How To Find Influencers For Your Brand And Drive Engagement
Social media influencers leverage their platforms and profiles to share engaging content with their social networks. This relationship is symbiotic — influencers have a creative outlet and engaged audience, and followers receive anything from vicarious escapes to practical tips. If you can successfully tap into this relationship, finding new audiences and building stronger brand loyalty is easier.
Influencers are popular because they help marketers better position their brand to diverse audiences across platforms. Before you can form valuable collaborations, though, you’ll need to research and select the right people. Below, we look at how to find influencers who can drive brand engagement.
First, decide what type of influencer you need
The gulf between influencers can be vast. For example, global celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo has 635 million followers, while fitness enthusiast James Thomas has just over 6,000 followers.
The right type of influencer depends on not just your price point and core demographic but also your ideal brand perception. For example, if a key selling point of your brand is its sustainability, a celebrity with a private jet may not be the best partner.
Remember that the number of followers is often less important than engagement. If an influencer has 500,000 followers but 90% are bots, your campaign results will suffer.
When you understand influencer types, it’s easier to chop down huge databases into manageable shortlists. At Hummingbirds, we’ve developed a short quiz to guide your decision. Try it today to kickstart the process!
Celebrity and mega influencers
Celebrity and mega influencers have follower counts of 1 million or more, and both types greatly impact how people live their lives. A celebrity influencer is a well-known personality, such as Taylor Swift, whereas a mega influencer is a social media professional who amassed a substantial following over time via high-quality content.
Celebrities and mega influencers are excellent at driving brand awareness. For example, MAC Cosmetics recruited Troye Sivan to show off the 25th-anniversary edition of its Viva Glam lipstick to his 15+ million followers.
Fans tend to mimic celebrity behaviors, such as trying new diets or switching up their hairstyles. However, celebrities and mega influencers don’t always drive conversions, largely due to price points and general distrust of paid promotions.
Macro and mid-tier influencers
Macro influencers have between 500,000 and 1 million followers, while mid-tier influencers have between 50,000 and 500,000. The two categories are very similar in that both are effective at content creation and attracting new followers.
Similar to celebrities, macro and mid-tier influencers are great for driving brand awareness, with one major difference. Celebrities and mega influencers may have more general interests, while those in the macro and mid-tier categories tend to specialize.
For example, when Autotrader wanted to promote its brand, it didn’t choose Jerry Seinfeld, but rather, Doug DeMuro. This high-profile influencer in the auto industry with just under 500,000 followers covered numerous aspects of the company across YouTube, Instagram, blogs, etc. His partnership lent credibility to the brand and helped explain its many features and benefits.
Micro and nano influencers
Micro-influencers have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers, while nano-influencers have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. Often, these influencers choose a specific niche, such as travel or food, and their promotions can drive brand engagement and conversions.
For example, India-based skincare influencer Raisa Tolia shares hygiene hacks, affordable skincare recommendations, and beauty tips. She partnered with brands like Ruby’s Organics and SkinQ to promote healthy and effective ingredients to her 24,000 followers. Her branded content was similar to her organic content, making it a natural fit in her feed.
Regional and local influencers
Regional and local influencers both post content about their surroundings, but the geographical scale varies. A regional influencer, with a follower count between 5,000 and 100,000, may post content about a collection of cities, a county, or even a country. A local influencer, with a follower count between 500 and 5,000, is highly concentrated on a single community.
If you want to drive action in a specific geographical area, local influencers are usually your best option. These small influencer types have highly-engaged audiences that generate a higher return on your marketing investment. One report found that small influencer types can yield an average of $1,000 on just a $50 investment.
For proof of the power of local influencers you need look no further than Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls. Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls partnered with local influencers to drive awareness and sales of its shipping services in Kansas City. The drool-worthy treats inspired more than just envy — followers were intrigued by the convenient delivery service and easy ordering process.
Then, search social media for potential influencer partners
As of 2023, there are 64 million influencer Instagram accounts alone, so it will take more than a quick Google search to find the perfect influencer. Here we'll look at a few easy ways to search for influencers on different social media platforms.
As you search, pay attention to follower counts and, more importantly, engagement patterns. For example, does the content garner impressions, comments, questions, etc.? Does the influencer put thought and effort into their responses?
Research and evaluate individual influencers to avoid hassles down the line. Here, we look at how to narrow them down before you do deeper dives.
Use the search bar
You can search for specific hashtags, relevant keywords, and trending topics via social media search bars. If you’re just getting started, you might cast a wide net with a standard term (e.g., #healthyfood or #fitness).
As you search, though, consider how niche hashtags and topics may help you narrow down the search. For example, if you’re marketing an organic snack food, you might work in gluten-free, vegan, or keto. Not only are these terms more descriptive but they should help you find influencers who can put a new spin on your tasty treat.
Review trending or viral posts
Trending topics and viral posts single out influencers who keep up with the latest trends and conversations. Their metrics prove they can create share-worthy content based on follower interests, which is great for marketers who want to stay relevant with modern audiences.
Remember that virality doesn’t always create impact or drive action. A single post may help audiences perceive a brand as forward-thinking, but that doesn’t necessarily lead to higher sales.
Also, viral or trending posts are often platform-specific, meaning a viral TikTok video may get lost on Instagram. If you’re trying to cultivate or grow an audience via viral or trending posts, it may take more effort to curate each campaign.
Check your follower lists
Your social media followers are already powerful brand ambassadors. If they have a sizable follower count of their own, they may be the perfect match for your next campaign.
If you recruit your followers as influencers, you work with social media enthusiasts who genuinely value your brand. This leads to more authentic posts and credible content.
Lastly, consider outsourcing your search
Social media campaigns involve multiple steps: selecting the right influencers, negotiating terms, establishing campaign details, and reporting metrics before, during, and after the campaign.
If your team doesn’t have the bandwidth for these time-consuming tasks, you can outsource your search to reduce the workload.
Invest in an influencer search tool
Influencer search tools are digital assets that simplify the search process. These tools comb through influencer databases and filter based on everything from content type to brand affinity. So, if an influencer is already partnered with or endorsing your top competitor, they won’t pop up in your search.
Brands can use influencer search tools to find people who closely align with your brand values and benefits. This can help you better predict campaign results so it’s easier to allocate your budget.
Popular influencer search tools include:
Heepsy: Simplify influencer content marketing with comprehensive search, bulk outreach, and automated campaign management.
Traackr: Discover, manage, and analyze influencer campaigns with unique benchmarking and reporting tools.
Modash: Find creators across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube; evaluate influencer performance metrics; and automatically collect and track content and brand mentions.
Partner with an influencer marketing expert
Influencer marketing experts exist for practically every niche audience. When you work with them, you gain from their network and expertise. For example, a full-service influencer marketing agency helps you select influencers, craft influencer marketing strategies, design campaigns, and monitor results.
You can also use influencer marketing platforms, which are sophisticated software tools that streamline influencer campaigns. For example, the Hummingbirds platform partners brands with hyperlocal creators for more impactful campaigns. Plus, the company supports brands as they scale with each new successful initiative.
Agencies and platforms both streamline workflow, as both help you work through each project step. But with a platform, marketers have more control over their campaigns, so it’s easier to adjust based on engagement metrics and brand goals.
4 bonus tips for maximizing engagement with your influencer partners
It takes time to find influencers who can create meaningful brand content, but that’s only the first step. From there, you’ll have to optimize your marketing efforts to get the most reach. Here, we offer bonus advice on how to flesh out more impactful campaigns.
1. Take time to vet influencers before initiating a partnership
Vetting influencers starts with reviewing content, verifying followers, and evaluating general engagement rates.
Here are a few key factors to keep in mind:
Prompt interaction: Influencers should interact with followers in real time. This may mean answering questions, addressing concerns, or simply liking followers’ posts.
Follower counts: Fake social media accounts continue to proliferate, so it’s important to verify that followers are real people and not bots.
Content quality: Photos, videos, and captions should be professional but not overly edited or produced.
Personality: The influencer should align with your brand values, whether they’re straightforward or sardonic.
Expertise: Your influencer doesn’t necessarily have to be a bona fide expert in your industry, but they should have enough context to make their posts authentic.
The more metrics you have, the easier it is to catch the wrong influencers. Failing to vet your influencers can result in anything from missed deadlines to irrelevant content.
2. Don’t limit yourself to a single platform
You should at least consider how each platform impacts your brand, even if you choose not to post on all platforms. This tip affects both who you partner with and what types of campaigns you launch.
Each platform has its own audience demographics, so consider the following:
Instagram: With captivating images and videos, Instagram is great for fitness, lifestyle, fashion, and food brands.
LinkedIn: Professional and practical, B2B brands, tech titans, and office suppliers may find themselves right at home here.
TikTok: Glossy, fun, and practical, short TikTok videos help brands highlight one or two key features or benefits to engaged audiences.
YouTube: Exciting and instructive, brands can show off their creativity with anything from tutorials to testimonials.
Facebook: Inclusive and ubiquitous, brands can establish communities with helpful and fun content.
Brands often have more universal appeal than they realize. With the right influencer marketing, you may find that another demographic enjoys your products every bit as much as your core audience. If you skip a platform, you may inadvertently skip over relevant influencers who can deliver that message to their engaged followers.
3. Provide resources that set influencer partners up for success
Even if you choose a devoted brand ambassador, influencers still need resources to execute campaigns properly:
Style guides: Style guides help influencers decide how to best position a brand within its parameters.
Media kits: Media kits show influencers how you present your brand to the outside world, which can support their overall content creation efforts.
Logo files: Influencers implement your logo design in subtle ways to cement your branding.
Color codes: Color codes give influencers precise instructions for consistent branding across platforms.
Resources can answer specific influencer questions, but more importantly, they supply much-needed context about how a brand fits within its industry. If you don’t provide partners with the right assets, you can potentially confuse or even alienate your target audience.
4. Trust partners when they offer their expertise
The more authentic your relationship is with the influencer, the more authentic the content will be. If you’re not paying attention to their opinions, it’s likely to affect the content quality. Influencers often spend years testing which content works best for their audience, so it’s important to listen when they speak up.
For example, if an influencer says that affiliate links generate negative reactions from their audience, trust their experience by not forcing them to use your affiliate links. Influencers are also aware of industry trends, which can include anything from in-demand products to new methods to spot inauthentic or branded content.
Launch an influencer marketing campaign that supports your business goals
Finding influencers may be an important step, but it’s also just the beginning. You’ll also need to build strong relationships, brainstorm and execute campaigns, and monitor metrics as the campaigns progress.
When every influencer has their own ideas on what makes your brand valuable, not every marketer can keep up with the demands. That’s why working with an influencer marketing expert can help you get the tools and recommendations to take your brand to the next level.
If you’re looking for smarter ways to improve your social media marketing and influencer campaigns, check out our local marketing guide to learn more.
