The world of digital marketing is incredibly competitive and constantly adapting. In an age where trends come and go in the blink of an eye, staying ahead of the curve is of paramount importance.
Today, brands all throughout the world have turned to influencers for collaboration opportunities. Make no mistake, influencers have quickly become a staple in the world of marketing, and you can no longer waste time ignoring the valuable opportunities they present when it comes to boosting brand awareness and maintaining an engaged target audience.
So what is influencer marketing?
Basically, it's when your brand partners with an influencer or influencers to help promote your products and services. The process involves finding influencers who resonate with your target audience, sending robust briefs, setting payment terms, and outlining the full influencer marketing campaign.
Of course, there are millions of influencers throughout the world, and finding the right influencer for your brand can be difficult and even overwhelming. For example, a cosmetic influencers for a cosmetic brand. Luckily, there are tools and platforms to assist.
A well-executed influencer marketing campaign can help you boost sales and ultimately achieve your marketing objectives.
Do not stress. We're here to help you find the right influencers for your brand, while covering the best influencer search tool for identifying potential creative partners. Whether you need nano-influencers, micro-influencers, macro-influencers or mega-influencers.
How Can I Find Influencers?
Of course, if influencer marketing platforms don't quite meet your budgetary restraints, there are other ways to find the right influencers - it may just take a little longer and require a little more work.
Explore Social Media Platforms
While time-consuming, browsing through various social media apps can be an effective method of finding different influencers within your niche.
TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitch all have ways that allow you to browse through different topics and categories and identify creators that align with your audience demographics and interests.
For example, if you’re on LinkedIn, you can type in a relevant keyword and filter it to posts to find the top-performing LinkedIn posts in that niche. You can then scroll through results to check engagement rates (views, likes, comments, etc.)
You can also refine your search with different filters such as content type, date, etc. to help you find exactly what you need.
Monitor Competitors
The age-old method of checking what your competitors do is still as reliable as ever. These days, there are even tools to help you with competitor analysis.
When it comes to finding influencers, you can review who your competitors are working with to get an idea of who to reach out to. Browse through those influencers' profiles, check who they're following and affiliated with, and find some potential creators to work with.
It’s easy to find out who your competition is working with just by checking their social media profiles. For example, if you’re working for a huge clothing brand and want to see how your competitors are marketing products, all you have to do is go take a look.
Above, you can immediately identify who Gucci is working with by reviewing whose been tagged in photos and reels.
Browse Influencer Databases
In today's age, there are many influencer databases and directories out there that categorise and divide creators with significant followings into different categories, industries and niches. You can use said directories to find creators whose interests and values align with your brand.
Some examples of influencer databases include Influencers Club, Social Cat, and GRIN among others.
Do Hashtag and Keyword Research
Doing some keyword and hashtag research is always a good idea. Look for relevant hashtags and keywords related to your industry or product on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest, and explore the profiles of top contributors.
Hashtags and keywords, while not quite as reliable as some marketing tools’ features, are still a fairly reliable way to find potential creator partners.
You can also use tools such as Social Tracker to run through hashtags and keywords across different platforms.
Use Social Media Listening Tools
With social media listening tools, you can monitor conversations, hashtags, and mentions related to your industry or niche. These tools can help you identify influential creators and industry experts who are already talking about topics relevant to your brand.
One of the most popular social listening tools is BuzzSumo, a feature-rich social listening tool that specialises in content discovery and research.
Attend Events
In the post-covid age, this may seem a little old school, but attending professional events and conferences is still a powerful way to network and find valuable opportunities to establish personal connections while exploring potential influencer collaborations.
You can even host your own event or conference and open it up to influencers within your niche who may consider working with you. Host a brunch, product launch party, or meet and greet to meet with influencers and creators. You could even hire a speaker within a your niche to host a talk at the conference.
Use Search Engines
You can also perform some Google searches and explore content platforms like blogs, podcasts, and forums to discover influential content creators. It's best to seek out individuals who produce high-quality, relevant content and have a loyal following within your target audience.
You’ll also find a wide range of influencer marketing platforms out there including search engines specifically designed for finding influencers such as ttagz Search - these often come with a range of detailed metrics covering the influencer and its followers to help you determine the best fit for your brand.
Ask For Recommendations and Referrals
If you've been around for a while, you may already have a network of colleagues and industry leaders to whom you can reach out for recommendations and referrals.
Sometimes word of mouth is still the best way to find the perfect collaborators, so take full advantage of the network at your disposal.
Check Who Influencers Follow and Work With
You can review who influencers are following to find other potential influencer partners. More often than not, they will collaborate and engage with similar influencers.
Just view the profile, click “following”, and scroll through the results to try to find similar influencers. You can also check who has tagged them in photos or who they’ve tagged to give you an idea of the circles they run in.
Tips For Influencer Outreach
Influencer outreach can be a powerful strategy for expanding your brand's reach and engagement. The following tips can help you master your influencer outreach strategy.
Define Your Goals
Before reaching out to influencers, clarify your objectives. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, improved traffic, or sales? Understanding your goals will shape your outreach strategy.
The SMART method of setting goals still applies today - keep it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Your goals from influencer marketing campaigns should align with your business objectives as a whole. Know your target audience's needs, preferences, and habits as you’re setting your goals.
Specify the metrics you will use to evaluate your campaign’s success. This can include website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, lead generation, and sales numbers.
Continuously monitor the progress of your campaign and review your goals regularly. Make updates as necessary to stay aligned with your business objectives and market trends.
Research and Identify Relevant Influencers
Look for influencers whose audience aligns with your target demographic and niche. Consider factors such as follower count, engagement rate, content quality, and value alignment.
You should dive as deep into each profile's data to ensure your target audience can be found among their followers.
Personalise Your Outreach
Avoid generic messages. Personalise each outreach email and message to show that you've researched the influencer's content and genuinely believe in a potential collaboration. Mention specific reasons why you think they'd be a good fit for your brand.
You can find email marketing tools that make personalising outreach easier, plus loads of templates and examples across the scope of the internet.
The campaign brief should be clear, concise and compelling. To save time, you can use the free influencer campaign brief generator from ttagz.
Build Genuine Relationships
Focus on building authentic connections rather than treating influencers as mere marketing tools. Engage with their content, comment thoughtfully, and share their posts when appropriate. This can lead to lasting influencer relationships.
Provide Value
Offer influencers something of value in exchange for their collaboration. This could be free products, compensation, exclusive discounts for their followers, or opportunities for unique experiences related to your brand.
For the most part, though, influencers want money far more than they want gifts, so make sure your budget has been outlined and prepared.
Be Transparent
Clearly communicate your expectations, including the scope of the collaboration, compensation (if applicable), and any guidelines or restrictions. Transparency builds trust and helps prevent misunderstandings for all parties.
Respect Their Creative Freedom
Trust the influencer's expertise in creating content that resonates with their audience. Avoid overly prescriptive instructions and give them creative freedom to showcase your brand authentically.
The reason you’re reaching out to them is because of their ability to craft posts that resonate with their followers and fans. If you place too many restrictions on what they’re allowed to do, you may end up not getting the full value of the partnership.
Follow-Up
If you don't receive a response to your initial outreach, don't be discouraged. Follow up politely after a reasonable amount of time, but avoid being pushy or overly persistent.
To make it easier, take a look at the template we’ve written out as an example below:
Subject: Follow-Up: Exciting Collaboration Opportunity!
Hi [Influencer’s Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding the exciting collaboration opportunity with [Your Company/Brand Name]. We are incredibly enthusiastic about the possibility of working together and believe that your unique style and influence would be a perfect fit for our upcoming campaign.
To recap, here are the key details of the collaboration:
- Campaign Objective: [Briefly describe the goal of the campaign]
- Scope of Work: [Outline the expected deliverables, such as posts, stories, videos, etc.]
- Timeline: [Provide the campaign timeline]
- Compensation: [Mention the compensation or benefits]
We are genuinely impressed with your content and believe that partnering with you will bring great value to both your audience and our brand. We are flexible and open to discussing any ideas or adjustments you might have to ensure this collaboration is mutually beneficial.
Please let us know if you have any questions or need further information. We would love to schedule a call or meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss this opportunity in more detail.
Looking forward to your positive response!
Best regards,
Sometimes the only reason someone hasn't responded is because they missed it or forgot. So hit that follow up email!
Track and Measure Results
Digital Marketing is all about tracking, measuring and assessing campaign results to help improve going forward.
Monitor the performance of influencer collaborations to assess their effectiveness in achieving your goals. Track metrics such as engagement, website traffic, and sales attributed to influencer-generated content.
If you’re struggling to hit your targets or see any return on investment, it may be time to rethink your strategy.
The Best Influencer Marketing Platforms
Now, what are some of the best influencer marketing platforms? With plenty on the market, you'll need to find a platform that meets your every need as a digital marketer hoping to run successful influencer marketing campaigns.
ttagz
Channels: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
When looking to find influencers for your brand, you need not look further than the ttagz search tool - a powerful influencer marketing tool with an influencer database including millions of influencers across multiple industries and niches.
The intuitive platform makes it easy to find and filter through influencers. You can quickly identify creators who resonate with your target audience for potential collaborations.
The influencer marketing tool is designed to assist you throughout the full influencer marketing campaign with features for tracking and measuring campaigns, reaching out to influencers, preparing briefs, and exploring different social media platforms.
The available filters are also incredibly effective for finding influencers whose audience demographics meet your own. As such, the audience of the influencer you partner with is likely to find your products or services appealing.
As you search influencers, filter by demographics, location, preferences, brand affinity, gender, and more - making it easy for you to find exactly what your brand needs. Get the details on your influencer's full profile including information on fake followers and past collaborations.
With the ttagz Search tool, you don't have to waste time manually scrolling through the depths of the internet with the hope of finding a potential collaborator. Instead, find what you need instantly with the powerful influencer marketing tool.
Outside of the search functionality, ttagz also offers a UGC creation tool to help brands boost user-generated content and build a community of engaged fans.
ttagz Search best features
Influencer Search
Influencer Outreach
Influencer Profile Analysis
Follower Analysis
Influencer Marketing Campaign Management
Influencer Marketing Tracking
Brief Creation
Exporting & Reports
ttagz Search pricing
The pricing for the ttagz Influencer Search Tool is divided into two tiers.
Essential (£76 per month): Access 250M+ Creators, Unlimited Groups, Access All Filters, Unlimited Exporting
Advanced (£136 per month): Access 250M+ Creators, Unlimited Groups, Access All Filters, Unlimited Exporting, Campaign Outreach, Campaign Monitoring
Upfluence
Channel: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
Upfluence is a popular influencer marketing platform designed to streamline and optimise influencer campaigns for businesses of all sizes.
At its core, the influencer marketing platform offers a suite of tools and features to help you and your brand identify, connect with, and manage influencers relevant to your audience and marketing objectives.
One of its key functionalities is its influencer discovery tool, which allows you to search for suitable influencers across various social media platforms based on specific criteria such as demographics, interests, and engagement metrics.
Once potential influencers are identified, the platform provides outreach and relationship management tools, facilitating communication, negotiation, and collaboration between your brand and influencers.
Lastly, Upfluence also offers relevant and comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities, giving your business the tools to track the performance and ROI of your influencer campaigns.
This includes metrics such as reach, engagement, conversions, and more, helping you assess your influencer partnerships' effectiveness and make data-driven decisions for future digital marketing campaigns.
All in all, Upfluence is a powerful and user-friendly platform designed to help you effortlessly find influencers.
Upfluence's key features
Influencer Search
Influencer Outreach
Campaign Management
Influencer Tracking
Data & Analytics
Relationship Management
Upfluence pricing
For information on Upfluence's pricing structure, you'll need to reach out for a demo and request a quote.
Storyclash
Channels: Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok
Storyclash, the intuitive social media analytics platform for Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, is designed to help businesses and marketers drive online visibility through data-driven digital marketing techniques. The AI-powered tool is feature-rich and perfect for driving your influencer marketing campaigns.
Core features such as real-time monitoring, influencer discovery, and campaign management make it a great choice for your brand. Filter your searches by metrics such as engagement, reach, and audience sentiment, providing a holistic view of content effectiveness.
The influencer tool also offers competitive analysis features, allowing you to benchmark performances against competitors and identify emerging trends in your industry. This helps you stay ahead of the curve and adapt your strategies accordingly.
A stand-out feature is its trend detection capabilities, highlighting popular topics and conversations gaining traction on social media profiles. You can then capitalise on what's trending and use it as part of your influencer campaign.
That's not all, though. The platform includes customisable dashboards and reports, allowing you to filter analytics to your specific needs. Overall, it's a good choice for brands looking to find influencers - whether that's Instagram influencers, TikTok influencers, YouTube influencers, or Pinterest influencers.
Storyclash's best services
Influencer Search Functionality
Influencer Data
Influencer Outreach
Campaign Tracking
Social Media Analytics
AI-Powered Functionality
Storyclash pricing
The Storyclash pricing structure is divided into three tiers.
Light (£899 per month): For small businesses scaling their creator marketing.
Professional (£1899 per month): For fast-growing businesses requiring advanced creator marketing tools.
Enterprise (Custom pricing): For large businesses with custom requirements and complex tech stack.
Influence.co
Channels: Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube
Influencer.co is another popular influencer platform that facilitates seamless collaborations between brands and influencers with the power of influencer marketing.
At its core, Influencer.co acts as a marketplace, helping to bridge the gap between your brand and potential creators and influencers.
The marketing platform gives you access to an influencer database across various niches and social media channels, allowing you to quickly identify suitable partners for your influencer marketing campaigns.
You can browse through profiles, analyse engagement metrics, examine influencer attributes, and negotiate terms directly with influencers, streamlining the process of influencer selection and campaign execution. Filter influencers by whatever search criteria are most important to your brand.
It stands out from many of the other influencer marketing platforms as it isn't only for brands. Influencers can benefit from the platform by gaining exposure to potential brand partnerships, affiliate opportunities, and more.
Influencers can create detailed profiles showcasing their audience demographics, reach, and engagement rates, enabling brands to make informed decisions when selecting influencers for their campaigns. This makes it even easier for your brand to identify collaboration opportunities.
The digital marketing platform also provides tools and resources to streamline collaboration management, performance tracking, and campaign optimisation - empowering both your brand and influencers to maximise the effectiveness of influencer marketing efforts.
The one-stop solution for influencer marketing is a great tool for those brands looking to find vetted influencers for profitable influencer collaborations.
Influencer.co's best features
Influencer Finder Tool
Influencer Management
Influencer Outreach
Content Search
Influencer Database Access
Tracking & Reporting
Influencer.co's pricing
For information on Influencer.co's pricing, you'll need to reach out and request a quote.
Creator.co
Channels: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
The Creator.co influencer marketing platform is an all-in-one solution for both brands and influential creators. Your brand can instantly find the influencers you need via a centralised hub where you can filter influencers by whatever metrics you choose.
With the influencer tool, you can find an influencer's audience whose interests align with your products or services. The database itself covers the top influencers across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and more.
As with most of these tools, the aim is to help you streamline the process - from discovery to influencer management and brief generation. Influencers looking for potential partnerships can showcase portfolios, metrics, insights, follower count, niches, and more to appeal to brands such as your own.
Not limited to megastars, you can effortlessly find micro-influencers, nano-influencers, and macro-influencers. With creator.co, finding brand ambassadors is easy.
You can set campaign objectives, target demographics, and budget parameters, allowing for highly targeted and effective influencer marketing campaigns. The platform basically serves as the middleman between your brand and influential creators with the same audience interests.
Creator.co's best features
Influencer Search Tool
Influencer Database
Data and Reports
Brief Generation
Campaign Management
Creator.co's pricing
Creator.co's pricing for brands is divided into two tiers.
Self-Serve DIY ($460 per month) - Build campaign briefs, invite creators, and automatically capture content and data. One dashboard to manage all your influencer campaigns.
Start-Up Expert Assistance ($1795 per month) - They provide assistance with strategy, brief building, and basic recruiting to drive successful campaigns.
Tribe Dynamics
Channels: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Tribe Dynamics gives you a dynamic range of digital marketing tools and analytics features to harness the power of influencer marketing and brand advocacy.
With Tribe Dynamics, you can track social media conversations and trends, find influential voices within your target audience, and measure the impact of your influencer campaigns.
That's not all though. Tribe Dynamics gives you insights into the competitive landscape, allowing you to benchmark your performance against industry peers and gain actionable insights to stay ahead of the ever-moving curve.
Overall, Tribe Dynamics gives you the tools to navigate the complex world of influencer marketing with precision and agility, helping you build authentic connections with your audience, drive brand awareness, and boost sales.
Tribe Dynamics' best features
Influencer Relationship Management
Content Library
Campaign Reporting
Influencer Analysis
Audience Analysis
Social Listening
Competitor Research
Tribe Dynamics pricing
Tribe Dynamics' pricing structure is divided into three tiers. However, for more information on pricing, you'll have to reach out to request a demo and quote.
Brandwatch
Brandwatch is one of the best social media monitoring and analytics solutions on the market tailored to meet the needs of brands taking on the world of influencer and social media marketing.
With Brandwatch, you can monitor mentions of your products, services, and competitors in real-time, and as such, you can stay informed about consumer sentiment, new trends, and any issues that need attention.
The powerful and wide-ranging analytics tools make it easy for you to measure the impact of your social media campaigns, identify key influencers, check the engagement rate, and track the effectiveness of all your marketing efforts. You can quickly find the perfect partners to help you drive traffic via creative Instagram posts, TikTok reels, and whatever else makes sense.
You can make informed data-driven decisions surrounding your brand, drive meaningful engagement with your audience, and ultimately strengthen your brand presence in the competitive digital landscape - all by finding the best influencers to work with.
Whether it's influencer management, finding brand ambassadors, market research, or competitive analysis, Brandwatch equips you with the tools you need to thrive in the ever-evolving world of social media.
Brandwatch's best features
Influencer Discovery
Social Media Monitoring
Trend Analysis
Data & Analytics
Campaign Measurement
Competitor Analysis
Brandwatch pricing
For information on Brandwatch's influencer marketing pricing, you'll have to reach out for a demo and request a quote.
NeoReach
NeoReach is a versatile influencer marketing platform designed to make brand-influencer collaborations that much easier. The core features include influencer discovery, campaign management, and performance analytics - all designed to help you enhance your influencer marketing efforts
You can effortlessly identify suitable influencers across various platforms with criteria such as demographics, audience size, and engagement metrics. From Instagram influencers to YouTube content creators, find them with ease.
Like with many of the other tools mentioned, the platform simplifies the entire influencer campaign process for your brand, from planning and execution to monitoring and evaluation.
You can set campaign objectives, define content guidelines, manage communication with creators, and handle all payments with ease. But that's not all, NeoReach offers comprehensive performance analytics, offering insights into reach, engagement, conversions, and ROI.
The influencer marketing hub serves as a centralised dashboard to take care of all your marketing needs, no matter your brand or industry.
NeoReach's best features
Influencer Discovery
Campaign Management
Performance Analytics
Profile Analysis
NeoReach's pricing
For information on NeoReach's pricing, reach out and request a quote.