If you’ve ever tried to find real social media influencers—not just loudmouths with inflated follower counts—you know it’s a mess: too much noise, too many fakes, and no clear way to cut through. If you use Brandwatch, you’ve got some powerful filters at your fingertips, but it’s not magic. This guide’s for people who want to use Brandwatch to find actual influencers worth working with, not just whoever shouts the loudest on Twitter or TikTok.
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts, skip the hype, and actually make Brandwatch filters work for you.
Step 1: Get Clear on What an Influencer Actually Is
Before you start fiddling with filters, decide what you’re even looking for. “Influencer” gets thrown around a lot, but it means different things depending on your goals. Ask yourself:
- Do you want people with lots of followers, or people whose audience actually listens?
- Is it about reach, relevance, or both?
- Are you after industry experts, lifestyle personalities, or just anyone with a megaphone?
Pro tip: Don’t confuse big follower counts with influence. Engagement and relevance matter way more than vanity metrics.
Step 2: Build a Focused Query in Brandwatch
First, you need to set up a search that actually surfaces useful people. In Brandwatch, this means building a smart query—not just plugging in a hashtag and praying for gold.
Start broad, then narrow down:
- Use keywords, hashtags, product names, or competitors relevant to your niche.
- Exclude spammy terms or unrelated chatter.
- If you’re interested in a specific geography or language, set that up from the start.
Example:
If you’re looking for coffee influencers in the UK, start with terms like “coffee,” “café,” “espresso,” and filter for English language and UK location.
What NOT to do:
Don’t just use “influencer” as a keyword. Real influencers don’t call themselves that in every post.
Step 3: Use Brandwatch’s Author Filters to Weed Out the Noise
Here’s where Brandwatch filters actually save you time—if you use them right. In your search results, focus on the Author filters. Here’s how to use them:
1. Follower Count
Brandwatch lets you filter by minimum and maximum follower counts. This helps you:
- Ignore obvious bots and tiny accounts.
- Avoid celebrities if you don’t want to pay six figures for a single post.
- Focus on “micro-influencers” (usually 10k–100k followers) who often have more genuine engagement.
Honest take:
Follower count is the easiest filter, but it’s also the shallowest. Don’t stop here.
2. Engagement Rate
Some Brandwatch plans let you filter by engagement metrics—likes, comments, shares. This matters because:
- High engagement usually signals a real, interested audience.
- Low engagement with high followers? Probably fake or bought followers.
How to use:
Set a minimum average engagement rate (e.g., 2% is decent, 5%+ is great) and see who’s left.
3. Influence Score (if available)
Brandwatch sometimes offers their own “influence” scoring, which combines reach, engagement, and other data.
- It’s a shortcut, but don’t trust it blindly. Scores can be opaque and not always aligned with your actual goals.
- Use it as a filter, not as gospel.
4. Location & Demographics
Target by location, language, or even gender/age if your campaign needs it.
- Don’t skip this if you care about local influence or specific audiences.
- Ignore if your product is global; no need to overcomplicate.
5. Account Type
Some filters let you separate individuals from brands or organizations. You want real people, not corporate accounts. Check this box.
Step 4: Dig Into the Results—Don’t Just Export a List
The filters get you a shortlist, but don’t trust them blindly. Here’s what to check before you call someone an influencer:
- Content quality: Are their posts thoughtful, on-topic, and not just ads?
- Audience interaction: Do people actually reply, comment, or share? Or are all the comments “love this!” from obvious bots?
- Recent activity: Are they still active, or did they peak in 2019?
- Brand safety: Any red flags in their content? Last thing you need is a PR headache.
Pro tip:
Randomly scroll through a few profiles before you commit. If someone looks too good to be true, they probably are.
Step 5: Tag and Organize Your Influencer List
Brandwatch lets you tag or categorize authors. Take advantage:
- Tag top prospects (“shortlist”), “maybe,” and “not a fit” so you don’t waste time later.
- Make notes on anything odd—like if someone has great numbers but weird content.
Don’t overthink it:
You don’t need a 10-level tagging system. Just enough to keep people straight.
Step 6: Export and Sanity-Check Your List
Export your filtered list for further review—usually as a CSV. Before you start outreach:
- Double-check for duplicates or obvious mistakes.
- Google a few names. Do they have a real presence outside of social? Any controversies?
- Check influencer marketing databases or LinkedIn for more context.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over making a “perfect” list. Influencer discovery is always a bit messy.
Step 7: Keep Monitoring and Iterate
Influence is a moving target. People get hot, get canceled, or just disappear. Brandwatch can help you keep tabs:
- Set up alerts for new voices breaking out in your niche.
- Check back regularly—don’t just do this once and forget about it.
- Update your criteria if the results start to get stale or off-target.
Pro tip:
Don’t get stuck chasing the same 10 names everyone else finds. The real value is spotting up-and-comers before they’re overexposed.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
What Works
- Combining filters: Use follower count and engagement, not just one.
- Manual review: Actually look at profiles before calling someone an influencer.
- Simple tagging: Keep your system lightweight.
What Doesn’t
- Blind trust in “influence scores”: Always double-check.
- Going by follower count alone: You’ll find a lot of empty calories.
- Overcomplicating filters: More isn’t always better; stay focused on what matters.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Stay Skeptical
Finding real social media influencers with Brandwatch filters isn’t rocket science, but it does take some clear thinking and skepticism. Don’t get seduced by big numbers or fancy dashboards. Focus on people who actually move the needle for your brand, not whoever’s shouting the loudest.
Start small, iterate, and remember: the best influencers are often the ones everyone else overlooks. Brandwatch’s filters can get you most of the way there—just don’t forget to use your own judgment at the end of the day.