Influencer Discovery 101: A Guide on How to Find the Right Influencers for Your Brand

In today's digital age, social media has become an integral part of the eCommerce industry. With the rise of social media platforms, businesses are now able to reach a wider audience and engage with their customers in new and innovative ways. One of the most effective ways to reach potential customers is through influencer marketing, where brands partner with popular social media influencers to promote their products. 

But with so many influencers out there, it can be challenging to know how to find the right ones for your eCommerce brand. In this topic, we will discuss how to find influencers and some strategies for finding influencers for your brand that can help your eCommerce brand get a powerful return on your investment.

What’s the difference between an influencer and a celebrity?

Influencers and celebrities are often used interchangeably, but there are some key differences between the two. While both have a large following and the ability to influence their fans' behavior, their approaches and areas of expertise may differ.

When it comes to influencers, there are several categories to consider:

1. Nano-influencers: These are influencers with a small following, typically under 1,000. They tend to have a highly engaged and loyal audience and are often focused on a particular niche or community.
2. Micro-influencers: These are influencers with a following of between 1,000 to 100,000. They also tend to have a highly engaged audience and can be more affordable for brands to work with compared to larger influencers.
3. Macro-influencers: These are influencers with a following of between 100,000 to 1 million. They have a broader reach and are often considered more mainstream.
4. Mega-influencers: These are influencers with a following of over 1 million. They tend to have a more mainstream appeal and can be celebrities in their own right.

Many businesses turn to social media management services to streamline their social media marketing efforts and ensure a consistent and effective online presence.

Now, let's talk about the difference between influencers and celebrities. While influencers can become celebrities in their own right, there are some key distinctions between the two.

Celebrities are often well-known public figures who have achieved fame through various avenues such as acting, music, or sports. They may have a large social media following, but their influence often stems from their fame and not necessarily their expertise in a particular field. Brands often pay celebrities large sums of money to endorse their products or services, but the authenticity of these endorsements can be questioned as their endorsements may not necessarily align with their personal interests or passions.

In contrast, influencers often have a highly engaged following that is built on their expertise and knowledge in a particular field. They have established a level of trust and authenticity with their audience, which makes their endorsements more valuable to brands. Influencers are often seen as experts in their niche, and their endorsements are often more organic and genuine.

Overall, both influencers and celebrities have the ability to influence their followers, but their approaches and authenticity may differ. When considering working with either, brands need to weigh the benefits and risks associated with each and determine which option aligns best with their marketing strategy. Keep reading to know how to find influencers.

How are influencers making an impact in helping scale up brands?

If you're wondering how to find influencers for your brand, this is a great place to start.

Influencers have become a powerful force in the world of marketing and branding. They have the ability to reach a large and engaged audience on social media, which has made them a valuable asset for brands looking to scale up their business and redefine their image.

Here are some of the ways influencers are making an impact:

1. Reach a Targeted Audience: Influencers are often experts in their niche and have a highly engaged audience that shares their interests. This makes them an ideal partner for brands looking to reach a specific audience. By partnering with an influencer, a brand can tap into its audience and reach potential customers who are already interested in its products or services.
2. Create Authentic Content: Influencers are known for their authentic and relatable content. They have built a level of trust with their audience and can create content that resonates with them. This is valuable for brands because it helps them create content that is more genuine and engaging for their target audience.
3. Boost Brand Awareness: Influencers can help brands increase their visibility and awareness. By promoting a brand or product to their audience, influencers can introduce it to new potential customers who may not have known about it otherwise.
4. Enhance Brand Image: Influencers have the ability to help brands redefine their image. By working with an influencer who shares the same values and personality as the brand, they can help create a consistent and cohesive image that resonates with their target audience.
5. Drive Sales: Influencers can also help drive sales for brands. By sharing their personal experience and endorsement of a product, they can encourage their followers to make a purchase.

If you're looking to boost your product's visibility, understanding how to find influencers to promote your product can be a game-changing strategy that can help you reach a wider audience and increase sales.

What to do before starting your search for an influencer

Before starting your search for an influencer, it's important to lay the groundwork and define your goals, target audience, and brand image. Here are some key steps to take before beginning your influencer search:

1. Define Your Goals: Before starting your influencer search, it's important to define your goals. What do you want to achieve through your influencer campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or boost engagement? Clearly defining your goals will help you identify the type of influencer you need to work with and the metrics you'll use to measure success.
2. Establish Your Influencer & Creator Personas: Once you've defined your goals, it's important to establish your influencer and creator personas. This involves identifying the characteristics and attributes you're looking for in an influencer, such as their niche, audience size, engagement rate, and personality. This will help you create a clear picture of the type of influencer you want to work with and streamline your search process.
3. Monitor Influencers & Creators Talking About Your Brand: Before reaching out to influencers, it's a good idea to monitor social media to see who is already talking about your brand. This can help you identify potential influencers who are already interested in your brand and may be more receptive to a partnership.
4. Look at Who Your Target Audience Engages With: Understanding who your target audience engages with on social media can also help you identify potential influencers. Look at who your audience follows, engages with, and shares content from. This can help you identify influencers who are already popular among your target audience and may be a good fit for your brand.
5. Consider Nano Influencers & Creators: While mega and macro influencers may have a larger reach, don't overlook the value of nano influencers and creators. These individuals have a smaller but highly engaged following and can be more affordable for brands to work with. They also tend to have a more niche audience, which can be valuable for brands looking to reach a specific demographic.
6. Monitor Relevant Hashtags: Monitoring relevant hashtags on social media can help you identify influencers who are already talking about your industry or products. This can be a valuable way to discover new influencers and creators who are already interested in your niche.
7. Keep an Eye on Your Competitors: Looking at your competitors' influencer partnerships can provide insight into the types of influencers and creators that are popular in your industry. This can help you identify potential influencers to work with and understand the types of campaigns that are successful in your niche.
8. Look at an Influencer & Creator’s Key Performance Metrics: When evaluating potential influencers and creators, it's important to look at their key performance metrics. This includes their engagement rate, reach, and follower demographics. Understanding these metrics can help you identify influencers who are a good fit for your brand and have a highly engaged audience.
9. Ask Your Community for Recommendations: Finally, consider reaching out to your community for influencer recommendations. This could include asking your customers, followers, or employees if they follow any influencers who align with your brand values. This can be a valuable way to discover new influencers and creators who may not be on your radar.

Where can you find influencers for your brand?

Finding the right influencers for your brand can be a daunting task, but there are several ways to locate potential partners. Here are four places to start your search:

1. Hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to discover influencers who are already talking about your industry or products. You can search for hashtags relevant to your brand or niche and see who is using them. This can help you discover new influencers and creators who are already interested in your products or services.
2. Social media: Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are all great places to find influencers to promote your product. You can search for relevant keywords or hashtags and see who is posting about topics related to your brand. You can also look at who your target audience follows and engages with to find potential influencers.
3. Google: A simple Google search can also be a valuable way to find influencers to promote your product. You can search for keywords related to your industry or niche and see who is writing about or sharing content on those topics. This can help you discover bloggers and social media influencers who may be a good fit for your brand.
4. Bloggers: If your brand has a blog, you can also look for guest bloggers who may be interested in collaborating with your brand. You can search for bloggers who write about topics relevant to your brand or reach out to bloggers who have written about your industry in the past.
5. Influencer Marketing Platforms: There are many influencer marketing platforms available that can help you find and connect with influencers. These platforms often provide access to a database of influencers across different niches and allow you to search for influencers based on specific criteria, such as location, follower count, and engagement rate. Some popular influencer marketing platforms include AspireIQ, Upfluence, and Grin.
6. YouTube: YouTube is one of the largest social media platforms in the world and is a great place to find influencers to work with. You can search for influencers in your niche or industry, or look for creators who have a large following or high engagement on their videos. YouTube also provides valuable analytics, such as watch time, audience demographics, and engagement metrics, that can help you evaluate potential influencers.
7. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking site that can be used to find influencers to work within your industry or niche. You can search for people with specific job titles or keywords related to your industry and see who has a large following or active engagement on their posts. LinkedIn also provides valuable information about a person's professional background and experience, which can be helpful when evaluating potential influencers.
8. Check Your Competitors' Followers: If your competitors are working with influencers, it's worth checking out who is following them. This can provide valuable insights into the types of influencers that are popular in your industry and help you identify potential partners for your brand. You can also see which influencers your competitors are working with and evaluate their performance to determine if they might be a good fit for your brand as well.
9. Use Influencer Marketing Tools or Marketplaces: There are many influencer marketing tools and marketplaces available that can help you find and connect with influencers. These platforms often provide access to a database of influencers across different niches and allow you to search for influencers based on specific criteria, such as location, follower count, and engagement rate. Some popular influencer marketing tools and marketplaces include HypeAuditor, Influencer.co, and Fohr.

If you're unsure of how to find influencers for your brand, you can also enlist the help of a social media marketing agency or platforms that specialize in connecting brands with relevant influencers.

How to find influencers whose content is in line with your brand

When looking for influencers to partner with, it's important to ensure that their content and image align with your brand. Here are some tips to help you find influencers to work with whose content is in line with your brand:

1. Research the influencer's content: Before reaching out to an influencer, take the time to research their content. Look at their social media profiles, blog posts, and any other content they've created. Evaluate their style, tone, and messaging to determine if it aligns with your brand's image.
2. Look for influencers in your niche: Finding influencers who operate in your niche or industry can be a great way to ensure that their content is aligned with your brand. Look for influencers who create content that is similar to what you offer, or whose audience is likely to be interested in your products or services.
3. Check engagement rates: Engagement rates can be a good indicator of whether an influencer's content resonates with their audience. Look for influencers with high engagement rates, such as likes, comments, and shares, as this can indicate that their content is resonating with their followers.
4. Check for brand partnerships: Look for influencers who have previously partnered with brands that are similar to yours. This can be a good indication that they have experience working with brands in your industry and are likely to create content that is in line with your brand.
5. Review their past content: Reviewing an influencer's past content can give you a good idea of their content style and how they approach brand partnerships. Look for influencers who have created sponsored content that fits seamlessly into their existing content, rather than feeling like a forced advertisement.
6. Reach out and ask questions: Finally, don't be afraid to reach out to potential influencers and ask them questions. Ask about their creative process, how they approach partnerships, and how they ensure that sponsored content aligns with their brand. This can give you a better understanding of their approach and help you make an informed decision about whether they are the right fit for your brand.
7. Check follower demographics: When evaluating an influencer's audience, it's important to check the demographics of their followers. Look for influencers whose followers match your target audience in terms of age, gender, location, and interests. This can help ensure that your sponsored posts are seen by the right people.
8. Use social media listening tools: Social media listening tools, such as Brandwatch and Sprout Social, can help you monitor conversations and engagement around specific topics or hashtags. This can help you identify influencers who have a quality audience that is interested in your brand or industry.

Do you need to know how to find influencers for your brand? Consider reaching out to a reputable influencer marketing agency that can help you identify and collaborate with the right influencers for your brand.

Examples of influencer marketing camapaigns

Here are a few examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns:

How to find Instagram influencer

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for businesses to promote their products and services. One of the most effective ways to do this is through influencer marketing. Finding the right Instagram influencers to work with can be a daunting task, but it's not impossible. Here are some tips on how to find Instagram influencers for your brand.

You’ve found an influencer: What Next?

Finding an influencer for your brand is just the first step in influencer marketing. Once you've identified an influencer who aligns with your brand's image and requirements, it's important to take the following steps to ensure a successful influencer marketing campaign.

Contact the Influencer

Reach out to the influencer and express your interest in working with them. Be clear about your expectations and what you hope to achieve through the partnership. Provide details about the campaign, such as the timeline, deliverables, and compensation. Remember to be respectful and professional in your approach.

Negotiate Terms and Agreements

Discuss the terms of the partnership with the influencer, including compensation, content ownership, and FTC compliance. Ensure that both parties are on the same page and that everything is outlined in a clear agreement. It's also important to discuss the influencer's creative freedom and how much control you'll have over the content.

Collaborate on Content Creation

Work with the influencer to create content that aligns with your brand's image and resonates with their audience. Provide guidelines and suggestions, but also give the influencer creative freedom to make the content their own. Ensure that the content is authentic and aligns with both the influencer's and your brand's values.

Monitor the Campaign

Track the performance of the influencer's content and monitor how it's resonating with your target audience. Keep an eye on engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares. Analyze the impact of the campaign on your brand's goals and adjust the strategy accordingly.

Maintain the Relationship

Influencer marketing is a long-term strategy, and maintaining a strong relationship with the influencer is crucial for ongoing success. Engage with the influencer's content, offer feedback, and keep them updated on your brand's latest developments. Remember to show appreciation and gratitude for their work and contributions to your brand.

Remember to vet Instagram influencers for fake followers & engagement

When searching for Instagram influencers, it's important to keep in mind that not all influencers have genuine followers and engagement. Some influencers may resort to buying fake followers or engagement to appear more popular than they really are. Therefore, it's crucial to vet potential influencers for fake followers and engagement before partnering with them.

Here are some steps you can take to vet influencers for fake followers and engagement:

Check Engagement Rate

The engagement rate is an important metric that measures how much an influencer's audience interacts with their content. If an influencer has a high number of followers but a low engagement rate, it may be a red flag that they have fake followers. Therefore, it's important to check the engagement rate of potential influencers and compare it to industry standards.

Look for Consistent Growth

If an influencer's follower count is growing rapidly, it may indicate that they are purchasing followers. Genuine growth is usually steady and gradual. Therefore, it's important to look for influencers who have consistent and organic growth.

Analyze Audience Demographics

If an influencer has a large number of followers from countries where their content is not relevant or popular, it may be a sign of fake followers. Therefore, it's important to analyze the demographics of an influencer's audience to ensure that their followers are genuine.

Use Influencer Marketing Tools

There are several influencer marketing tools available that can help you analyze an influencer's performance and determine if they have fake followers or engagement. These tools can provide insights into an influencer's audience demographics, engagement rate, and follower growth.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing has become an integral part of brand marketing strategies due to its effectiveness in reaching a wider audience, building trust and credibility, and driving conversions. However, finding the right influencers can be a time-consuming and challenging process, especially for brands that are new to influencer marketing.

This is where digital marketing agency like JanBask come in. We specialize in finding the right influencers for your brand and managing influencer marketing campaigns from start to finish. By leveraging social media marketing services, brands can save time and resources while ensuring that their influencer marketing campaigns are successful.

In addition to finding influencers for your brand, JanBask Digital Design also provides valuable insights into influencer trends, industry benchmarks, and audience behavior. We can also handle negotiations, contract drafting, content creation, and campaign analysis, allowing brands to focus on their core business activities.

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FAQs

1. What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that involves leveraging the popularity and influence of social media influencers to promote products or services.

2. How can influencer marketing help my brand?

Influencer marketing can help your brand by improving brand awareness, building trust and credibility, reaching new audiences, and driving conversions.

3. How do I find the right influencers for my brand?

To find the right influencers for your brand, you can use various methods, such as checking popular posts for specific hashtags, monitoring brand mentions, searching on Instagram's Explore page, using dedicated social media tools and platforms, or hiring a digital marketing agency.

4. What are some red flags to look out for when vetting influencers?

Some red flags to look out for when vetting influencers include a high number of fake followers, low engagement rates, and a lack of authenticity or relevance to your brand.

5. How do I measure the success of my influencer marketing campaign?

You can measure the success of your influencer marketing campaign by tracking key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, clicks, conversions, and return on investment (ROI).

6. How do I negotiate with influencers?

When negotiating with influencers, it's important to be clear about your expectations, budget, and deliverables. You should also be respectful of their time and expertise and be willing to collaborate on the creative process.

7. What are some best practices for working with influencers?

Some best practices for working with influencers include setting clear goals and expectations, providing creative freedom, building long-term relationships, disclosing sponsored content, and respecting influencer boundaries and values.

8. Why should I hire an influencer marketing agency like JanBask?

An influencer marketing agency can help you save time and resources, find the right influencers for your brand, provide valuable insights and expertise, and social media services, and manage your influencer marketing campaign from start to finish, ensuring its success.