Platforms for Finding, Connecting and Managing Social Media Influencers There are a variety of tools at your disposal for engaging with influencers and creating campaigns.

With the rise in popularity and effectiveness of social media influencer marketing, it's easier now than ever to jump right in and find the tools for your needs.

But, with the increasing number of businesses getting into influencer marketing, comes an increasing number of influencer platforms that will help you manage your campaigns.

If you're reading this post, then you're probably already aware of the power of tapping into influencers to promote your brand and products. But, in case you aren't and need some "influential" data to convince you, check these stats out:

• 61 percent of buyers have been influenced by suggestions found on Twitter (Source)
• 63 percent of surveyed marketers plan on increasing their budgets for influencer marketing (Source)
• The number of people using ad blockers online jumped 30 percent in 2016 (Source)

That last stat is important because it means that traditional display advertising is losing its effectiveness and reach. Social influencer marketing bypasses ad blockers because it appears as an organic, social post from accounts, rather than a banner on the side of a site.

Before we get into the different platforms you can use for your next influencer campaign, be aware that there are a variety of cost structures. Many platforms today use a SaaS (software as a service) model, which bundles together account services, influencer management and search, campaign tools, etc. Some may let you use their software for free, but will take a percentage of whatever you pay the influencers. Influencers manage their own cost and normally charge per engagement. If you're looking for pay-per-click or transaction, then your best bet will be affiliate marketing, which some may call another version of influencer marketing. Most platforms use some combination of these different pricing methods in order to meet the needs and demands of their clients.

Check out some of the tools we've researched to help you determine the right one for your social influencer marketing needs.

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Pay-per-post

IZEA is a feature-packed tool that is popular with both brands and influencers and can scale with you as your business expands.

• A-la-carte service caters to small and large businesses.
• Marketplace where businesses can set their own prices and where influencers can find business.
• Can use influencer network to create custom content for your own brand's use.
• SaaS available.

Free access; pay for what you approve

Tribe is a sleek tool with a user-friendly experience and straightforward campaign management.

• Influencers create content for you to approve before you pay.
• You set the price (cost-per-engagement) you're willing to pay with each influencer.
• User-generated content becomes yours to use on other advertisements, social posts, etc.
• An influencer network of over 31,000 accounts to choose from.

Influenz is simple yet effective, Influenz is great for new marketers looking to get started.

• A straightforward, Instagram-only marketplace.
• Brands create a listing with campaign assets, parameters and available budget.
• Influencers search through available listings and choose which ones to participate.
• You set your own budget so the listing will be adjusted based on total spent

SaaS

NeoReach starts at $399 per month, but if you're serious about influencer marketing and succeeding at it, this tool is the one for you.

• Search database of influencers using over 40 filters, i.e. gender, location, brand affinity and more.
• Automation tools to help you manage and onboard your own influencers efficiently.
• Sophisticated, visual and in-depth reporting to measure campaigns.
• 24/7 help desk.

Assembly, which starts at $199 per month, can help if you've got your own set of influencers and need a tool to manage them through.

• Search through their network of influencers and request them for your campaigns or onboard your own.
• Basic package allows you onboard unlimited number of influencers, have up to five team members and up to five different brands.
• Different campaign objectives allow you to pay for what you want: reach, engagement, original content.
• White labeling available.

Tomoson starts at $49 per month, but if you don't have a large budget but need a lot of options, consider this simple tool.

• Crawls internet to find existing content related to your brand.
• Can schedule social media posts.
• Leverage a variety of incentives to attract a diverse set of influencers: free product, large discounts, etc.
• Deep insights into an influencer's social media engagement and activity.

Keep in mind that this is just a small percentage of the available tools out there for influencer management. If you're an influencer, you could also sign up for these services and join their network.