Ensuring that the influencers you shortlist genuinely share and represent your brand values can be achieved through the following techniques:

1. In-depth Research: Look beyond demographics and reach, and spend time on their content. You’ll want influencers whose values, aesthetics, message, and audience align with your brand.

2. Use Influencer Marketing Platforms: Platforms such as Flinque can help brands discover influencers, understand their audience, and vet them for brand fit. Flinque, for example, offers a detailed overview of an influencer’s performance, audiences, interests, and previous partnerships, providing insights into how closely they align with your brand’s values and mission.

3. Monitor Past Collaborations: Review the influencer’s previous brand partnerships. How did they represent those brands? Were those campaigns successful?

4. Interview the Influencers: Sometimes, the best way to see if they align with your brand is to have a candid conversation. Asking questions about their values, interests, and content strategy can provide you valuable insights.

5. Probe Audience Interactions: Gauge how the influencer’s audience interacts with them, the quality of their comments, and the level of engagement. Engaged and genuine followers often signify a credible influencer.

6. Trial Engagement: If unsure, consider running a small-scale or trial campaign to observe the influencer’s level of sincerity and engagement with your brand.

7. Transparency: Ensure influencers genuinely use or believe in your product/service. Honesty strengthens credibility and positively impacts the response from their audience.

Regardless of the platform used, remember the goal is to identify influencers who resonate with your brand and its values genuinely and authentically. By spending time in research and vetting, you’re likely to find influencers who can effectively engage their audience and represent your brand authentically. A well-managed influencer marketing campaign will inherently boost your brand awareness, amplify their message, and positively impact your return on investment. Flinque can aid this process.