Influencer ROI and EMV calculator
What a campaign was worth against what it cost: earned media value, cost per engagement, effective CPM, and return on ad spend when you can track sales. Every formula is on the page. Free, no sign-up.
Add the revenue the campaign brought in (a discount code or tracked link is the usual source) to see return on ad spend.
Every figure is one number divided by another, with the formulas below. EMV is only as good as the value per 1,000 impressions you set: use the rate your clients agree to, and say which one you used when you report it.
What each figure means
Nothing here is benchmarked against a number we cannot show you. Each figure is one of the numbers you typed divided by another.
| Figure | How it is worked out |
|---|---|
| Earned media value | Impressions ÷ 1,000 × value of 1,000 impressions |
| Engagements | Likes + comments + shares + saves |
| Cost per engagement | Spend ÷ engagements |
| Cost per 1,000 impressions | Spend ÷ impressions × 1,000 |
| Engagement rate | Engagements ÷ impressions |
| Frequency | Impressions ÷ reach |
| Cost per click | Spend ÷ clicks |
| Cost per sale | Spend ÷ sales |
| Return on ad spend | Revenue ÷ spend |
| Profit on spend | (Revenue minus spend) ÷ spend |
Putting it in front of a client
Lead with the figure the client bought
An awareness campaign is reported on reach, frequency and cost per 1,000 impressions. A conversion campaign is reported on cost per sale and return on ad spend. EMV supports either story; it should not be the headline of a campaign that was meant to sell.
Show your working
- State the rate per 1,000 impressions used for EMV, and keep it the same from month to month so the trend means something.
- Say where the numbers came from: the creators’ insights, not follower counts.
- Count spend honestly. Product, production and agency time belong in it as much as the creator fee.
More free tools
No sign-up on any of them. Check a creator before the brief goes out, not after the invoice comes in.
Common questions
What is earned media value?
A way of putting a money figure on the attention a campaign earned: impressions divided by 1,000, multiplied by what 1,000 impressions would have cost to buy as advertising. It is a comparison with paid media, not money in the bank, and it is only as good as the rate per 1,000 used. Always say which rate you used when you report it.
What rate per 1,000 impressions should I use?
The one your client agrees with. Many Gulf agencies use a figure close to what their clients pay for social ads, and AED 30 is a common starting point. The calculator defaults to that, and to the same figure in riyals and its dollar equivalent, and you can change it.
Is EMV the same as ROI?
No. EMV is the value of the attention; return on ad spend and profit are about sales. A campaign can have a strong EMV and sell nothing, or a modest EMV and pay for itself through a discount code. If you can track sales, lead with those.
Where do I get the numbers?
From the creators' own insights screenshots (impressions, reach, likes, comments, shares and saves per post), added up across the campaign. Clicks come from link tracking and sales from a discount code or tracked link.
What is a good cost per engagement?
It depends on the platform, the niche and the objective, which is why the calculator does not grade it. Compare it with your own previous campaigns and with what the same budget buys in paid social. That comparison means more than any general benchmark.