When influencer marketing first made its rounds in the business world, it was not easy for business owners and marketing specialists to approach personalities that can increase brand awareness. So many marketing professionals had faced discouragement and gave up in the past due to the length of time and amount of effort it took just to begin the process. However, things have changed as time passed. Gone were the days of spendings hours scouring the internet in the hopes of discovering the best influencer in your niche. These days, things have gotten loads easier. One of the new alternatives is using the right influence marketing platform for your campaign.
What is an Influencing Marketing Platform?
An influencer marketing platform is a software solution that is designed to provide assistance by offering various influencer discovery tools to brands and agencies. These platforms have a list of potential influencers you can look into to help you in the selection process.
Some apps extend an extra hand by also providing more involved approaches, such as vetting influencers that might be a good fit for their client’s brand. Some go the extra mile by offering relationship management, influencer marketplaces, analytics, and campaign management.
These platforms have become a major factor in the success of a business. After all, your whole influencer marketing strategy is at stake. To eliminate the confusion, we listed out some key considerations when choosing the perfect influencer marketing platform for your brand and campaign.
Now that you know how influencer marketing platforms can help your brand, it’s time to find the right one for you. If you’re new in the market but would like to try using one, don’t fret. We have created this guide to help you do just that. But keep in mind that getting the right influencer marketing software for your brand is no cakewalk. In this article, we will walk you through the entire selection process to help you to jumpstart your search.
Is the Platform Easy to Use?
Perhaps one of the most obvious aspects to give a lot of thought to is the platform’s ease of use. Let’s face it. No matter how promising a platform is, you would not give it a second glance if you find its interface intimidating. You might as well go back to the traditional way of influencer searching instead of giving a non-intuitive platform the time of day.
The platform should be straightforward and undemanding. There are many key points to take note of. For starters, it should have automated workflows that can adjust to your business needs and special features, such as tracking, scheduling, and customizing.
Since some of these platforms offer a free trial, we suggest going for it. Others also freely provide demonstrations to give you an overview of how their platforms work.
Does the Platform Have a Direction?
Most platforms have a target focus, such as Influencer marketing channels or niches. Why should you know what direction or focus a platform has? For one thing, if you are searching for travel Youtubers, looking at a tech platform will not do you any good. You might have a stroke of luck with a fashion-concentrated platform since most influencers in this niche also dabble in travel content. However, an influencer marketing platform for tech experts? You are definitely barking at the wrong tree.
Always prioritize influencer relevancy. It does not matter how popular an influencer is. The campaign only stands a chance if you include an influencer that matches your brand perfectly
Does the Platform Give You Access to the Right Influencers?
Influencer platforms enable you to secure the best influencer for your campaign. The platform should give you the power to get into detail when looking for influencers. As mentioned earlier, some platforms have specific focus. So unless you are using a Youtube influencer marketing platform when searching for a vlogger for your marketing plan, you will need a platform that will give you the tools to simplify the search.
Does the Platform Give You All the Relevant Influencer Data?
Data predictors give you a feel of the person you might work with. Think about it– everything we know about brands, influencers, and famous personalities, we learned through the information we got off the internet. To quicken the searching pace, choose a platform that enables you to search for influencers based on different criteria. Some of the basic metrics are:
- Age
- Gender
- Education
- Language
- Location
Advanced criteria include:
- Household Income
- Content quality and type
- Audience
- Social reach
- Keywords
- Affinities
Basically, the more intel it provides, the more useful a platform is. Knowing these elements can help you arrive at a better decision.
Does the platform permit you to manage multiple campaigns?
A key to getting organized when you are managing different campaigns is to use a platform that allows you to access them in one area. This is a crucial factor marketing agencies should be aware of. Also, some platforms generate reports that can be forwarded to clients. This added bonus is a real time-saver.
What is the Cost? Does it Match Your Budget?
Influencer marketing platform will cost you. Some may be cheaper than others. You can find options that charge under $30 a month, while others can go upwards of $1,000 a month. Here is what you need to know–Price and quality are isolated elements. Just because the product is cheap does not mean it can’t get the job done. As advised previously, take advantage of free trials and walkthroughs to gain an insight of what works for you.
Does it Give You an Idea of Potential ROI?
Select a platform that can give you great return on investment (ROI). In this way, you can have peace of mind even before launching the campaign. The best influencer marketing platforms can give you metrics to help you analyze if an influencer can have a positive impact on your ROI way before you make a move on them. Such platforms also keep track of your ROI during campaigns involving views, reach, and engagement. This eliminates guesswork. Having dependable data is the only right way to measure progress. Otherwise, you won’t know if you are acquiring profit or losing income from your partnership with an influencer.
On the subject of ROI, check out the graph below:
[visualizer id=”1663″] Source: mediakix89% say ROI from influencer marketing is comparable or better than other channels
We gathered some of the best Influencer marketing software platforms out there and provided a brief overview of their strongest suits and weak points on the list below.
10 Influencer Marketing Platforms You Should Know About
Creator IQ
PROS
- Tracks campaign progress and enables collaboration with Campaign Management
- Refined discovery tool
- Allows you to build and customize a creator network, among other management features
CONS
- Requires expertise in managing the various tools
Izea
PROS
- A one-stop shop for all your influencer marketing platform needs
- Provides assistance in influencer discovery by categorizing them per community
- User-friendly
CONS
- A little pricey for small business owners
Reachbird
PROS
- Plenty of ways to stay connected to influencers
- Available project managers to help you with the campaign process
- Allows for long-term collaborations
CONS
- Tracking and discovery tools are in separate portals
Socialbook
PROS
- Observe campaign performance.
- Advanced filters enable you to find the right influencers
- Connects you directly to influencers.
CONS
- Limited support and tools
- Book influencers only from three platforms.
Linqia
PROS
- Automated content management
- Offers real-time progress analysis
- ROI forecasting through AI driven engine
CONS
- Needs learning curve for managing different AI features
Group High
PROS
- No need to monitor personally, thanks to auto-reporting
- Multiple filter options with two-year history
- Can track campaign with Influencer CRM
CONS
- No campaign management features
Dovetale
PROS
- Online customer support at your disposal
- Provides influencer profile’s detailed analytics
- Allows you to handle more than one account
- Very easy to navigate
CONS
- No features for content and contact management
Hashtag Paid
PROS
- Use Inbox to connect with influencers directly
- High-quality content that you get to screen first
- Enables monitoring of the progress through a reporting dashboard
CONS
- One of the most expensive Instagram platforms
Traackr
PROS
- A one stop shop for all your influencer marketing platform requirements.
- Helps with influencer discovery, analytics, and management
- Easy to maneuver.
CONS
- Technical skills may be necessary for advanced options.
Sideqik
PROS
- About 16 million influencers coming from 10 social media platforms
- Easy communication
- Permits tracking of campaigns with ease
- Easy to manage
CONS
- The number of features calls for a learning period
We only listed 10 in this article, but we can assure you there’s plenty more where those came from. However, there are a multitude of influencer marketing software available out there. It can be unsettling and challenging to make a judgment call. So much so that many businesses entertain the idea of working in partnership with an influencer marketing agency rather than learning how to use an influencer marketing platform. They would rather have the experienced handle it.
What Does an Influencer Agency Do?
Influencer marketing agencies can find any influencer of any size, affiliation, or reach. Influencer agencies can be independent or linked to a multi-channel network. Others receive support from larger talent managers. Reputable companies surely have links to the most popular social media influencers on the planet.
Small businesses can approach these agencies because they also assist in small campaigns. However, larger corporations will mostly benefit when working with them. They offer different initiatives and tailor campaigns using their hook-ups with plenty of influencers and brand ambassadors. Agencies also verify the legality of a social media profile. For instance, people who are still unable to answer the question–how do you choose an influencer on Instagram?–it will do them good to know that certain influencer marketing platforms can fall victim to fake accounts, as proven by an experiment conducted by Mediakix. This is not likely to happen with an influencer marketing agency.
Find the Right Influencer Marketing Platform for Your Brand
Select a platform that can support not only your search for an influencer, but also can aid in the management of your campaign while keeping tabs on its performance. Identifying influencer marketing platforms can be tricky due to the number of available choices. However, the questions above will serve as your guide on your search. You can also check out other options, such as hiring an influencer marketing agency to take over your campaign.
If you want to learn more on how to find influencers, read our guide “How to Find Influencers Working With Your Competitors.”
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