Wondering how to find influencers for your social media campaigns? This guide is for you! Nearly 60% of marketers say identifying the right creators is one of their biggest challenges!
If you’re one of those marketers figuring out where to start, our article breaks down everything from the basics. You’ll learn 9 methods to find the right influencers.
You will also learn about a free influencer marketing platform that connects you with verified influencers.
What Is an Influencer?
An influencer is someone who can influence what people buy. This comes from their knowledge, authority, or close bond with their audience.
They usually focus on a niche like fashion, fitness, tech, or travel. Influencers build trust by posting content regularly. Unlike celebrities, many influencers are everyday people who’ve grown their following online.
There are different types of influencers, based on the follower count:
- Nano-Influencers (1K–10K followers),
- Micro-Influencers (10K–100K followers),
- Macro-Influencers (100K–1M followers),
- Mega-Influencers (1M+ followers).
Why Finding the Right Influencer Matters
You might be thinking: “Any publicity is good publicity, so any influencer will do, right?” Not quite! Finding the right influencer is key to a successful campaign because:
- They act as your brand ambassador, tying their reputation to yours.
- The perfect match helps reach the right audience, build trust, and boost sales.
- 49% of consumers rely on influencer recommendations, and 69% trust them as much as friends.
- Besides, relevance matters! A health-focused influencer will always be a better fit for fitness brands looking for influencers than, say, a prank channel.
- Last but not least, the right influencer creates content that drives ongoing traffic and shares. That means more ROI!
9 Main Metrics to Choose the Right Influencers
So, how do you choose the right influencer for your brand? It starts with setting clear criteria and looking at the right metrics – beyond just follower count. Here are key factors to consider when evaluating an influencer:
1. Audience Alignment
First off, you need to make sure the influencer’s followers match your target customers. This means checking their audience’s age, location, interests, and language.
Even if they have millions of followers, it won’t help if those fans aren’t your market. Focus on relevance over reach.
A smart tip is to see who your competitors work with—those influencers already connect with your audience.
2. Engagement Rate
Don’t just focus on follower count—look at engagement too. An influencer with fewer followers but lots of likes and comments often does better than one with a big but inactive audience.
Engagement shows how involved their fans are. Smaller influencers usually have higher engagement rates, around 5% or more, while big ones get 1-2%. Always compare influencers in the same follower range.
3. Content Quality and Style
Don’t forget to check their content style and quality closely. Does it match your brand’s vibe? Consistency matters a lot!
A luxury brand needs polished photos, while a youth brand might want fun, casual videos. Good storytelling and audience engagement also count. When their style fits yours, the partnership feels natural and works better.
4. Authenticity and Credibility
The next key metric is authenticity. In fact, the influencers should truly connect with their followers and only promote things they believe in.
Remember, people spot fake ads fast. They should stick to their niche and not switch brands too often. Also, check their background for any drama—you want someone who boosts your brand, not causes trouble.
5. Platform Fit
Make sure the influencer shines on the platform that fits your campaign. For example, if you want eye-catching visuals, Instagram or Pinterest are great.
For detailed demos, YouTube influencers work better. Many influencers post everywhere, but they usually have one main platform. Moreover, think about where your audience hangs out—that’s where your influence should be.
6. Audience Demographics & Metrics
Another key metric when choosing influencers is their followers’ data. Always ask for data when you can. Many influencers share media kits with audience info like age, location, and gender.
Platforms like Instagram and YouTube also show stats like reach and views. This helps you see if their followers match your target and how far your message might go.
For example, knowing an influencer’s Stories get 10k views helps if you want to run a story campaign.
7. Past Brand Collaborations
If the influencers have done sponsored posts before, you can check how those performed. Look at engagement and comments—good ones like “I bought this!” are a win.
Low engagement or negative feedback might mean their followers aren’t into ads or they over-promote.
8. Frequency and Professionalism
This one is about how often they post and interact with comments. An influencer who goes inactive for months might not be ideal if you need consistent promotion.
Additionally, observe how they handle themselves online. Are they professional in communication and demeanor? This can hint at how they’ll be to work with.
9. Follower Growth & History
Last, yet important, do some digging on their follower growth. Steady growth is good, but sudden spikes can mean fake followers or a viral moment.
Watch for suspicious follow/follower ratios—that’s often a red flag. Since about 25% of influencers have bought fake followers, it pays to be careful!
How to Find Influencers for Your Brand: 9 Proven Methods
Alright, now onto the million-dollar question: how to find influencers that meet those criteria? There isn’t a single magic button! The good news is that there are many methods you can use.
Below, we cover 9 effective ways to find influencers for your brand across various platforms.
1. Use an Influencer Marketing Platform
Let’s start with the easiest and fastest method: influencer marketplaces. These are platforms with listed verified influencers where you can find your ideal creators based on location, niche, engagement rate, etc. This means no manual search!
We know there are plenty of influencer platforms out there—many are pricey and complicated. But Ainfluencer offers a free, DIY option that’s straightforward and effective.
How to Find Influencers with Ainfluencer?
Ainfluencer connects brands with influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Here’s how it can help you find the right influencers:
- Utilizes AI to connect you with influencers who align with your brand’s niche, audience, and goals.
- Access to over 5 million active influencers, from nano to mega influencers.
- Filter influencers based on location, niche, language, follower count, engagement rate, and more.
- The built-in chat feature allows for seamless negotiation and collaboration with influencers.
- Track campaign performance with real-time metrics like reach, impressions, engagement rates, and conversions.
- Set up affiliate programs with unique coupon codes and links for each influencer.
- The platform also supports multiple languages, making it accessible to a global audience.
- An escrow system ensures that payments are only released when agreed-upon content is delivered.
Want to find influencers who actually fit your brand?
2. Search Influencers on Social Media
If you’ve got the time, doing a manual search can work really well. The best part? Most platforms offer different ways to search — and we’re about to break them all down.
1. How to Find Influencers on Instagram
To find Instagram influencers effectively, it’s all about smart searching and utilizing Instagram’s own features.
- Use Search & Explore: Type in keywords or hashtags to find top posts and recurring accounts.
- Try niche hashtags: Go specific (like #veganrecipes) to spot micro-influencers with good engagement.
- Check bios & tags: Look for signs they’re open to collabs or working with brands.
- Review profiles manually: Scan follower count, content style, and engagement. Jot down key info.
- Use “Suggested for you”: Find similar influencers fast through Instagram’s recommendations.
2. How to Find Influencers on YouTube
Finding YouTube influencers is slightly different because it’s more search-engine-like. Here’s how to pinpoint YouTubers that could be great for your brand:
- YouTube Search Bar: Start by searching keywords related to your product or niche on YouTube.
- Filter by View Count & Recency: After searching, use YouTube’s filters to sort results by factors like view count or upload date.
- Look for Niche Reviews and Unboxings: Many YouTube influencers specialize in reviews, unboxings, tutorials, or “favorites” videos. Try queries like “[Your product category] review” or “best [product] 2025”.
- Review engagement: Read comments. Are people interacting? Does the creator reply? That’s a good sign of an engaged audience.
- Don’t confuse Shorts with long-form: Scroll past Shorts if you’re after detailed videos.
- Use External Tools: There are free tools like Social Blade or VidIQ that can help identify trending YouTube channels by topic.
3. How to Find Influencers on TikTok
If you want to do TikTok influencer marketing, you’ll need the most effective methods to find the top TikTokers.
- Start with hashtags & keywords: Just like on IG or Twitter, you can search hashtags on TikTok. Type something like #DIYbeauty or #budgetfashion and TikTok shows top videos!
- Check out the Top & Users tabs: When you search, you’ll see “Top” and “Users.” In “Top,” you’ll find viral videos—click on those creators. In “Users,” you might spot accounts with that keyword in their name or bio. Browse both tabs for more leads.
- Use the Discover page: The Discover tab highlights trending hashtags and challenges. If something trending fits your niche (like a fitness meme or dance), check out which creators are jumping on it. Those are your potential influencers.
- Focus on engagement, not just followers: That’s a rule in influencer marketing on every platform! Followers can be misleading. Some creators have big followings but low views. Look for people who get consistent views and good like/comment ratios. A smaller creator might be way more active and effective.
- Try TikTok Creator Marketplace: If you’ve got access, this tool lets you filter creators by niche, reach, audience, and more. It’s made for brands. You do need to apply or meet TikTok’s criteria, though. Still, worth a shot if you’re going all-in on TikTok campaigns.
4. How to Find Influencers on LinkedIn
When we think of “influencers,” LinkedIn might not be the first platform that comes to mind. However, it’s a growing hub for B2B influencer marketing. Let’s see how you can find LinkedIn influencers:
- Search + filter by Posts: First, pop a keyword into the LinkedIn search bar—like “marketing automation tips”—then filter by “Posts.” You’ll see recent content, even from people outside your network. Pay attention to who’s posting and getting solid engagement.
- Look for articles & newsletters: Some LinkedIn creators write long-form content or run newsletters. Search relevant keywords or browse the LinkedIn News section. If someone’s popping up often or has tons of newsletter followers, they’re probably influential in your niche.
- Check Creator Mode profiles: LinkedIn now lets you follow people and see their content topics if they’re in Creator Mode. Look for profiles that say things like “Talks about #AI” or “#CloudComputing” and have a decent following—those are your topic-specific influencers.
- Explore groups & trending voices: While LinkedIn Groups aren’t what they used to be, some are still active! So, watch for people who post and spark discussions there. Also, if the same names keep popping up in your feed via mutual connections’ activity—that’s a sign they’re thought leaders.
5. How to Find Influencers on Twitter (X)
X (formerly Twitter) is where conversations and trends happen in real-time, packed with many big-name influencers from various fields. Here’s how you can spot the major players on X:
- Hashtags & Keyword Search: Just like other platforms, use the search bar to find industry keywords or trending tags. Check who’s tweeting valuable stuff and getting lots of likes or retweets. Those folks often turn out to be thought leaders.
- Twitter Lists: Look for public lists of influencers by Googling or searching inside Twitter. Subscribing to these lists saves time since someone else has already picked the top accounts for you.
- Follow Friday & Recommendations: You can also watch out for #FF shoutouts or threads where people share their fave accounts. These endorsements can help you find respected voices easily.
- Trending Topics: Keep tabs on trending topics related to your niche. Look at top tweets and users in those trends to see who’s driving the conversation right now.
- Advanced Search for Mentions: Another way is to use advanced search to find verified or influential accounts talking about your product, competitors, or industry. Look for questions too—sometimes influencers jump in with answers.
6. How to Find Influencers on Amazon
Amazon might not be a traditional “social network,” but it has its own influencer ecosystem, especially through the Amazon Influencer Program and Amazon Live. If you’re wondering how to find influencers on Amazon, here’s the approach:
- Amazon Influencer Storefronts: First off, search for “Amazon Influencer storefront [your niche]” on Google. This brings up pages where influencers have curated lists of products. You can usually find links to their social profiles too.
FYI: We’ve curated a list of the top Amazon fashion influencers and the best Amazon makeup influencers. Check them out!
- Amazon Live: Head over to amazon.com/live. Check out who’s currently live or recently streamed. If someone’s showcasing products in your niche, click their stream to see their profile and content style.
- Check Their Presentation: You found the top creators? Now, watch a bit of their stream replay. Are they engaging? Do they explain products well? Viewer counts and active chats are good signs they’ve got influence.
- Look Them Up on Socials: Most Amazon influencers are also active on Instagram, YouTube, etc. Once you have their name or handle, do a quick search. You might get access to more audiences beyond Amazon.
- Top Reviewers on Amazon: Keep an eye out for users with “Top 500 Reviewer” badges. These folks write in-depth product reviews and may have blogs or followings outside Amazon too. Just know, reaching out can be tough due to Amazon’s rules.
3. Use Google to Discover Influencers
Never underestimate good old Google as an influencer discovery tool. Sometimes, the fastest way to find bloggers or social influencers in your niche is to search the web beyond the social platforms themselves. Here’s how to find influencers using Google:
- Site-Specific Google Searches: Use search operators like site:instagram.com “fitness influencer” to find profiles directly on Instagram or YouTube. It’s a sneaky way to bypass platform search limitations.
- Keyword + “blog” or “review”: Try searches like “skincare blog” or “top fashion influencers 2025.” You’ll often land on curated listicles or influencer blogs—just check the date so the info’s still fresh.
- Look Up Competitor Campaigns: Search for stuff like “ a brand’s name (Nike, e.g.) ambassador program” or “ influencer reviews.” You might find blog posts, press mentions, or content from influencers your competitors have used.
- Use Google Images Creatively: Here’s how to find influencers by photo: type in your product + “Instagram” or a hashtag—like “#unboxing Instagram”—and check the image results. You might spot influencer content shared on blogs or Pinterest!
4. Analyze Your Competitors’ Influencer Collaborations
Your competitors (or even brands like yours in other regions) can actually help you find influencers—without meaning to. Here’s how:
- Watch Their Social Media: Keep an eye on your competitor’s socials. If they tag or repost influencers, those are potential partners for you too—especially if there’s no exclusivity.
- Check Their Website or Blog: Sometimes, brands drop influencer names in case studies or press releases. Google things like “[Brand] influencer partnership” to dig them up.
- Use Tools or Manual Checks: Tools like SparkToro or Social Mention can help, but even manually checking who follows or engages with your competitor can reveal influencer leads.
- Learn from Their Wins & Fails: Notice which influencer collabs flopped or went viral. It helps you figure out what works (or what to avoid) before testing it yourself.
- Spot Industry Regulars: In most niches, there are go-to influencers. Look at who reviewed or promoted your competitor’s launch—they’re probably open to doing the same for you.
How to Find Influencers for Your Brand: 10 Top Tips
We’ve talked about how to find influencers and check if they’re a good fit. Now let’s wrap it up with some quick pro tips to boost your chances of landing the right ones:
- Know your goal first: Are you aiming for sales, awareness, or content? That shapes which influencers are the best fit. Don’t just chase reach. Focus on your actual objective.
- Test small before going big: It’s important to try working with a few micro-influencers first. Send a product or do a mini-paid post. See what clicks, then scale based on real results.
- Think long-term, not one-off: Remember, the best collabs come from real relationships. So, engage with them, chat, treat them like creative partners—not just promo machines!
- Don’t ignore micro-influencers: Now, everybody knows that smaller creators can have crazy engagement! Especially in local or niche spaces, they often outperform the big names.
- Match influencer to content type: YouTubers are great for demos. Instagram is solid for visuals. TikTok? Trends and challenges. Pick based on what kind of content you need.
- Check who they’ve worked with: Scroll their feed. Are they over-promoting? Just worked with your competitor? Might be a red flag. Look for quality over quantity.
- Keep up with platform trends: Social platforms evolve fast. Stay in the loop—what works today might flop tomorrow. Being early on new trends can give you a major edge.
Conclusion
We explored all possible ways to find influencers for your brand. You can search across platforms, communities, and tools for free. If the process is time-consuming, use a powerful free platform like Ainfluencer to streamline your search.
While you know how to find influencers for free or paid, it’s not enough! In fact, successful influencer partnerships are built on authentic relationships and mutual value.
So, take the time to vet influencers for the quality of their audience and content, not just the vanity metrics. Use the methods that make sense for you.
Whether manually scouting through hashtags and competitor mentions, or leveraging influencer platforms. Often, a combination works.
Finally, it’s important to stay tuned into your industry conversations. Always listen to feedback from your customers and influencers and don’t be afraid to get creative with how you engage people.
FAQs
Now, let’s answer some common questions about finding influencers:
1. How Can I Find Influencers for Free?
You can find influencers for free by searching relevant hashtags on Instagram or other platforms, checking who’s tagging your brand, or exploring niche communities on YouTube, Reddit, or Twitter.
You can also use free influencer databases or try platforms like Ainfluencer that let you connect with creators without paying upfront.
2. How Can I Measure ROI from Influencer Marketing?
To measure ROI from influencer marketing, track the revenue or results (like sales or sign-ups) driven by each influencer using unique links or discount codes.
Subtract your total campaign costs (payments, product, shipping, time) from the returns, then divide by the cost and multiply by 100 to get ROI. You can also factor in things like engagement or content value, but focus on clear, trackable results to keep it simple and accurate.
3. How to Check If an Influencer Is Authentic?
To make sure you’re collaborating with an authentic influencer, check their engagement rate (likes/comments vs. followers) or scan for fake or bot-like comments. Also, look at follower growth (sudden spikes can mean bought followers) and review the quality and consistency of their content.
