Finding the right influencers can make or break your campaign. This guide walks you through the entire process - from defining goals to sending that first outreach message.
Step 1: Define Your Campaign Goals
Before searching for influencers, clarify what you want to achieve:
- Brand Awareness: Focus on reach and impressions
- Engagement: Prioritize engagement rate over follower count
- Conversions: Look for influencers with proven sales track records
- Content: Find creators who produce high-quality, repurposable content
- UGC: Seek authentic, relatable creators over polished content
Pro Tip
Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience
Your ideal influencer's audience should match your target customer:
- Demographics: Age, gender, location, income level
- Interests: Hobbies, lifestyle, values
- Behavior: Shopping habits, platform usage
- Pain points: Problems your product solves
Step 3: Discovery Methods
1. Influencer Marketing Platforms
Platforms like SocialBrandMatch provide:
- Searchable databases of verified creators
- Audience demographics and analytics
- Engagement verification
- Streamlined communication
- Payment protection
2. Hashtag Research
Search relevant hashtags on Instagram and TikTok:
- Industry-specific hashtags (#veganrecipes, #techreview)
- Brand hashtags (including competitor mentions)
- Location hashtags for local campaigns
3. Your Own Followers
Check who already follows and engages with your brand. These creators already love your product!
4. Competitor Analysis
See who your competitors partner with. These influencers already understand your industry.
5. Google Search
Search "top [niche] influencers" or "best [niche] instagram accounts"
Step 4: Evaluation Criteria
Engagement Rate (Most Important)
Use our Engagement Calculator to verify. Aim for:
- Nano: 4-8%
- Micro: 2-4%
- Macro: 1.5-3%
- Mega: 1-2%
Audience Authenticity
Look for genuine followers, not bots. Use our Fake Follower Checker.
Content Quality
- Visual aesthetic matches your brand
- Consistent posting schedule
- Professional but authentic feel
- Good photography/video skills
Brand Safety
- Review past sponsored content
- Check for controversial posts
- Ensure values alignment
- Review comment sections for sentiment
Red Flags to Avoid
Watch Out For
- Sudden follower spikes (likely purchased)
- Low engagement relative to followers
- Generic or spam comments
- Inconsistent follower growth patterns
- Too many sponsored posts (low authenticity)
- Followers with no profile pictures or posts
- Foreign comments unrelated to content
Outreach Best Practices
Personalize Your Message
Reference specific content you enjoyed. Show you've done your research.
Be Clear and Professional
Include:
- Who you are and your brand
- Why you're reaching out to them specifically
- Campaign overview
- Compensation range
- Next steps
Use the Right Channel
- Email for professional outreach (check bio for business email)
- DM for initial contact if no email available
- Platforms like SocialBrandMatch for streamlined communication
Sample Outreach Template
I'm [Your Name] from [Brand]. I've been following your content and loved your recent [specific post] - the way you [specific detail] really resonated with our brand values.
We're launching [campaign/product] and think your authentic voice would be perfect to share it with your community. We're offering [compensation range] for [deliverables].
Would you be interested in learning more?
Conclusion
Finding the right influencers takes time and research, but the payoff is worth it. Focus on authentic engagement over follower counts, verify audience quality, and build genuine relationships with creators who truly align with your brand.