A major issue we see in this space is that all too often, businesses will get in over their heads with a ho-hum array of influencers who don’t properly align with the brand – a recipe for disaster before it even begins. You want to work with a fleet of influencers that set your brand up for success. As influencer marketing expert, Tom Augenthaler puts it “if you can vet the influencers in a campaign well, you set the strategy up for success”. In essence, what Tom means is that if you want to have fighting chance of winning at influencer marketing, you need to start with the right influencers in your corner. If you fail to recognize who the influencers are that move the needle in your industry, then even the most perfectly planned influencer marketing strategy will fail.

There are two pillars of influencer marketing that really go hand-in-hand and should be carefully considered when vetting influencers for a campaign. Think, does my audience trust this person? Why should they be trusted, how did they earn their trust? Then evaluate the fit. Does this person align well with my product or service?