• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, June 2, 2016

As it is apparently the fate of all new advertising techniques to be commoditized in search of scale and efficiency, it was only a matter of time before someone made a Social Bluebook for social media influencers. Yes, that’s right: just like when you’re shopping for a used car, you can now figure out how much to pay social media influencers based on a comprehensive and frequently updated survey of the marketplace.

Founded by CEO Chad Sahley, who previously served as vice-president of production at Maker Studios, the Social Bluebook recently added an enhanced search function to the platform to enable brand marketers to “intelligently evaluate what to pay an influencer for branded content and custom influencer marketing.”

The Social Bluebook covers over 25,000 online influencers with over two billion followers (presumably including duplicates) across social platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Pricing information is based on important factors including the influencers’ audience demographics, engagement, average views, and audience comments, among other data types.

Sahley noted that, “Until now, influencers and brands relied on limited data, or a gut feeling in a rapidly-changing media landscape, and companies had no real starting point for negotiations with social media talent.”

There’s something of an influencer land rush underway, as big media companies hurry to bolster their capabilities in this relatively new marketing discipline.

Earlier this year, New York Times Co. announced the acquisition of HelloSociety, a digital marketing agency focused on social media influencers and mobile channels, from Science Inc. Meanwhile Time Inc. and YouTube fashion network StyleHaul, which maintains a network of influencers in the beauty and fashion category, announced a multiyear partnership to create advertising programs targeting Millennials.

In January WPP’s GroupM and Fullscreen, which operates a digital platform for content creators on YouTube, announced the creation of an influencer marketing partnership called Playa. And in December, Hearst Corp. joined forces with video advertising technology platform Reelio to create new, highly targeted networks of online influencers.