packaged in a way that makes brands take it seriously. A strong campaign report isn’t just a list of numbers—it’s a business case for why your talent deserves even bigger deals. Lead with headline metrics that matter: “This campaign generated $32,000 in direct sales.” Show pre- and post-campaign data comparisons, like a spike in website visitors or an increase in brand sentiment. Use visuals, charts, and trend snapshots to make reports digestible. And always end with next steps—how the brand can optimize results and why scaling the partnership makes sense.

Brands have zero patience for weak pitches that rely on vanity metrics. If you want bigger, long-term brand deals, stop leading with follower count instead of business results. Stop failing to track actual conversions and sales. Stop providing vague campaign reports that don’t connect back to revenue.

Start pitching like a business strategist. Track real business impact. Use clear, hard data to prove ROI. Present reports that make brands want to double their investment.

Because in this industry, the managers who can prove value keep winning deals. And the ones who can’t? They’re just hoping brands will take their word for it.

🔗 Showcase Influencer ROI – Try FOAM Today

If you’re still pitching Creators to brands based on follower count and “great engagement,” you’re playing in the kiddie pool while serious talent managers are closing five- and six-figure deals.

Brands don’t want influencers. They want sales, customer growth, and measurable impact. If you can’t prove that your talent delivers results, you’re just hoping brands will take your word for it. The best talent managers don’t sell Creators—they sell business results. And they do it with data that makes brands feel like working with your talent is the smartest investment they can make.

Leading a pitch with “This Creator has 1M followers” is a losing strategy. Brands don’t care about big numbers if they don’t translate into real performance. They want to know how many sales, sign-ups, and conversions a Creator actually drives. They look at click-through rates to measure whether an audience took action or just scrolled past. They analyze customer acquisition cost (CAC) and return on ad spend (ROAS) to determine if Creator marketing is a profitable channel. Audience loyalty and retention matter more than one-time viral hits because repeat customers prove true influence. Brand lift metrics show whether a campaign increased searches, website traffic, or sentiment shifts.

On the flip side, brands no longer buy into vanity metrics. Follower count is meaningless when brands have been burned by fake engagement. A high engagement rate isn’t enough if it doesn’t lead to measurable action. A one-off viral post rarely delivers long-term value. Without business impact, these numbers don’t matter.

Knowing what to measure is one thing. Proving it? That’s where real negotiation power comes in. Brands don’t want vague claims—they want clear, trackable evidence.

  • UTM links and Google Analytics track website visits, conversions, and sales driven by Creator content.

  • Unique discount codes and affiliate links provide precise revenue attribution.

  • Social listening tools monitor brand sentiment and audience discussions before and after a campaign.

  • Direct audience polls measure brand awareness shifts.

Data means nothing if it’s not packaged in a way that makes brands take it seriously. A strong campaign report isn’t just a list of numbers—it’s a business case for why your talent deserves even bigger deals. Lead with headline metrics that matter: “This campaign generated $32,000 in direct sales.” Show pre- and post-campaign data comparisons, like a spike in website visitors or an increase in brand sentiment. Use visuals, charts, and trend snapshots to make reports digestible. And always end with next steps—how the brand can optimize results and why scaling the partnership makes sense.

Brands have zero patience for weak pitches that rely on vanity metrics. If you want bigger, long-term brand deals, stop leading with follower count instead of business results. Stop failing to track actual conversions and sales. Stop providing vague campaign reports that don’t connect back to revenue.

Start pitching like a business strategist. Track real business impact. Use clear, hard data to prove ROI. Present reports that make brands want to double their investment.

Because in this industry, the managers who can prove value keep winning deals. And the ones who can’t? They’re just hoping brands will take their word for it.

🔗 Showcase Influencer ROI – Try FOAM Today