The Art & Science Of Selecting The Right Creator Partners

In the digital age, consumers are bombarded with endless advertisements and promotional content. As a result, traditional marketing strategies like display ads and sponsored content have become less effective in capturing consumer attention and building brand loyalty. 

This is where influencer marketing comes in. By partnering with individuals who have a large following on social media platforms, brands can tap into the trust and authenticity that these influencers have built with their audiences. 

However, finding the right influencers for brand partnerships can be a daunting task. Influencer sourcing requires careful consideration of factors such as the influencer’s audience demographics, engagement rates, and brand alignment. 

In this sense, choosing the best influencers is crucial to the success of influencer marketing campaigns and can make all the difference in driving brand awareness, engagement, and sales.

It’s true; there is an art and science behind finding the right influencer partners and the host of benefits that come from meaningful partnerships that make the most impact on your brand. If you’re not sure where to stop, we can help. 

 

Why Sourcing The Best Influencers Make A Difference

Working with influencers who are a great fit for your brand can bring a range of benefits that can help your brand stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. Here are some key benefits:

 

Increased brand awareness

The right creators have a loyal and engaged following, which can help increase your brand’s awareness and reach. By partnering with influencers who align with your brand values and target audience, you can tap into their audience and expose your brand to new potential customers.

 

Authentic content creation

Influencers are experts in creating engaging and authentic content that resonates with their followers. By collaborating with them, you can benefit from their creativity and expertise to create content that aligns with your brand’s messaging and values. This high-quality content has a better chance to break through competing advertisements and will resonate more deeply with your target audience.

 

Long-term relationships

When a brand finds the right partner, there is the potential for a long-term relationship which has a myriad of benefits. These relationships are more cost-effective than one-off partnerships given the time saved without the need to find new creators. 

There is also the potential for more content at a reduced rate given the precedent of a positive relationship. Along with improving brand perception and building trust with your audience, these partners can provide insights and innovation to improve other marketing content and strategy. 

 

Better audience targeting

Influencers have a unique understanding of their audience demographics, interests, and behavior. By partnering with influencers who align with your target audience, you can better target and engage with your ideal customers.

 

What Happens If You Activate The Wrong Influencer? 

Partnering with influencers who are not a good fit for your brand is a risk that all brands take with their influencer marketing programs.

However, a bad fit isn’t just a detriment to your campaign performance — it can potentially harm your brand’s reputation. For instance, if an influencer is known for promoting products or services that are controversial or do not align with your brand values, it can lead to negative backlash from your audience — and you may need to enact a PR response strategy. 

This can damage the trust and credibility that you have built with your audience over time. Moreover, if an influencer has low engagement rates or a fake following, it can result in poor campaign performance and low return on investment.

Another risk of working with the wrong influencers is that it can lead to legal issues if the influencer violates FTC guidelines or other regulations. Therefore, it’s important to carefully evaluate potential influencers and ensure that they align with the brand’s values, messaging, and target audience to avoid these risks and ensure a successful influencer marketing campaign.

 

How To Find The Best Creators

Finding the best creators to partner with for your next influencer marketing campaign can be challenging. What are the qualities you should look for?

 

Partner with a trusted influencer marketing platform

You may understand this already, but the best way to find influencers is not scrolling through social feeds. Most marketers employ a tool like an influencer marketing platform. One tool that is particularly effective for identifying potential influencers is Mavrck’s all-in-one influencer platform.

Mavrck’s influencer marketing platform that allows brands to find influencers based on a range of criteria, including age, location, cost per engagement (CPE), audience insights, social network, and follower count. Mavrck also offers an easy-to-use interface, making it simple for brands to search and filter through potential influencers to find the best fit for their campaign. To learn more about Mavrck’s capabilities, schedule a free demo with one of our in-house experts.

 

Set goals to drive influencer sourcing

Having clear goals for influencer marketing campaigns is essential to finding the best partners possible. Clear goals can help brands identify the criteria they should use to find their influencer partners. The goals can also help brands determine the metrics they should use to measure the success of the campaign.

For instance, if a brand’s goal is to increase brand awareness, they might want to partner with influencers who have a large following and a high engagement rate. On the other hand, if the brand’s goal is to drive sales, they might want to partner with influencers that have smaller followings and who have a track record of driving conversions and with a highly engaged audience that is likely to take action.

Furthermore, having clear goals can help brands determine the messaging and tone they should use in their campaigns. This can help brands identify influencers who align with their voice, tone, and values. Brands should also consider the relevance of an influencer’s audience to ensure that their message resonates with the right people.

 

Define your influencer selection criteria

Not all influencers are right for every brand! So many elements go into sourcing creators that go beyond performance — though ROI and proven engagement are still an important part. What should you consider when searching for content creators for your next campaign? 

 

Is the influencer’s audience relevant to your target audience?

A relevant audience refers to a group of people who are interested in a brand’s products or services and are likely to engage with influencer content. When brands partner with influencers who have a relevant audience, they can ensure that their message is reaching the right people and that their content is resonating with their target audience. This not only helps improve campaign performance but can also lead to better conversion rates and long-term brand loyalty. 

To identify influencers with a relevant audience, brands should evaluate the influencer’s follower demographics, engagement rates, and content themes. By selecting influencers who align with the brand’s target audience and have a strong track record of engagement and authenticity, brands can maximize the impact of their influencer marketing campaigns and achieve their marketing objectives.

 

What social media platforms are they most active on? 

Based on your target audience and brand goals, selecting which social media platform to activate your influencers on is essential. If you are unsure about which platform to choose or have a selected platform and are looking for guidance Mavrck’s Influencer Marketing Guide by Social Network will inform your strategy. 

 

Is the creator aligned with your brand’s voice, tone, and values?

Brand alignment is a crucial factor for brands to consider when selecting partners. By partnering with influencers who align with their voice, tone, and values, brands can ensure that their message is communicated effectively and consistently to their audience. Here are some ways brands can analyze influencers and their content to see if it aligns with their brand:

  • Voice: Brands should look for influencers who share a similar voice or tone in their content as the brand’s messaging. The influencer’s voice should reflect the brand’s personality, style, and mission. By selecting an influencer who shares a similar voice, brands can ensure that the influencer’s content feels authentic and relatable to their audience.
  • Tone: The tone of an influencer’s content should also align with the brand’s messaging. For example, if a brand’s messaging is focused on humor, then the influencer’s content should also have a humorous tone. Similarly, if a brand’s messaging is more serious, then the influencer’s content should have a more serious tone. By selecting an influencer with a compatible tone, brands can ensure that their messaging is consistent across all marketing channels.
  • Values: Brand values are a critically important aspect to consider when selecting influencers. Brands should look for influencers who share their values, whether it be social responsibility, sustainability, or diversity and inclusion. By partnering with influencers who share the same values, brands can build trust with their audience and demonstrate their commitment to important causes.

 

Do they have proven reach and engagement levels?

Measuring an influencer’s reach and engagement is a cornerstone in the strategy to find the best potential partners. Reach refers to the number of people who see an influencer’s content, while engagement measures the level of interaction or action taken by their followers. 

Depending on the goals of your campaign, reach or engagement may be more important. That being said, regardless of your goals, brands should look for influencers who have a strong engagement rate, as this indicates that their followers are actively engaging with their content and are more likely to take action.

As a general rule of thumb, the higher a creator’s follower count or reach, the lower their engagement rate. The following data utilizes Mavrck’s 2023 benchmark report for sponsored posts engagement rate by follower count on Instagram and should be used in your influencer analysis.

 

Follower Count Average Engagement Rate %
1-5,000 12.97%
5,001-15,000 13.31%
15,001-25,000 13.99%
25,001-50,000 11.93%
50,001-75,000 10.23%
75,001-100,000 8.97%
100,001-150,000 9.42%
150,001-200,000 9.56%
200,001-250,000 10.76%
250,001-750,000 8.82%

 

To measure an influencer’s reach and engagement, brands can use an influencer marketing platform like Mavrck. Mavrck provides insights into an influencer’s audience demographics, engagement rate, and reach, allowing brands to evaluate their performance and determine if they are a good fit for their campaign.

 

Is their content authentic?

Authenticity refers to the extent to which an influencer’s content feels genuine and aligns with their personality and values. Brands should look for influencers who are authentic to ensure that their followers trust their recommendations and are likely to make a purchase.

According to a survey by Stackla, 86% of consumers say authenticity is important when naming their favorite brands. Additionally, the same survey found that 60% of consumers believe that content from a friend or influencer is more trustworthy than content from a brand.

To evaluate an influencer’s authenticity, brands can look for signs of genuine interest and passion for the brand’s products or services. They can also review the influencer’s past collaborations to see if they have a history of promoting products that align with their values and interests.

 

Does this creator provide a great value compared to their cost?

The cost of partnering with an influencer varies depending on factors such as their follower count, engagement rate, and the type of content you want them to create. However, the cost of an influencer is not always proportional to the value they bring to the brand.

Brands should consider factors such as an influencer’s engagement rate, relevance to their target audience, and potential to drive sales when evaluating the value of partnering with an influencer. A high-cost influencer may not necessarily be the best fit for a brand if they do not resonate with their target audience or have a low engagement rate.

 

Does the creator have long-term potential?

When looking for influencers with the potential for a long-term partnership, there are several key aspects that brands should consider. The influencer’s content should align with the brand’s values and voice. By selecting an influencer whose content aligns with the brand’s messaging, brands can ensure a consistent and authentic representation of their brand over time. 

Consider the following points that highlight an influencer’s potential for a long-term relationship:

  • Authenticity
  • Past performance
  • Brand alignment
  • Cost

 

Recap: Why Is Influencer Sourcing Important?

As shown above, finding the right influencers for an influencer marketing campaign is crucial for its success. This is one of the more challenging aspects of influencer marketing, but it is not impossible. Hopefully, this resource will take you away from time wasted scrolling feeds for partners and has highlighted the real science and strategy behind finding the best creators to partner with your brand. 

 

Key takeaways:

  • Set clear campaign goals and determine specific KPIs to identify the key criteria needed in influencer partners.
  • Utilize tools like Mavrck that can locate influencers based on various factors such as age, location, audience insights, and social networks.
  • Build a long-term relationship with influencers through regular communication, exclusive perks, and opportunities for collaboration.
  • Measure and analyze campaign success to adjust strategies and tactics for future campaigns.

 

 

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