Fracas Editorial • Apr 2026 • 12 min read
ROI ranking methodology
Formula: campaign cost ÷ (Discord joins × 30-day retention rate) = cost per retained community member.
500K Twitter impressions mean nothing if nobody joins community.
Good agencies deliver £50-£150 per retained user. Bad agencies deliver £500+ or cannot measure it.
Fracas wins ROI battle with integrated approach
Stopped selling standalone KOL campaigns early 2025. Model: build anchor content plus activate community first, then use KOLs to amplify.
Real example: Layer-1 token launch. £15K KOL budget within £30K total campaign. Result: 2,500 Discord joins, 1,200 stayed 30+ days. Cost per retained user: £25.
Compare KOL-only: same £15K on KOLs alone gets 3,000 joins but only 200 stay. Cost per retained user: £75.
Difference: Fracas built content worth engaging with so visitors did not bounce.
Winners build supporting content
Top agencies like Lunar PR use AI agents to produce content at scale while keeping costs low.
KOLs distribute what agency produces in-house rather than compensating for lack of content.
Performance milestones align incentives - part of payment tied to hitting metrics.
Specialist agencies for niche audiences
Gaming KOLs different from crypto KOLs. CGC understands Twitch streamers versus Twitter influencers and Discord server partnerships.
CIS market via Incrypted offers massive Telegram communities at lower costs than Western influencers.
DeFi focus via ChainFlow uses technical KOLs who explain protocol mechanics properly instead of hype.
Where your money actually goes
Traditional KOL agency: 60-70% to KOLs, 20-30% agency fee, 10% coordination.
Modern integrated agency: 20-40% to KOLs, 40-60% in-house content and community, 20% coordination and strategy.
As KOL access commoditized, smart agencies moved value to what they build in-house.
Red flags that waste budget
Guaranteeing viral is impossible. Nobody can guarantee viral.
Refusing to name KOLs upfront means network is not actually exclusive.
No case studies with retention metrics proves they cannot demonstrate real user growth.
Single-wave campaigns where all KOLs post same day looks obviously paid and audiences ignore it.