Influencer marketing is only effective when advertisers choose to activate with the right creators. But there are a series of factors that are key indicators of a perfect influencer, including:
- High-quality content and visuals that captivate and engage the audience.
- Seamless and authentic integration of brand messaging into their content.
- A strong following across multiple platforms, offering extensive reach and engagement.
When sourcing influencers for your marketing campaigns, there are several green (and red) flags to help determine if the creator is the right fit for your brand.
The Best Influencers to Work With
Does the creator have consistent content that is genuine and wholesome? Do they engage with their audience/fans and have recurring advertiser partnerships? If so, this creator could be a perfect fit for your next influencer marketing campaign!
All these traits are incredibly important to drive engagement and conversions for your brand. When creators have an audience that trusts their opinion, they are more likely to engage with the advertiser because a trusted authority recommended it. Even if the product is not a good fit for them personally, the viewer could still share the content with a friend. And when a creator is consistent with their content style and upload schedule, average viewership will remain consistent — or even grow. If the influencer has a successful merchandise line and brand collaborations, you can expect an audience that follows through with conversions.
Bailey Sarian is a perfect example of a green flag influencer because she always has the same type of content on her channel, which is a unique mixture of true crime and beauty.
Her millions of followers are always eager to watch her “Murder Mystery and Makeup series,” which she consistently posts every Monday. Not only is the content similar every week, but it also resonates with the audience because they are shared by a respectful creator.
Bailey is not only an authority in all things true crime, but she is also a beauty and makeup guru. She has many long-term advertiser partnerships across all mediums, which indicates her audience consistently converts. Bailey has millions of followers across Instagram and YouTube, and has a new podcast that has also become extremely popular. Not to mention, her content is filmed in a dedicated studio that allows for the best content possible.
All of the indicators above highlight a consistent series of green flags that make Bailey Sarian a perfect example of a high-quality content creator.
The Influencers to Avoid
So now we know what makes an influencer a top-tier creator, but what are some red flags to look out for when sourcing talent for your next influencer campaign?
Does the creator have a controversial history or content? Do they pivot to many different content types with low-quality video/audio? Is there a lack of recurring partnerships? If so, you may have found the perfect creator … to avoid!
We won’t roast any particular creator here, but sometimes there are red flags that aren’t super obvious when choosing the right influencer for your campaign. Historical controversies can sometimes be forgotten in the mainstream, but when advertising on their channel, there is always a risk of blowback. Plus, if a creator is constantly changing their content style, this puts average viewership at risk because the audience may not be receptive to their new content, which could result in overpaying for an activation.
If the creator makes content that could be deemed inappropriate, we suggest avoiding working with them or pre-approving content before integration. This will help take steps to avoid any potential outreach or complaints from viewers.
As previously mentioned, the influencer’s authenticity is super important, especially if you’re hoping for good results. For example, if a fitness creator that always promotes a healthy lifestyle in their content promotes an unhealthy beverage, it contradicts their overall branding/messaging. Since the creator accepted a partnership with a brand that goes against what they preach, this comes off as ingenuine and may make viewers think the creator is only promoting it for the money.
If the audience doesn’t trust the creator’s authority, it will be almost impossible to see significant results with this particular influencer. That said, it’s in the creator's best interest to only work with brands that they genuinely care about or believe in. Otherwise, they may lose followers or credibility, and the brand may lose conversions.
Time to Start Testing
All in all, leveraging the right influencer for your influencer marketing efforts can make or break the results. It’s important to select the right verticals because some have more targeted demographics than others. The best influencers to work with are positive, consistent, genuine and have an authority status with their audience.
Regardless of the product, activating with creators who check all of those boxes will be your best bet for any influencer initiatives. Reach out to Pixly today for a robust and custom influencer campaign for your brand.
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