Influencer marketing in India has become a topic of increasing discussion among people lately.
However, something they are not discussing enough is how the platforms are becoming increasingly crowded, competition is intensifying, and, most importantly, authenticity is fading.
Influence marketing has come a long way from being an experimental trend to a mainstay in the brand strategy.
The competition for attention has also grown to be tougher with this development as well.
All this competition has led to a growing interest in organic influencer discovery.
It is a more intentional, data-backed approach that can identify the creators who naturally align with the brand’s values, audience, and goals as well.
This is a smarter and more authentic way to find creators who connect with the brand’s target audience.
This does not rely solely on competition or costly bidding wars, or one-size-fits-all platforms.
In this article, we will discuss why traditional influencer marketplaces are losing appeal.
And how organic discovery works, highlighting its benefits in unlocking various untapped opportunities.
Why Influencer Apps Aren’t Always the First Choice
Over the past few years, with the increasing use of influencer marketing, many brands have begun rethinking their reliance and have started shifting from influencer platforms.
One of the most common and important reasons for this shift is over-saturation.
Over-saturation essentially means that too many brands compete for the same influencers.
This oversaturation not only affected the cost of collaboration but also reduced the sense of exclusivity and the authenticity that the brand requires.
It can have an impact on the audience, too, when they see the same face promoting multiple products; the campaigns start to feel less genuine.
Fake Followers Everywhere
Another one of the major concerns is the fake followers.
In today’s time and with the technology present, the inflated metrics and the bot-driven activities make it a lot harder and challenging to judge an influencer’s real impact.
This fake engagement, a lot of times, can lead to the brands investing in creators who just appear to have a large reach but can only deliver a limited real-time influence.
Such investments are the thing that led to the erosion of trust in the entire influencer channel over time.
Issues With Influencer Platforms
The platforms justify their fees as covering technology and matchmaking services, but they are a lot.
These commissions can completely change the budget; the funds used for these commissions can otherwise be used for more content creation and audience targeting.
Then there are the rules and the strict restrictions around communication, content rights that can limit the creative flexibility that brands and influencers can enjoy in a direct partnership.
The most significant limitation can be the difficulty in finding the niche or local influencers on large platforms.
Many small creators who have a deep, authentic connection with a specific kind of audience aren’t usually listed on big influencer marketplaces, which brands mostly rely on.
Proven Methods Indian Brands Use to Find Influencers Without Using Apps
The reasons listed above are some of the main reasons that a growing number of brands are starting to turn to organic influencer discovery.
This approach can surely be a bit time-consuming, but it still often results in more authentic partnerships, better audience alignment, and strong long-term relationships as well.
So let me share some of the most authentic and correct ways to find Influencers without using apps as a creator/brand.
In this article, I’ve mentioned applications that help you to find influencers without using any paid or free influencer app or website, so keep that in mind 😀
This article helps you to use social apps to find Influencers.
Hashtag Research on Instagram
Hashtag research is one of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to find influencers who may not always appear on the paid databases.
It is extremely useful if you are targeting a specific city or a particular niche. L
You can start by using the hashtag that combines the regional identifiers and content categories.
Some examples can include #delhifoodie, #hyderabadblogger, etc.
This is the best approach as it allows you to find influencers in the target location as well as those whose content aligns with the brand.
After the results appear for your hashtag the you can look at the “to” or the “recent” tabs to look for the posts with the highest engagement, and the small creators are consistent.
After spotting the creators, you can go forward and do a deeper dive into their engagement rate.
With consistent hashtag research, brands can build a curated list of potential collaborators without the help of any paid databases.
This way, the partnerships can feel more authentic and well-matched.
Manual Outreach Strategy (Email/DM)
A well-planned and strong manual outreach strategy can make a lot of difference while connecting with the influencers organically.
The important thing to keep in mind is to keep your initial pitch short, whether it is sent via e-mail or Instagram DM.
You can start by giving an introduction to your brand and the core values.
You can also reference something that you genuinely liked in their content to make sure that the influencer knows it’s not just a copy-paste template.
If you prefer emails, then there are various other ways to reach out to an influencer, such as Hunter.io or LinkedIn.
But personalization is the key here; it can create familiarity and show genuine interest, making the influencer more receptive to your proposal.
LinkedIn for B2B Influencers
Over the past few years, LinkedIn has evolved into one of the go-to platforms for finding B2B influencers in India.
This is the case especially for the industries where expertise, leadership, and credibility matter more than flashy advertisements and visuals.
You can start by applying the search filters on LinkedIn using keywords such as “influencer marketing strategist India”.
After the profile visit of a suitable candidate, it is equally important to study their activity feed and get to know what kind of topics they post about, the depth of their insights, etc.
You can choose the one who seems to be the most authentic and aligned with your brand.
Once you have chosen, you can go on and start with the sales pitch. First, try to connect with them by liking, commenting meaningfully, and occasionally sharing posts as well.
Once the initial rapport is built, you can follow up with a direct email or DM with an introduction to your brand and everything as discussed earlier.
Twitter X-Ray Search & Lists
Another powerful tool for discovering influencers can be Twitter (now ‘X’), if you know how to dig beyond the surface.
One method is Twitter’s advanced search option or even Google’s Xray search.
You can use queries such as site:twitter.com “photographer” AND “Mumbai”
Using keywords can help you narrow the search concerning both the location and profession.
You can even go on and analyze the followers and following accounts from the prominent accounts in your niche.
Sometimes these connections can help you discover hidden gems that might not get discovered in the standard searches.
After identifying the potential influencers, you can go on and create a private Twitter list and organize them based on various categories such as niche, region, or campaign goal.
You can even monitor influencer activity, engagement style, and content quality over time.
YouTube or Pinterest Niche Scouting
In addition to Twitter (now X), Instagram, and Google, other social media options to discover influencers include YouTube and Pinterest.
These can prove to be great in case you are looking for visually driven industries like design, fashion, crafts, fitness, food, etc.
For YouTube, you can start with the keyword searches that are in some way relevant to your niche.
Many influencers create and specialize in YouTube shorts.
While evaluating the potential partners.
You can even check the subscriber ranges too, such as micro influencers ( 5k-50k), who have high engagement rates, while mid-tier influencers (50k-500k) can often offer a broader reach without costing much.
For Pinterest, you can use the niche-specific keywords or filters, such as by “people” or “boards”.
You can pay attention to the monthly view count, the aesthetics, etc.
Pinterest influencers often excel in the long-term and evergreen visibility since pins can always resurface.
Building Your Own Database
Building your influencer database can prove to be one of the smartest moves in the long-run strategies for the B2B or B2C influencer outreach.
Various tools can be used to make a structured list based on the follower counts, engagement rates, niches, and geographic locations, such as Google Sheets, Notion, or Airtable.
Over time, you can go on and enrich this database with the response speed, relevance, and collaboration history.
By maintaining and regularly updating this database, you can ensure that your outreach remains precise, efficient, and ready for quick activation whenever an opportunity arises.
Ethics & Professionalism in Influencer Outreach
One of the most important assets while dealing and working with influencers is professionalism.
Ethical influencer outreach is built on respect and transparency.
You can create custom DM’s and craft tailored messages that show that you have done your homework and avoid the spammy mass outreach.
You should also respect influencer boundaries & creative process.
Final Thoughts On Finding Influencers Without Using Apps
As discussed in the article above, influencer discovery doesn’t have to be dependent on pricey and complicated software, there are a lot of ways, as mentioned above, to find Influencers without using apps.
With the right strategies, you can create partnerships that are more authentic and effective in the long run.
The main focus should be on the quality rather than the quantity.
You can start today by choosing just 3 influencers, try and apply some of these methods, and observe the outreach turn into real relationships.
Feel free to share this article with as many brands as you want, so they can save some money by choosing these ways to find influencers without using any paid apps.
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