why some brands excel at finding top creators

Most teams want to scale creator campaigns.

But very few have the systems — or the stamina — to do it well. And some of them are drowning in manual processes that make them want to yeet their laptops out the window.

The truth is: most people don’t burn out from influencer marketing itself. They burn out from inefficient creator sourcing.

They’re stuck reinventing the wheel for every campaign — manually. Repeatedly. Relentlessly.

Everyone wants top-tier creators. Few are prepared for the scavenger hunt it takes to get them.

 Here’s what the manual creator sourcing process looks like  (grab your popcorn):

1. The dream creator profile
“I want a Gen Z skincare TikToker with soft girl energy but also momcore vibes who doesn’t sound like an ad.” Good luck.

• Outline the dream persona: platform, aesthetic, audience demo, content style.
  Draft a checklist that will evolve six times before the week is over. Crying yet?
  

2. The endless platform hopping

• Search all platforms separately and repeat. Forever.
  Click 93 videos. Watch 18 unboxings. Realize 4 are from 2022. Two are sponsored by your competitor.
  

3. Log it all manually

• Fire up Google Sheets. Create 14 columns (you're creating more columns than a Greek temple): handle, email, niche, last post date, engagement math you don’t trust. Add notes like “fun vibe but audio is weird” or “maybe too brand-safe?”
  Spend 2 hours and still feel like you’re stabbing in the dark.
  

4. Cold outreach

• Send emails, DMs, InMails, carrier pigeons.

• Personalize each one. Track every reply. Most will ghost. Some will ask for double your budget.

5. Negotiate 

•  Deliverables, usage rights, deadlines. Repeat this convo dozens of times. Draft contracts manually.

• Chase signatures, answer clarifying questions, send the brief again because they lost it.

6. Onboard

• Ship product. Send timelines. Share moodboards. Send a detailed brief. Still get 9 DMs asking the same question.

“Wait, do I need to include the product in the video?”
“It’s literally a product review.”

7. Review and approve

• Wait for the draft. Get ghosted. Follow up. Review content. Fix spelling. Re-review. Approve. It’s giving never-ending group project.
  

8. Close the loop

• Process payments. Some want PayPal, some want wire, one wants crypto.
  Archive everything. Realize you’ll be doing this all over again in two weeks.

TL;DR:

Manual sourcing will get you there. Eventually.

You can keep doing this the long, fragmented, emotionally-taxing way…

Or… you could click one button and breathe again with JoinBrands:

• Tap into a pool of 300,000+ influencers

• Use the AI Creator Matching feature  to instantly match with the ideal ones.

• Drop your campaign. Watch applications roll in. Approve. Go live.

• Actually enjoy your job again.

Today, thousands of brands use JoinBrands to do in minutes what used to take weeks.

Want to actually enjoy influencer marketing again?  Sign up for free and get started today.