2023/11/05
9 MIN READ
INFLUENCER MARKETING
INFLUENCER MARKETING
Find Influencers for Your Brand: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Find Influencers for Your Brand: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Find Influencers for Your Brand: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Content Writer @impulze.ai
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Blog in Short ⏱️
Blog in Short ⏱️
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
A quick glance at the highlights—perfect for when you're short on time.
Influencer marketing is a game-changer for brands, with nearly one-third of American adults reporting that social media creators impact their purchase decisions. Finding the right influencers goes beyond follower counts—focus on audience engagement, brand alignment, and authentic connections to get the best ROI.
Avoid common pitfalls during influencer discovery, like skipping goal-setting, ignoring demographics, or failing to outline clear expectations. Niche and micro-influencers can deliver targeted results, especially for small businesses.
Find the best tools for influencer marketing based on your budget and find the influencers for your brand who are a good fit.
What’s the last thing you bought after watching an influencer recommend it?
If you consume social media content, the chances are high.
It’s no surprise—authentic influencer recommendations can drive real results for businesses. But here’s the catch: it can be challenging to find influencers for your brand who can bring results.
Nowadays, just having huge followers isn't enough or the right criteria. You need to find influencers who match your brand's image, values, and audience. So, how can you find influencers for your brand? And what are the common mistakes you should avoid?
Read on to learn about the mistakes that are commonly made and how you can avoid them when you find influencers for your brand.
1. Skipping the Goal-Setting Stage
Not setting a goal is like not knowing what you want from the campaign. So, always define what you want: Is it awareness? More sales? Maybe you want to attract a niche audience, like eco-conscious shoppers.
When you have a clear goal, it’s easier to find influencers for your brand whose audience aligns with yours. Define measurable goals so you know what you’re after and can find your influencer accordingly.
For example, a new vegan, cruelty-free skincare brand that wants to sell its newly launched products might focus on beauty micro-influencers who talk about topics that their target audience can relate to, such as sustainable beauty tips or the use of cruelty-free products. Their existing content would align with the brand’s values, and it would look authentic for them to recommend these vegan, cruelty-free skincare products.
2. Focusing Only on the Follower Count
A common mistake brands make is to chase influencers with the biggest follower numbers. It’s tempting—you think, “More followers equals more reach.” But actually, follower count can be deceiving.
Consider this scenario: a local bakery shop partners with a local food chef-influencer with a million followers. But before this, they don’t know that many of the influencer’s followers aren’t based in the city.
Only a tiny fraction of their followers are in the same city. The bakery can’t get much out of the reach of this collaboration.
Instead, what could work better for them is working with a micro-influencer or possibly multiple nano-influencers who have followers who are based in the same city.
Focus on engagement and audience relevance over sheer numbers. Influencers with smaller, more engaged audiences (like micro or nano-influencers) can sometimes have a much more substantial impact.
3. Ignoring Engagement Rates
Never overlook engagement rates (which show how active and responsive an influencer’s audience is) before choosing an influencer.
If an influencer has millions of influencers, but only a handful interact with their content, i.e., their engagement rate is low, it’s unlikely you’ll get the best returns from working with such influencers.
Instead, find influencers for your brand whose posts get a ton of likes and (mostly) positive comments — this is a good sign that the audience actually cares. Followers of such influencers are more likely to engage with your content.
4. Choosing Influencers Who Don’t Fit Your Brand’s Values
Suppose a wellness brand partners with an influencer who has previously promoted junk food. This can damage the brand’s credibility. Choosing influencers whose values align with those of the brand is crucial.
When you find influencers for your brand, ensure their personal brand, tone, and messaging align with yours. This not only feels authentic but also builds trust with your audience.
5. Overlooking Niche or Micro-Influencers
If you’re a small business, you might think that big influencers are out of reach financially. That’s true—but you don’t need a big influencer to succeed.
Micro-influencers can bring excellent results for small brands. They’re more affordable and often have a tightly-knit community of followers who trust their recommendations.
Case in point: Vogelle, a small American bag brand, frequently works with Instagram nano-influencers to promote their bags.
6. Not Checking Audience Demographics
When marketers skip checking the audience demographics of influencers, it leads to collaborations that don’t drive results. If your influencer’s followers aren’t your target audience, the campaign won’t lead to brand awareness or sales.
Always check audience demographics when you want to find influencers for your brand.
Brands that succeed always do this. For instance, Tinder India has a good understanding of whom they want to target. They have collaborated with many popular Indian Instagram influencers whose followers match their target audience. They have connected with younger audiences who use dating apps by creating culturally relevant and engaging content.
Work with influencers whose followers match your target audience and will likely purchase your product/service.
7. Forgetting to Check for Fake Followers
Social media can be tricky territory, especially when it comes to authenticity. Some influencers, even with high engagement rates, might have fake followers.
To avoid this, look for signs of a genuine following—consistent engagement, comments that feel natural, and no sudden spikes in followers. Influencer tools, like impulze.ai, have features to detect fake followers. Remember, quality beats quantity, especially if you’re a small business with limited resources.
The Takeaway
Avoiding these mistakes will save you time and money, whether you work with an agency or look for influencers yourself.
Find influencers for your brand in minutes through impulze.ai. You can use our database of 250 million+ influencers to find influencers based on location, niche, follower size, and other such filters. You can also check for fake followers, access audience demographics, and more on impulze.ai.
What’s the last thing you bought after watching an influencer recommend it?
If you consume social media content, the chances are high.
It’s no surprise—authentic influencer recommendations can drive real results for businesses. But here’s the catch: it can be challenging to find influencers for your brand who can bring results.
Nowadays, just having huge followers isn't enough or the right criteria. You need to find influencers who match your brand's image, values, and audience. So, how can you find influencers for your brand? And what are the common mistakes you should avoid?
Read on to learn about the mistakes that are commonly made and how you can avoid them when you find influencers for your brand.
1. Skipping the Goal-Setting Stage
Not setting a goal is like not knowing what you want from the campaign. So, always define what you want: Is it awareness? More sales? Maybe you want to attract a niche audience, like eco-conscious shoppers.
When you have a clear goal, it’s easier to find influencers for your brand whose audience aligns with yours. Define measurable goals so you know what you’re after and can find your influencer accordingly.
For example, a new vegan, cruelty-free skincare brand that wants to sell its newly launched products might focus on beauty micro-influencers who talk about topics that their target audience can relate to, such as sustainable beauty tips or the use of cruelty-free products. Their existing content would align with the brand’s values, and it would look authentic for them to recommend these vegan, cruelty-free skincare products.
2. Focusing Only on the Follower Count
A common mistake brands make is to chase influencers with the biggest follower numbers. It’s tempting—you think, “More followers equals more reach.” But actually, follower count can be deceiving.
Consider this scenario: a local bakery shop partners with a local food chef-influencer with a million followers. But before this, they don’t know that many of the influencer’s followers aren’t based in the city.
Only a tiny fraction of their followers are in the same city. The bakery can’t get much out of the reach of this collaboration.
Instead, what could work better for them is working with a micro-influencer or possibly multiple nano-influencers who have followers who are based in the same city.
Focus on engagement and audience relevance over sheer numbers. Influencers with smaller, more engaged audiences (like micro or nano-influencers) can sometimes have a much more substantial impact.
3. Ignoring Engagement Rates
Never overlook engagement rates (which show how active and responsive an influencer’s audience is) before choosing an influencer.
If an influencer has millions of influencers, but only a handful interact with their content, i.e., their engagement rate is low, it’s unlikely you’ll get the best returns from working with such influencers.
Instead, find influencers for your brand whose posts get a ton of likes and (mostly) positive comments — this is a good sign that the audience actually cares. Followers of such influencers are more likely to engage with your content.
4. Choosing Influencers Who Don’t Fit Your Brand’s Values
Suppose a wellness brand partners with an influencer who has previously promoted junk food. This can damage the brand’s credibility. Choosing influencers whose values align with those of the brand is crucial.
When you find influencers for your brand, ensure their personal brand, tone, and messaging align with yours. This not only feels authentic but also builds trust with your audience.
5. Overlooking Niche or Micro-Influencers
If you’re a small business, you might think that big influencers are out of reach financially. That’s true—but you don’t need a big influencer to succeed.
Micro-influencers can bring excellent results for small brands. They’re more affordable and often have a tightly-knit community of followers who trust their recommendations.
Case in point: Vogelle, a small American bag brand, frequently works with Instagram nano-influencers to promote their bags.
6. Not Checking Audience Demographics
When marketers skip checking the audience demographics of influencers, it leads to collaborations that don’t drive results. If your influencer’s followers aren’t your target audience, the campaign won’t lead to brand awareness or sales.
Always check audience demographics when you want to find influencers for your brand.
Brands that succeed always do this. For instance, Tinder India has a good understanding of whom they want to target. They have collaborated with many popular Indian Instagram influencers whose followers match their target audience. They have connected with younger audiences who use dating apps by creating culturally relevant and engaging content.
Work with influencers whose followers match your target audience and will likely purchase your product/service.
7. Forgetting to Check for Fake Followers
Social media can be tricky territory, especially when it comes to authenticity. Some influencers, even with high engagement rates, might have fake followers.
To avoid this, look for signs of a genuine following—consistent engagement, comments that feel natural, and no sudden spikes in followers. Influencer tools, like impulze.ai, have features to detect fake followers. Remember, quality beats quantity, especially if you’re a small business with limited resources.
The Takeaway
Avoiding these mistakes will save you time and money, whether you work with an agency or look for influencers yourself.
Find influencers for your brand in minutes through impulze.ai. You can use our database of 250 million+ influencers to find influencers based on location, niche, follower size, and other such filters. You can also check for fake followers, access audience demographics, and more on impulze.ai.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to find influencers for your brand?
How to find influencers for your brand?
How to find influencers for your brand?
How to choose the right influencers for your brand?
How to choose the right influencers for your brand?
How to choose the right influencers for your brand?
Is there an app to find influencers?
Is there an app to find influencers?
Is there an app to find influencers?
Do influencers get paid?
Do influencers get paid?
Do influencers get paid?
How to find a micro-influencer?
How to find a micro-influencer?
How to find a micro-influencer?
How do I find an influencer near me?
How do I find an influencer near me?
How do I find an influencer near me?
How to connect with influencers?
How to connect with influencers?
How to connect with influencers?
Author Bio
Author Bio
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar
Aishwarya Taskar is a full-time writer. She loves watching films and spending time with animals in her free time. You can know more about her here.
Aishwarya Taskar is a full-time writer. She loves watching films and spending time with animals in her free time. You can know more about her here.
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Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
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Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
20K+ Active Users
May be Later
Join over 15000+ SocialiQ users who have installed this free Chrome extension to search, analyze, save, and contact influencers directly on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
20K+ Active Users
May be Later