Paid Partnerships on Instagram:
How to Measure Incrementality, Not Just Engagement

Instagram has become a goldmine for brands looking to connect with their target audience. With over 2 billion active users, it's no wonder that paid partnerships on Instagram have become a go-to strategy for marketers worldwide. But here's the million-dollar question: Are you measuring the right metrics?
The majority of brands are thrilled when they notice that their posts receive a lot of likes, comments, and shares. Despite the engagement metrics being very beautiful and impressive in the reports, they may not necessarily indicate that your program had attracted new customers or sales. This is the point where incrementality enters—the revolutionary method that reveals the actual effect of your investments in Instagram.

Why Engagement Metrics Can Be Deceiving

Let's be honest. High engagement feels good. When an influencer posts about your product and gets thousands of likes, it seems like a win. But did those likes translate into actual sales? Or were those people already planning to buy from you anyway?
This is the trap many marketers fall into. They measure vanity metrics instead of business outcomes. According to a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, while 90% of marketers believe influencer marketing is effective, only 36% are confident in their ability to measure ROI accurately.
That's a huge gap—and it's costing brands real money.
 

Understanding Incrementality in Instagram Marketing

Incrementality answers a simple but powerful question: "What additional value did this campaign create that wouldn't have happened otherwise?"

Think of it this way. Imagine you run a coffee shop, and you pay an influencer to promote your new seasonal latte. After the campaign, you see 100 new customers. Sounds great, right? But what if 70 of those customers would have discovered your shop anyway through word-of-mouth or walking by? The true incremental impact is only 30 customers—not 100.

This concept is crucial for paid collaboration on Instagram because it helps you understand your true return on investment. Instead of celebrating surface-level metrics, you're measuring what actually matters: new business that wouldn't exist without your campaign.

For a deeper understanding of this concept, check out what is incremental revenue and how it differs from traditional revenue attribution.

The Problem with Traditional Instagram Metrics

Before we dive into solutions, let's look at why traditional metrics fall short:

These metrics have their place, but they're incomplete. They're like judging a restaurant by how many people walk past it rather than how many actually eat there and come back.

How to Measure Incrementality for Instagram Paid Partnerships

Now, let's get practical. Here's how you can start measuring real impact from your Instagram paid partnership campaigns:

1. Track Beyond the Platform

Instagram's native analytics are helpful, but they don't tell the whole story. You need to connect Instagram activity to actual business outcomes:

• Use unique promo codes for each influencer partnership
• Implement UTM parameters for trackable links
• Set up conversion tracking that follows customers through their entire journey
• Monitor sales data before, during, and after campaigns

2. Focus on Long-Term Value

Don't just measure immediate conversions. The benefits of paid partnership on Instagram often extend beyond the campaign period:

• Brand awareness that drives future organic search
• Customer lifetime value from new customers acquired
• Improved brand perception and trust
• Content creation that can be repurposed
   

A study by Meta Business Suite shows that Instagram campaigns often have a delayed effect, with some conversions happening 2-3 weeks after initial exposure.

Turning Data into Action

Measuring incrementality is just the first step. The real power comes from turning these insights into actionable insights that improve your future campaigns.

Here's what you should do with your incrementality data:

Optimize Partner Selection: Identify which influencers or content creators drive actual incremental sales, not just engagement. Some creators with smaller followings might deliver better business results than mega-influencers.

Refine Your Content Strategy: Analyze which types of content (Stories, Reels, carousel posts) generate the most incremental value. Double down on what works.

Adjust Your Budget Allocation: Shift spending away from campaigns that show low incrementality toward those that prove they're driving new business.

Improve Audience Targeting: Use incrementality data to identify which audience segments are most influenced by paid partnerships versus those who would convert anyway.

Getting Started with Paid Partnerships on Instagram

If you're wondering how to get paid partnership on Instagram working effectively for your brand, here's a practical roadmap:

1. Start Small: Run pilot campaigns with clear incremental measurement frameworks
2. Choose the Right Partners: Look beyond follower counts to audience alignment
3. Set Clear Objectives: Define what success looks like beyond engagement
4. Implement Proper Tracking: Set up the technical infrastructure before launching
5. Analyze and Iterate: Use each campaign as a learning opportunity

Conclusion

Paid partnerships on Instagram can be incredibly valuable—when measured correctly. Moving beyond engagement metrics to true incrementality measurement transforms how you evaluate success and allocate your marketing budget.

Keep in mind, the main objective is not to create the highest number of likes or comments. It is to achieve actual business growth that would not have been possible without your investment. Through the focus on incrementality, you will come up with the best decisions, support your marketing budget, and finally, develop a more profitable Instagram strategy. The brands that are successful on Instagram do not have to be the ones with the highest engagement. The winning brands are those that are perfectly aware of the value created by their collaborations and know how to adjust their strategies for obtaining the highest incremental impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon until i can see the incrementality of an Instagram campaigns?

Most experts recommend evaluating the campaign within  2-4 weeks of its start  and account for weekly purchasing patterns.

What's the difference between attribution and incrementality?

Attribution tells you which touchpoints a customer interacted with before buying. Incrementality tells you whether those touchpoints really caused the purchase, or if it would have happened anyway. Incrementality is the "why" behind the "what."

How do I choose between multiple influencers for paid partnerships?

Keep in mind not only the follower count but also the engagement rate. Have a look at their audience demographics, past campaign performance data, authenticity of content, and alignment with your brand values. Run test campaigns on a small scale with more than one influencer before committing to larger partnerships.

Should I still track engagement metrics if I'm focusing on incrementality?

Absolutely! Engagement metrics are most definitely very valuable indicators of content quality and audience interest. They just shouldn't be your only or primary measure of campaign success. Just use engagement as a supporting metric along with incrementality for a complete picture.