Is Facebook developing a search engine for influencer marketing?

Leaked screenshots are indicating Facebook is testing a search engine that will connect marketers to digital media creators. The branded content matching tool will enable brands and influencers to team up and produce sponsored-ad campaigns. With this search engine, advertisers will be able to search, select, and partner with creators by viewing the demographics of their fan and statistics about their audiences.

A Facebook’s spokesperson explained the mechanism of the search engine to TechCrunch, saying, during the initial phase of the tool, Facebook will not have a share in the deals but it will enable businesses to market authentically through original and tailored content. With increased engagement through custom content, these brands would want to spend more on Facebook ads. Meanwhile, the creators will be paid, encouraging them to invest in the quality of their content and size of their following as they would have a chance to monetize their content and fanbase. The brands can look up for creators through the following targeted parameters:

• Interests
• Gender
• Education history
• Relationship status
• Life events
• Home-ownership status
• Home type
• Top countries where they’re popular

The search results will show a match percentage of each creator with the business searching it. The percentage will be in terms of engagement, follower count, follower reach, and views helping the advertisers save the best matches and reach out to these creators. Facebook is currently working to connect the two parties via Facebook pages or traditional contact information.

For now, the search engine will pull metrics of a creator only from Facebook, and not from other significant platforms used by these influencers such Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. This might be problematic as influencers bring about a whole package and they may not be famous on Facebook but elsewhere they might be raking in numbers.