Guide: Discovering Instagram Micro-Influencers with AI

Understanding Micro-Influencer Research with AI

Finding the right micro-influencers for your brand traditionally requires hours of manual research across multiple platforms and tools. You need to identify creators in your niche, verify their engagement rates, check their follower counts, find contact information, and ensure they align with your brand values—all while avoiding fake or inactive accounts.

Genspark.ai, as an agentic browser, can automate much of this research process by systematically searching across platforms, cross-referencing data from multiple sources, and compiling comprehensive lists of potential collaborators. While not perfect, this approach can significantly accelerate your influencer discovery process.

Important Caveat: Research Accuracy and Limitations

From personal experiments: While this AI-powered approach can provide a fairly robust list of potential micro-influencers, it's important to understand its limitations. There may be some hallucinations or inaccuracies in the data, and not all information will be completely accurate. Follower counts, engagement rates, and contact information should be manually verified before outreach. Think of this as a starting point for your research rather than definitive data. The AI provides a valuable foundation, but human verification remains essential for accuracy.

What You'll Need

• Access to Genspark.ai with research capabilities

• Clear campaign parameters:

  • Your target niche or industry

  • Geographic preferences

  • Language requirements

  • Follower count limits

  • Minimum engagement rate expectations

• Outreach strategy for contacting identified influencers

Understanding the Research Process

This AI-powered approach will systematically search for influencers who meet your specific criteria, then organize the findings into a comprehensive list with key metrics and contact information. The process includes cross-referencing multiple data sources to improve accuracy.

Step 1: Define Your Influencer Criteria

Before starting your research, clearly establish your parameters:

Content Focus:

• Primary niche or topic area (like "sustainable fashion" or "keto recipes")

• Content style preferences

• Brand alignment requirements

Audience Demographics:

• Geographic location (creator location or audience location)

• Language preferences

• Target age groups or interests

Account Specifications:

• Maximum follower count (typically 10,000 for micro-influencers)

• Minimum engagement rate (usually 3-10%)

• Account activity requirements

• Verification status preferences

Quality Standards:

• Minimum post frequency

• Recent activity requirements

• Content quality expectations

Step 2: Use the Comprehensive Research Prompt

1. Log into Genspark.ai and start a new chat

2. Use this detailed research prompt, replacing the example criteria with your specific requirements:

📌 INSTAGRAM MICRO-INFLUENCER RESEARCH BRIEF

You are an influencer discovery specialist. Research Instagram and compile a list of exactly 50 micro-influencers meeting all specified criteria.

🎯 SELECTION CRITERIA

- Primary content focus: [YOUR NICHE - e.g., "sustainable fashion"]
- Geographic focus: [YOUR LOCATION - e.g., "United States"]
- Content language: [YOUR LANGUAGE - e.g., "English"]
- Maximum followers: [YOUR LIMIT - e.g., "10,000"]
- Minimum engagement rate: [YOUR MINIMUM - e.g., "5%"]

Calculate engagement rate as: (average likes + comments from latest 12 posts) ÷ followers × 100

EXCLUDE accounts that:
- Have verification badges or are brand-owned
- Posted fewer than 10 total posts
- Haven't posted in the last 30 days
- Promote inappropriate or off-brand content

🔍 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1. Search Instagram and public influencer databases
2. Cross-verify metrics using multiple sources when possible
3. Extract contact information from:
   - Instagram profile email buttons
   - Link-in-bio services (Linktree, etc.)
   - Connected websites or social profiles
4. Record data collection date (YYYY-MM-DD format)

📋 DELIVERABLE FORMAT

Create a Markdown table with these columns:
| # | Instagram Handle | Followers | Engagement Rate % | Content Focus | Location | Contact Info | Data Date |

Requirements:
- Sort by highest engagement rate
- Include exactly 50 entries
- Use "—" when no contact information is available
- Round engagement rates to one decimal place
- Include your top 3 data sources after the table

✅ QUALITY ASSURANCE

Before submitting, verify:
☑️ Exactly 50 unique accounts listed
☑️ All accounts meet follower and engagement criteria
☑️ No duplicate handles or contact information
☑️ Table formats correctly in Markdown
☑️ All numbers are within specified ranges

📎 OUTPUT REQUIREMENTS

- Provide only the table and source list
- Do not include additional commentary or code formatting
- Keep numbers clean (no comma separators)
- Ensure all data is current and accurate

3. Replace all bracketed sections with your specific criteria

4. Submit the research prompt to Genspark and allow time for comprehensive data collection

Step 3: Review and Validate Your Results

Once Genspark completes the research, carefully review the output:

Data Verification

• Count check: Confirm exactly 50 influencers are listed

• Criteria compliance: Verify all accounts meet your follower and engagement requirements

• Quality assessment: Check that accounts appear active and relevant

Manual Verification Process

1. Spot-check several accounts by visiting their Instagram profiles directly

2. Verify follower counts and recent engagement rates

3. Assess content quality and brand alignment

Step 4: Organize and Prioritize Your Outreach

Outreach Best Practices

• Personalize every message based on the creator's content

• Be clear about partnership terms and expectations

• Provide value beyond just monetary compensation

• Build genuine relationships rather than transactional partnerships

Managing Expectations and Limitations

What This Approach Does Well

• Identifies potential collaborators efficiently

• Provides structured data for decision-making

• Covers broad search across multiple sources

• Saves significant research time

What Requires Human Verification

• Exact follower counts and engagement rates

• Contact information accuracy

• Content quality and brand alignment assessment

• Recent account activity and authenticity

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