Alexis Kestler
As a leading influencer marketing platform, Deep Social provided powerful capabilities for brands to identify, connect with, and manage influencer partnerships. But with Deep Social‘s unfortunate shutdown, companies now need a new solution to match its functionality.
Through extensive research as a social media marketing expert, I have identified the top five alternatives for brands to consider. These options provide robust tools for influencer discovery, audience analysis, campaign tracking, relationship management, and more.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore:
- Core capabilities brands need from an influencer marketing platform
- How leading alternatives stack up to Deep Social
- An in-depth look at the top five Deep Social replacements
- Key considerations when selecting a new platform
- My professional recommendation based on brands‘ needs
Let‘s dive in to determine the best option to achieve influencer marketing success.
Must-Have Influencer Marketing Platform Capabilities
Based on my experience managing influencer programs, here are the core features brands relied on Deep Social for:
Influencer Discovery & Outreach
- Identify relevant creators through tailored searches
- Contact and recruit vetted influencers
Audience Analysis
- View follower demographics and interests
- Validate influence through data
Campaign Management & Tracking
- Post briefs and collaborate directly with influencers
- Automate workflows like sending products, contracts, payments
- Monitor campaign performance and engagement
Relationship Management
- Cultivate long-term partnerships with creators
- Maintain lines of communication within one solution
An ideal alternative matches Deep Social‘s capabilities in these areas – fueling the entire process from discovery to tracking.
How Alternatives Measure Up
Based on in-depth research of leading options, here is an at-a-glance view of how the top contenders stack up across core must-have functionality:
| Platform | Discovery & Outreach | Audience Analysis | Campaign Management | Relationship Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainfluencer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HypeAuditor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Affable | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| CreatorIQ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Klear | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
(✅ = Strong Capability, ❌ = Lacks Capability)
As the table shows, the leading alternatives excel in certain areas based on their specialties:
- Ainfluencer: Influencer marketplace and end-to-end functionality
- HypeAuditor: Robust analytics and reporting
- Affable: AI-matching between brands and influencers
- CreatorIQ: Identification of micro and rising star influencers
- Klear: Data-driven influencer discovery and scoring
Now let‘s analyze the strengths and potential drawbacks of each platform in greater detail.
Deep Dive: Top Deep Social Alternatives
The top five replacement options provide excellent capabilities to satisfy brands‘ influencer marketing needs in the wake of Deep Social‘s shutdown. Here is an in-depth look at each platform.
1. Ainfluencer
Overview
Ainfluencer is an AI-powered influencer marketplace connecting brands and creators through streamlined collaboration.
Ideal Customer
Ainfluencer best serves brands that rely heavily on an influencer marketplace business model to discover partners and facilitate deals via a high degree of automation.
Key Details
- Features: Marketplace, workflow automation, chat, analytics, payment distribution
- Pricing: Free or Starts at $149/mo
- Ratings:
- 4.8/5 Trustpilot
- High satisfaction scores
A key strength of Ainfluencer lies in its intuitive influencer marketplace enabling brands to submit campaign briefs and instantly discover relevant creators interested in collaborating. Automated functionality handles much of the heavy lifting throughout the entire process – from ideation to negotiation to post-campaign analysis.
Customers praise Ainfluencer‘s ease of use and performance:
"Super fast and convenient. The story got published on time in the background, all tracking payments etc done automatically."
For brands that relied on Deep Social‘s marketplace and desire even greater automation, Ainfluencer is a leading choice.
Potential Drawbacks
- Requires high volume of influencer content
- Less customizable than other standalone platforms
2. HypeAuditor
Overview
HypeAuditor offers robust influencer discovery through a database of over 20 million profiles, coupled with powerful analytics.
Ideal Customer
HypeAuditor suits brands focused heavily on vetting creators through data-driven insights versus facilitation collaborations.
Key Details
- Features: Influencer database, audience demographics, campaign management, profile comparison
- Pricing: Starts at $399/mo
- Ratings:
- Mixed reviews on influencer quality
- Strong data and reporting
I see HypeAuditor as ideal for brands who relied on Deep Social primarily for analytics-backed influencer identification. With meticulous scoring based on audience quality and engagement metrics, HypeAuditor empowers data-first evaluation.
Per customer feedback:
"I can view demographics for influencers and where their followers are based.”
For brands hyper-focused on influencer vetting and campaign analytics, HypeAuditor delivers immense value.
Potential Drawbacks
- Expensive compared to freemium competitors
- Light on relationship management capabilities
3. Affable
Overview
Affable leverages AI and machine learning to match brands with relevant influencers across social platforms.
Ideal Customer
I recommend Affable for brands that desire automated influencer matching based on campaign goals, with detailed audience analysis.
Key Details
- Features: AI-based matching, audience insights, campaign analysis
- Pricing: Starts at $999/mo
- Ratings:
- Strong audience analytics
- Influencer relevancy needs improvement
Affable‘s advanced technology pairs brands to applicable influencers through an intuitive, low-touch process. With Affable‘s AI managing the heavy lifting, marketers simply define their goals and ideal creator profile.
As one customer described:
"Audience Gender Distribution is good to help figuring out if an influencer works for certain campaigns.”
For brands that want tech-driven automation for pairing with creators, Affable is a top choice.
Potential Drawbacks
- Price point may deter small brands
- Some inaccuracies in recommendations
4. CreatorIQ
Overview
CreatorIQ specializes in rising social media talent – identifying micro-influencers and up-and-comers primed for partnerships.
Ideal Customer
I suggest CreatorIQ for early-stage brands focused on building loyal creator relationships or those marketing to Gen Z audiences.
Key Details
- Features: Rising talent discovery, audience analytics, product sending & reviews
- Pricing: Custom quotes based on needs
- Ratings:
- Valuable niche capabilities
- Opportunities to improve accuracy
CreatorIQ perfectly suits brands aiming to lock in long-term partnerships with emerging social media creators before they hit mainstream status. With its niche specialty around identifying rising talent, CreatorIQ provides differential value.
As one customer noted:
"It‘s one of a kind and there aren’t many competitors of CreatorIQ so although it’s not always accurate, it’s good for what it is.”
For securing early relationships with up-and-coming creators, CreatorIQ is a smart choice.
Potential Drawbacks
- Smaller overall influencer network
- Mixed reviews on search relevancy
5. Klear
Overview
Klear offers an end-to-end influencer marketing solution encompassing discovery, campaign management, and in-depth reporting.
Ideal Customer
Based on Klear‘s robust feature set, I recommend it for mid-large size brands managing scaled influencer programs.
Key Details
- Features: Influencer discovery, scoring, campaign management, analytics
- Pricing: Custom quotes based on needs
- Ratings:
- Powerful data-driven platform
- Caution around inflated metrics
Klear draws praise for its holistic capabilities supporting the entire influencer journey – from initial scoping to final reviews. With Klear, brands can identify countless potential partners via precise filtering tools, engage creators through built-in messaging, deploy campaign briefs at scale, and closely track performance.
As one reviewer commented:
"Great UI and concept. Very powerful database and value."
For enterprise brands, Klear provides end-to-end technology supporting complex influencer activations.
Potential Drawbacks
- Overly robust for smaller brands
- Risk of Creator metric gaming
Key Decision Factors When Choosing an Alternative
When selecting the right influencer marketing solution to replace Deep Social, brands should consider aspects like:
Budget – Platforms range from free (Ainfluencer) up to $1000+/mo subscriptions. Define price thresholds.
Top Campaign Priorities – Clarify non-negotiables – whether an influencer marketplace, stellar analytics, or set it and forget it automation.
Team Bandwidth – Some options require heavy manual work compared to AI-automated solutions. Assess capabilities to handle workload.
Creative Needs – If producing unique branded content per campaign, ensure the platform provides necessary creator management tools.
Data Insights – For brands focused on dialed-in measurement, opt for robust analytics and reporting.
Existing Tech Stack – Select options allowing integration with other marketing tools if needed.
My Expert Recommendation
Considering the in-depth analysis of leading alternatives, I recommend Ainfluencer as the premier platform replacing Deep Social‘s core strengths.
My rationale includes:
- Influencer Marketplace – A core pillar for many brands, Ainfluencer provides exceptional discovery and collaboration tools.
- End-to-End Functionality – From ideation to post-campaign reporting, Ainfluencer manages each phase.
- Automation – Minimal manual work is needed as AI and built-in workflows handle heavy lifting.
- Cost – A completely free offering lowers the barrier to adoption.
- Reviews – Extremely positive validated ratings speak to results achieved.
For brands that relied heavily on Deep Social‘s marketplace, workflow automation, and ease of use, I strongly encourage the selection of Ainfluencer. Signing up is fast, free of cost, and instantly unlocks immense value.
Switching to an Optimal Alternative
With Deep Social shutting its doors, brands require a new influencer marketing platform partner to fill gaps in discovering creators, managing partnerships, and tracking performance.
The leading alternatives explored in this guide provide excellent capabilities to pick up where Deep Social left off – fueling influencer programs through intuitive technology.
Based on extensive research into the competitive solutions, I strongly recommend Ainfluencer to replicate Deep Social‘s core strengths, while even enhancing functionality through more advanced automation and a frictionless marketplace model.
To discuss further details on the ideal alternative for your brand‘s needs, don‘t hesitate to reach out. Now is the time to unlock the potential of data-driven influencer marketing.
