People are spending time like crazy on Instagram. Finding affiliates here would be easy and pay off well in the long run. When it comes to Instagram affiliate marketing, you form partnerships with people who have a large following, sometimes known as influencers, and pay them for effectively advertising your product/service.
In this article, you’ll explore the best ways to find influencers on Instagram and tips to approach them effectively.
Let’s jump in!
I. Criteria for selecting Instagram influencers to work with
Before you start finding Instagram influencers to collaborate with, you should outline your influencer marketing strategy and see where it goes in the overall marketing plan. You can set goals such as brand awareness, sales/app downloads, social media followers, or content creation.
It is best to know what you are trying to achieve for your brand since influencers will help you accomplish your goals in diverse ways. Setting up these goals allows you to select the most suitable type of influencers to contribute to your success.
Here are the top essential criteria for you to keep in mind when looking for Instagram influencers to work with.
Target audience
Potential influencers who can collaborate with you should have a similar or somewhat relevant target audience to your brand. That way, you will be able to reach potential consumers in your target age, gender, or location.
Engagement rate
The engagement rate indicates how active the influencer’s followers respond to their Instagram content based on likes and comments. Comparing their average engagement rates with Instagram benchmarks will determine whether that influencer has a high rate.
Micro-influencers tend to have a much higher ratio of interactions than larger Instagram accounts.
Relevances and values
Being your brand advocates requires influencers to share the same values and be a good fit for what they are representing. After reviewing their Instagram profiles, you should be able to visualize your product or services being promoted there.
The more well-aligned they are with your brand, the more likely they will attract your target audience.
Content quality and frequency
Working with influencers means you give them all the rights to produce sponsored content in their unique way. That is why their Instagram content should be of high quality, being the representative of your brand on social media.
We recommend checking whether their photos and videos are clear and creative with well-composed content optimized for this platform.
Moreover, you should notice how often the influencer post between regular and sponsored content. Ideally, influencers should publish every 1-3 days to develop a loyal audience base. However, if they upload sponsored content 3 times in a row, it is possible that their credibility is at risk.
Reliability and authenticity
The influencers you select to work with should be highly reliable to ensure smooth collaborations. This is proven by their prompt and professional replies to all of your messages.
In addition, they should have a dedicated following to show their authenticity. By becoming an expert in their chosen niche with genuine tips and story sharing, they build up loyalty and trust from their audience.
II. Key strategies before finding influencers on Instagram
Do you know that 39% of all Instagram profiles with over 15,000 followers? And 81% of these active Instagram influencers have a following of between 15,000 and 100,000 people.
Those huge numbers are not equivalent to your brand’s various reach, not all of them are suitable for your brand. That’s why you should follow this ultimate step-by-step guide to find Instagram influencers to become affiliates for your eCommerce business.
1. List out your affiliate campaign goals and metrics
The first step of finding Instagram influencers, you need to make up your minds about what your Instagram affiliate campaign is all about by answering the following questions as a guide to help you in reaching the ultimate goal.
- Are you trying to boost sales/ raise your brand awareness?
- Are you about to push a new product?
- What’s your target audience?
- What’s the persona of your ideal influencers?
You must explicitly identify your measurements in addition to knowing your goals. How will you know whether your Instagram marketing effort was a success?
Moreover, you should properly describe your metrics in addition to fully comprehending your objectives. What criteria will you use to evaluate the performance of your Instagram affiliate marketing campaign?
Let’s say you’re running a youthful bohemian fashion business for women that is launching your free spirit winter collection. Your ideal goal can be:
- Aim to overpass the sales of our latest bohemian collection by 25% compared to last month.
- Work with Instagram young vintage fashion influencers.
- These people will review your winter collection to their audience on Instagram.
- Influencers can get access to brand materials so that the influencers can share our brand’s products to their Instagram stories.
Consider quick sign-ups, complete onboarding, and user-friendly affiliate tools like UpPromote which helps merchants manage and track affiliates.
You can create easy-to-share marketing assets for your affiliates. This saves them a step, and you have more control over the branding and quality of the products distributed. You can easily share your marketing assets for your affiliates in UpPromote Creatives:
2. Find relevant keywords/ hashtags for your industry to power your search
As your clarified your brand’s goals, images, core values, and target audience above, it would be easier to determine the right keywords showcasing your business so that you can find influencers on Instagram with ease.
Then you can easily come up with a list of keywords defining your brand and target market, which will give you one hand to jump in the right path to find affiliates on Instagram.
III. Best ways to find affiliates on Instagram
1. Starting by looking at your followers (free)
Yes, you could find your Instagram potential influencers right in your backyard: your followers on your business Instagram account.
Once you’ve found someone with a quantity of engaging audience likes anything on your profile, check to see whether they’re engaging with your material or sharing photos that highlight your brand.
Then do some “stalking” tasks on their profile if they’re matching your needs to become your affiliates then you can approach and ask them to join your program.
2. Monitor relevant hashtags (free)
After listing out a few relevant hashtags above, you can go on putting each one into the search bar and browse through all the results to find posts with engagement reaching your expectation and target audience, see their profiles and direct them to propose your offer.
We provide you with a long list of popular hashtags for each industry, as well as some of the best online groups where you can learn more about your niche and find potential influencers.
- Beauty Influencers
| General Beauty | #beauty
#beautycare #beautyful #beautybasics |
#instabeauty
#beautyaddict #beautyblogger #beautybloggerlife |
#beautytips
#gorgeous #beautyjunkie #beautyguru |
| Natural Beauty | #natural
#greenbeauty #cleanbeauty #naturalbeauty |
#naturalbeautyvibes
#naturalista #organicbeauty #naturalbeautylife |
#naturalbeautytips
#naturalbeautyshoutouts #naturalbeautyproduct #naturalbeautyproducts |
| Hair | #hair
#haircut #hairtutorial #hairgoals |
#naturalcurls
#perfectcurls #curlyhair #hairofinstagram |
#hairstyle
#hairstyles #hairoftheday #menshair |
| Makeup | #makeup
#makeuptutorial #instamakeup #makeupjunkie |
#makeupaddict
#makeupblogger #makeupoftheday #motd |
#wakeupandmakeup
#eyes #lips #lashes |
| Skincare | #skincare
#intaskincare #healthyskin #glowingskin |
#skincaretips
#skincareaddict #skincarelover #skincarejunkie |
#skincareproducts
#skincareroutine #clearskin #facial |
- Fashion influencers
| #outfitoftheday
#ootd #lookbook #lookoftheday #mylook #mylooktoday #todaysoutfit #whatiwore #wiw #whatiworetoday #streetstyle |
#fashion
#fashiongram #instafashion #instastyle #fashiondiaries #fashionpost #fashionblogger #fashionista #fashionable #fashiongirl #fashionnova |
#fashiondesign
#fashiondesigner #fashiondaily #fashionaddict #fashionlovers #fashiontrends #fashioninspo #clothes #clothing #clothingline #dress |
#mensfashion
#menfashion #mensfashionpost #mensstyle #menstyle #mensstreetstyle #menswear #mensweardaily #menwithstreetstyle #menshoes #menwithclass |
- Jewelry influencers
| #jewelry
#jewelryaddict #jewelrydesigner #handmadejewelry #jewelryaddict #jewelryobsessed #jewels #jewelrydesign #instagood #instajewelry #jewelrygram #jewelrylover #jewelryoftheday #jewelryblogger #jewelryartist #jewelrytrends #jewelrymaking |
#accessories
#earrings #ring #rings #necklace #bracelet #bracelets #pendant |
#fashion
#style #handmade #beautiful #art #stylish #trendy #ootd |
#gold
#silver #diamonds #diamond #gemstones #gemstone #goldjewelry #diamondjewelry |
- Travel influencers
| #travels
#travel #traveler #traveller #travelling #travellife #travelblog #travelblogger #traveladdict #traveldiaries #travelingram |
#travelphoto
#travelphotography #travelgram #mytravelgram #instatravel #ilovetravel #igtravel #instago #traveltheworld #travelpics #travelbug |
#aroundtheworld
#globetrotter #seetheworld #visiting #wanderer #worldtraveler #bucketlist #bucketlistadventures #wandergram #wanderlust #wonderfulplaces |
#adventure
#adventures #adventurer #adventuretime #backpacker #backpacking #explorer #explorers #exploretheworld #exploremore #getaway |
- Food influencers
| #food
#foods #foodporn #foodgasm #foodie #foodies #foodphotography #foodblogger #foodstagram #foodbeast #foodlover |
#instafood
#igfood #foodtruck #foodart #foodoftheday #foodpic #foodpics #foodgram #foodblog #healthyfood #cooking |
#vegan
#veganfood #chefmode #breakfast #lunch #dinner #eat #dessert #hungry #hangry #tasty |
#eat
#eating #eats #delish #yum #yummy #nomnom #forkyeah #recipe #recipes #recipeoftheday |
- Sport/ Fitness influencers
| #sports
#sportswear #sportsphotography #instasports #sportsday #sportshoes #sportstyle #sportsbra #sportsman #youthsports #sportsphotographer #sportsbikelife |
#fitness
#fit #motivation #fitness #instafitness #fitnessgoals #fitnessmotivation #fitnessjunkie #fitnesslover #fitnessblogger #fitnesstips #fitfluential #fitlife #fitfam |
#gym
#workout #training #fitspo #getfit #youcandoit #goalsetting #trainhard #noexcuses #exercisetime #gymlife #gym #gains |
#healthy
#healthyeating #healthyfood #healthylife #healthylifestyle #healthyrecipes #fitfood #nutrition #eatclean #cleaneating #mealprep #sportsnutrition |
3. Check the “Suggested” profile (free)
If you have any influencers in mind, go to his/her Instagram, there is a section where Instagram suggests similar profiles for you to end up with a long list of potential affiliates.
#1 Go to the Instagram account of your desired influencer.
#2 Next to “Follow” or “Following,” click the “Arrow” button.
#3 Instagram will recommend profiles that are comparable to the profile of your ideal influencer. The suggested profiles may be seen above their Instagram post.
#4 Select “See All” to view all of Instagram’s suggested profiles.
4. Find affiliates on Instagram by “Location” (free)
People love checking in, especially those that work in the fashion/ beauty industry. Depending on your niche, you may be able to mention a few of the regions where your customers frequently go. It might be a tourist site, a hip/ signature coffee shop, or simply a well-known place for the photoshoot, and they usually include a location hashtag when posting it on Instagram. Simply follow the steps below if you have the location list on hand:
#1 Type a location in the Instagram search bar.
#2 Browse the profiles that included the “Location” tag.
If you come across good posts with good engagement rates with about 200 likes, you’re probably looking at influencers with a large following.
Click on their profile name to check out their profiles in detail.
5. Check your competitors’ followers (free)
To find influencers on Instagram, consider this a form of reverse market research. Your firm may face tremendous rivalry, depending on the industry. You might be able to uncover influencers interested in your sector by looking at your rivals’ followers.
It’s probably not exactly the influencers that your competitors have been working with. By browsing through their profile and checking out “Suggested” influencers, you may find your potential influencers with less effort.
6. Search influencers on the explorer pages (free; work on mobile)
“People go to the Explore page when they want to see photographs and videos from accounts they don’t currently follow linked to their interests.”
The Explore tab helps you find influencers, comparable accounts, and new brands and organizations with whom to work.
Instagram employs an algorithm to suggest items on Explore that you might be interested in based on your likes and visited pages. On their device, each individual sees a separate version of explorer pages.
Add the data of their account to your list for your Instagram influencer marketing campaigns or social selling initiatives if you go down this page and notice accounts that are a suitable fit for your brand the most.
You can find the explorer tab lying in the second-bottom button (from left to right).
7. Conduct a special search query on Google (free)
Google has a set of syntax that helps you better describe your search. Using this query: site:instagram.com ‘k followers’ + keywords to tell Google that you want to search for people on Instagram with more than 1000 followers that relate to the keyword you input.
For example, site:instagram.com ‘k followers’ bohemian would return Instagram profiles that have more than 1000 followers and are related to bohemian.
Protip: If you are targeting a specific region, remember to change the location setting on your Google search by going to Settings (bottom-right corner of Google page) > Search Settings > Region Settings and choosing the region that you want.
8. Check the top list on Google (free)
As we mentioned above, doing keyword and hashtags research related to your brand is vital. Now you can use those keywords to conduct a Google search to check the top list of Instagram influencers in your industry and suitable to your brand the most.
For each country, there will be different top list Instagram influencers, as well as a variety of additional influencer rankings based on other businesses and themes.
9. Subscribe to the influencer marketing tools (paid)
Some platforms will do the job for you when it comes to search tool platforms. Search, filter, measure key metrics with a built-in influencer analytics tool, and provide you with a final list of influencers, with the option to begin an influencer marketing campaign. You simply provide the information, and the platform will take care of the rest.
Social Baker is an Instagram tool that helps you find proper influencers.
All you need to do is filling information about Region and Interest, the tool will generate influencers with over 100,000 followers with their details profile. However, you may need to upgrade to use all features and be able to contact influencers.
IV. Instagram influencers approach tactics
1. Send clear briefings
To become enthused about cooperating with you, influencers need to comprehend the briefs or contracts that you provide them. Create a well-structured brief clearly describing your brand objectives, guidelines, and deadlines to make them easy to comprehend.
You should also divide your brief’s material into sections and avoid lengthy explanations. Excellent briefs will save you time by eliminating the need to clarify some areas of the partnerships. It will aid influencers in avoiding blunders and also be easy for them to examine whether the partnerships were done according to your specifications.
2. Have personal communication
You need to be available to answer any follow-up inquiries swiftly to persuade influencers to join your campaign. They may need to ask logistical questions or explain aspects of your affiliate campaign.
Your prompt and accurate replies will aid them in deciding whether or not to participate in your campaign and will provide them with a favorable impression of your firm.
3. Allow their creativeness
The authenticity of the influencers’ narrative and material is one of the most crucial parts of influencer marketing. However, for partnerships to be authentic, you must give them creative leeway.
It’s a narrow line to walk between directing influencers what to share and collaborating to produce inspiring tales. Strict text and photo constraints will make people feel as though the partnerships are unauthentic and limiting.
Allowing influencers creative freedom allows them to utilize their imagination to generate material about your firm and deliver it in a way that appeals to their target audience.
4. Pay them appropriately
To stimulate influencers’ attention, you must give fair and mutually acceptable pay when sending booking requests. Influencers put in a lot of time, effort, and money to provide partnerships that help your company gain a reputation, and they want to be recognized for it.
V. FAQs about Find Instagram Influencers
How do I find micro influencers?
In order to find mirco influencers on Instagram, there are a few tips that you should consider. Find trending hashtags related to your niche, search for influencers in your local area, or examine your existing follower base. Besides that, you can try checking social media groups, industry forums, and blogs, or leverage your influencer marketing platforms for better results.
How do I find Instagram influencers for my niche?
Although it seems a bit challenging, these effortless ways will help you find influencers for your niche. The traditional approaches are either conducting a Google search or checking the top 100 Instagram influencers list. You should also review current popular posts for specific hashtags or take a look at your brand’s followers to gain clearer insights.
Is there a free website to find Instagram influencers?
It is definitely easier to use reliable tools to look for Instagram influencers. We recommend some free websites such as Storyclash or HypeAuditor, with their free Instagram search engines that will let you browse through relevant influencer content across stories, reels, and posts.
VI. Wrapping Up
In conclusion, find Instagram influencers can be a valuable marketing strategy for businesses looking to increase their brand awareness and reach a wider audience. To find the right influencers, businesses should consider their niche, audience demographics, engagement rates, and overall reputation.
Additionally, it’s important to establish clear expectations and goals with influencers and to regularly track and evaluate the success of influencer campaigns. With careful research and planning, partnering with Instagram influencers can be a successful and effective way to promote a brand or product.
