Can you give a little more context Paul? A little more about the product category, your ICP/Audience, and your budget? That will help to direct my response.
In the meantime, here is the high-level approach.
I want you to think about influencers the way you’d scout guests for a dinner party: start by deciding who you actually want at the table, then work backward to where they hang out. First, define the audience you’re after, the more specific the better. Age, interests, niches, the whole "vibe". Once that picture is clear, look for the watering holes they frequent: Instagram hashtags, TikTok sounds, YouTube channels, LinkedIn posts, Substacks, Discord servers, whatever feels native to that crowd. Notice the voices that get traction: repeated comments, shares, stitched videos, shout-outs. This is your emerging “influencer short-list.”
From there, check the data behind the charisma. Scroll recent posts and look at engagement ratios (likes, comments, shares vs. follower count). A modest creator with a fiercely active community usually drives more momentum than a mega-account with lackluster likes. Make sure their tone, values, and past brand collabs feel like a natural extension of your own story, because forced partnerships reek like cheap perfume.
Then, slide into their DMs or business email with something that proves you’ve done some homework: reference a specific post, explain why your audience overlaps with theirs, and lay out an easy next step (sample product, co-created content idea, whatever). Influencers live on momentum, so give them a clear, quick win and you’ll be far more likely to get them interested.
Can you give a little more context Paul? A little more about the product category, your ICP/Audience, and your budget? That will help to direct my response.
In the meantime, here is the high-level approach.
I want you to think about influencers the way you’d scout guests for a dinner party: start by deciding who you actually want at the table, then work backward to where they hang out. First, define the audience you’re after, the more specific the better. Age, interests, niches, the whole "vibe". Once that picture is clear, look for the watering holes they frequent: Instagram hashtags, TikTok sounds, YouTube channels, LinkedIn posts, Substacks, Discord servers, whatever feels native to that crowd. Notice the voices that get traction: repeated comments, shares, stitched videos, shout-outs. This is your emerging “influencer short-list.”
From there, check the data behind the charisma. Scroll recent posts and look at engagement ratios (likes, comments, shares vs. follower count). A modest creator with a fiercely active community usually drives more momentum than a mega-account with lackluster likes. Make sure their tone, values, and past brand collabs feel like a natural extension of your own story, because forced partnerships reek like cheap perfume.
Then, slide into their DMs or business email with something that proves you’ve done some homework: reference a specific post, explain why your audience overlaps with theirs, and lay out an easy next step (sample product, co-created content idea, whatever). Influencers live on momentum, so give them a clear, quick win and you’ll be far more likely to get them interested.