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How to find influencers
Choose influencers by average views, engagement rate, recent activity, and whether their content topics fit your brand, not by follower count. After narrowing your candidates to 3 to 5 accounts, compare them side by side using the same criteria to find accounts with good engagement within your budget.
Updated · By the TRYIT team
6 criteria for choosing
| Criterion | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Average views | Even with many followers, how many people actually watch their recent content determines your ad reach. |
| Engagement rate | An account with strong likes and comments suggests its viewers trust what the creator says and act on it. |
| Recent uploads | An account that has been quiet for months may have lost its audience's attention. |
| Content topic | The topics they usually cover should be close to your product so the ad feels natural. |
| Share of ad content | On an account with very frequent ads, the response to each individual ad may be lower. |
| Audience | Check that the language they use and the countries they are active in match your customers. |
Steps to find creators
- Pick 1–3 keywords that fit your product.
- Set a follower and average-views range that fits your budget.
- Use engagement rate and recent uploads to keep only accounts that are active now.
- Compare 3–5 candidates side by side using the same criteria.
- Save them to a group and send your proposals.
You can follow these steps as they are in TRYIT influencer search. For YouTube channels, you can start without logging in on YouTuber rankings and YouTube channel analysis.
How to find creators without a tool
- Hashtags and search — Search Instagram, TikTok and YouTube by product type or place name.
- Competing brands' collaborators — Accounts that similar brands have worked with are likely to suit your product too.
- Similar accounts — Follow the suggested accounts on the profile of an account you like.
- Your own customers — People who already use your product and tag it write the most sincere reviews.
- Open call posts — Post a collaboration call on your brand account and take applications.
Once the numbers grow, finding creators by hand gets hard. At that point, a tool that filters by criteria, like influencer search, can save you time.
Three ways to recruit creators
| Route | Upside | Downside | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct outreach | No fees, and the relationship stays with you | Finding and contacting creators takes time | You want to work with a few creators over the long term |
| Seeding/recruitment platforms | You gather applicants quickly | It is hard to pick accounts, and quality is uneven | You want to grow the number of reviews quickly |
| Agency | Handles everything from recruiting to payment | Costs more | You are running a large campaign all at once |
Where do you reach out?
- Instagram — The email button on the profile or the business email in the bio. If there is none, send a DM.
- YouTube — The business inquiry email in the channel info.
- TikTok — The email in the profile bio, or the linked Instagram account.
How to write a first proposal message
| Messages that get replies | Messages that get buried |
|---|---|
| One line on which content made you reach out, one line on your brand and product, the content format and schedule you want, what you offer (product, payment), and where to reply | A greeting that looks sent to everyone, a bare "We'd like to inquire about a collaboration" with no terms, a long company introduction |
Example: "I'm reaching out after seeing the camping cooking Reel you posted last week. We're ○○, a portable grill brand. We'd like to ask you for one Reel by the second week of November, and we'll provide the product and a content production fee. If you reply to this email, we'll send you the details."
Common reasons creators decline
- The account's topic doesn't fit the product.
- The schedule is too tight.
- It isn't clear what you're asking for or what you're offering.
- They already work with a competing brand.
- You try to control the content too much.
What changes by goal
- Group buys — Look at whether purchase inquiries actually go back and forth in the comments, rather than at follower count.
- Local stores — An account that steadily posts content tagged with that local area name works well even with fewer followers.
- TikTok — Look at whether recent videos get consistent views, rather than at followers.
What to check before reaching out
- Whether the last 10 pieces of content get consistent views
- Whether the comments come from real viewers
- Whether they have recently run ads for a competing brand
- Whether the account follows ad disclosure rules (including paid partnership labels)
- Whether the contract states the scope and period for reusing the content
Do influencers with fewer followers still work?
Yes. Even with fewer followers, an account with a high engagement rate and a topic close to your product often gets a better response for the ad spend.
How do I check engagement rate?
It looks at how much like and comment activity there is compared with views or follower count. The calculation method is in How to calculate engagement rate.
How much does influencer outreach cost?
It varies widely with account size, content format and the scope of secondary use, so there is no set price. The most accurate approach is to ask several accounts of similar size under the same terms and compare.
How do I find group-buy influencers?
Search by product type, then choose accounts whose comments actually include purchase inquiries and reviews, rather than going by follower count. Be sure to check the response to their previous group-buy posts.
What if there's no reply?
Send one short follow-up about a week later. If there's still no reply, it's better to move on to another candidate.
How do I contact influencers?
The business email listed on the profile is the default. In TRYIT, you can send proposal emails to influencers you have added to a group or campaign and manage the sending status.