Influencer marketing should stop being a creative gamble and become a strategic, measurable, and data-driven channel. That’s the main conclusion from BrandLovers after analyzing over 2,300 pieces of content created by 1,500 creators over the last three months.
By analyzing more than 17 campaigns conducted on Instagram and TikTok, the company identified clear performance patterns that help answer, based on evidence, what really works — and what definitely doesn’t — when working with creators. Spoiler: creators who participated in previous campaigns are more likely to deliver than newcomers to the brand.
“Influencer marketing has grown, but it still needs to mature when it comes to treating this channel with the same rigor applied to any other media front. It’s no longer acceptable to operate in this channel based on hunches or just charisma. The data is there to show that influence is also science, and those who know how to use it intelligently will come out ahead,” says Rapha Avellar, CEO and founder of BrandLovers.
Below are the key findings:
Reuse the same creators — and watch your performance rise
The logic of ‘let’s try a new creator for each campaign’ simply doesn’t work. On the contrary. BrandLovers’ data shows that creators who have participated in previous campaigns deliver better results: on average, they had 54% more views per follower and a 9% lower CPV, with more consistent engagement in up to 80% of subsequent activations. Additionally, average engagement rises by about 10% in the second campaign, and the number of adjustments requested by clients also decreases (from 20% in the first activation to 17% in the second). Familiarity with the process, understanding of the brand, and fine-tuning of content style explain this performance leap.
Posting at the wrong time can reduce performance by up to 30%
Although more than half of the content is published between 8 PM and 11 PM, the peak viewing time is between 12 PM and 3 PM, with a gain of up to +30% in median views for posts in this window. The data is even more striking when observing that posts at 1 PM on Instagram generate an average of 2,791 views, compared to 1,925 for those posted at 8 PM — a 45% difference in reach efficiency. Simply changing the posting time can generate millions of additional views in campaigns with a large volume of creators, without any increase in investment.
The 20k to 70k follower range is the most efficient on Instagram
Creators with between 20,000 and 70,000 followers deliver the lowest CPV on Instagram, with superior performance across all efficiency metrics: views per follower, engagement, and conversion rate. Yet, they represent only 12% of the active base in campaigns — a clear sign of underutilization of one of the most efficient groups in the Creator Economy. “This group delivers the perfect ‘middle of the funnel’: they already have a built community but still respond as if they’re growing. It’s the sweet spot of creator marketing,” notes Rapha. In this range, the average CPV is R$ 0.16 — 20% below the general average — and the engagement rate hovers around 12%, slightly below the general average (14%), yet still highly competitive. Despite lower participation in campaigns, this group accounts for 34% of rehires, showing consistency in results.
Combine generation and frequency to scale performance with purpose
Creators between 18 and 24 years old lead in views — even among profiles with similar follower ranges — especially when they post more than three times a week. In this case, the average gain is +15% in views per content compared to profiles with lower posting frequency. However, this doesn’t mean only younger creators deliver results. Creators between 25 and 34 years old (Millennials) show the best engagement rates, suggesting deeper relationships with their audience and more qualified interactions.
BrandLovers’ data shows that posting frequency has a direct impact: creators who post at least three times a week outperform the average by up to 15%. Meanwhile, profiles between 25 and 34 years old, even with more modest absolute view numbers, show higher levels of real interaction, such as comments and shares, per post. In other words, the study shows that choosing the ideal creator doesn’t depend solely on charisma or aesthetics but on the match between generation, frequency, and campaign goals. “Even with this well-defined difference in impact between age groups, variables like age and posting frequency remain underutilized in casting decisions, representing a clear optimization opportunity,” warns Avellar.
In summary, what these findings make clear is that science can — and should — guide strategies in influencer marketing, after all, well-applied data makes campaigns more precise, investments more efficient, and results more predictable. “With these insights in hand, we free creators from improvisation and help brands build more relevant, strategic, and predictable campaigns. It’s the realization of programmatic influencer media taking shape,” concludes Rapha.
