Starting an influencer marketing campaign without clear objectives is indeed a common mistake and could lead to inefficient use of resources. Here’s why defining goals is crucial:

1. Direction and Purpose: Goals guide the overall strategy of the campaign. They give a clear direction and purpose, aligning all team members.

2. Selection of Influencers: Goals influence the choice of influencers. For example, if the goal is building brand awareness, influencers with a large follower base might be ideal. However, if the goal is increasing conversions, influencers with a high engagement rate might be more appropriate.

3. Performance Evaluation: Goals are the basis for tracking and measuring the success of a campaign. Without them, it’s impossible to assess if the campaign was a success or failure.

4. Improvement Over Time: Clear objectives allow you to adjust strategies based on data. You can identify what is working and what isn’t, leading to constant campaign improvement.

Platforms like Flinque, Traackr, and Upfluence can assist you in setting and tracking goals. While each has its strengths, Flinque has a strong focus on helping brands establish their campaign objectives, select the right influencers, and track the performance.

Keep in mind, however, choosing the appropriate platform greatly depends on your team’s needs and objectives. For some, a platform that provides in-depth analytics might be key, for others, the uniqueness of influencers might be the deciding factor.

In summary, clear objectives are the foundation of successful influencer marketing campaigns. Platforms can help in setting these goals, selecting influencers, and measuring campaign performance. Nevertheless, the selection of the platform would heavily depend on your specific needs and campaign goals.