When choosing an influencer, the qualities that define them are crucial to consider. The influencers you hire will directly affect your brand’s reputation, and hiring the wrong one can have repercussions. Before hiring an influencer, ensure that they are fit to promote your company.

Influencer marketing agencies tend to chase influencers with the largest follower count, but there is more to being a great influencer than numbers. Great influencers have qualities that make them successful and likable among a targeted audience. These are individuals who can sway their followers to make specific decisions on brands and products. To consumers, these influencers are role models among brand promoting.

Likeability

A critical factor in determining suitable influencers is to consider if they are respected within their community. Great influencers will have built their community on the foundations of trust and authenticity and can sway the opinions of consumers. They will take the time to avoid drama and develop a positive reputation.

An influencer who is passionate and engaging but disliked by the community will have no authority over their consumers. Disliked influencers will have a difficult time holding and retaining consumer engagement.

Authenticity

A high-quality influencer will remain authentic to their brand. Consumers who are fans of a particular niche can spot when an influencer is acting in an unnatural way, causing the likeability of the influencer to drop.

Influencers who use their creativity to create something unique and genuine will express authenticity through their posts. They will grow their trust among their consumers, and consumers will be more likely to follow their advice and more open to changing their opinions.

Passion

Those who are passionate about their job as influencers are more likely to secure audience engagement and build a niche community. Passionate influencers will care about the content they share and the community that follows them. They will put the most into each post and are confident in their approach when sharing their niche. Passionate influencers happily represent the community that follows them, which leads consumers to grow more trustworthy of them and more likely to follow their word.

An influencer who is not passionate about their position will create posts that show no effort. The consumers will notice the dispassion, and the likeability of the influencer will drop.

Engagement

Engaging influencers interact with their community through comments, live streams, posts, and giveaways. These are influencers who know that the community following them is what builds their reputation, and they’ll do whatever it takes to grow an interpersonal relationship with their consumers.

They will actively engage with their community, getting their opinions and validating the feelings of the consumers. Influencers will stick to a consistent posting schedule and will take the time to empathize with their community. Influencer marketing agencies benefit from finding an influencer who engages with their community and forms personal connections with consumers.

Visibility

A great influencer will know the secrets to visibility. These influencers understand how to properly utilize hashtags and algorithms to get their content noticed by the right audience. 

They are influencers who hold a marketing mindset and understand the specifics of posting. These influencers discern when it’s an appropriate time to post and receive the most traffic; they recognize how to pull in followers who will remain interested in their content; they know what demographic is the best fit for their content.

These qualities are crucial when trying to find influencers that are the best fit for your influencer marketing agency or campaign. Keep in mind that great influencers are not always those with the most followers. Great influencers care about their audience and branding. They are people who follow their niche and understand their community better than anything.