How to find influencers for your brand without a database
You can find influencers without a database. Spend one hour searching the places where people already talk about your product. Write each name in a sheet. That hour builds the list. Checking the best 10 accounts takes about 100 more minutes. A database only saves time. It does not choose the right people for you.
A database gives you speed, not judgment
A creator database is a paid list of profiles you can filter by follower count, topic and place. Its value is speed. You skip the searching.
It does not tell you who will like your product. You still open the accounts. So start by hand, learn what a good fit looks like, and buy speed later if you need it.
Start with review pages and tags, not social search
In our scan of 30 Shopify brands, review and roundup pages were the biggest group of people shown in every category we counted. Social accounts were a small share. The micro influencer guide covers that social side.
| Category | Review and roundup pages, share of people shown |
|---|---|
| Skincare | 73% |
| Fashion | 72% |
| Fitness | 65% |
| Supplements | 55% |
TikTok, Instagram and newsletters were 1% for fitness and 0% for supplements. Supplements had the most podcasts, at 20% (fitness counts, supplement counts). The scan covers the web, not every creator.
So whatever you sell, start with review sites and roundups, then Reddit threads, and note who writes them. Do the social blocks after that. The scan did not count pet brands, so do not read it as advice for them.
What is the one-hour routine?
Set a timer for 60 minutes. Split it into five blocks of about 12 minutes each. Aim for 20 names in your sheet. These are our planning figures, not measured times.
- Read review and roundup pages for your category. Search the words a buyer would use, such as "best linen shirts", and note who writes each page. Add Reddit threads on the same topic.
- Read who tags you. Open your brand's tagged posts and mentions. People who post about you unasked are your warmest names.
- Read who tags your rivals. Creators who already promote a rival know the category. Our guide to finding your competitors' affiliates goes further.
- Mine your own reviews. Open your Shopify product reviews and the photos customers sent in. A buyer who posts a clear photo or a long review is already a fan.
- Search the apps. Search your product words on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Then open your best find and see which similar accounts the app offers. Treat each as a lead, not a fit.
What does a filled-in sheet look like?
This is an invented example, with made-up names. Say you sell a vitamin C serum. Each name gets 1 to 3 on four checks, so the top score is 12. Drop anyone under 8. For engagement, the score follows a 2026 vendor study (IQFluence) that put the median Instagram rate at 0.97% for creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers (IQFluence report). A 3 is above 0.97%. A 2 is from 0.28% to 0.97%, which the study calls typical. A 1 is below 0.28%.
| Handle | Block | Comments real | Posts products | Audience matches | Engagement | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @skinbyjules | 2, tags you | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| @glowwithmara | 1, roundups | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| Priya, roundup writer | 4, reviews | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| @dewydaisy | 3, rival tags | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| @barefacedbea | 5, app search | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7, dropped |
Repeat each block with other search words until you reach 20 names.
Check the last 10 posts before you contact anyone
Open each account and read the last 10 posts. The micro influencer guide explains the four checks and how to work out an engagement rate. Also note what they already promote. A creator who only shows luxury goods may not suit a $20 product.
Budget about 10 minutes per account. Twenty names would take over three hours, so check only your best 10 first. That is about 100 minutes on top of the hour. Treat follower counts as a rough guide only.
What if the creator lists no email?
Check their link-in-bio page first. Then look for a business contact button or an email in the profile, which some creators add. Last, look for a contact page on their own site. If you find nothing, send a direct message.
Where should the list live?
In one sheet. Add columns to the example above:
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Name and handle | Who they are |
| Where you found them | Tag, search, review, rival |
| Fit score | Total of the four checks |
| Contact | Email, or "direct message" |
| Status | Not contacted, sent, replied, sent product |
| Code or link | Their own, for tracking |
| Sales | From your store after 30 days |
A sheet also keeps you honest about follow-ups. The outreach email template has wording for each.
You share responsibility for disclosure
The US Federal Trade Commission, in guidance revised in 2023, says "advertisers need to have reasonable programs in place to train and monitor members of their network" (FTC, what people are asking, checked 27 October 2026). The same page says a brand sending free products is still on the hook for deceptive claims. Tell every creator how to disclose, and look at what they post.
The FTC's influencer page, dated November 2019, puts the duty on the creator too: "it's your responsibility to make these disclosures" (FTC, Disclosures 101, checked 27 October 2026). Both sides have a job. This is not legal advice, and other countries have their own rules.
Is Shopify Collabs still a free option?
Only for creators already in it. Shopify's Collabs help page says Collabs "isn't accepting new creator signups at this time" (Shopify Help Center, checked 28 October 2026). The same page says merchants can continue to send direct invites to creators. Because signups are closed, we read that as creators already in Collabs, but the page does not say so. The pool there is not growing. Our page on Collabs limits shows where finding stops.
When does a tool start to pay?
Stay with the sheet while searching is quick and you are learning. Look at a tool when one of these is true:
- You spend more than a few hours a week just searching.
- You have found everything near your rivals and need new places to look.
- You need verified contact details for dozens of names, not five.
- You have a program to fill, not a one-off campaign.
Even then, a tool replaces the search, not the checks. You still open the account and read the comments. If you want a side-by-side of options, see affiliate prospecting tools.
Can a tool find the creators for you?
RecruitAffiliates.ai is our own tool. It finds the websites, blogs, review sites, podcasts and creators already promoting your rivals. It ranks the best fits first and shows the page where it found each one. Most of what it shows is review sites and blogs, with some TikTok and Instagram creators. It looks up their email and shows whether each address was checked (what each result means). The 7-day free trial includes 20 email lookups and needs no card.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find influencers for my brand for free?
Start with review and roundup pages for your category, then read who tags you and your rivals and open your own reviews. Search the social apps last. Put every name in a sheet and check the last 10 posts before you write.
Do I need an influencer database?
No. A database saves searching time but does not pick the right people. Start by hand for an hour, then decide if the speed is worth paying for.
How many influencers should I start with?
Aim for 20 names from the first hour and contact the best 10. Send a free product to those who say yes, and count sales per code after 30 days.
Who is responsible for influencer disclosures?
Both sides. The FTC says creators must disclose and that brands should train and monitor the people who promote them.
Sources
- FTC, Endorsement Guides: what people are asking (guides revised 2023, no page date)
- FTC, Disclosures 101 for social media influencers (November 2019)
- Shopify Help Center, Collabs
- IQFluence, Influencer engagement rate benchmarks 2026 (vendor study, last updated 25 September 2026)
- Our scan of 30 Shopify brands, 22 October 2026: method, counts and limits