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How to Use Instagram Creator Discovery

With AI Instagram Discovery, brands can discover high-fit creators by describing what they’re looking for—then refine results with filters, insights, and lookalikes.

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Written by Product Solutions
Updated over a week ago

Overview

Instagram Creator Discovery is Aspire’s AI-powered search tool that helps you find and connect with the perfect Instagram creators for your campaigns. Using natural language search and advanced filters, the tool instantly surfaces relevant, data-rich creator profiles — saving you time and expanding your sourcing capabilities.

How to Access Instagram Creator Discovery

  1. Reconnect your brand's Instagram account in Aspire by going to Settings > Instagram (Meta).

  2. Click Reconnect next to your Instagram account. If you don't see a Reconnect button, click Add Meta Account instead.

  3. When the screen titled "What is AspireIQ allowed to do" appears, ensure the following permissions are toggled on:

    • Access Instagram’s creator marketplace with the Instagram accounts you selected

    • Discover content creators on the Instagram Creator Marketplace platform

  4. If your account is eligible, you’ll be prompted to accept Instagram’s terms and conditions. If your account isn’t eligible, a message will appear indicating that your account is not currently eligible.

  5. After clicking Continue, you’ll be redirected back to Aspire. If the correct permissions were granted and your account is eligible, you’ll see a green Active status beneath Creator Discovery.

  6. Go to Recruit > Instagram Discovery to begin finding creators.

Note: To use this feature, your brand’s Instagram account must be eligible for Instagram's Creator Marketplace. Learn more about eligibility requirements here.

Searching for Creators


Natural Language Search

With AI-powered search, you can describe what you’re looking for in plain language. Simply type your criteria and we'll instantly return the most relevant creator profiles.

Example searches:

  • "Foodie influencers with high engagement in Canada"

  • "Vegan beauty influencers whose audience is primarily Gen Z"

  • "Fashion creators in the United States with 10k-50k followers"

Viewing Creator Profiles

Click on any creator’s handle to open their Creator Overview and explore detailed insights, including:

  • Recent posts

  • Engagement and reach metrics

  • Reels engagement rate and hook rate

  • Audience demographics

  • Past brand partnerships

Finding Lookalike Creators

Already found a creator you like? Click the Similar Creators button on their overview page to discover creators with similar audience demographics and profile characteristics.

Click on a creator to open a table view of all similar creators — perfect for quickly expanding your list of potential partners.

Filtering Your Search

Use filters to refine your search results:

Creator Demographics

  • Age

  • Gender

  • Country

  • Follower count

  • Engagement

  • Interests

  • Verification status

Audience Demographics

  • Age

  • Gender

  • Country

Click Apply to update your results based on your selected filters.

Inviting Creators to Projects


Once you’ve found creators you want to collaborate with:

  1. Select the creator(s) by checking the box next to their username

  2. Click Actions

  3. Choose to:

    • Invite them to an existing project

    • Add them to an existing group

    • Add directly to a project (without sending an invite)

Best Practices:

  • Start with broad searches and use filters to narrow them down

  • Use the Similar Creators feature to expand your options

  • Review detailed insights before adding creators to campaigns

  • Combine this tool with your existing outreach and recruitment strategy for optimal results

Frequently Asked Questions


Why aren't I seeing any results?

Possible reasons include:

  • Your brand’s Instagram account isn’t connected to Aspire.

  • Under Settings > Integrations > Instagram (Meta), Creator Discovery doesn’t show as “Active.”

  • Your brand's Instagram account is not currently eligible for Instagram's Creator Marketplace.

  • Your search may be too narrow — try removing or adjusting some filters.

Why can’t I search for creators with more than 100K followers?

Meta’s Creator Discovery API currently supports creators with up to 100,000 followers. Custom ranges beyond that limit aren’t available yet.

Why isn't there an email address for every creator?

Not all creators share their contact details. Email visibility depends on whether they’ve provided an email when signing up for the Instagram Creator Marketplace.

What does the blue checkmark indicate next to some creator usernames?

A username with a verified badge means that Instagram has confirmed that the account is the authentic presence for that person or brand.


💡 Need help? Contact our support team at [email protected] with any questions about Instagram Creator Discovery.

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