Influencer marketing is a relatively new form of marketing and demands to be felt and seen, particularly by millennials and gen z, making it one of the top marketing strategies today. Choosing the right creators for your brief is incredibly important to ensure that your brands message is delivered with quality. On SHOUT, we have over 20,000 creators ready to make excellent user-generated content (UGC) for your brand.

We believe that having a harmonious relationship with your creator makes for great content, which is why implemented a chat service on the platform so you can effectively communicate with them. Whether you're looking for a nano-influencer or a macro influencer, with our wide selection of creators, we also give you the option to search by location, age, gender, followers, and so much more. With us, you're guaranteed to find a creator who suits.

With so many things to think about when selecting your creators, we've compiled 4 key points to keep an eye out for when creating thumb-stopping UGC.

1: Authenticity

Authenticity is key when it comes to UGC. This means creating content that feels real and genuine for audiences. When people know they are being sold something, their trust is already impacted, so ensuring that your content comes from a trusted source is mandatory. This can mean you choose a creator in that specific niche, someone who has already built up rapore in the industry. Alternatively, it could mean selecting someone who is a standout amongst a broader niche so that they hit a wider audience.

Look for a consistent message:

Does the creator have a clear perspecive on topics? Or do they switch their opinions based on what product their selling? If a content creator states they're all about sustainability, perhaps they shouldn't be promoting fast-fashion brands such as Primark. A content creator who is sure of their messaging will have a clear idea that they present across all their networks.

Look for passion:

On apps like TikTok, you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of the viewer, so passion is paramount. Is the creator conveying genuine emotion across their content? They may be saying one thing but may be expressing another. For example, they could be saying how much they love a brand but may seem bored with their approach. When creators convey passion, this incites a real feeling in their audience. A content creator who is passionate about their work will convey their message clearly with their emotions.

Look for a sense of community:

Taking a look at the creators community can help you understand whether the content they're creating is believed and wholely accepted by their audience. Don't be fooled by high engagement if the community sentiment, AKA, how the audience responds to the creators content, is negative. A content creator who has built a strong community will have a greater positive influence on their audience, ensuring their messages are clear and well-received.

2: Engagement

Engagement refers to the level of interaction across their comments, likes and shares. A content creator with high engagement will have a community that regularly interacts with their content. When you create a brief on our platform and a creator submits content, you're able to track their results so you can keep track of what their audience engaged with and didn't quite hit the mark, helping you learn a lot about your own brand. Nifty, right?

Look for consistency:

Does some of their content perform better than others? If a content creator has high engagement only on their skincare videos, that’s great—provided your brand is skincare-related. However, if your product is fitness related, this won't work as well with their audience. Finding creators in your niche will make it significantly easier to ensure consistency in their content. Additionally, if content creators aren’t consistent with their posting schedule, they are unlikely to have a highly engaged audience.

Look for engaged commenters:

If you check the comments in a content creators videos and the comments are a word or two, or just an emoji, the chances are their audience is not very engaged. However, if the comments are giving well thought-out opinions that add to the conversation, then their community is well engaged.

Look for effective shares:

Looking at the shares on a content creators posts is a great indication for content that their audience finds valuable. If their posts have hundreds of shares, it means that their content is appreciated by their audience and offers helpful insightsGenerally, finding a content creator who is trusted by their audience enough for them to feel comfortable sharing content within their own network is a strong indicator of high audience engagement.

3: Influence

A content creators ability to sway their audience is highly valued in the UGC world. A creator with a big influence will have high engagement and will share content that is valued and respected by their audience. Anything they recommend will carry weight, and will therefore offer more conversions for your brand.

Look at their engagement:

To determine whether a creator has significant influence, pay close attention to their engagement levels. A highly active comment section, filled with thoughtful and meaningful interactions, is a strong indicator. Additionally, if the creator frequently responds to comments and engages in genuine conversations with their audience, it suggests they have built a strong rapport and trust with their community—key elements of true influence.

Look at their audience:

Another way to look at a creators influence is looking at their audience. How big is it? What demographics do they mainly target? If you have similar audience, it's likely your brand will resonate with their community which will point to a higher influence. Additionally, if a creator has a large and engaged audience, this will also indicate their influence.

4: Audience

When brands are choosing content creators to work with, it's important to take a look at the content creators audience. If your audience is aligned in terms of demographic and size, then it's likely your campaign will have a larger impact and will be more successful.

Look at the audience demographics:

The first step to figuring out if a content creator’s audience is a good match for your brand is to check out who they’re reaching. Take a look at their audience’s age, gender, location, and what they’re interested in. It’s also worth considering how big their following is—a creator with a bigger audience, such as a macro-influencer, is usually more likely to connect with your target market than someone with a smaller one.

Look at how your audience compares:

After evaluating the content creator's audience, compare it to your target market. If their audience closely matches your target demographic, they’ll likely be successful in reaching your desired audience. However, if there are significant differences, consider whether the creator’s content could still resonate with your target market.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting the right content creators is crucial for ensuring your brand’s message is communicated effectively and resonates with your target audience. By focusing on key aspects like authenticity, engagement, influence, and audience alignment, you can create user-generated content that truly captures the essence of your brand. SHOUT makes this process simpler by offering over 20,000 creators to choose from, each ready to produce high-quality content tailored to your needs.

With our easy-to-use chat service and advanced search options, finding the perfect creator has never been more accessible.

Ready to elevate your brand's presence? Book a demo with SHOUT today and discover how we can help you achieve your marketing goals.