Creating a presence on social media is a constant search for effective ways to promote products and services. The market is ever-evolving and constantly growing, providing vast opportunities. This is one of those opportunities, and it’s huge on Instagram. The fact that 75% of brands partnered with Instagram influencers this year has a good reason.
Certainly, influencer marketing is nothing new and Instagram is not the only way to do it. Instagram is where they have the most influence.
It can be difficult to identify the right influencers for your business. Here’s how to find them.
What is the purpose of Instagram influencers?
An influencer doesn’t equal celebrity or blogger, one thing to keep in mind. It’s not enough to have a lot of followers to be considered a leader. Someone who understands their audience is an influencer. Engaging followers and motivating them to make certain decisions are skills they possess. As with any brand, influencers must build a community of loyal followers that trust their opinions and experiences.
The real advantage of influencer marketing is that you can market your products through recommendations instead of blatant advertising. In general, people don’t like it when you try to sell them a product. People will listen to recommendations from people they like and trust.
The focus is not solely on advertising, however. There are several objectives you can achieve with influencer marketing:
- Increasing brand recognition
- Sales growth
- An increase in brand trust
- Restoring your reputation or responding to negative feedback
- Informing and educating your audience
- Creating a loyal following.
It does not mean you have to use influencer marketing. Various marketing strategies can be used to get great results.
The best way to find Instagram influencers
Although there are no shortages of tools and methods for finding Instagram influencers, they can all be boiled down to a few:
- Manual searches
- Lists of influencers
- Social media platforms with influencer agencies.
On StarStuded you can match with a verified celebrity and influencers and interact with them, which is really cool. Let’s discuss in more detail the most efficient options.
The process of finding a suitable creator is sometimes as simple as just searching for them online. Just type in your desired niche and location and click to search. You should pay attention to the article titles with lists.
Pros:
- Easy, fast, and free;
- Offers a wide range of options.
Cons:
- Results aren’t very accurate;
- There is no way to know whether these creators are genuine unless you use a third-party analytics service.
Using the platform itself is the most obvious option. It offers several options for locating influencers:
Hashtag search
Search for influencers in relevant niches and locations on the Instagram search engine. Consider choosing influencers you already know and checking out their posts. Find the hashtags that are used most often, click on them, and view all the posts using that hashtag. You may find influencers who are relevant to your target audience. Ensure their content is of good quality and their engagement with their audience is authentic.
Location search
This is a great option for local brands that want to find influencers in their area. Simply click on the geotag right under your username in your profile and select a publication. Take a moment to browse through the selection of posts and select the ones you consider the best in terms of quality and engagement.
Look among your own followers
Your own followers are very likely to be passionate about your brand and willing to be your brand ambassadors.
Tagged posts
View the creators who tagged you on your profile page by selecting the Tagged tab.
Pros:
- Quick and easy;
- Search influencers without having to leave the platform.
Cons:
- It’s time-consuming and difficult.
Influencer marketplaces
The best option would probably be to choose an influencer marketing platform. You can discover influencers in your niche using many of these services, but they offer much more than that. Typically, they come with CRM features and make it easy to manage your marketing campaigns from start to finish.
Pros:
- Many influencer marketplaces have vetted influencers to ensure authentic creators are selected;
- Plan and implement marketing campaigns;
- Monitoring campaign performance;
Cons:
- Not the best option if you are seeking macro-influencers;
- High-priced;
Influencer marketing agencies
The role of agencies is to serve as a middleman between brands and creators. Influencers are sourced, meets your requirements and the terms of your partnership are negotiated for you by them. In addition, a marketing strategy is developed for you by them. Unlike traditional advertising agencies, influencer marketing agencies focus on individual, hands-on work.
Pros:
- Agencies can represent creators of all sizes and niches;
- Personalized experience;
- Experience in the market;
- Detailed analytics.
Cons:
A database is normally more expensive than a marketplace or database.
It takes a lot of effort to market them.
Take a cue from your competitors
No, this does not mean you should copy your competitors’ actions or poach their creators. Take note of influencers who are actively engaged with the content of your competitors. Utilize trendHERO’s Ad Post feature to see what your competitors are saying about you. Also, you may be able to find creators who are interested in your brand.
Pros:
- Simple and free;
- Find influencers that have followers who are likely to be in your target market.
Cons:
- Time-consuming and energy-intensive;
- Getting in trouble for conflicts of interest is easy.
Odyssey has been the lead content writer and content marketer. He has vast experience in the field of writing. His SEO strategies help businesses to gain maximum traffic and success.