How to Find the Right Influencer: Key Metrics

Short answer: To find the right influencer, start by defining your target audience clearly, then check whether a creator’s community matches it psychographically and demographically. What counts isn’t follower count but quality audience reach, engagement rate, growth and mentions. An influencer platform with a database and AI matching takes the tedious research off your plate.

Key takeaways

• Start with the STP model: segmenting, targeting, positioning.
• Follower count is only a first indication – net reach within your target audience matters more.
• An engaged community is usually more promising than a large one.
• Also check a profile’s growth, tags and backlinks.
• Platforms with verified data save you time and help you avoid bad picks.

How do you find the right influencer?

In influencer marketing, or social media marketing in general, success is measured through so-called reporting. Reporting uses specific KPIs (key performance indicators) to measure the success of a campaign or collaboration.

But before that comes choosing the right influencer. As a company, you have to ask yourself which influencer best fits your product or service. Authenticity through messaging tailored to the target audience plays a central role here. As a rule, you follow the STP model: Segmenting – Targeting – Positioning.

First, the right target audience is identified using various segmentation variables. Psychographic variables such as interests, need states & wishes, opinions & views, leisure activities, purchasing behavior & shopping locations show whether an influencer's community matches the mindset of the company's target audience. Then there are the sociodemographic variables, such as age, gender, geographic location, education level, income, marital status, social status and household size, which should match the intended target audience as closely as possible.

Which metrics matter when you choose the right influencer?

Before you launch an ad campaign, check every profile against a few meaningful metrics. For a full overview, see our article on KPIs for choosing the right influencers.

Does the community fit your brand psychographically?

First, the right target audience is identified using various segmentation variables. Psychographic variables such as interests, need states & wishes, opinions & views, leisure activities, purchasing behavior & shopping locations show whether an influencer's community matches the mindset of the company's target audience.

What is the potential quality target audience reach?

Another relevant metric is the potential quality target audience reach. Anyone who thinks that 650,000 followers means reaching 650,000 people in the relevant target audience is definitely wrong. So the total number of followers should never be used on its own – it is merely a first indication of the range the reach might fall into.

That's why we distinguish between gross and net reach. Gross reach indicates how many people a post can reach regardless of the relevant target audience. It's based on the average number of views of a post or story. In other words (hypothetical example): if an influencer has 650,000 followers and their feed posts are seen by 320,350 people, the gross reach is 320,350.

Net reach (= potential quality target audience reach), on the other hand, tells you how many users saw the content while taking the relevant target audience into account. For example, if an influencer's Instagram story was seen by 375,500 different users, that's only the gross reach. So everyone who doesn't match the target audience still has to be subtracted. If a company's target audience consists of women aged 20 – 45 living in Germany, it may turn out that only 219,700 of those 375,500 are women with the target audience characteristics. And exactly this number – 219,700 – is the quality target audience reach.

Do the demographics match?

Then there are the sociodemographic variables, such as age, gender, geographic location, education level, income, marital status, social status and household size, which should match the intended target audience as closely as possible.

How high is the engagement rate?

You should also look at the profile's engagement rate. It shows how strongly the community interacts with the influencer, i.e. likes, comments on, shares posts, etc. Side note: For campaign success, an engaged community is usually more promising than a large one.

Is the community growing?

The growth factor lets you see how much the influencer's community, measured by follower count, has grown or shrunk over a certain period. If the community grows steadily, that's a sign of good content.

How often is the profile mentioned (tags & backlinks)?

Tags indicate the direct SSoV (social share of voice) of the social media profile, i.e. how often other users mention the influencer's profile in posts, stories, comments, etc. In this context, backlinks are links from qualified blogs, websites or other influencers.

How do you position your brand with the right influencer?

Once you've found the right influencer with their community, or “target group”, it's time to position the brand. The product or service can be integrated into the creator's content in various ways, for example as a discount promotion or classic product placement.

A clear brief makes sure the creator knows exactly what you expect. Our guide on how to write an influencer brief shows you how.

Where can you find the right influencers?

You have three main options: manual research on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, hashtag and competitor analysis, or an influencer platform with a database. Manual research works for a handful of collaborations, but for regular campaigns the effort quickly gets out of hand. Our guide on how to find influencers covers every method in detail, and how to find micro-influencers focuses on smaller accounts.

With Kreatory, AI finds matching profiles among more than 5.4 million creators and reaches out automatically. DigiKits® give you verified media kits created through the creators’ Instagram connection, so you can check reach and audience based on real data. For what to look for in a tool, read how to choose an influencer marketing platform.

What does the process look like step by step?

1. Define your target audience: set psychographic and demographic criteria.
2. Set your campaign goal: reach, content for ads or sales?
3. Search for candidates: via a platform, hashtags or referrals.
4. Check the metrics: quality audience reach, engagement rate, growth, tags and backlinks.
5. Write a brief and collect offers: spell out expectations, formats and usage rights.
6. Review results: use your reporting and keep working with the best creators.

Curious? Then find influencers who fit your brand to market your products or online services now: sign up for free and set up your first campaign in under 10 minutes.

FAQ: finding the right influencer

How many followers should the right influencer have?

It depends on your goal. Follower count is only a first indication – what matters is how many people in your target audience you actually reach. Micro-influencers with a smaller but engaged community are often a great choice.

What is a good engagement rate?

There’s no fixed threshold, because rates vary by platform, niche and account size. Compare profiles of similar size within the same niche.

How can I tell whether an influencer’s audience fits?

Ask for audience insights such as age, gender and country, or use verified media kits. Read the comments too – they reveal a lot about who really follows the profile.

Can I find the right influencers without a platform?

Yes, through manual research, hashtags and referrals. With multiple collaborations, though, it quickly becomes time-consuming – a platform handles discovery, outreach and operations for you.