Influencer discovery is the process of identifying individuals on social media who are creating content, engaging audiences, and shaping conversations that align with your brand or niche. Through social listening, brands can discover these influencers organically, based on the content they share, the hashtags they use, and the volume of social media mentions they generate.
What is influencer discovery?
Unlike manual searches or paid databases, influencer discovery through social listening is based on real-time public activity. It focuses on finding authentic creators—often micro or nano influencers – already posting about your brand, industry, or competitors.
By using tools like EmbedSocial, brands can scan millions of posts to uncover:
- Creators who frequently mention your brand or product
- Users who generate high-performing user-generated content (UGC discovery)
- Top authors from social media content analytics reports
- Niche creators are driving conversation around relevant keywords or hashtags
What data points are used?
Social listening platforms use multiple signals to surface potential influencers:
- Post frequency: Users who consistently create relevant content
- Engagement levels: Likes, shares, and comments on posts
- Follower count (if public): To identify micro, mid-tier, or macro influencers
- Hashtag usage: Users contributing to specific campaigns or trends via hashtag tracking
- Sentiment analysis: Creators whose content reflects brand-positive messaging
- Content type: Video, carousel, story, or text-based content styles
Why is influencer discovery important?
For large brands and e-commerce teams, influencer discovery via social listening means:
- Finding brand advocates without needing a paid partnership first
- Uncovering creators with niche or local influence
- Building more authentic influencer relationships based on actual interest
- Supporting creator outreach and UGC campaigns at scale
- Enhancing share of voice (SOV) through real partnerships, not just ads
How to get started
- Set up keyword tracking and hashtag tracking filters
- Use social media mention alerts to find repeat contributors
- Analyze top authors by platform using social media content analytics
- Apply sentiment analysis to prioritize brand-positive creators
- Create an “influencer watchlist” from organic discovery before formal outreach
