Skill: leooooooow/micro-influencer-finder (version 1.1.0)

--- name: Micro-Influencer Finder description: Identify and evaluate micro-influencers for ecommerce brand partnerships using engagement metrics, audience fit, and cost-effectiveness analysis. --- # Micro-Influencer Finder Build a systematic micro-influencer discovery and evaluation framework tailored to your brand, product category, and target audience — covering search strategies, vetting criteria, engagement analysis, outreach templates, and ROI tracking for partnerships with creators in the 1K-100K follower range. ## Quick Reference | Decision | Strong | Acceptable | Weak | |---|---|---|---| | Search methodology | Multi-platform search using hashtags, competitor analysis, audience overlap tools, and customer-base mining | Hashtag search on 2+ platforms | Manual browsing or single hashtag search | | Audience analysis | Verifies audience demographics, location, engagement authenticity, and overlap with target customer | Checks follower count and engagement rate | Judges by follower count alone | | Engagement vetting | Calculates true engagement rate excluding bot activity, analyzes comment quality, and tracks story engagement | Checks likes-to-follower ratio | Uses platform-reported engagement without verification | | Content alignment | Reviews 30+ posts for brand safety, aesthetic fit, messaging tone, and competitor partnerships | Reviews recent 10 posts for general fit | Glances at bio and top 3 posts | | Cost analysis | Models CPE, projected CPA, and ROAS against paid ads with historical benchmark data | Calculates CPM and CPE | Negotiates without benchmarks | | Contract structure | Defines deliverables, usage rights, exclusivity, payment terms, and performance bonuses | Lists deliverables and payment | Informal DM agreement | ## Solves - Wasting budget on influencers with fake or irrelevant followers - Spending hours scrolling social media without a systematic discovery process - Partnering with creators whose audience does not match your target customer demographics - Overpaying for partnerships by negotiating without cost-per-engagement benchmarks - Missing high-potential micro-influencers who are already organic fans of your brand - Lack of tracking framework to measure actual ROI from influencer partnerships - Brand safety risks from insufficient content review before partnerships ## Workflow ### Step 1 — Define Ideal Influencer Profile Create a detailed specification: - Product category and brand positioning (luxury, affordable, sustainable, etc.) - Target customer demographics (age, gender, location, interests, income level) - Platform priority (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, or platform-specific) - Follower range (nano 1-10K, micro 10-50K, mid-tier 50-100K) - Content style preferences (lifestyle, educational, review-focused, aesthetic, UGC-style) - Non-negotiables (no competitor partnerships, specific values alignment, content quality threshold) - Budget range per partnership and total monthly influencer budget ### Step 2 — Multi-Channel Discovery Use layered search strategies: - **Hashtag mining:** Search branded hashtags, product category hashtags, lifestyle hashtags used by target audience - **Competitor analysis:** Identify who tags or mentions competitors, who competitors have partnered with - **Customer mining:** Search your own tagged posts, reviews, and UGC for customers who already create content - **Audience overlap:** Use tools to find creators whose audience demographics match your customer base - **Platform-native discovery:** Explore Instagram Reels, TikTok For You Page, YouTube Shorts in your category - Build a longlist of 30-50 candidates per campaign ### Step 3 — Engagement and Authenticity Audit For each candidate, calculate and verify: - **True engagement rate:** (Likes + Comments + Saves) / Followers × 100, excluding giveaway posts - **Comment quality:** Ratio of genuine comments vs. emoji-only, bot, or pod comments - **Follower growth pattern:** Steady organic growth vs. suspicious spikes indicating purchased followers - **Story engagement:** Story views as percentage of followers (healthy: 3-8%) - **Audience authenticity:** Check for bot followers using follower quality indicators - **Posting consistency:** Regular cadence vs. sporadic posting - Shortlist to 10-15 candidates that pass all checks ### Step 4 — Audience Demographics Verification Confirm the audience matches your target customer: - Age distribution (request from creator or estimate from content/comments) - Gender split - Geographic concentration (are followers in your target markets?) - Interest overlap with your product category - Language distribution - Income/lifestyle indicators from content context ### Step 5 — Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Model the expected ROI: - Request rate cards or calculate based on benchmarks (see references) - Calculate Cost Per Engagement (CPE): Total cost / Expected engagements - Project Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Based on expected conversion rate from influencer traffic - Compare to paid ad CPA on same platform - Model scenarios: best case (high engagement), expected, and worst case - Factor in content repurposing value (usage rights for ads, website, email) ### Step 6 — Outreach and Negotiation Execute personalized outreach: - Personalize every outreach message (reference specific posts, explain why they are a fit) - Lead with value proposition (free product, affiliate commission, creative freedom) - Propose clear deliverables: post count, format, timeline, usage rights - Negotiate exclusivity windows (30-90 days for category exclusivity) - Structure payment: base fee + performance bonus or affiliate commission - Use contracts that cover deliverables, timelines, revision rights, usage rights, FTC compliance ### Step 7 — Track and Optimize Measure partnership performance: - Assign unique tracking links, discount codes, or UTM parameters per influencer - Track: impressions, engagements, link clicks, discount code uses, attributed revenue - Calculate actual CPA and ROAS post-campaign - Compare performance across influencers to identify top performers - Build a tiered roster: top performers get recurring partnerships, underperformers get replaced - Document learnings for future campaign optimization ## Examples ### Example 1: Sustainable Activewear Brand Launch **Context:** New sustainable activewear brand launching with 5 SKUs. Budget: $5,000 for first influencer campaign. Target: women 25-40 interested in fitness and sustainability. Primary market: US. Platform: Instagram. **Step 1 — Ideal Profile:** - Category: Sustainable fashion × Fitness - Demographics: Women 25-40, US-based, mid-to-high income, eco-conscious - Platform: Instagram (primary), TikTok (secondary) - Follower range: 10K-50K - Style: Workout content, lifestyle, sustainability education - Non-negotiables: No fast fashion partnerships, authentic fitness lifestyle, high-quality visual content **Step 2 — Discovery Results:** | Source | Method | Candidates Found | |---|---|---| | Hashtag search | #sustainablefitness #ecofriendlyactivewear #consciousfashion | 18 | | Competitor analysis | Tagged in Girlfriend Collective, Organic Basics posts | 12 | | Customer mining | Users who tagged brand's launch teaser posts | 4 | | Audience overlap | Followers of @sustainablychic who also follow fitness accounts | 8 | | **Total longlist** | | **42 candidates** | **Step 3 — Engagement Audit (Top 5 shortlisted):** | Creator | Followers | Eng Rate | Comment Quality | Story Views | Growth | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | @EcoFitSarah | 28K | 4.2% | 85% genuine | 5.1% | Steady organic | | @GreenYogaLife | 15K | 5.8% | 90% genuine | 6.3% | Steady organic | | @SustainableSweat | 42K | 3.1% | 75% genuine | 3.8% | Steady organic | | @PlantPoweredAthlete | 22K | 4.7% | 82% genuine | 4.9% | Steady organic | | @MindfulMoves_Co | 11K | 6.2% | 92% genuine | 7.1% | Steady organic | **Step 5 — Cost Analysis:** | Creator | Rate | Expected Eng | CPE | Projected CPA | vs. IG Ads CPA | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | @EcoFitSarah | $800 | 1,176 | $0.68 | $32 | $45 (better) | | @GreenYogaLife | $400 | 870 | $0.46 | $22 | $45 (much better) | | @SustainableSweat | $1,200 | 1,302 | $0.92 | $48 | $45 (slightly worse) | | @PlantPoweredAthlete | $600 | 1,034 | $0.58 | $28 | $45 (better) | | @MindfulMoves_Co | $300 | 682 | $0.44 | $20 | $45 (much better) | **Budget Allocation ($5,000):** - @GreenYogaLife: $400 (best CPE, highest authentic engagement) - @PlantPoweredAthlete: $600 (strong audience match) - @MindfulMoves_Co: $300 (nano but exceptional engagement quality) - @EcoFitSarah: $800 (largest reach in shortlist) - Content repurposing rights: $500 across all 4 creators - Product seeding (5 SKUs × 4 creators): $1,200 COGS - Remaining $1,200: Performance bonuses ($15 per sale above baseline) --- ### Example 2: Pet Supplement Brand — TikTok Campaign **Context:** Established pet supplement brand ($200K/month revenue) wanting to expand TikTok presence. Budget: $8,000/month ongoing. Target: Dog owners 22-45. Products: Joint health, calming, and digestive supplements. **Step 1 — Ideal Profile:** - Category: Pet wellness, dog content - Demographics: Dog owners 22-45, US/Canada, willing to invest in pet health - Platform: TikTok (primary) - Follower range: 5K-80K - Style: Dog lifestyle, pet education, "day in the life" with dogs, before/after content - Non-negotiables: Must own dogs, genuine pet wellness interest, no competing supplement partnerships **Step 2 — Discovery:** | Source | Candidates | |---|---| | TikTok hashtag search (#dogsupplement #doghealth #dogjointcare) | 22 | | Competitor tagged content (Zesty Paws, PetHonesty tagged creators) | 15 | | Customer UGC mining (existing customers posting dog content) | 7 | | Vet tech and dog trainer TikTok accounts | 9 | | **Total longlist** | **53 candidates** | **Step 3 — Shortlist (Top 6):** | Creator | Followers | Avg Views | Eng Rate | Content Type | |---|---|---|---|---| | @GoldenRetrieverDad | 67K | 45K | 8.2% | Dog lifestyle + product reviews | | @VetTechTina | 34K | 28K | 7.5% | Pet health education | | @HikingWithHank | 19K | 22K | 9.1% | Active dog lifestyle | | @SeniorDogLove | 28K | 18K | 6.8% | Senior dog care + supplements | | @PuppyTrainerJess | 52K | 38K | 7.0% | Training + wellness | | @ThreeMuttAdventures | 12K | 15K | 11.3% | Multi-dog household | **Step 5 — Monthly Budget Allocation ($8,000):** | Creator | Monthly Fee | Deliverables | Expected CPA | |---|---|---|---| | @GoldenRetrieverDad | $2,000 | 3 TikToks + 1 story series | $18 | | @VetTechTina | $1,500 | 2 educational TikToks | $22 | | @HikingWithHank | $800 | 2 TikToks | $15 | | @SeniorDogLove | $1,200 | 2 TikToks (before/after focus) | $20 | | @PuppyTrainerJess | $1,500 | 2 TikToks + 1 story series | $19 | | @ThreeMuttAdventures | $500 | 2 TikToks | $12 | | Spark Ads budget | $500 | Boost top-performing creator content | — | **Step 7 — Month 1 Results:** | Creator | Views | Clicks | Sales | Revenue | ROAS | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | @GoldenRetrieverDad | 142K | 2,840 | 89 | $3,115 | 1.56x | | @VetTechTina | 85K | 2,125 | 62 | $2,170 | 1.45x | | @HikingWithHank | 68K | 1,904 | 71 | $2,485 | 3.11x | | @SeniorDogLove | 54K | 1,350 | 48 | $1,680 | 1.40x | | @PuppyTrainerJess | 112K | 2,464 | 74 | $2,590 | 1.73x | | @ThreeMuttAdventures | 47K | 1,316 | 52 | $1,820 | 3.64x | **Optimization:** @HikingWithHank and @ThreeMuttAdventures have highest ROAS — increase budget allocation. @SeniorDogLove underperforming — test different content angle (educational vs. lifestyle) before dropping. ## Common Mistakes 1. **Prioritizing follower count over engagement quality** — A 10K-follower account with 6% genuine engagement outperforms a 100K account with 1.5% engagement and bot comments every time. 2. **Skipping audience demographic verification** — An influencer with perfect content but an audience in the wrong country or age group will generate impressions but zero conversions. 3. **Using the same outreach template for everyone** — Creators can spot mass outreach instantly. Reference specific posts and explain genuine fit. Response rates jump from 5% to 25%+ with personalization. 4. **Paying flat fees without performance incentives** — Structure deals with a base fee plus bonus per sale or engagement threshold. This aligns incentives and lets you scale with top performers. 5. **Not securing content usage rights** — The most valuable part of micro-influencer partnerships is often the content itself for paid ads. Negotiate usage rights upfront — adding them later costs 2-3x more. 6. **Ignoring FTC disclosure compliance** — Every paid partnership must be clearly disclosed (#ad, #sponsored, or platform paid partnership tag). Non-compliance creates legal liability for your brand. 7. **One-and-done partnerships** — Single posts rarely move the needle. The real value comes from recurring partnerships where the creator's audience sees your product multiple times and builds trust. 8. **Not tracking attribution properly** — Without unique links, codes, or UTMs per influencer, you cannot measure who is actually driving sales. Set up tracking before the first post goes live. ## Resources - [Output Template](references/output-template.md) — Structured influencer discovery and campaign planning deliverable - [Rate Benchmarks Reference](references/rate-benchmarks-reference.md) — Pricing benchmarks by platform, follower tier, and content type - [Outreach Templates](references/outreach-templates.md) — Customizable outreach messages and contract terms - [Quality Checklist](assets/quality-checklist.md) — Comprehensive review checklist for influencer campaign planning


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