Influencer marketing works best when there is a true connection between the brand, the creator, and the audience. But how do you make sure the influencers you choose are a natural fit? In this guide, we walk through our approach to selecting influencers that genuinely align with a brand. From translating a client brief into clear selection criteria, to assessing brand fit and evaluating the quality and authenticity of influencer engagement - we’re sharing how to make smart, strategic choices that lead to real impact.
There are several factors beyond follower count. First, we assess whether their target audience aligns with our own - looking at demographics such as age, location, interests and behaviours to confirm relevance. If they have any, media packs could be a great way to find this type of information and justify our approach.
Next, we consider how well the influencer can support brand KPIs. Influencer partnerships do not always necessarily guarantee performance, so we recommend that brands evaluate influencers based on the brand awareness and engagement they drive. Asking for performance insights or checking influencer networks could be a useful way to find the relevant stats for these.
Reviewing influencers’ previous collaborations helps us gauge credibility, professionalism and whether they successfully promoted similar products or services of similar brands. This could easily be found on their social media pages as well as their media packs to understand their typical reach, engagement and content style.
Once we think they align with the brand and have good potential, we’d usually advise brands to leverage these partnerships over a long period, rather than planning a one-off campaign. In our experience, this approach maximises the return by being consistently exposed to the target audience in the long run.
When we take on a client brief, the first step is to understand the brand’s identity, goals and offering so we can build an influencer strategy that is right, scalable and efficient. Next, we explore if the brand has experienced influencer partnerships before and, if so, what’s worked and whether specific content types (i.e. Reels, unboxings, GRWM) tend to drive stronger performance. This helps replicate success and avoid missteps.
Then, we gather key information about the brand’s offering to influencers, which is essential for staying competitive and attracting quality talent. If they are utilising an affiliate network, we recommend they offer high commission rates, typically up to 20% or if they are using LTK, for example, we check the rates here are optimal - LTK take a cut, so 15% is a minimum! It is important early on to talk about budgets! A fixed fee model, is the preference of many influencers as it pays for their time and effort in creating content - this is even more important if you then want to use the content.
If the approach is based on gifting, we clarify whether there is a specific product or collection they want to push and whether the influencer will be invited for in-store visits or if gifting will be shipped directly to their address without the need of sizing. This is particularly important for fashion brands, where size selection, styling flexibility and delivery logistics can impact timelines and content quality. Clarifying these things in a client brief helps us automate the process and deliver better campaign performance from the start.
Checking engagement rate could be a good starting point - calculated from likes, comments and views relative to their follower count - as this helps indicate how actively their audience interacts with their content. However, numbers alone aren’t enough. We’d recommend reviewing the quality of comments to ensure they are genuine rather than generic or bot-like responses. We also assess how their follower count has grown over time - natural, steady growth is ideal, while sudden spikes may suggest purchased followers.
Additionally, we look at whether their views, likes and saves are consistent with their follower size; big gaps here can be a red flag. We also evaluate whether their followers appear to be real people, not blank profiles or inactive accounts. Lastly, we consider their past campaign performance, if available, to see how they’ve delivered on brand objectives such as reach, conversions or content quality. Together, these checks give us a clear picture of whether an influencer’s engagement is authentic and valuable.
Looking for some guidance on selecting influencers for your brand? Get in touch today.
