5 essentials for finding and partnering with a worthy influencer

Perhaps the most important—and yet most difficult—part of an influencer marketing campaign comes before you ever make a pitch.

Finding the right influencers takes time, and according to a Mediakix survey, 61% of marketers still say it’s difficult to find influencers who properly align with their brand.

Many marketers rely on follower count and engagement rate, assuming those metrics will help them find high-quality influencers. In a day of fraudulent influencers, removal or concealment of “likes” and imperfect software, it’s important to go beyond the numbers. Brand marketers should instead evaluate the following when vetting influencers:

Audience demographics

Use demographic data to gauge the likelihood of followers’ becoming customers. If your product is primarily targeted to females, you want an influencer with a largely female audience. For example, if an influencer has 20,000 followers but only 25% of them are female, that means only 5,000 will be interested in your brand. Likewise, don’t waste money reaching followers on the West Coast if you’re marketing an experience in New York City.