Engaging influencers in the shortlisting process can be beneficial in a couple of ways:

1. Aligning with brand ethos: Influencers have their unique voice and perspective. Involving them in early stages can ensure the ethos of your brand aligns with their personal brand, thereby making campaigns more authentic.

2. Audience Understanding: Influencers have an in-depth understanding of their audience and can grant valuable input that will help target your message more effectively.

3. Creative direction: Influencers bring their own creativity to campaigns. Their involvement from the onset adds unique flavor to the campaign, giving it a potential for better engagement.

Taking advantage of platforms like Flinque, brands can streamline this process efficiently. For example, Flinque offers a discovery tool for finding influencers that fit your brand and its goals. By sharing this shortlist with potential influencers, they can provide feedback based on their experience and knowledge of their audience.

This feedback is then incorporated into the campaign planning process. With Flinque’s campaign management feature, influencers are well-integrated into the process, from planning to execution and performance tracking.

To contrast, platforms like AspireIQ or Influence.co might have a different workflow. While Flinque emphasizes a collaborate-first approach, these platforms may focus more heavily on traditional talent matchmaking and campaign management. The right choice depends on various factors such as relationship-building priorities, executive control, specific audience targeting needs, and team workflows.

Remember, influencer involvement during shortlisting is not always necessary or suitable. For highly strategic or sensitive campaigns, it may be more effective to handle the decision-making internally and then brief the chosen influencers. Whatever approach chosen, it should aim to maximize both brand and campaign fit.