When a brand is seeking to test influencer tiers objectively and without bias, there are several strategies that can be employed.

1. Use of Influencer Marketing Platforms: Brands can leverage influencer marketing platforms to gain a holistic and unbiased view of influencers. These platforms, such as Flinque, provide comprehensive data on influencers such as their reach, engagement rates, and audience demographics.

2. Performance Tracking: Brands can use platforms to track the performance of influencers. This objective data can offer insights into influencers’ authentic reach and engagement, helping to mitigate selection and survivorship bias.

3. Pilot Campaigns: Before investing heavily in any particular influencer, brands can conduct small-scale pilot campaigns. This provides a practical, real-world test of the influencer’s ability to engage their audience and potentially drive conversions.

4. Influencer Selection: Brands should ensure a diversified mix of influencers from various tiers (micro, macro, mega). This broadens the scope of potential influence while minimizing the risk associated with any single influencer or tier.

5. Independent Audits: Consider using third-party services to verify the influencers’ audience data. Independent audits can serve as a checkpoint against inflated or manipulated metrics.

It’s important to remember that an influencer’s performance will depend on the fit with the brand and campaign goals.

Lastly, platforms like Flinque can provide workflow tools that streamline influencer selection and help manage campaigns, ensuring a more accurate and efficient process. These tools save brands time and provide them with the data needed to make informed decisions, enhancing reliability and avoiding bias.