How do you find authentic influencers for your brand?

3 Engage with potential influencers

Once you have a list of potential influencers, you need to engage with them before you pitch them. This will help you build rapport, trust, and credibility, as well as show them that you are genuinely interested in their work and audience. You can engage with them by following them, liking and commenting on their posts, sharing their content, mentioning them in your posts, or sending them a direct message. Be respectful, authentic, and relevant, and avoid being spammy or pushy. The goal is to start a conversation and establish a relationship, not to sell them something right away.

4 Evaluate their authenticity and influence

Once you have identified potential influencers, it is important to evaluate their authenticity and influence. Authenticity means that they are honest, transparent, and consistent with their personal brand and values. Influence means that they have the power to shape the behavior, opinions, or actions of their audience. To assess authenticity and influence, you can look at a variety of factors such as content quality and relevance, engagement rate and feedback, audience size and demographics. Tools like Social Blade, Klear, or Influencer Marketing Hub can be used to check these factors and compare different influencers. It is important to consider if they create original, engaging content that aligns with your brand and niche; if they disclose partnerships and adhere to ethical standards; if they have a high ratio of likes, comments, shares, and views to their follower count; if they interact with their audience; if they receive positive sentiment from their audience; if they have a large enough audience to reach your target market; if they have a niche or broad audience; if they have a similar or diverse audience to your brand; and if they have a local or global audience.

5 Reach out with a personalized proposal

The final step is to reach out to the influencers you have selected with a personalized proposal. This is where you explain who you are, what your brand is about, what your goals are, and why you want to work with them. You also need to outline what you are offering them, what you expect from them, and what the terms and conditions are. Be clear, concise, and respectful, and avoid using generic or templated messages. Show them that you have done your research, that you value their work and audience, and that you have a mutually beneficial opportunity for them. You can use email or direct message to contact them, depending on their preference.

Finding authentic influencers for your brand can be a rewarding and effective way to boost your social media measurement and influencer marketing goals. By following these steps, you can find and collaborate with influencers who can help you reach your target audience, increase your brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or build trust.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?