Top 10 Things to Consider When Finding Influencers

Influencer marketing is an increasingly vital part of many brands’ marketing mix. However, finding the right Instagram influencers to work with can be a challenge. Finding effective, engaging, and brand-safe influencers is critical to the success of any influencer marketing campaign. Unfortunately, a large following and attractive feed aren’t the only things brands need to look for. For companies new to influencer marketing, the search can be even more difficult.

Here are 10 things brands should consider when finding an Instagram influencer for their next campaign.

1. Reach

Referring to the total number of people who see an influencer’s content, reach is a major thing to consider. Reach not only shows how many people see an influencer’s content, but also how much social media knowledge and skill they have. Followers, subscribers, and views are organic reach; they can generate a high engagement and a higher ROI. High reach is one of the most significant factors to consider when selecting an Instagram influencer.

2. Content

Content is king on social media, and an important element to consider when searching for the right influencer. Solid content leads to high reach and an engaged audience. It is also a measure of an influencer’s creativity, revealing their post aesthetic, style, and voice. Marketers should look at content quality, consistency, and if it aligns with the brand’s values and marketing goals.

3. Engagement

Engagement is a key metric to look at when selecting an influencer. It refers to audience interaction: likes, comments, clicks, and content shares. Engagement is more valuable than reach; it measures interaction rather than views. High engagement means users are actively engaging with content an influencer is sharing. For brands, this could translate into greater brand awareness and leads.

4. Connection

Connection is a key component of choosing an influencer. Finding an influencer that has a broad network and is easily able to connect with a variety of audiences is important. Also critical is examining an influencer’s existing connections and how they may benefit or even damage your brand.

5. Voice

An influencer’s voice is how they connect with their audience and what makes them stand out in a crowd. Their perspective and the way they convey information is a key thing to look at when selecting an influencer. The best influencers break through the noise and attract followers via their unique voice and the way they connect with people. Remember, brands should consider voices that best fit with their company’s personality and marketing goals.

6. Audience

Of course, an influencer’s audience is perhaps the most vital thing to consider when choosing an influencer to work with. Audience data and engagement can make or break your influencer marketing campaign. Look at data such as demographics, locations, purchasing habits, interests, and other brands the audience is interested in to get a clear picture of whether or not they’d be interested in your company. After all, the whole point of working with an influencer is to create brand awareness with their audience. Does this influencer cater to your brand’s target market?

7. Social Media Activity

An influencer’s social media activity is a crucial gauge of their posting habits and potential reach. After all, regular social media activity exposes an account to a wider audience. How often (and when) do they post? Is it consistent? What types of media do they put up? Which platforms do they use? How engaged are they with fans? These are all important things to look at when selecting an influencer.

8. Reputation and Ethos

One critical thing to look at when assessing an influencer’s suitability is their reputation on social media and their ethos. An influencer with a positive reputation in their community and strong ethos can position your brand and cast it in a positive light. However, many influencers have run into trouble for expressing certain beliefs, attitudes or ideas on social media. Ensure that the reputation and ethos of the influencer you choose to work with aligns with those of your brand. Otherwise, the partnership could result in more harm than good.

9. Fee and Price

Price is as important as any factor in selecting an influencer for a brand’s marketing campaign, so it’s good to know what factors affect an influencer’s fees. How much influencers charge for the services they offer depends on a number of things, but here are a few you should be aware of:

• The influencer’s reach and engagement
• Their active social media channel
• The number of posts, post types and media formats required
• How accessible they are
• Agency charges

Based on these factors, marketers can look at their marketing goals, influencer metrics, and campaign structure and then consider how much they are willing to pay to work with an influencer.

10. Agreements

When creating a contract with an influencer, it is helpful to have a set of agreements. This ensures a better, clearer, and higher-quality collaboration. Look at your marketing campaign as a whole and make sure that you communicate your requirements and “do’s and don’ts” clearly to your chosen influencer.  For instance, if you want to partner with an influencer that your competitor wants to use, make sure that this mentioned in the official contract or create a non-compete agreement that will limit them from promoting a competitor for a period of time. Setting up these agreements at the start will help thing run smoothly and mitigate future issues.

Read our Guide to Influencer Metrics to learn more about choosing the right influencer.

When finding an influencer to collaborate with, brands need to be clear about their marketing goals and keep these 10 factors in mind. Choosing the right influencer can be challenging. That’s why we built Ainfluencer. Ainfluencer is the easiest and smartest way to run an influencer marketing campaign and initiate influencer collaborations. Get started today and start making influencer marketing work for you!

Learn how to reach out to influencers to promote your brand.