--- name: influencer-outreach-discovery description: Identify relevant influencers, analyze their authenticity and engagement, score them by fit and ROI potential, and automate personalized outreach campaigns. Use when finding influencers for campaigns, vetting influencer authenticity, building influencer databases, creating outreach sequences, negotiating influencer partnerships, or tracking influencer campaign performance. Triggers on phrases like "influencer discovery", "find influencers", "influencer outreach", "influencer vetting", "influencer campaign", "micro-influencer", "influencer ROI", "influencer database", "creator partnership", "influencer negotiation", "influencer contract". --- # Influencer Discovery & Outreach Systematically find, vet, and partner with influencers who align with your brand and deliver measurable ROI. ## Workflow 1. Define campaign objectives, target audience, budget, and influencer tier requirements. 2. Conduct multi-platform influencer search using discovery tools, social listening, and manual research. 3. Vet each candidate: engagement authenticity, audience alignment, content quality, brand safety. 4. Score and rank influencers using weighted criteria matrix. 5. Build personalized outreach messages tailored to each influencer's content style and values. 6. Negotiate terms: deliverables, timelines, compensation, usage rights, exclusivity. 7. Launch campaign with clear creative briefs and performance tracking. 8. Monitor campaign performance, gather content for repurposing, calculate ROI. 9. Post-campaign analysis and relationship management for future partnerships. ## Influencer Discovery Process ``` INFLUENCER DISCOVERY FRAMEWORK ================================ STEP 1: CAMPAIGN BRIEF DEFINITION Campaign Objectives: Brand awareness (reach, impressions, share of voice) Product launch (buzz, reviews, unboxing) Lead generation (tracked clicks, form fills, promo codes) Sales/conversion (affiliate links, promo codes, tracked revenue) Community building (followers, engagement, UGC) Thought leadership (speaking, interviews, industry credibility) Target Audience Profile: Demographics: Age range, gender, location, income Interests: Topics, hobbies, brands they follow Platforms: Where they spend time (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn) Buying stage: Awareness, consideration, decision Budget Allocation: Creator fees: 60-70% of total budget Product/gift: 10-15% Amplification (boosting): 10-15% Management tools: 5-10% Influencer Tier Mix: Mega-influencers (1M+ followers): 5-10% of budget, maximum reach Macro-influencers (100K-1M followers): 20-30% of budget Micro-influencers (10K-100K followers): 40-50% of budget, best ROI Nano-influencers (1K-10K followers): 10-20% of budget, highest engagement STEP 2: MULTI-CHANNEL DISCOVERY DISCOVERY TOOLS: ┌────────────────────┬────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┐ │ Tool │ Platforms │ Key Features │ ├────────────────────┼────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤ │ AspireIQ │ IG, TikTok, YT, Twitter│ AI matching, campaign mgmt│ │ Upfluence │ All major platforms │ Audience analytics, CRM │ │ CreatorIQ │ IG, TikTok, YT, FB │ Performance analytics │ │ HypeAuditor │ IG, TikTok, YT, TW │ Fake follower detection │ │ Modash │ IG, TikTok, YT │ Real-time analytics │ │ Influencer.co │ All platforms │ Database search, rates │ │ Social Blade │ IG, YT, TW, TikTok │ Follower growth tracking │ │ HEYLA │ IG, TikTok, YT │ AI-powered discovery │ │ Grin │ IG, TikTok, YT, TW │ E-commerce focus │ │ Impact.com │ All platforms │ Affiliate/influencer mix │ └────────────────────┴────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┘ MANUAL DISCOVERY METHODS: - Search branded hashtags on Instagram and TikTok - Review Instagram/TikTok suggested accounts ("Following" suggestions) - Analyze competitors' influencer partnerships (visible tags and sponsors) - Search Reddit communities for product discussions and recommenders - Check YouTube "Channels to Subscribe" sidebar for niche creators - Monitor LinkedIn for industry thought leaders and content creators - Review podcast guest lists in your industry - Search Twitter for people quoting/recommending your product category SEARCH QUERY STRATEGIES: Brand-adjacent: Search competitors' branded hashtags → find their creators Interest-based: Search niche hashtags → find topic experts Location-based: Search geo-tagged posts → find local influencers Campaign-based: Search trending campaign hashtags → find active participants Content-based: Search specific content types → find quality creators ``` ## Influencer Vetting and Authenticity ``` INFLUENCER VETTING CHECKLIST ============================== ENGAGEMENT AUTHENTICITY ANALYSIS: Engagement Rate by Platform (2024 benchmarks): Instagram (Feed): Average 1.22%, Good > 3.5% Instagram (Reels): Average 2.50%, Good > 5.0% Instagram (Stories): Average 0.5-1.5%, Good > 3.0% TikTok: Average 3.50%, Good > 8.0% YouTube: Average 2.00%, Good > 4.5% (based on views/followers) Twitter/X: Average 0.05%, Good > 0.5% LinkedIn: Average 1.50%, Good > 3.5% Engagement Rate Formula: ER = (Average Likes + Average Comments) / Followers × 100 RED FLAGS (Fake Engagement Indicators): ✗ Engagement rate < 0.5% on Instagram (likely fake followers) ✗ Sudden follower spikes (> 10K in a day without viral content) ✗ Generic bot comments ("Fire!", "Nice pic!", "Follow back!") ✗ Comment-to-like ratio < 0.1% (no real conversation) ✗ Follower growth: Flat or declining despite regular posting ✗ Audience demographics: Unusual spikes in unlikely countries ✗ Screenshot followers: Accounts with stock photos, no posts ✗ Engagement pods: Similar accounts always commenting on each other ✗ Sponsor-to-post ratio: > 80% sponsored content (audience fatigue) AUTHENTICITY SCORE (0-100): Engagement rate (vs. benchmark): 0-25 points Comment quality (meaningful %): 0-20 points Follower growth consistency: 0-15 points Audience geo alignment with target: 0-15 points Content quality and originality: 0-15 points Brand safety (past controversies): 0-10 points Score > 80: Excellent — prioritize for partnership Score 60-80: Good — viable candidate Score 40-60: Fair — use for nano-tier campaigns only Score < 40: Poor — skip AUDIENCE ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS: Using platform insights (Instagram Audience Insights, HypeAuditor, Modash): - Demographic match to target audience: > 60% alignment required - Geographic match: > 50% in target regions - Interest overlap: > 40% of audience interested in your category - Brand affinity: Audience follows 3+ related brand accounts CONTENT QUALITY ASSESSMENT: - Visual quality: Resolution, composition, lighting, editing - Voice authenticity: Genuine vs. scripted/robotic - Niche expertise: Demonstrated knowledge in relevant topics - Posting consistency: Regular schedule (min 3x/week for IG, 5x/week for TikTok) - Engagement with audience: Responds to comments, asks questions, runs polls - Past brand partnerships: Quality of integration (native vs. forced) BRAND SAFETY CHECK: - Search influencer name + "controversy", "scam", "cancelled" - Review political/social stances (align with brand values or neutral) - Check for past affiliation with competing brands (exclusivity conflicts) - Review comment sections for audience sentiment and complaints - Check FTC disclosure compliance in past sponsored posts ``` ## Influencer Scoring and Ranking ``` INFLUENCER SCORING MATRIX =========================== WEIGHTED SCORING SYSTEM (Total: 100 points): 1. Audience Fit (Weight: 25%): Demographic alignment: 0-10 Interest alignment: 0-10 Geographic alignment: 0-5 2. Engagement Quality (Weight: 20%): Engagement rate: 0-10 Comment quality: 0-8 Audience interaction: 0-2 3. Content Quality (Weight: 20%): Visual production: 0-8 Storytelling ability: 0-8 Brand alignment: 0-4 4. Reach & Growth (Weight: 15%): Follower count (vs. tier): 0-5 Growth trajectory: 0-5 Multi-platform presence: 0-5 5. Commercial Viability (Weight: 15%): Past brand partnership success: 0-5 Pricing reasonableness: 0-5 Responsiveness/reliability: 0-5 6. ROI Potential (Weight: 5%): Estimated conversion potential: 0-3 Content repurposing value: 0-2 SCORING WORKSHEET: ┌──────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐ │ Influencer │ Aud Fit │ Engage │ Content │ Reach │ Commerc │ ROI │ TOTAL │ │ │ (25%) │ (20%) │ (20%) │ (15%) │ (15%) │ (5%) │ │ ├──────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤ │ @creator_a │ 22 │ 18 │ 17 │ 13 │ 12 │ 4 │ 86 ✓✓✓ │ │ @creator_b │ 19 │ 15 │ 19 │ 10 │ 14 │ 3 │ 80 ✓✓ │ │ @creator_c │ 15 │ 12 │ 14 │ 14 │ 10 │ 3 │ 68 ✓ │ │ @creator_d │ 10 │ 8 │ 11 │ 8 │ 7 │ 2 │ 46 ✗ │ └──────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘ ✓✓✓ = Top tier — prioritize outreach ✓✓ = Strong candidate — include in outreach ✓ = Backup — outreach if budget allows ✗ = Skip — poor fit or quality ``` ## Outreach Strategy ``` INFLUENCER OUTREACH SEQUENCE ============================== CHANNEL PRIORITY: 1. Email (most professional, best for contracts) — if available 2. Instagram DM (common for micro-influencers) 3. Agency contact (for macro/mega-influencers) 4. LinkedIn message (for B2B thought leaders) 5. Comment on recent post + follow → DM (last resort) OUTREACH TIMING: Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Best times: 10 AM - 2 PM in influencer's timezone Avoid: Monday morning (backlog), Friday afternoon (weekend mode), holidays SEQUENCE 1: INITIAL OUTREACH (Day 0) EMAIL TEMPLATE: Subject: Quick question from [Brand] — love your content on [specific topic]! Hi [First Name], I'm [Your Name] from [Brand]. I've been following your content for a while — especially loved your recent post about [specific content]. The way you [specific detail] really resonated with me. We're [1-sentence brand description] and I think your audience would really get value from our [product/service]. We're planning a campaign around [campaign theme] and would love to explore a partnership. No pressure at all — just wanted to start a conversation. Are you open to chatting this week? If so, what's the best way to connect? Thanks for the amazing content you create, [Your Name] [Title] | [Brand] [Contact info] DM TEMPLATE (shorter): Hi [Name]! 👋 I'm [Name] from [Brand]. Absolutely loved your recent [post/reel/video] about [topic] — especially [specific detail]. We make [1-sentence] and I think your audience would love it. Would you be open to a quick chat about a potential collab? No pressure at all! Either way, keep creating — your content is 🔥 SEQUENCE 2: FOLLOW-UP (Day 4-5) Subject: Re: Quick question from [Brand] Hi [Name], just following up on my note from last week. No rush at all — I know inboxes get crazy. Still think there could be a great fit between [Brand] and your audience. Let me know if you're open to chatting! SEQUENCE 3: VALUE-ADD (Day 10) Subject: [Name], thought you'd find this interesting Hi [Name], I came across [relevant article/trend/data] and thought of your content about [their topic]. Sharing in case it's useful! Also still interested in connecting about [Brand] if timing is right. No pressure either way — genuinely just a fan of your work. SEQUENCE 4: FINAL (Day 18-21) Subject: Last note from [Brand] Hi [Name], I won't keep following up — just wanted to leave the door open if you ever consider partnerships in the future. We'd love to work together when the timing is right. Thanks again for the great content, [Your Name] RESPONSE RATE TARGETS: Initial outreach response rate: 15-30% (industry average: ~20%) Follow-up improves response by: 8-15 percentage points Overall contact-to-partnership rate: 5-10% ``` ## Negotiation and Agreement ``` INFLUENCER COMPENSATION FRAMEWORK =================================== PAYMENT MODELS: 1. FLAT FEE (most common): Micro-influencer (10K-100K): $100 - $1,000 per post Mid-tier (50K-500K): $500 - $5,000 per post Macro-influencer (100K-1M): $5,000 - $15,000 per post Mega-influencer (1M+): $15,000 - $50,000+ per post Instagram Story: 50-70% of feed post rate Instagram Reel: 100-150% of feed post rate TikTok Video: 80-120% of equivalent Instagram rate YouTube Integration: 150-200% of Instagram rate YouTube Dedicated: 200-300% of Instagram rate 2. PERFORMANCE-BASED: Cost per acquisition (CPA): $20 - $100 per tracked sale Cost per click (CPC): $0.50 - $3.00 per tracked click Revenue share: 10-20% commission on tracked revenue Best for: Established products with proven conversion 3. HYBRID (recommended): Base fee (50-70% of total value) + performance bonus (30-50%) Example: $500 base + $50 per sale (tracked via unique code/link) Caps: Performance bonus cap at 2-3x base fee (manage liability) 4. PRODUCT-ONLY (barter): Applicable for: Nano-influencers (< 10K) only Product value should be $100+ minimum (respect their time) Discourage: Product-only for macro+ (unrealistic) CONTRACT ESSENTIALS: ☐ Deliverables: Exact content specs (number of posts, formats, platforms) ☐ Timeline: Content creation deadline, posting date, campaign end date ☐ Compensation: Amount, payment schedule (50% upfront, 50% on delivery) ☐ Usage rights: Duration, platforms, paid amplification rights ☐ Approval process: Review period (48 hours), revision rounds (max 2) ☐ Exclusivity: Category exclusivity period (typically 30-90 days) ☐ FTC compliance: Mandatory disclosure (#ad, #sponsored, #partner) ☐ Performance metrics: Tracking method, reporting requirements ☐ Cancellation terms: Both parties, kill fee structure ☐ Content ownership: Who owns final content, repurposing rights ☐ NDA: For unreleased products or confidential campaigns USAGE RIGHTS PRICING: Organic posting only: Base rate (included) Paid amplification (boosting): +25-50% of base fee Repurposing in brand ads: +30-70% of base fee Long-term usage (1+ years): +50-100% of base fee Whitelisting / paid media from creator account: +40-80% of base fee ``` ## Campaign Management and Tracking ``` INFLUENCER CAMPAIGN TRACKING ============================== PRE-SETUP TRACKING: Unique promo codes: [BRAND][INFLUENCER initials] (e.g., SAVE20JSMITH) UTM parameters: ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=[campaign]&utm_content=[influencer] Affiliate links: Custom tracking URLs for each influencer Landing pages: Influencer-specific landing pages (optional for larger campaigns) CREATIVE BRIEF TEMPLATE: Campaign Overview: - Brand introduction (1 paragraph) - Product/service details (key features and benefits) - Campaign objective and target audience - Key messaging pillars (3-5 bullet points) - Required call-to-action Content Requirements: - Format: [Instagram Reel / TikTok / YouTube integration] - Duration: [30 seconds / 60 seconds / 3-minute integration] - Key talking points: [3-5 must-mention items] - Brand mentions: [minimum 2 mentions of brand name] - Disclosure: [#ad or #sponsored in caption and verbally] - Product placement: [how product should appear] - CTA: [specific link, code, or action] Brand Guidelines: - Tone: [conversational / professional / aspirational] - Do's: [specific requirements] - Don'ts: [prohibited claims, competitor mentions, etc.] - Logo usage: [when and how to display] Timeline: - Brief delivery: [date] - Product delivery: [date] - First draft due: [date] - Revision deadline: [date] - Posting date: [date] - Reporting deadline: [date] PERFORMANCE REPORTING: DELIVERABLES CHECKLIST: ☐ Content posted on time ☐ FTC disclosure included ☐ Tracking code/link active ☐ Brand tag in post ☐ Content archived for future use METRICS REPORT (per influencer): ┌────────────────────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐ │ Influencer │ Reach │ Eng Rate │ Clicks │ Revenue │ ├────────────────────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┤ │ @creator_a │ 45,200 │ 4.2% │ 1,230 │ $8,610 │ │ @creator_b │ 28,700 │ 5.1% │ 980 │ $6,860 │ │ @creator_c │ 67,400 │ 2.8% │ 1,560 │ $10,920 │ │ Total │ 141,300 │ 3.8% │ 3,770 │ $26,390 │ └────────────────────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘ CAMPAIGN ROI CALCULATION: Total Investment: $15,000 (fees) + $2,000 (product) + $3,000 (amplification) = $20,000 Total Revenue Attributed: $26,390 ROI: ($26,390 - $20,000) / $20,000 × 100 = 32% ROAS: $26,390 / $20,000 = 1.32x Cost per Acquisition: $20,000 / 377 clicks = $53.05 ADDITIONAL METRICS: Estimated earned media value (EMV): Based on equivalent ad spend Follower lift during campaign: New followers attributed to campaign Content saves and shares: High-intent engagement metrics Audience sentiment: Positive/neutral/negative ratio in comments Content quality score: Internal rating 1-5 for repurposing potential ``` ## Integration Points - **AspireIQ / Upfluence / CreatorIQ**: Influencer database, discovery, campaign management, performance analytics, contract management - **HypeAuditor / Modash**: Audience analytics, fake follower detection, engagement authenticity scoring, competitor influencer tracking - **Impact.com / Refersion**: Affiliate link generation, performance tracking, commission automation, payout management - **Grin / Creator Vault**: E-commerce focused influencer management, Shopify integration, product seeding - **Hashtag / Traackr**: Enterprise influencer relationship management, AI-powered matching, compliance tracking - **Brandwatch / Sprout Social**: Social listening for influencer identification, sentiment analysis, share of voice - **Google Analytics**: UTM tracking, conversion attribution, revenue reporting - **Shopify / WooCommerce**: Promo code tracking, sales attribution, product integration - **Canva / Figma**: Creative brief templates, influencer asset packs ## Edge Cases - **FTC / ASA compliance violations**: Influencer fails to disclose sponsored content - FTC requires: Clear #ad or #sponsored disclosure (not buried in hashtags) - Platform rules: Instagram "Paid Partnership" label, YouTube "Sponsored" label - Include disclosure requirement in contract with financial penalty clause - Monitor all posts within first 24 hours for compliance - Penalty risk: FTC fines up to $50,120 per violation (2024 adjusted amount) - UK ASA: Similar requirements; fines through Advertising Standards Authority - **Influencer scandal / brand safety crisis**: Influencer involved in controversy mid-campaign - Contract clause: Morality clause allowing immediate cancellation - Response protocol: Pause all amplification, assess severity within 2 hours - Content removal: Request influencer to remove content (negotiate terms) - Backup plan: Have reserve influencers ready for rapid deployment - Insurance: Some brands purchase influencer campaign insurance - **Micro-influencer at-scale campaigns**: Managing 100+ nano/micro-influencers simultaneously - Use platform tools for bulk outreach and management (AspireIQ, Grin) - Standardize creative briefs but allow personalization - Implement tiered approval (auto-approve low-risk, manual review for key creators) - Tracking: Unique codes for each, consolidated reporting dashboard - Communication: Group email updates + individual Slack channel or CRM - **International / cross-border influencer campaigns**: Different regulations, languages, cultural nuances - EU: Influencer Marketing Board guidelines, stricter disclosure, GDPR for audience data - UK: ASA/CAP codes, "clear and obvious" disclosure standard - China: Key Opinion Leader (KOL) ecosystem, different platforms (Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin) - Japan: Influencer Law requires disclosure, different content style expectations - Localize creative briefs with native-language guidance - Budget for translation and cultural consulting - **Product seeding vs. paid partnerships**: When to send product free vs. pay for guaranteed content - Product seeding: Send to 20-50 nano/micro-influencers, organic posts at their discretion - Conversion rate: 20-35% post organically - Best for: Product launches, broad awareness, UGC generation - Cost: Product cost only + shipping (typically $500-$5,000 total) - Paid: Guarantees deliverables, timing, messaging control - Best for: Product positioning, specific messaging, conversion campaigns - Cost: $500-$15,000+ per creator depending on tier - Hybrid approach: Seed to broad list + pay top performers for guaranteed content - **Whitelisting / paid media from creator accounts**: Running ads from influencer's handle - Requires: Written permission + usage rights agreement (+30-80% fee premium) - Benefits: Higher CTR (3-5x vs. brand ads), authentic creative, lower CPC - Setup: Ad account access via Instagram Ads Manager or TikTok Ads Manager - Performance: Typically 40-60% lower CPA than brand-run ads - Management: Monitor ad fatigue, refresh creative every 2-4 weeks - Compliance: Must still include "Sponsored" ad label