What influencer metrics to look for to find the best creators for your brand

Creating a successful influencer marketing campaign hinges on finding the right influencers who can effectively represent and promote your brand.

But when you have millions of influencers on social media, how do you find the best match for your brand? — You filter them through a set of criteria to narrow down your list to those who meet specific benchmarks.

Quantitative metrics are the best criteria as they offer clear, measurable data points such as follower count, engagement rates, and content reach. These metrics are easily measurable and provide concrete figures that can be compared across different influencers.

This blog explores these quantitative metrics so you can choose the influencers who bring you results.

🔢 1— Number of followers

This is an easily recognizable metric & co-related to how popular an influencer is, and how many people potential eyeballs they can get to your brand.

'Number of followers' helps in segmenting influencers into categories like nano, micro, macro, and mega influencers.

How does it help you qualify influencers?

• The more niche or specialized the product, the smaller and more engaged the influencer's audience should be. For example, a brand selling specialized fitness equipment might benefit more from partnering with micro influencers in the fitness niche rather than a mega influencer with a diverse audience.
• If the goal is to create widespread awareness or buzz, macro or mega influencers are suitable. However, for driving conversions or targeting a specific customer interest-group, nano or micro influencers might be more effective due to their higher engagement rates and audience trust.

Depending on your goals, you can filter by the right follower-size when you find influencers with SARAL.

A high follower count does not automatically equate to a successful marketing campaign. You need a balance between quantity and quality. Are these followers genuinely interested in the influencer’s content? Do they engage actively? We'll explore some metrics later in the blog to help us with such questions.

🤖 2— Fake Followers

Fake followers are social media accounts that are either completely automated (bots) or operated with minimal human intervention, solely to inflate an influencer's follower count. They contribute little to no engagement and are not part of the influencer's genuine audience. They’re just there to make the influencer look popular.

Engaging an influencer with a high percentage of fake followers means your brand's message is reaching fewer real, potential customers, reducing the effectiveness of your marketing spend.

Identifying signs of fake followers:

• Unusually low engagement rates: If an influencer has a large number of followers but disproportionately low likes, comments, or shares, it might indicate a high percentage of fake followers.
• Sudden spikes in follower count: Organic growth in followers usually occurs gradually. Sudden spikes can often be attributed to purchasing followers.
• Inconsistent audience demographics: A mismatch between the content and the majority of the followers (e.g., a U.S.-based influencer with a majority of followers from other countries) can be a red flag.

You can filter by Authenticity in SARAL to find the best creators:

It's nearly impossible for an influencer to have absolutely no fake followers. The key is to look for influencers who have a minimal and manageable percentage of them. While there’s no universal standard, a generally acceptable range of fake followers is typically around 5-15%. SARAL, by default, excludes people with 30% or higher fake followers when you search.

💬 3— Engagement Rate

Engagement rate in influencer marketing is a measure of how actively an influencer's audience interacts with their content. It’s calculated by taking the total engagement (likes, comments, shares, etc.) on an influencer’s posts and dividing it by the number of followers.

This metric tells you influencers' ability to create a real connection with their audience and how much the audience interacts with the content the influencer creates.

High engagement means that the influencer's content resonates with their followers, leading to more meaningful interactions. This is crucial for brands because engaged followers are more likely to trust the influencer’s recommendations, translating to potential customer interest and conversions for your brand.

Just like fake followers, fake engagement is a real concern. A simple Google search reveals that there are companies offering 'views' to bump up engagement rate.

To spot fake engagement, watch out for:

• Unusual spikes: If an influencer’s engagement suddenly jumps without a clear reason (like viral content), it could be artificially inflated.
• Generic comments: A bunch of generic comments (like emojis or single-word replies) can be a sign of purchased engagement.
• Inconsistency across posts: If engagement rates vary wildly from post to post without clear reasons, it might indicate manipulation.

Manually sifting through comments, and posts is a tiresome task. To make the process quick & easy, you can use SARAL's Free Chrome Extension. Go on the influencer's profile and click on the extension to get the engagement rate.

Note that as an influencer’s follower count increases, their engagement rate tends to decrease:

• Nano and Micro-Influencers: Usually have higher engagement rates due to their more personal connection with their audience.
• Macro and Mega Influencers: While they have a vast reach, their engagement rates are often lower, as their audience is more diverse and less personal.

⭐ 4— Diehard Fans

Beyond engagement rates, you'll want to find influencers with a dedicated fan base. These die-hard fans are more likely to not only engage with content but also click on links and potentially make purchases.

These fans not only boost campaign reach through their active engagement but also lend credibility and trustworthiness to the influencer's endorsements.

For DTC brands, diehard fans represent a goldmine of potential. This segment is:

• More likely to become customers: Because of their trust in the influencer, they are more likely to purchase products endorsed by them.
• Great for feedback: They provide valuable feedback and engage more deeply with content, offering you insights into consumer preferences.

Quantifying this metric can be tricky but look for:

• Engagement quality: High-quality, meaningful interactions on posts, especially those related to product endorsements.
• Sentiments: Positive sentiments in comments and discussions can indicate a strong diehard fan presence.

You can see this data in SARAL's Chrome extension. Get it here for free.

👥📊 5— Demographics

Even if an influencer boasts impressive engagement rates and a dedicated base of diehard fans, their effectiveness for your brand hinges on one critical factor: do they reach your target audience? This is where demographics come into play.

Demographics are the statistical characteristics of a group, detailing factors like age, gender, income, and education. These are fundamental in ensuring that the influencer’s audience aligns with your own target market.

For instance, if your brand sells baby products, partnering with an influencer whose audience predominantly consists of teenagers will not get you the desired results.Your message needs to resonate with the right audience for it to convert into tangible results.

You can find detailed influencer demographics using tools like SARAL:

Most professional influencers have detailed insights into their audience demographics. This is provided by the social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok). Request them for this data.

📈 6— Growth Rate

The growth rate in influencer marketing refers to how quickly an influencer gains new followers over a specific period. It's a reflection of the influencer's ability to resonate with and attract new audiences continuously.

As the influencer's audience grows, so does the potential reach of your campaigns. An influencer gaining traction can offer expanding visibility for your brand, potentially leading to greater impact in future collaborations.

Why should you look at growth rate:

• Those with smaller but highly engaged audiences, are often in the early stages of significant growth. They present a unique opportunity; not only are they more accessible to brands, but their potential to evolve into larger influencers makes them valuable long-term partners.
• Influencers experiencing growth often have more 'skin in the game.' They are building their reputation and are likely to be more committed and passionate about their partnerships, offering more authentic and engaged promotions for your brand.

Organic growth usually occurs steadily.

If an influencer shows sudden, unexplained spikes in their follower count, it might indicate purchasing followers. If the follower count is growing, but engagement rates aren’t keeping up, it could be a sign of inauthentic growth.

The ideal scenario for DTC brands is to find influencers who not only show a healthy growth rate but also maintain or increase their engagement rates. This indicates a growing, active, and genuinely interested audience.

📌 What's next?

Here's a quick summary of the key metric:

• Quality of followers: Focus on influencers with genuine and engaged followers, not just high numbers.
• Engagement is key: A high engagement rate often translates into more effective brand promotions.
• Growth rate insight: Choose influencers with a steady growth rate for long-term partnership potential.
• Demographic match: Ensure the influencer's audience aligns with your brand's target market.
• Value of diehard fans: Influencers with loyal fans can lead to higher conversions and brand loyalty.

Identifying the right influencers is just the beginning of your influencer marketing journey. The real success lies in how effectively you execute your strategy.

👉 Manual methods and spreadsheets are often time-consuming and prone to errors, making them less effective for managing complex influencer campaigns. That's where a specialized tool like SARAL comes into play, offering an all-in-one solution specifically tailored for DTC brands

• Discover Influencers Quickly: No more spending hours on social media to find the right influencers. SARAL speeds up this process.
• Manage Campaigns Easily: Send products, generate tracking links, and oversee multiple influencer campaigns seamlessly with SARAL.
• Track Sales and ROI: With integrations like Shopify and GoAffPro, SARAL lets you see the actual sales and profit from your campaigns.

👉 Get started with SARAL without any upfront costs. Explore all these features and more with a free 7-day trial. Experience firsthand how SARAL can positively impact your ROI in influencer marketing.