Your Step-by-Step Guide to Using TikTok as a Brand
Influencer marketing platforms are popular with businesses that want to effectively reach their target audience through social media.
However, it can be daunting to manage influencer relationships and campaigns.
That’s why we’ll take a closer look at some of the top influencer marketing platforms on the market and help you determine which platform is the best fit for your needs.
| Quick Summary |
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| Do you want to expand your brand’s reach through authentic and organic promotions? In this post, we’ll talk about influencer marketing platforms, how they work, and whether or not they’re right for you. Keep reading to learn more about them as well as how to get in touch with influencers with the help of JoinBrands. |
Table of Contents
How to Get in Touch with Influencers with JoinBrands
For brands and companies who want to connect with influencers through JoinBrands, the process is simple and easy to navigate.
Here are the steps you can follow:
Step 1: Sign up with JoinBrands as a brand by registering on the platform.
Step 2: Browse through the available influencers on the platform. It’s a good idea to try and find creators whose content style and personal aesthetic align with your brand’s values and products.
Step 3: Once you’ve chosen a creator, ensure that you communicate your requirements as clearly as possible and provide them with enough time to create authentic content.
Step 4: Benefit from the increased exposure and sales generated by the influencer’s content.
What is an Influencer Marketing Platform and How Can it Help Your Business?
An influencer marketing platform is a digital tool or service that connects businesses and brands with social media influencers to create and manage influencer marketing campaigns.
These platforms are like databases that make it easy for brands and influencers to find and work with each other. However, many influencer platforms have expanded beyond this by offering campaign management tools, analytics, and more.
| Working with an influencer network can help you tap into new audiences and discover new audience demographics. |
When you partner with influencers with different-sized followings and content styles, you can get access to unique content that resonates with your target customers and drives sales.
This is especially true for businesses in consumer goods industries like:
- Fashion
- Beauty
- E-commerce
This is because influencers play a significant role in promoting products and services.
Influencer marketing platforms have become increasingly sophisticated over time. They offer benefits that go beyond what self-service influencer networks can provide.
Many businesses use influencer platforms to analyze campaign performance and find verified influencers to work with. With the many tools and features available, influencer platforms can truly revolutionize your campaigns and help you achieve your marketing goals easily.
The Common Features of Influencer Marketing Platforms and What They Mean
Before we actually start to list the best influencer marketing platforms currently available, it’s important to note that not all of them are great.
In fact, most of them might not even be suitable for whatever your particular needs are.
However, in order to figure out your needs, you should be aware of the different terms used to describe the features of influencer marketing platforms and what they mean.
Let’s get started:
Influencer Content Amplification
The process of amplifying or increasing the reach and engagement of influencer-generated content through various digital marketing channels, such as:
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Paid advertising
And other forms of promotion.
This is done to maximize the impact of influencer campaigns and increase brand awareness.
Search/Discovery
This involves the use of digital tools, such as:
- Search engines
- Social media analytics
- Influencer marketing platforms
To research and identify influencers who are a good fit for a brand’s target audience and marketing goals.
Automated Recruiting
Automated recruiting refers to the use of technology and automation to streamline the recruitment process for a marketing campaign.
This involves the use of digital tools, such as AI-powered algorithms and influencer marketing platforms, to identify, vet, and onboard potential influencers.
Influencer Relationship Management
Influencer relationship management involves communication, negotiation, and collaboration with influencers to ensure that they are aligned with your marketing goals as a brand. They create high-quality content that resonates with their audience.
Influencer Marketplace
An online platform or marketplace is a website that connects brands with influencers for marketing campaigns.
This is a one-stop-shop for brands to search, discover, and collaborate with influencers, and for influencers to showcase their work and monetize their influence.
To connect with brands easily, you can consider setting up an account with JoinBrands.
Team Collaboration Tools
These are digital tools and platforms that enable teams to work together on influencer marketing campaigns.
This involves:
- Project management
- Communication
- Collaboration tools
such as:
- Shared calendars
- Messaging apps
- Project management software
Content Review
This involves the review of influencer-generated content for quality, brand alignment, and compliance with marketing guidelines.
Content Library
The content library would usually include all types of files such as images, videos, and other content that can be used for future marketing campaigns.
Campaign Management
This involves planning, executing, and tracking the success of campaigns using tools, such as project management software and analytics platforms.
Campaign Reporting
You’ll need reports of the campaigns to understand if they’re going well or not. Many platforms provide you with extensive reporting capabilities that you can utilize.
This involves using digital analytics tools, such as social media analytics, to measure the impact of campaigns and identify areas for improvement.
Influencer Analysis
The purpose of influencer analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of influencers for marketing campaigns.
This typically involves using digital analytics tools, such as social media analytics and influencer marketing platforms, to track and measure the performance of influencers.
E-commerce Tools
E-commerce Tools enable influencers to sell products or services directly to their audience.
This involves integrating e-commerce features, such as shopping carts and payment gateways, into influencer marketing campaigns.
How to Choose the Best Influencer Marketing Platform for Your Business (Easy Guide)
When you choose an influencer marketing platform for your business, you should consider factors such as:
- The platform’s audience reach
- Features
- Campaign management tools
- Pricing
- Support
- Reputation
- Integration with other tools or platforms
And more.
Let’s talk about these factors in more detail…
Audience Reach
The platform’s audience reach is an essential consideration when considering an influencer marketing platform.
Ensure that the platform has a diverse database of influencers with a broad range of audience sizes and interests, including influencers that align with your target audience.
This will help you find the most effective influencers for your campaign that your audience will actually trust.
Platform Features
Look for a platform with features that match your needs.
Most influencer marketing platforms offer tools for influencer search, campaign management, and performance tracking.
Make sure that the platform’s features align with your campaign goals and your team’s workflow.
Campaign management
The campaign management tools offered by the platform are an essential consideration.
These tools should include a range of features such as:
- Contract management
- Communication tools
- Payment processing
Pricing
Different influencer marketing platforms have varying pricing models, and the cost can vary widely depending on the features and functionality offered.
Some platforms charge per campaign or per influencer, while others charge a monthly subscription fee.
Choose a platform that aligns with your budget and campaign goals.
Support
Look for a platform that offers excellent customer support.
Make sure that the platform offers responsive and helpful support that can help you with any issues or questions you may have.
Reputation
Consider the platform’s reputation and track record.
Look for reviews and testimonials from other businesses and influencers to determine the platform’s reliability, effectiveness, and credibility.
Integration
Integration with other tools and platforms is important to consider when you choose an influencer marketing platform.
Ensure that the platform can integrate with other marketing tools, such as CRM or social media management software.
This will streamline your workflow and maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Target audience
It’s important to understand your target audience and their demographics and interests so you can find the right influencers to partner with.
Choose a platform that has influencers who can effectively reach and engage with your target audience. Also, ensure that the platform provides tools to help you identify the right influencers for your campaigns.
Campaign goals
Consider your specific campaign goals when you select an influencer marketing platform.
Different platforms may be more effective to achieve certain goals, such as:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Driving sales
- Promoting a new product launch
Choose a platform that can help you achieve your specific campaign goals effectively.
Niche expertise
Consider if the platform has influencers with expertise in your niche or industry.
Influencers with a deep understanding of your industry or niche can create more authentic and effective campaigns.
Ease of use
The platform’s ease of use and user-friendliness are important considerations.
Choose a platform that is easy to use and navigate, with clear instructions and user-friendly interfaces.
This will help ensure that your team can effectively manage campaigns with the platform.
Data privacy
Finally, consider the platform’s data privacy policies.
Ensure that the platform complies with your business’s privacy standards and regulations and that your data is secure and protected.
If you consider these factors when you select an influencer marketing platform, you can find a platform that aligns with your business’s goals, budget, and target audience.
Then, you can effectively leverage the power of social media influencers to promote your brand and products.
Top Influencer Marketing Platforms
Grin
Grin is an influencer marketing platform that puts a heavy emphasis on building authentic relationships with influencers. They believe that it’s crucial to establish trust with influencers to get the most out of influencer marketing campaigns.
You can create genuine, effective marketing campaigns that connect with your audience on a deeper level with Grin.
| Grin is designed to cater specifically to eCommerce businesses. |
They’ve integrated their platform with some of the major shopping platforms which makes it easy for businesses to manage their influencer campaigns without any hassle.
The platform is user-friendly, and everything is organized into workflows to ensure that users never feel lost. Even large organizations can seamlessly integrate Grin into their existing systems.
One of the most powerful features of Grin is its influencer database.
Grin’s database includes over 100 million influencers from:
- YouTube
- TikTok
They provide a wide range of relevant statistics to help businesses find suitable influencers for their campaigns.
Grin even includes a Lookalike function, which helps businesses find more influencers who are similar to their preferred selections.
The platform also offers a variety of influencer marketing tools that businesses can use to discover and manage collaborations.
Additionally, the platform includes other digital marketing tools like:
- Affiliate marketing
- Branded content
- Public relations
And more.
Grin’s creator management platform is designed to manage all aspects of influencer marketing. With it, you can:
- Find influencers to handle payments
- Send products to creators
- Analyze their performance
Their pricing model is customized, so you can expect to receive a quote tailored to their specific needs.
Upfluence
Upfluence is a fantastic platform that’s perfect for small and medium-sized brands.
It’s a self-serve tool that offers an enormous database of content from various social media platforms such as:
- YouTube
And more.
With this platform, businesses can easily find the right influencers that match their specific criteria. It offers several useful tools to manage relationships with influencers, such as:
- Automated recruiting
- Team collaboration
- Payment processing
The best part is that they’re affordable and cater to a wide range of clients, from brands and nonprofits to influencer agencies.
Upfluence has an extensive database with over 500 million items of content that businesses can use to find suitable influencers for their campaigns. You can also track the performance of your campaigns, collaborate on content, and review influencer-generated content.
Another great feature of Upfluence is that it provides analytics to help you measure your influencer marketing ROI.
They also help identify influencers who are already excited about your products and services by trawling through organic social media content. There are over 3 million influencers on Upfluence so you have a fair amount to choose from for your particular brand.
One of the things that set Upfluence apart from other influencer marketing platforms is its ability to send bulk messages to influencers. This makes it easier to manage relationships with multiple influencers at once.
Additionally, they allow you to customize your pricing based on your individual requirements.
Creator.co
Creator.co is a platform that supports Instagram and YouTube influencers. It has a database of 500 million of them.
This platform provides in-depth data on influencers and their audiences in the form of Deep Insights reports.
They offer a Community-Driven Plan that allows you to sit back as the platform’s algorithm finds influencers who opt into your campaign. The platform also offers a cheaper Self-Serve plan.
Some great features of Creator.co include:
- Audience analysis
- Content amplification
- Influencer lifecycle management
- Search/discovery
- Influencer relationship management
- Campaign reporting
- Campaign management
- Influencer analysis
- Exportable reports
Creator.co originally started in 2018 as Shop and Shout, a marketplace that focused on micro-influencers and small businesses.
Recently, the platform has rebranded itself as Creator.co, reflecting its focus on both creating and disseminating content. With much of the content being produced by micro-influencers, the platform takes an interest in the quality of the content as well as its marketing.
With a database of 500 million influencers, it may seem overwhelming, but Creator.co has two plans to help brands find the right influencers for their campaigns.
The Community-Driven Plan is an automated marketplace experience where brands only need to create and define their campaign and ideal influencer.
Then, the system comes up with suggested influencers from a smaller, vetted talent pool of around 80,000.
With the Self-Serve plan, the search runs like any other influencer marketplace, where you have to do the work of finding influencers yourself.
LTK
LTK, formerly known as rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it, is a top influencer marketing platform that was founded in 2011 by a creator for creators.
They have the largest curated creator network which makes them a popular choice for brands of all sizes. They cover several industries, and they’ve established strong networks of creators in the most popular lifestyle categories such as fashion, travel, and fitness.
| LTK provides end-to-end creator campaign management. |
It can help you effectively plan campaigns and also has sophisticated data analysis tools.
You also get a consumer shopping app for sales. They bring brands and shoppers together with distributed original content. That’s why it’s a go-to for both parties.
For influencers, LTK offers several useful features such as desktop and mobile tools to create, share, and track content across various social media platforms.
Some of LTK’s key features include:
- Search and discovery
- Campaign management
- Automatic report generation
- Influencer analysis
- Audience analysis
LTK covers several channels such as:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Blogs
- The LTK app
Klear
Klear is an influencer marketing platform that connects e-commerce brands with social media influencers, specifically on:
- YouTube
- TikTok
What sets them apart from others is that they provide tools to target influencers within your existing network of followers.
You can collaborate with influencers that can help create brand loyalty and increase sales through social commerce. However, it can be challenging to find the right influencers for your brand.
Klear simplifies the process by helping you identify potential partnerships among your followers and micro-influencers within your social network.
The platform was founded four years ago by three brothers – Guy, Eytan, and Noam Avigdor – who wanted to create a smarter way to access insights from the social web.
Now, Klear works with some of the biggest brands and agencies like:
- Adidas
- Microsoft
- Huawei
And more.
Klear’s focus is on analytics, with massive data from social networks and a vast database of influencers.
They provide robust data to help you track your campaigns, and their “Monitors” feature is an amazing research tool that enhances influencer discovery. To get more information on pricing, you can contact their team.
If you want to access information on a whopping 900 million influencers, Klear is a great choice.
IMAI
IMAI is a full suite of tools built with agencies and brands in mind. It offers a wide range of features that can help companies of any size with their influencer marketing campaigns.
The platform boasts a database of over 230 million influencers, with a wealth of data available for each influencer.
Additionally, IMAI provides a variety of options for brands and companies of any size. They even offer a custom-branded app to connect with influencers via the platform.
| However, there are some downsides to IMAI. For instance, there are two different platforms and logins: one for search and one for management. Search results and actions like an addition to a list are also slow to load, which can be frustrating for users. |
When it comes to pricing, you have a fair amount of options with IMAI; each with its own unique set of tools and features.
The basic Influencer Search & Analytics plan costs just $20 per month, while the Full Automation Solution costs $1200 per month.
The prices are not fixed, and they depend on the size of the teams accessing the software. Therefore, the best option is to contact their sales team for the most accurate pricing.
One of the standout features of IMAI is its focus on collaboration.
The platform was designed with internal team members and external clients in mind which makes it easy for everyone to work together efficiently.
It also has great team collaboration tools if you have a larger team that you work on projects with.
Other features include:
- Content review
- Content library
- Campaign management
- Campaign reporting
And more.
Neoreach
The NeoReach platform helps companies implement, manage, and track their social influencer marketing campaigns with ease.
Its annual subscription fees range from $50,000 to $500,000 and are customized for each client. This makes it a tool designed for large companies rather than small to medium businesses.
One of the most significant features of the platform is its influencer recruitment and audience analysis.
With over 40 powerful filters, you can use the platform to zero in on the influencers you need to partner with. Some of the filters include:
- Total growth rate
- Average professionalism
- Location
- Audience demographics
And more.
The platform also includes an AI-based fraud detection system, which allows you to analyze the profiles of influencers and figure out if they have fake followers.
You also have influencer scoring and segmentation, which allows you to assess the authority of influencers within your target market. You can add influencers to different lists and segment them, allowing you to have them work on specific campaigns and initiatives with ease.
| NeoReach also offers user-generated content (UGC) management, which helps you manage the entire social influencer marketing campaign from scratch. This includes the management of content generated by the influencers. You can use the messaging features of the platform to reach out to influencers, get them on board your campaign, add notes for campaigns, upload and sign contracts, and set pricing and content publishing schedules. Once the influencer creates the content, you can add the link on the platform, and within 24 hours, it’ll start tracking the post and provide detailed metrics on the same. You can also move the influencers across various stages of the process, from approval to complete stage, and add influencers at each stage directly. |
Dovetale
Dovetale is a great tool that Shopify offers for building partnerships with influencers on social media platforms like:
- YouTube
- Twitch
With Dovetale, you get all the tools you need in one place: you can create your own custom application page, find the perfect influencer for your brand, and manage affiliate payouts and special offers.
The best part is that it’s free to use with any existing Shopify plan, and it’s supported by Shopify’s award-winning customer support team, which is available 24/7 to help you out if you ever run into any issues.
Dovetale has been around since 2017, and while it used to offer an all-in-one solution for many different things, its focus has shifted to analytics and eCommerce. They cater to all types and sizes of businesses, but they’re especially popular with small online retail shops.
Dovetale has four different plans to choose from, including a free plan that allows up to three users to manage five influencers. As your business grows and you need to manage more influencers or users, you can upgrade to one of the paid plans.
| When you sign up for Dovetale, you create a profile/application page where potential influencers can apply to work with you. You can find influencers in the traditional way, but a lot of eCommerce brands on Dovetale rely on passive recruitment, where influencers come to them. |
One cool feature of Dovetale is its gifting feature, which works seamlessly with your Shopify integration.
Influencers can apply to participate in your campaigns, and when you accept them, they get to choose a “welcome” package – a free product they’d like to feature in their social media posts.
These products are linked back to your Shopify account with product-specific SKUs. You can also group your influencers in different ways, such as an “influencer” group for those with big followings, or other groups for employees, family, and friends.
Dovetale keeps track of what’s pending, what’s been received, and how much you’ve spent. This makes it easy to manage your influencer partnerships.
Grapevine
Grapevine is a platform designed to match influential YouTube creators with brands who want to promote themselves on that platform. The platform is open to anybody with a YouTube channel who wants to join their community.
They offer a Creator Match tool that makes it easy for content creators to find and collaborate with each other. If you have at least 10,000 YouTube subscribers or 5,000 Instagram followers, you can access the Grapevine Marketplace.
Grapevine provides brands with detailed data about relevant influencers, so they can set up campaigns that are tailored to their target audience.
| Their Recommendation Engine suggests appropriate influencers for brands to consider, and as brands operate campaigns, the engine gets refined and improved. This helps brands identify which types of influencers perform best for them. |
Grapevine’s influencer network is massive, with over 115,000 creators in their village, most of whom are YouTubers.
That being said, the platform has recently started to embrace Instagram as well. Brands only pay when they book a creator, and payment is held until the creator goes live with the influencer content.
In addition, Grapevine offers brands access to historical data on how these influencers have performed in past marketing efforts. This includes campaign performance, and the ability to track metrics and other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
This helps brands make informed decisions about which creators to work with and which type of campaigns to run, based on data-driven insights.
Shoutcart
Shoutcart is a platform that allows people to purchase shoutouts from influencers at affordable prices. It’s perfect for those on a tight budget, as they offer a wide range of creators to choose from.
You can also use their management tools to vet potential influencers and avoid fake followers that could harm your brand’s reputation on social media.
So how does it work?
Influencers list their services on the platform and quote a price for a shoutout. Brands or individuals can register on the platform, browse through influencer profiles, and filter profiles based on specific criteria.
- As a brand, you can narrow down your search by selecting influencers based on their channels: (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, IG Story, Instagram+ bio, TikTok + bio, and IG Story + link)
- Influencer type (personal or page)
- Categories (such as food and nutrition, technology, makeup, and more)
- Language
- Country
- Age
- Follower count
- Shoutcart score
- Keywords
There are plenty of filtering options available to help you find the right influencer for your niche.
Overall, Shoutcart is a great platform for those who want to work with influencers on a budget, as it provides a straightforward way to find the right influencer for your brand.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an influencer marketing platform?
An influencer marketing platform is an online marketplace that connects brands with influencers to promote products or services. These platforms make it easier for brands to find and work with influencers. They also provide a streamlined process to execute campaigns.
How do influencer marketing platforms work?
Influencer marketing platforms let brands create campaigns and search for influencers that match their needs.
The platform provides tools to:
- Manage campaigns
- Communicate with influencers
- Track results
Influencers can apply to participate in campaigns or be selected by brands based on their profile and previous work.
What are some popular influencer marketing platforms?
Some popular influencer marketing platforms include:
- AspireIQ
- HypeAuditor
- Upfluence
- Influencer.co
- Fohr
What are the benefits of utilizing an influencer marketing platform?
An influencer marketing platform can save time and resources, as brands can easily find and work with influencers without having to manage everything manually.
Platforms also provide tools to vet influencers and measure campaign performance.
Additionally, you can use these platforms to ensure that campaigns are compliant with regulations and guidelines.
How do I choose the right influencer marketing platform for my business?
To choose the right influencer marketing platform:
- Consider your budget
- Campaign goals
- Target audience
- The features you need
Research and compare different platforms to see which one aligns best with your needs.
How much does it cost to use an influencer marketing platform?
The cost of using an influencer marketing platform can vary depending on the platform and the features you need.
Some platforms may charge a flat fee, while others charge a percentage of the campaign budget or a commission on the influencer’s fee.
Can I use an influencer marketing platform to work with micro-influencers?
Yes, many influencer marketing platforms offer a wide range of influencers, including micro-influencers.
Some platforms even specialize in connecting brands with micro-influencers, who may have smaller followings but higher engagement rates.
How can I ensure that the influencers I work with are a good fit for my brand?
To ensure that the influencers you work with are a good fit for your brand, consider their:
- Audience demographics
- Content style
- Values
Look for influencers who align with your brand’s message and have an engaged and relevant following.
How do I measure the success of an influencer marketing campaign?
To measure the success of an influencer marketing campaign, track metrics such as:
- Reach
- Engagement
- Conversions
Many influencer marketing platforms provide analytics tools to help you measure and analyze campaign performance.
It’s also important to establish clear goals and KPIs before you launch a campaign.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing platforms can work great for many brands that want to connect with content creators of all kinds.
It’s up to you to conduct the proper research as well as figure out what your brand’s particular needs are from an influencer.
Once you have that figured out, you’re pretty much good to go. Use the needs that you list to find an influencer marketing platform that would suit you.
If you have any queries, please feel free to comment and ask us below.
