I’ve been trying to prove to our C-suite that our influencer spend in the US market is working, but I keep running into the same problem: I don’t have solid benchmarks to compare against. Back in Russia, I know what a good conversion rate looks like, what CAC should be, engagement thresholds—all of it. But US? I’m flying somewhat blind.
Last month I pulled together data from five of our campaigns across both markets, and the numbers look reasonable on the surface. But without context—without knowing if a 3.2% conversion rate on a micro-influencer post is actually good for the US market, or if we’re just lucky—I can’t confidently tell the board we’re spending their money wisely.
I know some of you have already tackled this. How do you actually source reliable benchmarks when you’re working across markets? Are there industry standards you trust? Case studies that actually hold up? Or do you build your own reference points from partners and competitors in the new market?
I’m also curious: have you ever used expert recommendations (like from people who have already scaled into the US) to validate your own numbers, or does that feel too risky?
This is exactly what I went through six months ago. The problem is that most public benchmarks are either too broad (“average micro-influencer engagement is 3–5%”) or too specific to categories you’re not in.
Here’s what actually helped: I stopped chasing a single “reliable” benchmark and instead built a reference set. I collected three things:
- CPA data from our own Russian campaigns (with clear category tagging)
- Real performance data from two US-based e-commerce brands I could access through partnerships
- Case studies from influencer platforms that publish performance tiers
Then I normalized them—stripped out the outliers, accounted for category differences, and built min/mid/max ranges for each influencer tier (nano, micro, macro). It’s not perfect, but it’s defensible.
The key insight: US benchmarks shift faster than Russian ones. Trending content, platform algorithm changes, seasonal demand—all of it moves quicker. So I rebuild my reference set every quarter, not once a year.
Before you go to the board with new market data, run a sanity check: pull your own historical RPC (revenue per click) or CPA from Russian campaigns, then compare it to what you’re seeing in the US. The ratio between them is often more reliable than absolute numbers.
The benchmarking gap you’re describing is real, and it’s actually a good signal that you’re thinking rigorously about performance. Here’s how I’d frame it:
First, separate your analysis into two layers:
- Relative performance: How are your US campaigns performing within their own context? Are CTRs improving? Is CAC trending down? This is easier to demonstrate and doesn’t require external benchmarks.
- Absolute performance: Is your US CAC competitive for the category? Here’s where external benchmarks matter.
For absolute benchmarks, I’d lean on:
- Industry reports (Influencer Marketing Hub, Mediakix, Creator.co)—they publish segmented data by vertical and influencer tier
- Peer data through industry groups (not competitors directly, but signals from adjacent brands)
- Platform-provided benchmarks—if you’re working with TikTok Shop, Instagram Ads Manager, or similar, they often show category-level performance
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you’re one of the first Russian-rooted brands scaling influencer programs in a specific US vertical, you might actually be setting the benchmark for others. In that case, the story you tell the board isn’t “we’re beating industry standards yet,” it’s “here’s our trajectory over the first six months, and here’s the competitive advantage we’re building.”
Have you tracked week-over-week or month-over-month trends? That narrative often resonates better than a single benchmark number.
I love this question because it touches on something I see a lot: teams trying to validate their own work without realizing they already have the best source—other people in the space.
When I’m building partnerships between Russian brands and US creators, I always ask creators and agencies about their typical performance ranges. Not secrets, just what they see working. Creators especially are goldmines for this—they work with 10+ brands a month and can tell you instantly what’s converting and what’s not.
My suggestion: reach out to 5–10 US-based micro-influencers or UGC creators in your category and ask them directly (over coffee or a quick call): “What CAC or conversion rates are you typically seeing from the brands you work with?” Most will answer honestly. You’ll get real market signals in an afternoon.
Also, don’t underestimate the value of other Russian brands that have already moved into the US market. I know several that share data in trust with each other. If you can find even one peer who’s willing to share their US benchmark, it’s worth 100 public reports.
Would connecting with creators in your space to benchmark against them help? I could point you toward the right conversations if you tell me your category.
I’ve been exactly here. When we started marketing our product in the US, I had no idea if we were spending money well or just getting lucky.
What changed for me was stopping trying to find a single “reliable” benchmark and instead asking the question differently: “On a scale of good to terrible, where do we stand?” Sometimes that’s enough to move forward.
I used a simple framework:
- Terrible: Not covering customer acquisition costs
- OK: Breaking even or slight profit
- Good: 2–3x ROI
- Great: 4x+ ROI
Then I compared our actual influencer ROI against those buckets. We landed in “OK” territory in month one, “Good” by month three. That was enough to tell the board: “We’re tracking ahead of break-even. We’ll know if it scales in 60 days.”
Don’t let perfect benchmarks prevent you from moving. Use rough ranges, track your own trajectory, and let the data tell you if you should keep investing.
What’s your actual ROI right now? That’s the number that matters most to the board anyway.
Here’s what I tell clients when they hit this exact wall: you’re asking the wrong question.
Instead of “what are reliable benchmarks,” ask “what are the benchmarks for my specific segment in the US market?” A benchmark for DTC fashion isn’t the same as SaaS. And a micro-influencer in tier-2 cities behaves differently than one in NYC.
I’ve built benchmarks for clients by:
- Running 3–5 small test campaigns with different influencer types and tiers
- Measuring performance in week 1, 2, 3, 4
- Using that data to set realistic targets
It costs maybe 5–10% of your first US budget, but it gives you bulletproof numbers. And every client I’ve done this with has gone to their board with their own data, which is always more credible than industry reports.
Also, are you tracking the right metrics? Because I see a lot of teams compare RPC or CAC across markets without accounting for basket size, repeat purchase rate, or LTV differences. US customer LTV might be 40% higher than Russia, which means a higher CAC is actually justified.
What metrics are you using to measure success right now?
From a creator’s side, I can tell you exactly what’s actually moving conversions in the US market right now, because I track it obsessively.
Full transparency: micro-influencers (10k–100k followers) are crushing it right now. Macro-influencers (500k+) are getting views, but trust is lower. And the sweet spot for conversion? 25k–75k followers with 4–6% engagement and authentic audience.
As for benchmarks, honestly, most creators don’t think in “industry averages.” We think in “what works for this brand with *this audience.” So when a brand asks me “is a 2% conversion rate good?” I’m like “depends—are those followers interested in your product category, or are they just following me for lifestyle content?”
My advice: work closely with 2–3 creators in your space for 30 days. Ask them what they’re seeing others produce. Creators talk to each other constantly about what’s working. You’ll get market intelligence way faster from them than from any report.
Also, conversion rates vary wildly by content type. A snappy product demo video does 3–4x better than a lifestyle post featuring your product. So if your benchmark is low, it might just be a content format issue.
What type of content are your US creators actually making?