SocialPubli, a global influencer marketplace platform, is scaling micro-influencer marketing by connecting brands with everyday content creators in 35 countries. Since its 2015 launch, the platform has grown to include 500,000 registered influencers.

The company’s CEO is Ismael El-Qudsi. He previously headed Microsoft Bing and led SEO initiatives at Spain’s Havas Group. 

Ismael launched SocialPubli as a spinoff from his marketing agency, Internet República, spotting an opportunity in the then-nascent micro-influencer space. The platform’s key benefits/solutions are not just influencer discovery and campaign management but also solving the complex challenge of cross-border payments for global campaigns.

“Imagine a big company like Coca-Cola that wants to launch a €50,000 campaign,” says Ismael. “It is not about searching for the 100 influencers that fit [but] how do you pay those influencers in countries like Argentina, Spain, Mexico, or the United States.”

Unlike automated influencer discovery tools, SocialPubli maintains a verified database. The marketplace operates through a system that connects brands with relevant creators based on detailed targeting parameters. 

When marketers post campaign briefs, only influencers matching specific criteria—such as location, demographics, and specialties—receive notifications. The platform maintains quality through a mandatory approval process. 

“The client approves everything before it is published,” Ismael explains. “There are no influencers posting anything unless it is not already approved.” The system processes payments automatically after 15 days, streamlining brand and creator compensation.

SocialPubli places authentic content creation over scripted deliverables. 

“The engagement rate is almost double when you let influencers speak freely, of course, following your campaign guidelines,” says Ismael, reporting that the company achieves engagement rates of 10% on Instagram and up to 30% on TikTok.

SocialPubli is betting that AI can solve one of influencer marketing’s biggest challenges: authenticating brand relationships. The company includes 30 influencer categories, but influencers can apply only for two. “We all are influencers, but not in every field,” says Ismael.

Enter Brand Detector, SocialPubli’s new AI-powered tool analyzing influencers’ organic and paid content to verify brand alignment and prevent potential conflicts of interest in campaigns.

AI-Powered Brand Detector for Influencer Marketing

Brand Detector examines creators’ last 15 posts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to identify which brands they naturally engage with, whether paid or unpaid.

“With Brand Detector, we can analyze which brands people use if they are paid. Maybe they are not being paid for that, but they are using other brands in their daily lives,” says Ismael. “That’s very useful insights for brands. If not, you could be paying an influencer who doesn’t trust your product.”

“With Brand Detector, we can identify which brands influencers use. Maybe they are not being paid for it, but they are using these brands in their daily lives,” says Ismael. “That’s a very useful insight for brands because you could be paying an influencer who doesn’t trust or organically use your product.”

Brand Detector completed what was initially projected as a two-year development cycle in three months.

“We have run campaigns where clients wanted to work with a specific influencer because they’re friends. And it is our mission to ensure this influencer is the perfect fit,” says Ismael, noting that the tool can detect brand logos even when they’re barely visible to the human eye.

The technology has expanded beyond individual creator analysis to include venue and event monitoring. “You could even search for a specific venue [such as the Oscars gala] or any type of hashtag that you want to analyze because there are brands who want to be associated with a hashtag,” Ismael explains.

SocialPubli is focusing on integrating advertising capabilities with influencer campaigns. 

“Most campaigns will not perform well if you do not invest in social media ads and boost visibility. ,” says Ismael. “In the past, influencers were only tapped for engagement and branding purposes. But today, we are selling a lot and trying to rank campaigns even with affiliates.”

He highlights that innovation in the space has become exponential, which is why SocialPubli maintains an agile development approach.

New Approach to Reach

SocialPubli’s focus on measurement and verification comes as social media algorithms increasingly limit organic reach. Ismael notes a shift in how brands need to approach influencer marketing.

“Five years ago, influencer marketing was seen as an add-on or something to experiment with. Right now, it’s a must,” says Ismael. “Social networks are not letting you reach your whole audience. If you have a million Instagram followers and post something, you will only reach maybe 50,000 people.”

This reality has transformed how brands structure campaigns. “Influencers are becoming creators,” Ismael explains. “You hire someone because they can create good content, but then you have to pay for ads on top of that.”

SocialPubli primarily serves agencies and major brands in industries such as technology, food, and beauty. The company has offices in multiple countries, including the United States, Portugal, France, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.