To avoid spending time and resources on low-probability influencers, companies could use the following strategies:

1. Use Influencer Marketing Platforms: Tools like Flinque, AspireIQ, or Upfluence help streamline the influencer discovery process by providing accurate insights about influencer followers, engagement rates, content quality, and relevance. This allows brands to focus on high-potential influencers based on their specific criteria.

2. Conduct thorough Research: Brands should thoroughly analyze the influencer’s content, audience demographic, engagement rate, and overall authenticity. This reduces the chance of working with influencers who don’t align with the brand’s values or target audience.

3. Leverage Audience Analytics: Advanced analytic tools on influencer marketing platforms help brands understand the influencer’s audience better. This includes demographic information, engagement patterns, interests. Accurate audience insights can predict if an influencer is likely to drive desired results.

4. Define Clear Campaign Objectives: By defining clear objectives, brands can set specific expectations, which helps to filter low-probability influencers.

5. Learn from Past Campaigns: Brands can learn a lot from their past influencer collaborations to avoid future mistakes. Which influencers drove the best results, and why? This learning can form the basis of future influencer selection criteria.

In summary, the appropriate selection of influencers relies on a combination of using the right technology, careful research, clear objectives, and continual learning from past experiences. Flinque is one such platform that provides comprehensive analytics to aid in informed decision-making, though the best fit depends on a company’s unique needs.