We’ve been trying to build a referral program with influencers, but the sourcing part is killing us. The issue is that “high-quality” means different things on each side.
In Russia, we can tap into networks we already know—there are certain channels, communities, and agencies where we know the quality tier. In the US, we’re basically starting blind. We’re scraping Instagram, looking at follower counts and engagement rates, but we’re not actually knowing if someone is reliable, professional, or even interested in genuine partnerships versus spray-and-pray brand collabs.
We also need influencers who actually understand cross-border work. Someone who’s cool with flexible briefs, actually delivers on timelines, and isn’t just hunting for free product. I feel like we’re either getting micro-influencers who are hungry but untested, or established creators who ghost after the first email.
How do you actually build a pipeline of quality influencers when you don’t have years of relationships in both markets? Are there actual communities or networks where cross-border creators hang out? Or is it just grinding outreach until you find the right people?
Okay, so from the creator side: a lot of us actually want to work with serious partners who bring legit briefs and professional processes. The problem is that most outreach is garbage. We get DMs like “hey, we love your vibe, wanna collab?” with no specifics. Of course we ghost that.
Here’s what works: Send a professional email (not a DM) with specific details. Say exactly what you need, what the timeline is, what the comp is, and why you think it’s a fit for our specific audience. Show you’ve actually watched our content. That alone puts you in the top 5% of outreach.
As for finding us: LinkedIn is honestly underrated. A lot of serious creators are there, and you can actually message thoughtfully. TikTok Creator Marketplace exists if you want to be systematic about it. There are also creator collectives and Discord communities where people network. Find the communities where creators talk about collaboration specifically, not just followers.
For cross-border work specifically, look for creators who already have audience diversity. Someone with a US and Russian audience mix? They get the cultural nuances already. Those are usually your best bets for international programs.
Oh, and test before you commit big. Like, offer a smaller project first. Pay fairly for it. If someone nails that, bring them into a bigger referral program. We can all sniff out when someone’s just trying to squeeze value out of us for cheap, and quality creators will just say no.
This is my bread and butter, honestly. The secret to sourcing quality is building relationships first, then creating structured opportunities.
What I do: I start by identifying 10-15 creators or influencers in each market who fit the vibe and audience we need. Then I reach out genuinely—not to pitch, but to learn. I ask them about their experience with cross-border work, what works, what doesn’t, who else they know. Most people are actually happy to chat.
From those conversations, I usually find 2-3 who get it immediately. Those become my anchors. Then I ask them: “Who else should we be talking to?” They’ll introduce me to people they trust. That network effect is huge—you go from strangers to “oh, so-and-so recommended us” instantly.
I also keep a running spreadsheet of creators I’ve met—not just as potential partners, but as real people with histories, experience, and preferences. When a new project comes up, I match creators thoughtfully instead of blasting everyone. Quality over volume.
For cross-border specifically, I look for creators who’ve already done international content, not those claiming they “can” do it. Track record matters.
One more thing: communities matter. There are actually quite a few Facebook Groups, Slack communities, and subreddits where creators network and discuss opportunities seriously. Spend time in those spaces. Help people out. Share insights. That’s where you find the serious folks, and they already trust you before you pitch.
From an agency perspective, we source in tiers. Tier 1 is relationships we already have. Tier 2 is referrals from Tier 1. Tier 3 is strategic platforms and networks. Tier 4 is outreach.
For Tier 3, we use: Creator.co, Billo, AspireIQ—these let us filter by audience demographics, engagement metrics, and even past brand partnerships. You see actual history, not just follower count. We also have relationships with a few boutique influencer agencies in both markets who vet people for us.
For Tier 4 (outreach), we developed a qualification framework: We look at audience quality (not just size), engagement rate, audience geographic mix, past brand partnerships (do they align with our type of work?), and response rate to initial outreach. We literally track response rate and quality of response.
What we found: Micro-influencers (10K-100K) with 8%+ engagement and past B2B or SaaS collaborations are gold. They’re professional, reliable, and actually grateful for quality opportunities.
For cross-border, we also look for language fluency and past international work. That’s a screening criterion we don’t skip.
We solved this by hiring a part-time creator coordinator—basically someone whose job was just to build and maintain relationships with 30-40 quality creators. Sounds expensive, but compared to the time we spent on bad outreach, it was cheap.
What they do: Monthly check-ins, sharing new opportunities first with proven partners, getting introductions to new creators from existing ones, tracking feedback and preferences. By month 6, we had a solid pipeline of people who actually wanted to work with us.
For cross-border specifically, we found that communities matter more than algorithms. There are actual Slack groups and Telegram channels where both US and Russian creators network. We joined those, participated genuinely, and suddenly we weren’t strangers anymore.
The quality jumped when we started treating influencer relationships like client relationships—with actual account management, regular touchpoints, and real feedback loops.