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Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Guide

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Media monitoring helps organizations stay informed about what’s being said across online news, print, broadcast, podcasts, and other media channels. Whether you're tracking brand mentions, measuring PR performance, monitoring competitors, or identifying emerging trends, our expert guides, best practices, and industry insights will help you build a smarter media monitoring strategy and make more informed communications decisions.

Discover expert media monitoring guides, best practices, and industry insights to track brand mentions, monitor competitors, and stay ahead of the news.

Media Monitoring: Guides, Best Practices & Industry Insights

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.

Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?

The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

How do customers interact with my newly launched product?

How do I increase the productivity of my employees?

How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?

We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.

So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.

But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!

But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.

We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.

Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

AI adoption is no longer the challenge—trusted context is. Most organizations have AI tools, but many still rely on disconnected, stale, or unverified data, limiting the quality and trustworthiness of AI-generated outputs. Meltwater MCP brings trusted, real-time intelligence into AI assistants.

Your Best Context is Already in the Room

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIn to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

What Is Data Analytics?
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.
Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.
Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

Consumer and media discussions of TikTok Shop have surged significantly since late 2025, according to new data from Meltwater Explore+. Despite being a relative newcomer in the ecommerce platform landscape, TikTok Shop is now a genuine force to be reckoned with, generating about a fifth of all social commerce sales in the US in 2025. 

That revenue growth has helped attract bigger brands, with Samsung, Philips, Glossier, Crocs, and more all setting up their own storefronts on the platform over the past couple of years. More recently, Ulta made headlines when it became the first major beauty retailer to set up a TikTok Shop, followed by Mac Cosmetics soon after, signaling a new era in the platform’s commercial legitimacy. 

Our Meltwater Consumer Intelligence & Trend Detection analysis revealed just how much the buzz around TikTok Shop has really grown, along with what this increased popularity means for marketers and brands. The findings point to a platform largely shaped by creators and audience behavior, not to mention the algorithm, rather than traditional brand marketing alone.

Mentions of TikTok Shop increased by 110% in just six months

Why unbranded content dominates TikTok Shop discussion and demonstrable products win

Which platforms have the most meaningful TikTok Shop discussions?

How Meltwater Consumer Intelligence and Influencer Marketing helps brands win with TikTok Shop

FAQ: Brand Visibility and Perception with TikTok Shop

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px;">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold; width:30%;">Capability</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">Explore+</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Analysis window</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">November 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Data sources</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">
        30 sources, including broadcast television and radio, online and print news, blogs, comments, reviews, forums, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, Pinterest, X, Douyin, Red, YouTube, and more.
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Brands / entities tracked</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">TikTok Shop</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold; vertical-align:top;">Key term definitions</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">
        <p><strong>Engagement</strong>: the number of shares, comments, likes, retweets, replies, direct messages, etc.</p>
        <p><strong>Mentions</strong>: the number of instances when key words and phrases appeared within a piece or collection of content</p>
        <p><strong>Share of Voice (SOV)</strong>: the percentage, or share, of total mentions attributed to a particular brand, market, or entity</p>
        <p><strong>Estimated Media Value (EMV)</strong>: a metric quantifying the ROI of influencer marketing by showing what it would cost to achieve the same reach and engagement through paid media</p>
        <p><strong>Subreddit</strong>: a user-created community on Reddit dedicated to a particular interest or topic</p>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mentions of TikTok Shop increased by 110% in just six months 

Discussions of TikTok Shop more than doubled across traditional, digital, and social media sources between November 2025 and April 2026, compared to the six months prior. During the same time period, however, overall engagement actions fell by nearly a third, even despite a 24% surge in January 2026.

Still, the global conversation around TikTok Shop has grown dramatically in recent months, suggesting three factors:

increased popularity, with more buyers trusting the platform for shopping

higher saturation, with more sellers competing for attention 

more scrutiny, with wider audiences evaluating the platform’s ecommerce experience

Why this matters: For brands, the opportunities to be found in TikTok Shop are growing more numerous and competitive. Standing out will rest on creative differentiation, particularly the visual demonstrability of featured products, along with strong influencer partnerships that lead with creativity.

1.83 million — TikTok Shop mentions from November 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026

+36.7% — Mentions increase in March 2026, higher than any other month

149 million — Engagement actions at their peak in January 2026

Only 7.5% of the top 160 TikTok Shop posts mentioned a specific brand. Instead, the overwhelming majority of the top performing posts are completely brandless. About 24% mentioned a general product type, but nearly 70% had no commercial specificity whatsoever. Instead, they featured unrelated content, like dance and humor videos, using the hashtag #tiktokshop solely for algorithmic reach.

However, those leading posts that did feature specific brands drew engagement with clearly, quickly demonstrable items with some kind of wow factor. One standout example comes from family content creator @familytalesdiary. Her post using SheGlam’s hair curler to do her daughter’s hair generated over 2.04 million engagement actions. 

The post worked through a combination of authentic, unfiltered presentation and clearly conveyed efficacy. No glam squad or curated set, just a real mom doing her daughter’s hair in the bathroom and getting great results. As a result, the post generated over $5 million in EMV for the Shein-owned cosmetics brand.

Why it matters: TikTok Shop audiences reward product-led moments, not brand presence. Creator posts succeed when products are instantly, visually demonstrable; extra points for an element of surprise or emotional resonance. In this ecosystem, brand presence may lend posts some element of trust, but only after attention is already won.  

TikTok Shop brand and product category stats:

68.8% — of the top 160 posts mentioning TikTok Shop didn’t feature a product or brand 

32% — of the 25 highest-performing posts featured toys and novelties

20% — of the 25 highest-performing posts featured beauty and hair products

16% — of the 25 highest-performing posts featured gadgets

Mainland China saw the most dramatic surge in TikTok Shop mentions, with its share of the global conversation increasing by 77% from November 2025 to April 2026. That rise outpaced other strong increases, like Germany’s 55% growth and Brazil’s 48%. So while the United States is still by far the leading market for TikTok Shop mentions by volume, the conversation has grown more dispersed. 

Notably, in Mainland China, where the ecommerce platform doesn’t even operate (its regional equivalent being Douyin Shop), the conversation focus is on supply chains, cross-border order fulfillment, and other seller and exporter concerns. 

The strong growth of TikTok Shop mentions in Brazil is particularly striking given otherwise low representation in South and Latin America. As a result, the nation stands to be one of the most promising for brands and creators looking to claim early mover advantage in the region. Across the Atlantic and the Equator, Germany emerged as the standout market, contrasting with France, whose SOV sank by 27%. Overall, Europe remains early-stage with uneven adoption across the region. 

Why it matters: TikTok Shop visibility and awareness is dispersing rapidly beyond its anchor audience in the US, with Brazil and Germany being the standout markets to watch. Brands that establish creator relationships and localized strategies early will be better positioned as adoption keeps accelerating around the world.

TikTok is the leading platform for consumer discussions about TikTok Shop, accounting for about half of all mentions from November 2025 to April 2026. However, that dominance is a recent phenomenon. In November, TikTok represented 33% of all TikTok Shop mentions. By April, it represented 67%.

As TikTok’s share of Shop conversations grew, every other platform’s declined, with X going from 20% SOV in November to only about 5% in April. To be clear, it’s not that X’s audience stopped talking about TikTok Shop. It’s that the discussion on TikTok itself has grown so much that it has dwarfed conversations happening everywhere else. 

Still, X’s audience of early tech adopters, journalists, and media-adjacent commentators are worth paying attention to for their role in shaping brand perception. More than other platforms, it is a hub of enthusiasm for TikTok Shop, with 76% positive sentiment. 

By the same token, Reddit is also a platform to keep an eye on despite its relatively low SOV of about 4%.  Unlike X’s optimism, Reddit discussion had one of the highest negative sentiment rates at 16%. Its active communities of TikTok Shop buyers and sellers concentrated in focused subreddits aren’t breathless cheerleaders of the ecommerce platform. Instead, each one offers brands important insight into the TikTok experience “on the ground”: 

r/TikTokShop (~15% of Reddit mentions) is the core buyer/seller community. Its mix of product wins with complaints about counterfeits, delivery issues, and misleading listings offers brands the clearest view of real user experience.

r/tiktokshopreferrals (~6%) focuses on affiliate links and referral codes, highlighting how central creator incentives have become to TikTok Shop’s ecosystem.

r/DigitalIncomePath (~5%) features discussion of TikTok Shop from the perspective of creators interested in the monetization opportunity, surfacing practical concerns around commissions, collaborations, and product reliability. 

r/TiktokHelpers (3.5%) and r/TikTokMonetizing (1.4%) surface ongoing technical challenges of monetization, from setting up shops and managing fulfillment to mastering the algorithm. 

Why it matters: The most meaningful TikTok Shop conversations aren’t happening just on TikTok. Brands need cross-platform intelligence strategies to understand sentiment, behavior, and motivations of sellers and buyers alike, along with emerging trends and risks.

Use Case 1: Identifying emerging TikTok Shop audiences and markets

Jump on emerging opportunities before your competitors do.

Identify rising regional conversations and breakout growth markets

Detect emerging product trends and audience behaviors before they peak

Analyze platform-specific sentiment and creator activity across global markets

The result: Faster, smarter market expansion strategies informed by real consumer and creator behavior.

Use Case 2: Understanding what content resonates, and what doesn’t

Analyze which messaging and content wins over audiences.

Explore+ delivers actionable insights with:

Real-time monitoring across social, news, forums, reviews, and creator content

AI-powered sentiment and narrative detection to surface emerging risks and opportunities

Competitive benchmarking to track share of voice, engagement, and audience perception

The result: Always-on intelligence that helps you stay ahead of market trends and consumer preferences.

Use Case 3: Finding the best TikTok creators to work with

Build partnerships with influencers that can deliver on your goals.

Meltwater influencer marketing streamlines campaigns with:

AI-powered creator discovery based on audience fit, engagement, and brand alignment

Performance tracking across EMV, engagement, and conversion metrics

Relationship management tools for scaling creator partnerships efficiently

The result: More powerful creator collaborations that drive visibility and trust alongside sales.

Want to understand how your brand is showing up in TikTok Shop conversations? Explore how Meltwater Consumer Intelligence and Influencer Marketing can help you track trends, identify creators, and stay ahead of shifting consumer behavior.

With global conversation rising and growing more dynamic, TikTok Shop has become a legitimate ecommerce powerhouse. Success on the platform goes hand in hand with social media virality, making it a critical venue for brands courting cultural relevance as much as sales.

As established, global brands continue to join TikTok Shop over the next year, its popularity and consumer trust will only continue to grow. Brands that develop their marketing and creator partnership strategies now will be best positioned to adapt to consumer shopping behavior evolutions later, both on TikTok and beyond.

What does TikTok Shop’s growth mean for brands?

TikTok Shop is becoming a major ecommerce discovery engine for brands. According to Meltwater Explore+ analysis, mentions of TikTok Shop increased by 110% between November 2025 and April 2026, signaling rapidly growing consumer awareness, competition, and creator activity across the platform.

Which product categories perform best on TikTok Shop?

Visually demonstrable products dominate TikTok Shop engagement. Meltwater Explore+ data shows that toys, novelties, beauty products, hair tools, and gadgets consistently drove the highest-performing creator content because their value could be understood instantly on video.

Why does unbranded TikTok Shop content outperform branded posts?

Audiences engage more with creator-first storytelling than overt brand promotion. According to Meltwater Explore+ analysis, nearly 69% of top TikTok Shop posts featured no specific brand or product at all, relying instead on entertainment to capture attention.

Which platforms have the most meaningful TikTok Shop conversations?

TikTok drives the largest share of TikTok Shop discussion volume, but Reddit and X provide additional context around the consumer and seller experience. Meltwater Explore+ data shows that Reddit communities surface buyer frustrations, creator monetization concerns, and fulfillment challenges, while X hosts highly positive conversations among tech-forward audiences.

What markets are emerging fastest for TikTok Shop?

Brazil and Germany are two of the fast-growing TikTok Shop conversation markets outside the US. Meltwater Explore+ analysis found TikTok Shop mention growth increased by 48% in Brazil and 55% in Germany during the six-month analysis window.

How does creator content affect TikTok Shop success?

Creator partnerships strongly influence TikTok Shop visibility and purchase behavior. Meltwater influencer marketing analysis shows that authentic, emotionally resonant creator videos can generate significantly higher engagement and Estimated Media Value than polished branded campaigns.

Why does Meltwater Explore+ matter for TikTok Shop strategy?

Meltwater Explore+ helps brands identify emerging TikTok Shop trends before competitors do. By combining social listening, consumer intelligence, sentiment analysis, and creator monitoring across platforms, brands can better understand audience behavior and adapt their ecommerce strategy in real time.

How should brands prepare for the future of TikTok Shop?

Brands should invest early in creator partnerships, social commerce intelligence, and localized strategies. Meltwater Explore+ data suggests TikTok Shop is evolving into a mainstream retail ecosystem where cultural relevance and audience trust will increasingly determine ecommerce success.

Discover what the rise of TikTok Shop, key trends, and user behavior mean for consumer brands. 

How Popular Is TikTok Shop? Data Insights & Trends 2026

More and more brands are working with influencers every year. Competition is fiercer than ever, as 89% of companies worked with a content creator or influencer in 2025—a massive increase from just 50% in 2024 (Hubspot, 2026). Staying on top of your influencer marketing game means staying on top of your competition. In fact, it is a common belief that competition keeps you on your toes and will push you to achieve more. That is why it is important to perform regular influencer marketing competitor audits.

An influencer marketing competitor audit will help you dissect your competitor’s influencer marketing strategy, as well as present a greater vision of your industry’s ecosystem. It will allow you to segment your competitor’s target audience, discover key values, and identify gaps in the market. To help get you started, we have created a free Competitor Audit Template to help guide you on your influencer journey:

What Is an Influencer Marketing Competitor Audit?

How To Perform an Influencer Marketing Competitor Audit

How can Meltwater's AI-powered insights help with my influencer marketing competitor audit?

Tip: Learn how to perform competitor analysis.

An influencer marketing competitor audit is a strategic analysis of the influencer marketing efforts and partnerships of competing brands within a specific industry or niche.

The purpose of this audit is to gain insights into how competitors are leveraging influencer marketing, identify successful strategies and partnerships, and uncover opportunities for differentiation and improvement.

While these two new features are great on their own, they are extremely useful when performing an influencer marketing competitor audit.

1. Review Competitor’s Social Media Presence

Review your competitor’s overall social media presence. Look at the main channels that your competitor uses and the recent influencer campaigns that they have run. Identify a successful campaign that can be used to evaluate the brand’s influencer marketing strategy.

2. Discover Influencers That Have Collaborated With Competitors

Using the Meltwater Influencer Marketing brand search filter, search for your competitors, and discover which influencers the brand has collaborated with. Also, look at their tier strategy. Marketers reported the most success with micro-influencers (10K to 100K followers) in 2025, while nano-influencers (1K to 10K) dropped to the least effective influencer type (Hubspot, 2026). Review collaboration content and identify the goals of your competitors and the type of audience they are trying to connect with. This can offer a better understanding of your competitors and what type of market they are penetrating.

3. Perform a Data-Driven Review of Your Competitor’s Influencers

Take a deep dive into your competitor’s influencer metrics. Understand the type of influencer the brand is collaborating with, and identify success criteria your competitor uses for selection. Additionally, leverage Meltwater's vast content portfolio and review all brands that an influencer has collaborated with. This will help you understand why a specific influencer may be appealing to your competitor, and offer inspiration for future collaborations.

51.2% of marketers prioritize performance tracking, but the reliance on vanity metrics, such as engagement and views, indicates a lingering gap in fully embracing ROI-driven frameworks. Experts advocate for a paradigm shift toward performance-based contracts and long-term strategic alignment. They warn against over-reliance on vanity metrics, urging a focus on tangible outcomes like sales, brand loyalty, and community sentiment (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2025).

My favourite feature of the tool is the deep insights we can get about each influencer, such as follower demographics, engagement rates and true reach. It gives the team confidence in selecting the best influencers

Angelique Hernandez, Asia Marketing Director, Yves Rocher

4. Identify Values That Your Competitor is Promoting

Look at several examples of your competitor’s campaign content. Identify values that the brand is conveying through the content. Understand how these values fit into your industry ecosystem, and if you should be participating in similar discourse with your audience.

5. Evaluate The Network Your Competitor Engages With

Identify which demographics your competitor is targeting. Use Meltwater's audience technology to review your competitor’s audience. Identify key demographic trends including gender, age, location, and interests, and pinpoint untapped markets and areas of penetration for your brand.

Determine key lessons from competitor audits. What can your team take away from the review, and what can be successfully applied to your strategy?

Influencer Marketing Competitor Audit: Step-by-Step Framework

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How to Perform Influencer Marketing Competitor Audit

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