How to choose the right influencer for your business

Influencer marketing will not work for you unless you choose the right influencer.

I bet you know that already.

So, how do you choose the right influencer for your brand?

Did I hear somebody say, “scout for them on Instagram?”

Well, good luck to you on that.

You can scour Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok all you want; I bet you still won’t find the right influencer for your business.

Not unless, of course, you use the tips we’ve compiled in this post.

Before we see what those tips are, I’ll like to first share with you the trick H&M once used to find influencers.

H&M’s influencer search idea: How they found influencers

H&M hired Julie Sariñana (a fashion blogger with more than 5.8 million Instagram followers) and Ela Velden (a model with 1.7 million followers) in one of their recent marketing campaigns.

But why these two? I asked myself.

So, I did some digging.

Turns out Julie Sariñana and Ela Velden had been rocking the H&M line for a long time.

From a marketing perspective, do you know what these choices mean?

It means they went with influencers that already have a “personal connection” with their brand.

If someone is following Ela Velden, it’s probably because they love her fashion sense and her choice of fashion brands.

In which case, if Ela Velden ever recommends a new product from one of the brands she’s been donning, chances are her followers will want to check it out.

Because they believe that Ela always wears the latest and the best.

How to choose the right influencer for your brand

Even though your brand may not have any personal connection to any influencer (like H&M), there are other ways to find the right influencer for you.

1. Use an influencer marketplace

Influencer marketplaces are platforms where influencers across the world gather.

If you’re looking for the right influencer for your business, this might be a great place to look.

A very good example of an influencer marketplace that has served many businesses over the years is Ventrity.com.

You, too, can try them today.

There, you’ll find fashion influencers, fitness influencers, travel influencers, lifestyle geeks, Twitter Titans, Tik Tokers, etc.

Just name it.

I love Ventrity because they go the extra mile to help you find the right influencer for your business.

Instead of leaving you to scour their platform for influencers, they ask you what you’re looking for and then use that information to connect you with the right guys.

You can shoot them a DM today on their website, telling them what your business is about and the kind of influencer you’re looking for.

2. Scour Social Media platforms

Most people looking for influencers usually go on Twitter or Instagram with the wrong mindset of finding the guys with the highest number of followers.

Do this, and you’ll never find a good influencer to work with.

Yes, the number of followers an influencer has is of great importance. But that’s only a measure of their reach – i.e., the number of people that can see them.

It doesn’t tell us anything about their “influencing power.”

Think about it, that someone has 1 million followers doesn’t mean they can influence the decisions of 1 million people.

So, what should you do instead?

• Read the comments on their posts: Under each of their posts, check to see the sort of effect they’re having on people. Is it the normal “Oh my Gosh, you look stunning” comments, or is it more of “thanks for recommending this; I’m checking it out right away?” It’s very easy to do this kind of research. Don’t be lazy. It’s your money that’s on the line, remember.
• Take a survey of their followers: Enter the DM of some of their followers to ask harmless questions like, “What do you think about influencer XYZ?” “If she recommends a product, would you consider buying?” If you’re worried about denting your brand’s image, you can create a new personal IG or Twitter account to send these DMs. And if you’re feeling lazy to send too many DMs, you can use Instagram DM bots like DmPro, BigBangram, Direct Bulk Sender, InstaNobel, or IGdm.

3. Ask friends/colleagues for recommendations

Nobody is an island. So it’s never wrong to ask for help.

Perhaps someone in your network has worked with an influencer before. The only way you’re gonna know is if you ask.

So, reach out to friends, family, and colleagues to see whether anyone can recommend a good influencer for you.

4. Snoop on your competitors

If your competitor is using an influencer, chances are you can use the same person, too.

And if they’re not available, then you can ask them to recommend a colleague they trust.

5. Call for influencers

Who doesn’t like some good ‘ol traditional publicity?

You can make it official on your page that you’re looking for influencers to partner with.

Of course, lots of people would DM you, but you can separate the wheat from the chaff by using the hack described in tip #2 above.

Story by Uday Tank