The Influencer Marketing Industry is bigger than ever. Influencer Marketing Hub predicts the market to grow to a staggering $16.4 billion in 2022. Significant portions of brand budgets are going towards influencers and content creators, the new key marketing channels for their products, services, apps, music, and more. The question is not whether an influencer or content creator is the right method to market your brand, but who you should work with.

So, how do you identify the right creators to work with?

We want to help you determine the best creator for your campaign knowing that the Influencer Marketing Industry is vast and ever-changing. Here are the four key factors you should consider when selecting a creator for an influencer marketing campaign.

1. Engagement
   1. Don’t be mistaken, engagement does not refer to the number of followers a content creator boasts on their page. Instead, engagement refers to the degree to which a content creator’s followers interact with their content. The creator with 100K followers and 20K likes on each post is worth more than the creator with 300K followers but who struggles to get 10K likes on their content. For a strong ROI for your marketing efforts, pay the creators who captivate and connect with their audiences.
2. Niche
   1. Finding a content creator who specializes in the industry or niche associated with your brand is essential to conducting a successful influencer marketing campaign. If a creator focuses on dance content, it may be unwise to approach them to market your newest video game. Invest your money into the creators with audiences that are most likely to connect with your product. Additionally, invest in the creator who believes in your brand. This ensures the promotion is a natural integration into the creator’s content stream and does not disrupt their feed or engagement levels.
3. Quality
   1. Always place higher value on quality than quantity in the Influencer Marketing Industry; however, keep in mind that quality looks different for every content creator. Scan a creator’s page to determine the effort they put into their videos. Their dedication is evident in many ways, including strong editing skills, witty commentary, and consistency in uploads.
4. Price
   1. While the last on this list, the price of a creator is certainly not the least important factor to consider when determining who to work with for your influencer marketing campaign. Business of Apps admits that there is considerable variance in the prices reported for influencer rates and that the industry lacks standardization, but there is a rough estimate of price available online such as through Influencer Marketing Hub. Our rule of thumb is to always have the creator pitch their price first, including exclusivity and usage rights, to first determine whether their rate is within a comfortable range you are willing to pay.

While not exhaustive, we hope this list gives you a better idea of what to be aware of when conducting influencer outreach or when you are approached by content creators for partnerships. For more information or to run your own influencer marketing campaign reach out to [email protected].