Clipping campaigns
How to measure a clipping campaign, step by step
Clipping campaigns pay many people for views at once, and that is just what makes them hard to measure. A little preparation before launch decides whether you can tell, later, which clippers brought customers.
The short answer
Before launch, note your normal daily sign-ups and paying customers for at least a week. During the campaign, keep every post's link, its clipper and when it went live, and check suspicious view counts. Afterwards, compare paying customers with your normal level, post by post, and judge each clipper on cost per paying customer with its range, not on views.
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Before launch: know your normal
Record at least a week of daily sign-ups, trials and paying customers before the first clip goes up, and note anything else planned: a launch, a price change, a sale. Without a normal level, every rise looks like campaign success.
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During: keep links, times and clipper names
Most clipping platforms let you export submissions. Keep each approved post's link, its clipper and when it went live. Stagger start dates when you can: if half the clippers start a few days later, their effect is far easier to tell apart.
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Watch for bought views
Paying per view invites bought views. A post with many views and very few likes or comments compared with typical posts deserves a look before you pay for it. Check it, and ask the clipper for the post's analytics if it looks off.
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After: from views to customers per clipper
Views tell you what you paid for; customers tell you what you got. Credit each clipper with the paying customers above your normal level that followed their posts, with a range, and compare their cost per paying customer with your limit. Many small clippers show no clear effect on their own, and that's worth knowing too.
Worked example
A campaign with four clippers
Illustrative numbers, paid at $1.25 per 1,000 views, judged against a limit of $45 per paying customer.
| Clipper | Views | Paid | Paying customers, likely range | Cost per paying customer | Call |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper L | 420,000 | $525 | 14 to 26 | $20 to $38 | Rebook |
| Clipper M | 1,200,000 | $1,500 | 10 to 30 | $50 to $150 | Pause |
| Clipper N | 180,000 | $225 | 2 to 9 | $25 to $113 | Test again |
| Clipper O | 900,000 | $1,125 | 0 to 4 | Views flagged | Pause |
Clipper M had the most views and is still a pause. Clipper O's views were flagged as looking bought, so they were left out before anything was credited.
Free tool
CPM vs flat fee vs rev-share
What the same campaign costs under each way of paying, where each one is cheaper, and who carries the risk.
Questions
Questions, answered.
Can I measure clippers who all post on the same day?
Only as a group. If everyone posts at once, the campaign's total can be measured but individual clippers can't be told apart. Staggered starts, or different days per clipper, fix that.
How many sign-ups a day do I need?
Enough that a rise stands out from day-to-day noise: about 20 new sign-ups or installs a day or more, plus a week of history before the campaign. A free data check tells you whether your data is enough before you pay.
Should I pay clippers per customer instead?
Some teams add a bonus per paying customer above a threshold. It works when both sides trust the measure, so agree on it before the posts go up.
What about clips that keep getting views for weeks?
Late views can still bring customers. Keep reading view counts while posts are active, and judge clippers once the slowest part of your funnel, such as a free trial, has passed.
Keep reading
Related guides
See what your own creators brought
Connect your revenue read-only and add the posts you paid for, or look through a sample report first. Every result comes with its range.