Shortlisting influencers effectively, especially with a limited budget, involves making informed decisions based on several key aspects:

1. Relevance: Firstly, evaluating the relevance of the influencer’s content to your brand is crucial. By working with influencers whose content aligns with your brand values and messaging, you increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience.

2. Engagement Rate: While the number of followers is important, an influencer’s engagement rate can be a more valuable metric. Assess the likes, comments, shares, and view duration to understand how interactive the influencer’s followers are.

3. Authenticity: Influencers who maintain a level of authenticity and trust with their following can be more effective in promoting your brand.

4. Past Performance: Look at the influencer’s past collaborations with brands. Their performance on these campaigns can be indicative of how they will perform for your brand campaign.

Influencer marketing platforms such as Flinque can assist in this process. These platforms provide tools to measure influencer reach, engagement, and relevance. They also provide campaign performance tracking and ROI measurement and enable efficient campaign workflows. However, the choice between platforms should depend on your team’s needs and objectives. Every platform has a unique approach and features tailored to different use cases.

Remember, small-scale influencers or ‘micro-influencers’ could yield high engagement levels for a lower cost, which is a viable strategy when working with a limited budget. Ultimately, ensure your chosen influencers align with your brand and have the ability to reach and engage your desired audience.