Are you a brand looking to tap into the power of influencer marketing? Or perhaps you‘re an aspiring influencer seeking opportunities to partner with great brands. In either case, leveraging influencer marketing platforms can make the process of finding the perfect collaborator much easier and more efficient.
Influencer marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways for brands to reach new audiences in an authentic way. According to a recent survey, 72% of marketers say they work with influencers on Instagram, 58% on YouTube, 61% on TikTok, and 57% on Facebook. Instagram delivers the highest ROI for 30% of marketers.
To help you navigate the landscape of influencer marketing tools, we‘ve compiled the ultimate guide to the top platforms in 2023. Whether you‘re just getting started or looking to optimize your existing campaigns, you‘re sure to find valuable insights here. Let‘s dive in!
Top Social Media Channels for Influencer Marketing
Before we get into the platforms that facilitate brand-influencer partnerships, let‘s take a look at the most important social channels for influencer marketing this year:
1. Instagram
Instagram remains the undisputed leader when it comes to influencer marketing. Its highly visual format is ideal for showcasing products and services in creative ways. With advanced tools for creating engaging Stories, Reels, and posts, it‘s no wonder Instagram is the top choice for the majority of influencer marketers.
What‘s more, 32% of marketers say Instagram is the easiest platform to work with influencers on. Its built-in tools like Branded Content Ads and Instagram Checkout make collaborations seamless.
2. YouTube
While it may require more time and resources to produce influencer content for YouTube compared to other channels, the payoff can be significant. Longer-form video allows creators to provide in-depth product reviews, tutorials, and entertaining branded content.
One in five marketers report that YouTube delivers the highest ROI from influencer campaigns. The same number say it‘s the easiest platform for influencer collaborations. If you have the budget for quality video production, YouTube is well worth prioritizing in your influencer strategy.
3. TikTok
TikTok has exploded in popularity over the past couple years, especially among Gen Z audiences. Its short-form video format is perfect for catching attention with fun, creative content. Influencers can start viral trends featuring products through challenges, "unboxing" videos, skits and more.
While only 14% of marketers currently say TikTok yields the highest ROI, that number is likely to grow as more brands build comfort with the platform. Its highly engaged user base and participatory culture make it prime for influencer partnerships.
4. Facebook
Facebook may be seeing declining usage among younger demographics, but it‘s still a major player in the influencer space. Twenty percent of marketers rank it as the top channel for influencer marketing ROI, tied with YouTube.
The sheer scale of Facebook‘s audience makes it valuable for mass reach. It also offers unique formats like livestreaming and Groups that lend themselves well to influencer activations. For reaching millennial and up audiences, Facebook remains essential.
Where Influencers Can Find Brand Partnerships
Now let‘s look at some of the top platforms creators can use to get discovered by brands and land sponsorship opportunities:
1. Mavrck
Mavrck is an all-in-one influencer marketing platform that helps brands and creators connect. Its opt-in influencer index allows creators to create searchable profiles that brands can browse and reach out to directly.
Setting up a profile on Mavrck is an easy way to put yourself out there as an influencer looking for brand partnerships. You can showcase your best content and audience demographics to attract relevant opportunities.
2. Activate
Activate empowers influencers to proactively seek out brand sponsorships that align with their interests and content. Creators can browse through a marketplace of campaign opportunities posted by brands, filter by their desired compensation, and submit proposals.
This platform is great for entrepreneurial influencers who want more control over the types of campaigns they participate in. Instead of waiting for brands to discover you, Activate lets you make the first move.
3. #Paid
On the #Paid platform, influencers can set their desired rates for creating sponsored content. This allows you to get paid what you‘re worth when partnering with brands.
To see what campaigns are available, you‘ll need to sign up for a creator account and fill out your profile. Brands can then search for influencers who match their criteria and invite them to apply for opportunities.
4. Clever
Clever is an influencer marketing agency that specializes in connecting brands with micro-influencers. If you have a highly engaged niche following, this could be a great platform to join.
Clever handles everything from campaign design to influencer selection to program management. This makes the sponsorship process very streamlined for creators. All you have to do is sign up and wait for relevant opportunities to come to you.
The Top 10 Influencer Marketing Tools for Brands & Creators
In addition to the creator-specific platforms above, there are a number of tools that facilitate the entire influencer marketing process for brands and influencers alike. Here are our top picks for 2023:
1. Shopify Collabs
If you‘re an e-commerce brand on Shopify, you‘ll definitely want to check out Shopify Collabs. This built-in influencer marketplace allows merchants to easily partner with creators on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter.
You can create your own branded creator application page, discover vetted influencers, and manage your affiliate programs all within Shopify. Collabs is currently free for anyone with a Shopify store.
2. Aspire
Aspire is an end-to-end influencer marketing platform that enables brands to build and streamline their own customized programs. Its intuitive workflows guide you through each stage of influencer management.
One standout feature of Aspire is its emphasis on relationships. The platform‘s CRM tools allow you to nurture your creator partnerships over time. You can also tap into Aspire‘s expansive influencer marketplace to find new collaborators.
3. CreatorIQ
Trusted by global brands like Airbnb, Dell, Disney, Unilever and Ralph Lauren, CreatorIQ is an advanced enterprise solution for influencer marketing. It offers powerful tools for creator discovery, campaign management, fraud detection, influencer payments, attribution, and more.
If you‘re looking for an AI-powered platform that can handle even the most complex influencer programs, CreatorIQ is worth the investment. Its machine learning algorithms deliver sophisticated insights to optimize your ROI.
4. Grin
Grin is an all-in-one creator management platform that integrates with your entire ecommerce and marketing tech stack. In addition to discovery and outreach tools, Grin streamlines influencer relationship management, product seeding, content collaboration, contracts, and payments.
One unique feature is Grin‘s live social listening. You can track conversations about your brand across social platforms, identify potential influencer partners, and measure the impact of your campaigns in real-time.
5. Traackr
Traackr positions itself as a "people-based" influencer marketing platform. This means it focuses on building authentic, long-term relationships with creators rather than facilitating one-off campaigns.
With Traackr, you can discover influencers based on their true reach and resonance with your target audience. The platform‘s insights help you identify the partners who will have the greatest impact on your brand. You can then manage those relationships at scale as you grow your influencer network.
6. MightyScout
MightyScout aims to make influencer marketing accessible to brands of all sizes with its affordable self-serve platform. It offers an extensive database of over 30 million influencers across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitch.
You can use MightyScout‘s advanced search filters to find relevant creators based on their niche, engagement rate, location, and more. The platform also provides tools to track influencer-generated content, communicate with creators, and measure your campaign results.
7. Upfluence
Upfluence is a full-service influencer marketing software that helps both e-commerce and B2B brands run successful campaigns. Its robust discovery engine allows you to search through over 4 million influencers using granular criteria like audience demographics, brand affinities and more.
In addition to influencer discovery and outreach, Upfluence offers managed services to help you with campaign strategy, KPI tracking, content creation, and paid media amplification. This makes it a good choice for brands that need extra support for their influencer programs.
8. Tagger Media
Tagger is a data-driven influencer marketing platform that uses machine learning to deliver actionable insights. Its discovery tool allows you to search through over 9 billion pieces of content to find influencers who are already engaging with topics and brands relevant to your niche.
You can also use Tagger to analyze your competitors‘ influencer strategies, research industry benchmarks, and forecast your campaign ROI. For brands that want to harness the power of data to guide their influencer partnerships, Tagger is a top choice.
9. Klear
Klear is an influencer marketing platform that emphasizes authentic, "people-first" creator relationships. It offers a suite of tools to identify relevant influencers, manage campaigns, communicate with creators, and measure results.
One of Klear‘s key differentiators is its focus on audience quality over quantity. The platform analyzes each influencer‘s audience for fake followers and evaluates their true reach and impact. Klear also provides access to audience demographic data so you can ensure you‘re reaching your target customers.
10. NeoReach
NeoReach is an award-winning influencer marketing platform that leverages data and automation to drive measurable ROI. Trusted by leading brands and agencies, it offers powerful tools for influencer discovery, campaign management, and real-time reporting.
NeoReach‘s AI analyzes each creator‘s historical performance to predict their likelihood of driving results for your brand. You can also tap into the platform‘s network of over 3 million opt-in influencers who are ready to work with brands like yours.
Takeaways for Influencer Marketing Success
As you can see, there‘s no shortage of influencer marketing platforms to help brands and creators connect and collaborate. The key is finding the tools that align with your specific needs and goals.
For creators, joining opt-in influencer networks like Mavrck, Activate, and #Paid can open the door to exciting brand sponsorships. Don‘t be afraid to proactively seek out opportunities that are a natural fit for your content and audience.
Brands have their pick of influencer marketing software for discovering creators, managing campaigns, communicating with influencers, tracking content, and measuring results. Prioritizing platforms that emphasize data, relationships and authenticity will help ensure your influencer partnerships drive real business impact.
No matter which influencer marketing tools you choose, remember that success ultimately comes down to identifying the right creator partners and building genuine connections with their audiences. Approach each collaboration with a spirit of authenticity and you‘ll be well on your way to influencer marketing success.
