Finding the Right Influencer for Your Brand!
By Dr. Pooja Arora
Around two decades back, when I started my career in communications, social media was still finding its place in the world of brands. Even then, brands worked with influencers using traditional media.
I worked on a project in the energy sector back then, where the objective was to support regulatory approvals for exploration activities. The strategy focused on engaging subject-matter experts, policy voices, and respected industry figures to discuss the roles of private participation, technology adoption, and energy independence.
And in hindsight, that was influencer relations in its earliest form, just without the social media platforms. While these influencers spoke about business and policies, the celebrities from the movies were the other set of influencers who helped brands and campaigns come to the limelight.
Social media has added to the definition of influencers.
The Temptation of Popularity
When I worked with social media influencers for the first time for a large-scale cycling initiative in a major metropolitan city in India.
The objective was ambitious i.e., to encourage people to participate in cycling in one of the most densely populated and polluted cities in the country. We needed awareness, excitement, and attendance!
Our initial approach was straightforward, as we thought that high visibility is all that matters. We partnered with popular lifestyle, fitness, and digital creators across multiple campaign moments. On paper, it worked with strong social media content and immediate engagement spikes. But something was missing!
The audiences engaging with the content were not necessarily aligned with the activity itself. Cycling was not part of their lifestyle or interest.
Therefore, while the campaign looked successful externally, internally, we realized a gap: We had reach, but not participation.
That insight changed our entire approach.
Instead of asking, “Who is the influencer with the largest reach?” we began asking, “Who genuinely cares about cycling?”
We shifted to a smaller group of creators who were already part of cycling communities or deeply passionate about fitness-led outdoor activity.
Their follower base was smaller but significantly more aligned.
We invited them to pre-event cycling rides and the main event experience, and provided access, equipment, and on-ground engagement opportunities.
Importantly, these were not paid partnerships. They participated because the experience matched their interests. The difference was immediate and meaningful. Engagement became more authentic and participation increased. Conversations became community-led rather than campaign-led.
Most importantly, the initiative stopped feeling like a one-time brand activation and started resembling a movement driven by shared interest.
That experience reinforced one of my strongest beliefs today: The right influencer is not the one with the largest audience, but the one whose audience is already aligned with the vision of the brand.
Influencer Relations can flip a negative story!
Influencer relations are not always about amplification of a campaign. Sometimes, it is about containment and correction.
For another assignment, I worked directly with a group of creators across different tiers including, nano, micro, and macro. This time it was to address misinformation, clarify facts, and bring forward balanced perspectives about the organization’s work.
The outcome was a visible shift in digital sentiment, improved visibility of positive narratives, and a reduction in misinformation-driven engagement.
While influencer relations are powerful, they should be done with responsibility and clarity.
Conclusion:
Across all these experiences, my approach to influencer relations has been to:
• Prioritize alignment over popularity
• Focus on trust, not just reach
• Treat influencers as long-term partners, not campaign tools
• Evaluate risks as seriously as opportunity
• Build relationships, not transactions
Because ultimately, influencer relations is not just measured by how far a message travels but also by how deeply it resonates with the target audience.
About the author: Pooja Arora, PhD, is a Strategic Communications and Issue Management professional who knows how to turn a crisis into an opportunity. With her experience across corporates, not-for-profit, and agency worlds, she’s built stories that shape and enhance reputations. When she’s not crafting campaigns, she’s binge-watching movies.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-arora-phd-71912b17/
Instagram: @sikkaster