Influencer marketing has become part of the fabric of digital marketing in less than a decade. According to a 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey, more than 80% of marketers agree that influencers are essential to their overall social media strategy.
This is no longer just about celebrities giving a nod or endorsement to a product or service. Consumers are connecting with social media influencers who they see as being authentic, engaging and trustworthy.
Many marketers, in turn, see stronger returns with influencer marketing than they do with traditional advertisement. But to get those strong returns, your influencer marketing should follow some good practices.
With the right tools, it’s easy to build affordable social media influencer campaigns. However, finding the right tools can be a challenge. The marketplace is crowded with startups and mature solutions. It’s a tricky choice.
We researched and performed trials on the most popular influencer marketing platforms and found 10 low-cost tools perfect for a variety of influencer marketing needs. Please note that some products and services may have changed over the years or are no longer available.
Tools for finding influencers
Just as the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, the journey of 1,000 influencers begins with finding one to suit your needs. The tools listed below may offer additional features, but their true value begins with helping you discover and connect with the right influencer for your business needs.
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BuzzSumo
Find influencers in any location or category with BuzzSumo. Sort by reach, authority and engagement to find people that align with your target audience. Then, build outreach plans, add influencers to Twitter lists and export data for detailed analysis. BuzzSumo Pro starts at $79 per month and is a good starter plan for small teams.
Ninja Outreach
Ninja Outreach houses more than 25 million websites in its database of influencers. Use your target keywords to search for social media influencers and bloggers with matching descriptions.
Once you’ve found prospects, you can manage contacts inside the tool along with message history, notes and relationship tracking. Ninja Outreach for small teams is reasonable at $75 per month.
Klear
Klear is a discovery platform built for bigger brands. It boasts 500 million social profiles and influencers in over 60,000 categories. Use it to find, engage and track relevant insights, manage influencer outreach and monitor ongoing campaigns.
Klear is a costlier option than the previous two, but still offers a very reasonable $250 per month for a starter plan.
Scrunch
Scrunch is an all-inclusive, end-to-end platform that enables you to search and bookmark influencers from a comprehensive database that includes dozens of niche markets. You can search by geographical location, engagement rates, follower range or by the specific social network you’re interested in.
Prices on Scrunch vary, but for the small business interested in getting their feet wet, the starter package is free of charge and allows you to manage a single campaign. For unlimited campaigns and expanded features, the pro model package starts at a reasonable $99 per month. Custom packages are also available.
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Influencer contact and communication tools
Communication is the foundation of a successful influencer-marketing program. The tools below are standouts for managing your influencer relationships and communication. From compiling a directory of contacts to tracking messages; these tools are ideal for the business that values efficient communication.
BuzzStream
BuzzStream helps businesses build relationships with influencers. This outreach platform maintains contact information, profiles and conversation history between brands and the influencers they work with.
Touchpoints from all team members are tracked right in the tool, freeing up valuable time your team needs to build out successful marketing campaigns. Buzzstream is really affordable, with its lowest package starting at $24 per month.
Pitchbox
Send customizable messages to influencers and track the process every step of the way with Pitchbox. The outreach automation is a time saver, allowing businesses to push messages and schedule follow-ups through templated emails. Contact Pitchbox for pricing, as the company offers fully customizable subscriptions.
Influencer marketplaces
Influencer marketplacesIf you’re interested in casting a wider net, influencer marketplaces are the ideal solution. On these platforms, you’ll be able to select from a wide range of influencers. Some platforms allow influencers to compete for your business, while others allow you to set goals and view proposals. If you like having options at your fingertips; influencer marketplaces offer just that.
FameBit
FameBit is an influencer marketplace targeting YouTube users specifically. Influencers submit proposals for campaigns and create video content that can reach audiences of more than 1 million people.
A lot of influencer audiences are heavy on millennials and Generation Z users. Google owns FameBit, so you know it’s a reputable platform that has a bright future. Brands pay a 10 percent service fee for approved content; so the cost is determined by the overall campaign spend.
Octoly
Octoly targets YouTube and Instagram users. In this marketplace, brands give influencers free products in exchange for video reviews. Octoly prides itself on authentic reviews, which help boost brand loyalty. The platform primarily focuses on the health, beauty and lifestyle verticals, although not exclusively.
There are 2,400 influencers using Octoly who have contributed to more than 100,000 reviews. For authentic reviews and genuine feedback, Octoly is a marketplace with little risk.
Shoutcart
Shoutcart is the number one marketplace for Instagram influencers. It’s simple to use: brands search influencers, add chosen influencers to their cart and pay the advertised fee. Brands then pass along content for the influencer to share.
Shoutcart Score reflects an influencer’s engagement metrics, including likes and followers. Fees will vary based on the specific influencer; however, you can get started for as little as $5.
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Full service influencer marketing platforms
For the brand that wants it all, a full service platform is the perfect solution. From discovery to relationship management, tracking and campaign analytics, a full-service influencer-marketing platform handles everything you need.
Tomoson
Full-service platforms like Tomoson offer a complete influencer solution. From searching influencers, to managing contracts, shipping products and reporting, Tomoson does a little of everything.
The platform connects campaigns and influencers, while giving brands the tools required for end-to-end management and tracking influencer performance. This gives businesses complete control over the messaging and relationship aspect of influencer marketing. Tomoson’s basic package starts at an affordable $49 per month.
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A solution for all
The influencer marketing industry is only going to continue to grow. Finding a platform that fits the needs of your business is essential to the development of your influencer marketing strategy.
These 10 tools help you enter the space with low costs and minimal commitment, but don’t wait too long to get started. Influencers are growing increasingly valuable to brands and the price to play in this space can evolve rapidly.
Originally published in May 2019. Please note that some products and services may have changed over the years or are no longer available.
