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Perhaps you’re looking for influencers for a new campaign or for your first Ebook influencer marketing campaign ever. Where do you find them? As it turns out, there are several ways to look for influencers, some more efficient and cost-effective than others. Using an influencer database can help you search for people who are a good fit for your brand when it comes to reach and interests. But not all influencer databases are created equal. Here’s what to look for, and why using a database can help you.

What Is An Influencer Database?

An influencer database can play two roles. First, when you are in the process of finding influencers, it can help you sort through and discover people who would be a good fit for your brand or campaign.

Some databases are more useful for discovering influencers than others. Some are simply lists of every person who has a public account on a social media platform. Others are more curated, and include people who consciously signed up or asked to be included in the database. For example, some databases only include influencers who fall into a certain niche, such as gaming or fashion.

Usually, it’s in your best interests to use a database that includes influencers who want to be listed (opt-in). Less desirable influencer databases scrape social profiles to include everyone on social media.

Along with consulting a database when you are searching for influencers, you can also use one once you’ve found a team of influencers you want to work with. At that point, you can use the database to keep tabs on your influencers’ performance, and to track various metrics for each campaign. These can include how many shares the influencers’ posts receive, and how each post is received by the public.

Why Use an Influencer Database?

One of the biggest reasons to use an influencer database is that it can simplify the process of finding the right influencer.

Finding the right influencer can seem like trying to find a needle in the proverbial haystack. In fact, looking for and connecting with the ideal influencer is the number one challenge marketers say they face. But, when you use the right database, you can filter out the influencers who wouldn’t be a good fit, and pick and choose from the ones who remain.

How to Choose an Influencer Database

The first step to finding the right influencers is choosing the right database to work with. Here are a few things to look for when picking an influencer database:

Platforms Included

Some databases are platform agnostic, meaning they will include influencers who are active on any and all social media platforms. Others only include profiles from a specific platform, such as Twitter or Instagram.

Influencer Type

It might make sense to use an influencer database devoted to micro-influencers if you’re a smaller brand and don’t have a huge budget. But, it is also beneficial to work with one that offers a wider range of influencers, from micro-influencers to celebrities. You might not have the budget for a big-name influencer today, but you might be able to afford one in the future. A database that can grow with you is going to be more useful than one that has a limited function.

Profile Information

Ideally, the database will give you a detailed profile on each influencer, and that profile information will include facts and details you couldn’t research or easily discover on your own. Remember that influencers are people too. A database that gives you the big picture, rather than a few figures and facts, will be the most useful.

Audience Information

Audience is as important, if not more important, than who your influencer is. You want to know who’s paying attention to each influencer, how many people are paying attention, and how those people are interacting with him or her (if at all).

Influencer Scoring

In some cases, the question, “is this the right influencer for me,” answers itself. A database that includes influencer scoring can rank how well an influencer does in a particular category, or what his or her reach is on a particular platform. A scoring system might also let you know what tags or hashtags are particularly popular with an influencer.

Something else to keep in mind when you’re looking for the right influencer database is whether or not you’re able to connect with influencers through the database. Some tools let you create a list of influencers that spark your interest, but stop there.

Ideally, the database will also give you the ability to connect with influencers, or make contact with them through the program itself.

5 Steps to Invest in an Influencer Database

Step 1

Make a list of available databases. List the databases that you come across.

Step 2

Make a list of what you’re looking for in an influencer. Do you want a micro-influencer, a macro-influencer, a celebrity, or a combination of influencers? Are you looking for mommy influencers, fashionistas, or gamers? What type of audience do you want to connect with?

Step 3

Review the features offered by each database. Does the database connect you with all types of influencers, just micro-influencers, or only celebrities? Does it seem to filter influencers, or include anyone who’s on social media? What information does the database give you about influencers? Does it offer a proprietary scoring system, or is it just giving you data it scraped from the web? What features does it have? For example, can you connect with influencers and negotiate with them through the database, or do you have to take communication off-platform?

Step 4

Ask for a demo. You really want to try before you invest in an influencer database, to avoid ending up with a dud or having to start your search all over again with your next campaign.

Step 5

Get the full details on support and service, as well as costs. When you choose a particular database, what extras do you get? Are you on your own in terms of figuring out how it works? Will someone guide you through the setup process? How does pricing for the database work, and is there the option to pay  as you go, or to tap into more features as your needs and budget increase?

An influencer database is just one example of influencer software that can help you streamline and improve your influencer campaigns. Whether you’re starting with influencer marketing or are looking for ways to find and connect with more influencers, a database helps simplify the most challenging part of any influencer campaign.

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