How to Find Authentic Influencers to Work With Today

It can be difficult to find a creator who accurately represents your brand. Finding an authentic influencer is important for many reasons, including that the creators you work with become associated with your brand in the eyes of consumers. The influencers that you choose to collaborate with must represent your brand in a way that is true to your values as well as theirs.

We’re here to share just how to find genuine influencers who showcase your products and brand in an engaging and honest way.

Steps to finding genuine influencers for your brand

While finding authentic influencers can seem daunting, there are ways to simplify the process and find the right fit for your business. Follow along as we show you how to find authentic influencers to partner with for your next campaigns.

Brainstorm what your brand wants in an influencer

Before partnering with influencers, map out your campaign and ideal creators. Do the creators on your potential partner list reach the audiences you want to target? Do the creators mention your brand organically? What do they post? 

Discussing the influencer criteria and campaign goals before searching for an influencer ensures that you are seeking someone whose values and interests align with those of your brand and your desired audience.

Research influencers already posting about your brand

One of the best ways to find authentic influencers is through social media intelligence tools like BrandGraph, which can help you understand your brand’s online presence. Look within your own brand’s following and discover creators who are already posting about your products. Many influencers use their platforms to target audiences similar to those your brand wishes to engage with. One of the best ways to find a genuine influencer is to select those already passionate about your brand enough to share their honest opinion regarding your products without compensation. Because these influencers have not yet partnered with you, their authentic reviews show their true loyalty to your brand. These creators are the perfect and most authentic ones to work with for paid campaigns to showcase new launches, sales, and more.

Use your hashtags to your advantage

Discover shoppers and creators showcasing your products by sifting through your brand’s hashtags to find potential influencer collaborations. Browse the posts that show up under your branded hashtag or those that mention your brand. Influencers using your hashtags already love your brand and will represent your products authentically. 

Work with micro-influencers

Micro-influencers can make ideal collaborators because they genuinely desire to showcase your products accurately. Because micro-influencers are those with smaller followings, they are typically focused on sharing content that will excite their target audiences the most. Their partnerships are a cost-effective way to boost brand awareness.

Let creators apply for the position

Allowing creators to come to you can also be an effective method. Use The Creator Marketplace to your advantage by searching for the types of influencers you want to represent your brand. Creators’ IZEA profiles show their personal bios, social platforms, pricing and content examples. 

You can also create Casting Calls seeking pitches from creators via text or video so you can gauge their interest and excitement for your brand.