The truth is, not just anybody can sell your product or service. In fact, tracking down the right influencer for your brand can be downright overwhelming. In fact, 30% of professionals agreed that identifying the right collaborator was the main challenge in their influencer marketing strategy.

If you’re a smaller brand, your best bet initially will be reaching out to micro-influencers — those with an audience of around 10,000-50,000 followers. Surely, there are plenty of them out there in your market, but first you need to find them and win them over. Follow these seven tips to get started:

1. Dive into Google. Search for the industry experts, speakers and bloggers in your niche. Then drill down to find those who are within your local service area (if location matters to you) and check out who has an active social media presence.

2. Search using hashtags. You can start by typing #ad, #influencer or #sponsored into the search bar and see what comes up. And then get more specific using keywords that are relevant to your brand.

3. Begin the vetting process. Find them on social media and evaluate their presence, reach, content, followers and more. Do they have a decent following on the channel where your target audience hangs out? How’s their engagement rate? Are they like-minded in their brand voice, mission or values? Answering these questions can help you determine the best pick for your brand.

4. Start by “liking” them. Which influencers have your attention? Build a rapport with them by liking and sharing their posts and hanging out in their comments. Once they’ve caught on to your presence, begin the conversation about a collaboration with mutual benefits.

5. Send them an email or message via social. Flex your best subject line skills and keep your message succinct. Recognize their work as an influencer and point out specific examples of what resonates with your brand. Then explain what you hope to accomplish through a potential partnership.

6. Establish a compelling compensation method. What do you have to offer an influencer for promoting your brand? From shout outs to product freebies to commission, create a custom offer they can’t refuse. Make them feel invested in your brand.

7. Invest in a service that finds influencers for you. Influencity and Julius, for example, are platforms that connect brands with applicable influencers. They can also assist you in managing campaigns, improving strategy and analyzing metrics to understand your campaign’s success.

A positive influence
When an influencer shares in your brand’s vision, the collaboration will be a natural fit. And if all goes well, this could be the beginning of a long-term business relationship where everyone benefits.

Missed Part 1 of this post? Let’s fix that.