Agencies combine lookalike discovery with niche sourcing to create a nuanced and targeted influencer approach.

Lookalike discovery is a traditional method often used by platforms like Instagram’s Branded Content Ads. It involves identifying influencers who share similar characteristics and followers with a brand’s existing customer base, enhancing the likelihood of audience engagement. On Flinque, for example, lookalike discovery can be executed by processing demographic and psychographic data, assisting brands to engage influencers with similar audiences.

Niche sourcing, on the other hand, involves identifying influencers with a specialized focus or interest. This method is most useful when a brand’s product or service commands a distinct market segment. For instance, a vegan food brand would seek influencers within the vegan or healthy-eating community on a platform like YouTube.

These two methodologies complement each other. Lookalike discovery allows brands to reach audiences that resemble their current customers, while niche sourcing provides inroads to specialized communities directly linked to the product or service. Together, they enable brands to cast a wider, yet more targeted net, enhancing the effectiveness of their influencer marketing campaigns.

This combination does not suggest that one method is superior to the other as this depends largely on the specific goals, objectives, and operational context of a brand or agency.