4 Ways to Vett Influencers

Efficiently finding and vetting influencers isn’t easy. Ideally an influencer-for-hire will have a unique voice and perspective that promises significant reach, resonance with target consumers and measurable persuasive power with an audience of his or her peers.

If you are a doubter, consider this example. Engaging Kendall Jenner for its lash primer product, Estee Lauder aired the same video on their Instagram feed and on Kendall’s. The brand drove 7,000 likes. Kendall prompted 429,500 likes or 61 times more awareness and measured attention.

By borrowing the equity and voice of an online influencer, brands can penetrate markets; gain access to likely prospects or position themselves relative to ideas and people their best customers care about. Research by SONY found that people are more than five times as likely to buy based on the recommendation of a social peer than having been exposed to traditional ads.

Some influencers are engaged as brand ambassadors or standing spokespeople. They are not like celebrities in ads, paid touts. They are positioned as people with a connection and affinity to the brand.

Others are leased on a one-time, finite or campaign basis. Marketers have to figure out upfront what they want from an influencer. The two most frequent asks are reach – someone who can get the word out quickly to huge numbers of the right people. And proximity or relevance – someone who adds a cool factor, makes a brand more acceptable to the target audience or is well suited to put across a brand or products’ reasons to believe.

Since there are no standard ways to find and evaluate the variables that predict or guarantee success in finding the right influencer, Adam Mashaal, founder of Mashfeed came up with a homemade solution.

Here’s what he learned by doing a lot of digging and manual research:

Count Noses. Numbers matter. The most persuasive blogger or celebrity with 1000 followers can’t compete with even a minor Kardashian. Reach requires significant numbers of fans or followers. Then count reposts and retweets over 6-9 months as a measure of persuasion. Anybody can come up with a great line or a snappy picture that takes off once. But you are not looking for a one-time lightening strike. You are looking for a sustaining resource.

A content creator who creates a lot of stuff that goes nowhere is not an influencer. Count the number of posts and compare it with the number of subsequent actions. On platforms like Facebook or YouTube compare the number of reactions with the number of followers or subscribers. Check to see if there are regular numbers of pass-alongs versus one story that goes like gangbusters. It’s not uncommon for a single post to get widely syndicated while the others die of loneliness.

Study the Content. Read the blog, watch the videos, study the images and scan the comments or reviews. The tone, manner, vocabulary and general sensibility needs to mirror your customer base. Ask yourself if the material you are reviewing feels like its inside the heads of the people you need to reach and persuade. Read beyond recent posts to understand how or if editorial quality, and the user reactions to it, is sustained over time.

Do a Temperature Check. Does this feel like the right environment for your brand? Does the influencer reflect your brand values and personality? Are the topics and the way they are treated compatible with your brand positioning and voice? Would your brand naturally fit into the flow of content? Does the attitude of the influencer align with yours and does it feel like a conversation among friends? Is this somebody your best customers would recognize, believe and want to meet?

Outsource it. Emerging firms are acting as agents for influencers with significant followings. Some are full service. Others are self-service. Some cover many platforms. Others specialize. They have pre-selected and vetted content providers and might have ideas about who will do the most good for your brand or category. Check out Collective Bias, Reelio, FameBit, Grapevine or Influicity.

Influencers come in all shapes and sizes and at all price points. Finding the right one for your brand is well worth the time and research necessary to make the most impactful connection.