I’ve been running campaigns across the US and LATAM for about eight months now, and I keep running into the same problem—the ROI metrics I use for US creators just don’t translate cleanly to LATAM. A campaign that looks profitable on paper in the US suddenly looks questionable when I apply the same framework to Mexico or Brazil.
I think part of it is that the cost structures are completely different. LATAM creators charge way less, engagement rates look different, and conversion patterns don’t follow the same trajectory. But I’m also wondering if I’m measuring the wrong things entirely.
Have any of you actually cracked this? Like, do you adjust your ROI frameworks by market, or do you have a hybrid approach that works across both? I’d love to hear about real cases where you compared performance data and actually made it meaningful. What metrics are you prioritizing when benchmarking across these two regions?
This is a really common pain point, and honestly, the issue isn’t that your metrics are broken—it’s that you can’t use a one-size-fits-all ROI model across fundamentally different markets. Here’s what I’ve learned from running campaigns for an e-commerce company that operates in both regions:
First, separate your baseline metrics by market. Cost per engagement, cost per click, and even conversion rates will naturally differ. Instead of forcing the same target, establish what “healthy” looks like for each market independently. For US creators, we typically see 2-4% conversion on cold audiences. LATAM, especially in Mexico and Brazil, I’m seeing 1.5-2.5% because the audience is often less familiar with the brand.
Second, track your customer lifetime value (LTV) by market. This is where the real picture emerges. A LATAM customer might have lower initial purchase value but higher repeat purchase rates—I’ve seen 35-40% repeat rates in Brazil vs. 25-28% in the US. When you factor that in, ROI suddenly looks very different.
Third, give yourself at least 60 days of data before comparing. LATAM campaigns often need longer runway to prove out. US audiences are faster to convert, LATAM audiences are more community-driven.
What specific metrics are you tracking right now? Cost per acquisition? Engagement rate? That’ll help me give you more targeted advice on how to normalize them.
One more thing—are you looking at the same platforms in both regions? Because TikTok performs completely differently in Mexico versus the US, Instagram engagement is higher in Brazil, and YouTube ROI patterns shift. If you’re trying to compare a TikTok campaign in the US to an Instagram campaign in Mexico, you’re already comparing apples to oranges before you even get to the creator level.
I love that you’re thinking about this systematically! This is exactly the kind of challenge that I see brands and creators struggling with.
From a partnership perspective, I’d add something: the way creators think about value is different in each market. US creators often focus on follower count and engagement metrics because that’s what their sponsorship market rewards. LATAM creators, especially the authentic ones, sometimes think more about audience loyalty and community trust. That difference ripples into how you should even be measuring success.
Have you talked directly with creators in both markets about how they see ROI? Like, what matters to them in a partnership? Sometimes the insight comes from understanding what they’re optimizing for. If a LATAM creator is building long-term audience trust while a US creator is optimizing for engagement peaks, their campaign approaches will naturally be different—and that should affect your benchmarks.
I’ve found that when you align your ROI metrics with what creators are actually trying to accomplish, the numbers start making more sense.
You’re hitting on something that most brands don’t want to admit: cross-market ROI comparison is inherently flawed if you’re using identical metrics. Here’s the framework I’d recommend:
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Establish market-specific baselines. Spend 30 days collecting baseline performance data from similar creators in each market without expecting them to hit the same KPIs.
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Use relative performance, not absolute. Instead of “LATAM generated 40% lower ROI,” think “this creator outperformed market average by 25%.” It’s a better signal of actual performance quality.
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Attribute value beyond immediate conversion. Brand awareness, audience reach, content library value—these are worth money but often don’t show up in direct ROI. LATAM campaigns sometimes deliver more of this than direct conversion, which is fine if you’re accounting for it.
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Track cost per audience member reached, not just cost per conversion. This normalizes across engagement rates and helps you see the true efficiency.
The benchmark data you’re looking for exists, but you’ll build it faster by working backwards from successful campaigns in each region rather than trying to force alignment upfront.
I’ve been wrestling with similar issues as we’ve expanded into Europe from Russia. What I learned is that you almost need two different financial models—one for markets where you have product-market fit already (like US for US brands) and one for markets where you’re still building awareness.
In our case, ROI in Russia looked healthy because we already had brand recognition. Europe looked terrible for months because we were essentially paying for brand awareness, not direct sales. Once I reframed the budget as a market entry cost rather than a pure ROI play, the whole picture shifted.
For LATAM specifically—are these markets new for your brand, or are you established? That context completely changes how you should measure.
From the creator side, I just want to say—a lot of LATAM creators I work with are frustrated because brands measure us the same way they measure US creators, and it doesn’t feel fair. My audience in the US might be 50K followers with 4% engagement, but my LATAM audience might be 20K followers with 8% engagement. The second audience is way more valuable, but the numbers make it look worse.
So yeah, definitely adjust your framework. And maybe talk to creators about what metrics actually matter to them? Some of us track metrics that brands don’t even see—like DMs from people who actually bought, or followers who become repeat customers. That data is gold for understanding real ROI but it’s not in the standard reports.