5 best influencer search tools
Bold and exciting user-generated content (UGC) in influencer marketing campaigns can get brands some serious results.
Take Crumbl Cookies, which made a huge splash on TikTok when users posted about the brand’s unique, limited-edition cookie flavors. There are even dedicated TikTok accounts just for reviewing the brand’s newest flavors, fostering viral popularity and helping Crumbl become a billion-dollar company.
Your brand can also harness the power of viral user-generated content by partnering with online content creators. However, in today’s influencer-saturated social media landscape, it can be tricky to find partners that feel like an authentic fit for your campaigns.
With so many potential partners to choose from, how do you select the best creators for your brand? While influencers can be a good place to start for many brands, they’re not the only partner option you have: Hyperlocal content creators may be the alternative your brand is looking for.
Below, we’ll highlight some of the top influencer search tools on the market, and explore why they may not always be the best investment. Stick around, because we’ll also cover some great social media marketing alternatives!
5 best influencer search tools
One way to find partners for an influencer marketing campaign is with a digital influencer search platform. These tools act as databases of successful social media users. Here are five of the largest influencer marketing platforms with built-in search features.
1. Modash
Modash is a platform that helps its customers find influencers on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Their comprehensive discovery tool lists every user with over 1,000 followers on these social media sites. You can also narrow down your search results with detailed filters. Once you launch an influencer marketing campaign, you can use Modash to track performance and pay influencers directly.
Notable features include:
Fake follower checks: Modash helps you filter out influencers who have paid for fake followers so you can focus on those with genuine audiences.
Detailed filters: Find the right influencers with detailed search filters. Modash allows you to filter results by location, number of followers, engagement rates, audience characteristics, and more.
Lookalike searches: If you find one influencer you like, Modash will give you recommendations for similar creators.
pricing considerations
Modash has three payment plans available, as well as custom pricing for larger enterprise organizations.
Essentials: $99/month, access for one team member
Performance: $249/month, access for five team members
Advanced: $800/month, access for 10 team members
2. Upfluence
Upfluence is an influencer database that helps you find potential partners across six social media platforms. These include TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitch, and X (formerly known as Twitter). You can also use Upfluence to find successful WordPress bloggers.
The Upfluence platform has detailed analytics to help you determine whether or not an influencer is a good fit for your brand. The platform also helps users automate social media campaigns and track them once they’ve gone live.
Notable features include:
Influencer matching: Upfluence can help you identify influencers who are already posting about your brand so you can reach out to them directly.
Verified emails: Upfluence’s database has verified influencer contact information. You can also email influencers directly with an in-app messaging platform.
ChatGPT integration: Upfluence’s messaging platform integrates with ChatGPT, so you can use AI to write messages to social media influencers you’re interested in.
pricing considerations
Upfluence offers feature-based custom pricing via quote only.
3. CreatorIQ
CreatorIQ is an influencer marketing platform with a comprehensive search engine. You can use CreatorIQ to find different types of influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, X, Twitch, Snapchat, and Facebook. In addition to helping you find potential influencers to work with, CreatorIQ also includes campaign performance and creation features.
Notable features include:
AI-powered recommendations: CreatorIQ has built-in AI features to help you find relevant influencers based on campaigns you’ve launched in the past.
Comprehensive influencer profiles: On CreatorIQ, you can check each influencer’s engagement rate and audience demographics to see if they’re the right fit.
Content evaluation tools: When you find an influencer you like, you can use advanced filters and hashtags to evaluate their past content and identify anything that might be unsafe for your brand.
pricing considerations
Pricing for CreatorIQ is done on a case-by-case basis via quote only. To get a quote, you’ll need to contact CreatorIQ directly by filling out the form on their website.
4. Traackr
Traackr is an influencer relationship management platform. It has features to help you find influencers, build and track campaigns, and manage partnerships with your brand ambassadors. Traackr helps users discover influencers across all social media platforms. Each influencer profile on Traackr has links to all of the creator’s accounts, so you can evaluate their entire social media presence in one place.
Notable features include:
Branded landing pages: You can create a branded Traackr page for each product gifting campaign you launch. This will help you attract influencers interested in working with your brand rather than having to do extensive outreach.
Web browser extension: Traackr has a Google Chrome extension. When you find influencers you’re interested in, you can use the extension to add their information to your Traackr account.
Lookalike recommendations: Traackr will recommend influencers with profiles similar to those of people you’ve already worked with, which can help you grow your campaigns more quickly.
pricing considerations
Traackr has three pricing packages available. These include both influencer search features and access to the rest of Traackr’s influencer analytics and campaign management options. When compared to other platforms, Traackr’s prices are on the higher end, so this platform is geared toward larger, more established brands with larger marketing budgets.
Growth: Starts at $20,000 per year
Standard: Starts at $32,500 per year
Plus: Starts at $55,000 per year
5. Heepsy
Heepsy offers influencer search and verification for TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram influencers. The platform also has an influencer marketplace, where you can launch campaigns with vetted creators, as well as influencer reporting and analytics features.
Notable features include:
Creator profile analysis: When browsing an influencer’s profile, you’ll get detailed information about their content, audience, and performance. The platform also has fraud detection features to help you spot fake followers. This can help you determine whether an influencer is a good fit for your brand before you reach out.
Bulk outreach: Heepsy allows you to send messages to large numbers of influencers at once, which can help accelerate your campaign launch.
Reporting: Once you’ve launched your influencer campaign, Heepsy offers reporting features to help you track it. The platform has detailed analytics features to help you track key metrics and even compare influencer performance.
pricing considerations
Heepsy has four pricing plans to choose from. More expensive plans come with the ability to reach out to more influencers and track more campaigns. When compared to other tools, Heepsy’s pricing is on the more affordable side, making it an accessible option for many teams. The platform also has a free version with basic features.
Starter: $47/month
Plus: $135/month
Advanced: $215/month
why influencer search tools aren’t always worth the investment
While influencer search tools can be helpful, they’re not the only way to find content creators to work with. These search tools tend to come with a high price tag, which means they’re not always accessible to growing brands.
Here’s why an influencer search tool might not be the right solution for your brand.
influencer marketing platforms lead you to pay for more than you need
Many influencer search tools also come with other social media management features, such as campaign management tools, detailed campaign reports, and influencer payment tools. However, not all brands need these features for successful influencer collaborations. Small brands, in particular, may just be looking for influencer search features.
These extra features come with a high price tag, which means you could end up spending much more than you need to just to find creator partners. While these robust influencer marketing tools may be worthwhile for large, established brands, they aren’t always necessary for smaller companies and could end up draining your budget.
Additionally, when you use an influencer search tool, you’re limited to the users in the tool’s database. This means you may miss out on newer micro-influencers or local influencers who could be a great fit for your brand.
traditional influencers don’t hold the same power they used to
The social media landscape has changed rapidly over the last few years. While traditional influencers still have large audiences, they don’t affect their audience’s purchasing decisions the same way they used to.
In fact, many traditional influencers have hopped on the 'de-influencing’ bandwagon instead. De-influencing involves talking your audience out of buying certain products, and it’s making an impact — the #deinfluencing tag has more than 1.5 billion views on TikTok.
Instead, many brands now work with micro-influencers (who have less than 100,000 followers) and nano-influencers (who have less than 10,000 followers). While these influencers may have relatively small followings, their followers are often more engaged than those of larger influencers. Working with them is also more affordable for brands: 44% of marketers prefer working with micro-influencers because it’s more cost-effective.
By working with smaller influencers, your UGC is more likely to drive real purchasing decisions. Your brand can take this a step further by working with local influencers in your city. This is particularly effective when you’re trying to promote something location-specific, like a restaurant.
If a major influencer posts about a restaurant, only a small portion of their global following will be able to visit it. However, when a hyperlocal influencer posts about a restaurant, most of their followers are likely to live nearby, which could lead to potential purchases.
These hyperlocal influencers won’t show up in a traditional influencer search database. To find and connect with them, you’ll need to take an alternate approach.
a better way to market your brand: trade influencers for hummingbirds
Hummingbirds is a platform that offers a unique, community-focused alternative to traditional influencer search tools. With Hummingbirds, users post a campaign and match with local influencers, or “hummingbirds,” based in your city.
Hummingbirds create posts featuring your product or service in exchange for perks, such as a complimentary product, access to an exclusive event, or a gift card. This makes campaigns more affordable for brands and less stressful for influencers.
Hummingbirds aren’t traditional influencers. They typically use social media as a hobby rather than a career. This results in content that feels more like a recommendation from a friend than a big-budget corporate social media campaign. Over time, you can build long-term relationships with your favorite hummingbirds to increase your brand presence and reach your target audience.
book a call to learn more about how Hummingbirds supports your brand marketing goals
With a community-centric approach, Hummingbirds helps you boost brand awareness and win new customers in local markets. Our platform provides an alternative to a traditional, costly influencer marketing strategy that allows you to meet your audience where they are: in their local communities.
Book a call today to learn more and start your journey to powerful local creator partnerships.
