How to find influencers to promote your brand seems easy. After all, there are a lot of influencers nowadays. How can it possibly be that hard, right?

But in reality, finding the right influencer is easier said than done. The fact that there are so many influencers now means that you have to be methodical about your approach. The key is to look for the most appropriate influencer for your brand.

Thinking of starting your influencer marketing strategy? We’ll walk you through how to find the right influencer for your ecommerce business.

The significance of influencer marketing in ecommerce

Word-of-mouth marketing has stood the test of time as the most profitable form of marketing. 

Think of influencer marketing as a grand-scale word-of-mouth promotion. Social media enables influencers to massively extend their reach and communicate directly with their followers. 

According to a 2019 study by Rakuten Marketing, 80% of consumers buy a product based on an influencer’s recommendation. The study further breaks down the numbers as follows:

• 41% of consumers discovered at least one product per week through influencers.
• 24% of consumers found a new product daily through influencers.

The influencer marketing industry in the US was estimated to reach a whopping $8.14 billion in 2024, a 58.98% jump from 2021.

The power of an influencer is that they have a dedicated following who trusts them and can easily influenced by them. This includes purchasing the products or services that an influencer recommends.

Influencer marketing basically redefined word-of-mouth marketing. It became a powerful marketing strategy that, when done right, can easily and rapidly boost brand awareness, eventually leading to more online conversions for your business. 

By leveraging a well-executed influencer marketing strategy, you can attract more attention to your products and convert these visitors into paying customers. It starts with this question: “How do you find the influencers that are perfect for your brand?”

How to find influencers to promote your brand

The success of your influencer marketing strategy boils down to choosing the right influencer for your brand. To learn how to find influencers who are the right fit for your business, make sure to assess them against the following specific metrics.

Understand Your Brand and Audience

First things first: nail down your brand identity and target audience. What’s your brand’s unique voice? Who are you speaking to? These are crucial questions. Knowing the answers helps you find influencers who represent and connect with your audience.

Audience relevance is crucial when choosing an influencer. Before proceeding, you want to make sure the influencer’s following aligns with your target audience. For example, if you sell clothes, you should partner with influencers whose audience is interested in fashion.

Fashion Nova is a case study of influencer marketing done right. The brand used influencer marketing to grow to $400 million in revenue in just 18 months. It now dominates the fashion industry and has partnered with celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Cardi B.

Start by creating a list of influencers who align with your target market. Look at their social media posts and followers’ comments. Assess whether what they publish on their social channels matches your brand. 

Top Tip: Choose an influencer based on your brand ethos and niche. It’ll help you narrow down your search. For example, if you’re selling eco-friendly skincare products, you’ll choose an influencer who not only talks about skincare but also cares about the environment. 

Influencer performance metrics

Once you have a list of potential influencers, you can start narrowing down your search. It’s time to look at the influencer’s performance metrics. Having a relevant audience goes hand-in-hand with excellent performance metrics to create a profitable influencer marketing campaign. 

Let’s take a look at the most important influencer performance metrics to consider:

Quality of followers

Some influencers are known to use bots to inflate their follower count. It’s important to make sure your selected influencer’s following is genuine as this can directly affect the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns. 

One way to gauge the quality of an influencer’s followers is to look at the ratio between their follower count and the reactions to their posts. 

If an influencer has a high number of followers but very few reactions, they may have low-quality followership, whether that’s through bots or simply that their followers are not particularly interested in the content the influencer is sharing. 

A tool like TrendHERO can help you discover if an influencer has fake followers. If they do, you should steer clear and look for influencers with high-quality followings.

Engagement

Engagements measure the strength of the bond between an influencer and their audience. If any influencer’s content receives lots of comments and reactions, this is a good sign that the followers resonate with the influencer’s content. 

The average acceptable engagement rate is 2% to 3%, but the higher, the better. You can calculate the engagement rate using this formula:

Engagements = (likes + comments) / followers x 100

Content quality

Checking the quality of an influencer’s content before partnering with them is also a crucial step. As counterproductive as it sounds, you don’t want to partner with an influencer whose page is full of promotional posts. 

Remember, your goal with influencer marketing is not just increasing your sales but ultimately increasing your brand awareness so more customers will return to buying from you. If an influencer posts promotional content too often, their audience gets desensitized and loses interest in it. 

To maximize the impact that content about your brand will have on the influencer’s following, choose an influencer who doesn’t post many ads. When influencers are seen to be very selective about the brands they work with, this boosts their credibility, so their followers are more likely to trust that your brand is special and worth buying. 

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of content you are asking the influencer to create for you. Statistics show that Instagram carousel posts (posts with multiple images) have an average engagement rate of 3.15%, the highest of all content formats.

Past campaign performance

An influencer’s past campaign performance can help you to predict the success of your partnership with that influencer. While there is no way to know the exact return on investment generated by an influencer’s post simply looking at their profile, you can look at the engagements and feedback they get on their marketing posts to estimate the performance of their future campaigns.

Platform

How to find influencers also means considering the platform the influencer uses. Different platforms work well for different industries. For example, business-to-business (B2B) products sell very well on LinkedIn, while ecommerce and business-to-customer  (B2C) products typically perform well on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Instagram has been a major launch pad for many successful ecommerce businesses such as Lululemon, Blendjet, and Fashion Nova. It’s tried and tested as a profitable platform for ecommerce businesses.

TikTok is another social media platform worth considering, but only if your target audience includes Gen Z and younger Millennials. According to Statistica, nearly 50% of Tiktok users are under the age of 30.

Pricing

At this point, you should have a list of influencers you want to work with. The final thing you need to consider is the pricing. 

Different influencers charge different rates. You need first to establish your budget, as this will determine the level of influencers you may be able to work with. From there, look at different influencers’ metrics and decide if they’re worth what they charge. The pricing model is the other aspect to consider. 

Some influencers prefer full payment upfront, while others may take a deposit with the balance paid upon contract completion or payment via commission. It all comes down to what you’re willing to pay for the value you believe you’re getting. 

A performance-based pricing model such as commission is often a good approach if the influencer asks for a reasonable percentage.

Where to find influencers for your brand

Explore Social Media

Jump into social media platforms where your audience hangs out. For example, if your brand targets young adults, Instagram and TikTok are great places to start. Look for influencers who actively engage with followers and create content matching your brand’s vibe. 

Notice their tone, style, and how they interact with their community. This helps you find influencers who align with your brand’s personality. 

For instance, if you’re a fitness brand, find influencers who post-workout routines, healthy recipes, and motivational content. Their interaction with followers should be genuine and supportive, reflecting the values of your brand.

Utilize Influencer Platforms

Simplify your search by using influencer marketing platforms. These platforms use tools to filter influencers by niche, reach, engagement rate, and more. They make it easier to find the right match for your brand. Platforms like AspireIQ, Upfluence, and Traackr provide detailed analytics to help you choose influencers who align with your brand’s goals and audience.

Check out your competitors

Look at your competitors and see which influencers they’re working with. This can give you valuable insights into the types of influencers that might be a good fit for your brand. Plus, it can help you spot potential collaboration opportunities you might not have considered. 

By analyzing your competitors’ influencer partnerships, you can better understand what works in your industry and find ways to stand out.

Focus on Relationship Building

Building real relationships with influencers is key. Successful influencer marketing hinges on authentic partnerships that benefit both your brand and the influencer. Think long-term collaborations for the best results. It’s not just about a one-off post – it’s about creating lasting connections that grow over time.

Consider the partnership between the beauty brand Glossier and influencer Emily Weiss, the brand’s founder. Emily’s personal brand is rooted in beauty, authenticity, and community, which aligns perfectly with Glossier’s values. 

Over the years, Glossier has consistently featured Emily in campaigns, social media content, and even product development stories. This long-term collaboration has strengthened Glossier’s brand identity and built a loyal community. You can achieve similar results for your brand by fostering such authentic connections.

Monitor and Adapt

Track the performance of your influencer partnerships and be ready to tweak your strategy as needed. This flexible approach ensures that your influencer marketing remains effective and relevant. 

Review metrics like engagement rates, conversions, and audience feedback regularly. If something isn’t working, don’t hesitate to make changes. Adapting your strategy based on real-time data helps maintain strong and successful influencer relationships.

Wrapping Up: Align for Success

How to find influencers for your brand isn’t just about numbers. It’s about aligning values, audience, and content. By following these strategies, you can build influencer partnerships that resonate with your audience and amplify your brand’s message. 

Remember, successful influencer marketing is rooted in genuine connections and ongoing collaboration. By focusing on these elements, you’ll create impactful and lasting relationships that drive real results for your brand.