How do I find Influencers for my Agency?

Are you launching your Influencer Talent Management Agency and wondering “how do I find Influencers for my Agency?” Don’t worry – I got you! I fully understand that finding influencers to represent your agency is a crucial step in building a successful roster and delivering value to clients. Who are we with without our talent?! It’s so important to ensure you bring on Influencers that align with your Influencer Talent Agency values. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to find influencers for your agency, including effective strategies and considerations:

Choosing the Right Talent For Your Influencer Talent Agency

A hill I will die on in this industry is the importance of one’s talent roster. We, as Talent Managers are only as good as our roster. It does NOT matter how great we are at closing deals or pitching. If the product we’re selling, the talent, isn’t what the brand is looking for or not good enough, we won’t see success. It is so important to bring talent onto your roster that is aligned with you and your roster’s vibe or focus.

As CEO of your Influencer Talent Agency, knowing what matters to you about the talent on your roster, will help you find or attract in the right talent for you. Once you’re ready to start interviewing prospective talent, read this article about the 8 Questions to ask when building your roster. Are you looking for talent with a particular follower count such as a macro creator or a nano creator? More on the 4 types of Influencers here. Are you looking for creators in a certain influencer niche like parenting, travel or food? Are you looking for your talent to already be at a certain income threshold with brand partnerships? I look for prospective talent that is ~$100k/annually with brand collabs. All of this is important because these choices determine the success of your campaigns.

For my roster, I look at a few things. I ask about how much income the Influencer is making annually from brand collabs. I want to make sure the math works for me earning my 20% as I have to run a sustainable business. Simultaneously, I want to make sure the math works for them to pay out that 20%. I look for content that I genuinely like and am excited to see in my feed. I look for creators who are engaged with their audiences, and create not just high quality content but fun, engaging content.

1. Social Media Hashtags

Using hashtags strategically is a powerful (anad easy) way to discover influencers for your agency. Start by searching hashtags that align with who or what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for food influencers, try #FoodieLife, #HomeChef, or #EasyRecipes. For travel creators, hashtags like #Wanderlust, #TravelTips, or #BucketListAdventures can reveal rising talent. Explore both popular and niche hashtags such as #under10k to uncover creators at different growth stages.

Once you identify potential talent, go get your flirt on! Leave an intentional comment on their posts, reply to their Stories, and give their sponsored content some love. It’s an easy lift yet a strategic move to stand out to them. Your effort will not go unnoticed. Not only will the creator that you’re engaging with see it, but so too will their community. Maybe you’ll find some other talent while flirting!

2. Industry Events and Conferences

Attending industry events and conferences is an excellent way to connect with influencers and content creators in person. These gatherings, depending on the event, bring together talent from different niches, providing a valuable opportunity to meet potential clients face-to-face. Nothing beats an in person opportunity of getting to know the creator’s personality, vibe, presence and professionalism. Whenever I’m at an event and meet a prospective talent, I’m immediately taking in a lot of information. It’s similar to noticing how people treat the wait staff. How people behave and act around brands in a professional setting helps me understand their attitude around doing paid brand work.

While networking, be vocal about telling people you’re building your roster. Don’t shy away from mentioning that you’re actively building your roster — you never know who might have the perfect introduction. That’s how a few Influencers have found their way onto my roster – someone else made the intro tome.

Influencers often have close connections with other creators and can introduce you to rising talent within their circles. I always say, you have to tell people you’re open for business. You can’t assume they will figure it out or guess that your roster is open. Don’t worry, telling an unmanaged creator you’re looking does NOT mean you’re signing them. All it means is that you’re telling the world that you’re looking.

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be a powerful platform for finding influencers and expanding your agency’s reach. Why? It’s a great place to establish yourself as someone who knows what they’re doing as a Talent Manager. You get to showcase your expertise by sharing brand stories, negotiation moments, lessons you’ve learned and highlighting successful brand collaborations. Start by posting consistently and sharing content that reflects your expertise. Your ideal clients may not necessarily be spending all their time on LinkedIn but people who work agency side that cast and run campaigns, do. Unmanaged talent they’ve hired for a campaign could ask the campaign agency lead for manager suggestions.

Additionally, hosting webinars, participating in panels, or joining podcasts can amplify your presence and credibility. Always share those professional learning opportunities on LinkedIn. No one’s asking you to be a webinar? Host one yourself. Bring in experts who are smarter or more experienced in certain areas — this not only strengthens your content but also expands your network by connecting you with valuable voices in the industry. When you consistently share value and showcase your expertise, people will pay attention and keep you top of mind.

4. Influencer Facebook and Mastermind Groups

Facebook groups and mastermind communities can be goldmines for discovering new influencer talent. Many creators actively participate in these groups to exchange ideas, share industry insights, and connect with brands. By joining groups dedicated to influencer marketing, content creation, or niche-specific industries (like beauty, parenting, or travel), you can quietly observe rising talent, see who’s contributing valuable insights, and identify influencers who are serious about their craft.

It’s worth noting that sometimes as a Talent Manager, you might not be invited. What I have found to be a more authentic way to engage and connect is to offer to host a workshop or an AMA (ask me anything) event. And then once you have connected with the group, don’t be creeper — engage! Offer real advice, answer questions, and be accessible to build trust and relationship. People will see that you’re a valuable resource and that, can naturally lead to conversations with creators who may be a great fit for your roster. Note who is active and follow them on their socials (if it makes sense) to show your investment in them. By always giving and not taking from the group, you’ll connect with creators who are not only talented but also proactive and invested in their growth — the kind of influencers who are ideal for your agency.

5. Google Influencers in the Niche You Want to Work With

Seems kinda silly to point out googling this question but it’s an often overlooked way to find people who may not be on your radar. A lot of media outlets have different lists of creators such as Top Latino Creators in Colorado (this one does exist!) or Top Travel Bloggers that curate talent from all over. Not everyone on those lists are managed and it’s a great place to start sorting through who catches your eye. Adding keywords like “top,” “rising,” or “up-and-coming” can help surface influencers who are gaining momentum.

To me, anyone who pops up on a google search, could also mean they understand SEO and have a mulit-platform approach to their content. For me it indicates how “business minded” someone is, showing their understanding there’s more to growing a brand besides just posting on TikTok. Google searches also highlight creators with strong storytelling skills, high engagement, or niche authority – all things we LOVE in a strong brand partner, which means they could be great on your roster.

6. Bonus! Attracting Talent for Your Influencer Agency

When it comes to building a strong roster, I firmly believe in the power of attract vs chase. Allow me to explain. I’ve never reached out to talent, nor slid into their DMs asking if they have a manager. Everyone on my roster has come to me asking to be a part of my roster. Or follows someone that I represent and heard about me that way. I receive about 100 inquires annually of people who want me to be their manager. All because of something they saw me doing, talking about or explaining.

Instead of spending time actively pursuing talent, I focus on creating a digital footprint (my website, my Instagram, my LinkedIn, my Substack, the Negotiation Playbook) that is super transparent about what I’m all about, which is attractive to the right people. By consistently sharing my expertise, hosting webinars, chiming in on hot, difficult topics (I’ll chime in when people bash managers) and being an open book about what I know, I’ve built a reputation that positions me as a trusted resource in the industry. I openly share insights, provide feedback on rates or media kits when asked, and happily make introductions — often if there’s no immediate benefit to me. I’m always hyping up my roster, talking about their recent brand collabs and sharing about our travels together. People LOVE IT!

This visibility creates FOMO in the best possible way — influencers see what I’m doing for my clients and naturally start thinking, I want that kind of representation too. Ultimately, the combination of sharing valuable information, celebrating my roster, and being generous with my time and knowledge has allowed me to build an agency that talented creators want to be a part of. By focusing on attraction rather than chasing, I’ve created a space where influencers recognize my expertise, trust my guidance, and feel confident that I have their best interests at heart.

By implementing these strategies and keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s going on within the industry, your agency can effectively identify and recruit (ahem, ATTRACT!) Influencers who align with your agency values, talent vibe, and network connections. Building a diverse and dynamic roster of influencers is hands down, one of the best things you can do for the success of your agency.

PSST! Want to Build a Roster That Feels Aligned and Effortless?

If you’re an influencer talent manager who’s just starting your own agency, finding the right talent isn’t about chasing creators — it’s about attracting them. Building a strong digital footprint, showcasing your expertise, and positioning yourself as a valuable resource are key to drawing in the kind of influencers who align with your agency’s vision. When you build your roster with the right talent — creators who are professional, aligned with your agency’s values, and poised for growth — everything from brand pitching to campaign execution becomes smoother and more successful.

In my 8-Week Influencer Talent Manager Coaching & Mentorship Program, I teach you exactly how to do this. You’ll learn how to confidently price your talent’s rates, identify influencers who are the perfect fit for your roster, and attract talent by establishing yourself as an industry expert. With insights from my experience closing over $6 million in brand deals, I’ll show you how to position your agency in a way that draws creators in — no chasing required.

👉🏼 Click HERE to learn more and start building a roster that’s built for success.