In a world saturated with sponsored posts, performance-driven influencer marketing expert Milena Traikovich is focused on what comes next: turning audience engagement into measurable business outcomes. With a deep background in analytics and demand generation, she specializes in leveraging tools and automation to build accountable growth channels. We sat down with Milena to explore the mechanics behind this shift, dissecting how platforms like TikTok One are streamlining creative workflows and how Instagram chatbots are closing the conversion gap, transforming “vibey” partnerships into structured, repeatable systems for success.
The case study on TikTok One mentions a gaming campaign achieving a $3.6 CPM with emerging creators. Could you walk us through the key elements of a brief that attracts high-quality applicants for this type of campaign and share what metrics are most crucial for measuring success beyond CPM?
That gaming campaign is a perfect example of how the right setup can yield fantastic results, even with creators who are still growing. A $3.60 CPM is an excellent awareness metric, but the magic really starts with the brief. Since you’re not hand-picking creators but attracting them, your brief has to act like a magnet. The key is to build a compelling narrative. For that campaign, the hook was irresistible: players could earn battle pass points during a pre-release playtest that would transfer to the final game. That’s not just a marketing message; it’s a genuine, time-sensitive incentive for the audience. A great brief clearly outlines this value proposition, so creators instantly see how they can offer something exclusive to their followers. Beyond CPM, we were laser-focused on click-throughs—we saw 5,000 clicks from that campaign—and, ultimately, the impact on wishlist growth. You also have to measure the value of the UGC itself. Are these assets authentic enough to be amplified through Spark Ads? That’s where the real long-term value lies.
You highlight that Instagram chatbots solve the “no link in Reels” problem, reducing friction for users. Based on your experience, what kind of conversion lift can brands typically expect when using a chatbot CTA versus a traditional “link in bio,” and what’s a common mistake that makes a chatbot feel robotic?
The “link in bio” method feels like a relic of the past because it asks so much of the user. They see something they love in a Reel, their interest is piqued, but then you make them stop, navigate to a profile, hunt for a link, and click again. The drop-off at each step is massive. A chatbot completely obliterates that friction. The user simply types a keyword in the comments, and boom, the link or offer is instantly in their DMs. While the exact conversion lift varies, the shift is dramatic because you’re capturing intent in the exact moment it forms. It’s the difference between a passive hope that someone will follow through and an active, immediate conversion path. The most common mistake I see is when brands forget a chatbot is part of a conversation. It can’t just be a cold, automated delivery service. If the copy is just “HERE IS YOUR LINK,” it feels jarring and robotic. The bot’s tone must match the creator’s voice, continuing the energy of the Reel. Something like, “Hey! So glad you’re interested. Here’s that exclusive link I promised…” makes the experience feel personal and seamless.
The text notes that with TikTok One, brands can’t manually pick creators but must choose from applicants, and there are campaign caps. How should a brand strategically adapt its influencer marketing workflow to these constraints, and what is your step-by-step advice for scaling a program effectively?
Those constraints actually force a much more strategic and efficient workflow if you embrace them. You have to shift your mindset from actively hunting for creators to attracting the right ones, which makes your brief the single most important asset. My advice for scaling is to think in programmatic sprints. First, perfect the brief; make the offer and the creative vision so clear and exciting that your ideal creators can’t wait to apply. Second, embrace the “tender” process of vetting applicants. This saves countless hours of manual sourcing. The gaming campaign, for instance, selected 10 creators from a pool of applicants—a very streamlined process. Third, you work with the caps by planning in batches. Run a campaign with your first ten creators, analyze the performance, and identify the top-performing UGC. Finally, you scale by repeating and amplifying. You take the best content from that first sprint and pour your budget into it via Spark Ads, while simultaneously launching a new, refined brief to attract your next wave of creators. It’s not about one giant campaign; it’s about building a repeatable, data-driven engine.
The article positions TikTok One for top-funnel awareness and chatbots for bottom-funnel conversion. Walk us through a hypothetical campaign that uses both. How would you connect the hype from a TikTok launch to a specific, measurable conversion event managed by an Instagram chatbot?
This is where influencer marketing becomes a true full-funnel strategy. Let’s imagine we’re launching a new app for digital artists. We would start with TikTok One to build a massive wave of hype. The brief would challenge creators to produce a “before and after” video showing a piece of art they created with the app, highlighting its most unique feature. The goal is pure awareness, getting hundreds of thousands of impressions, just like that gaming campaign did. The call to action in every TikTok wouldn’t be a direct download link; it would be, “Follow us on Instagram @ArtApp for a secret launch-day offer!” This funnels all that top-funnel energy to one place. Then, on launch day, the brand’s Instagram posts a Reel announcing the app is live. The caption reads: “It’s finally here! For a 30-day free pro trial, comment ‘CREATE’ below.” The moment someone comments, our Instagram chatbot instantly sends them a personalized DM with a unique link to activate their trial. Every single click and trial activation from that DM is now perfectly tracked and attributed, directly connecting the broad awareness generated on TikTok to a specific, measurable conversion event.
The piece concludes that influencer marketing is moving from “vibey sponsorships” to structured growth programs. Looking ahead, what is your forecast for the next major evolution in making influencer marketing an even more accountable, performance-driven channel?
The shift from “vibey” to structured is absolutely happening, and tools like these are just the beginning. Looking forward, I see the next evolution happening in two key areas. First is deeper platform integration. We’re going to see platforms build out even more robust, end-to-end ecosystems. Imagine a future where Instagram has its own native version of TikTok One, or YouTube develops a suite that manages everything from creator contracts to automated affiliate payouts, all without ever leaving the platform. This will further reduce friction and standardize measurement. The second, and more exciting, evolution will be the infusion of predictive AI. It won’t just be about managing campaigns; it will be about optimizing them before they even launch. I foresee AI-powered tools that can analyze a brand’s product and goals, then scan millions of creator data points to predict which specific creator will drive the highest conversion rate, not just the most views. It’s about moving from performance tracking to performance forecasting, making influencer marketing as scientifically accountable as any other paid media channel.
