Influencers: Golden Growth Hack or Budget Black Hole?

Hey Indie Hackers,

I’ve been growing my SaaS (Linkeme — an AI tool that automates social media content for solopreneurs and small businesses) and recently started exploring influencer marketing as a growth lever.

Here’s the thing: the feedback I’ve been getting is completely contradictory.

• On one side, people say “It’s the single best move to get traction fast”, especially if your audience aligns with the influencer’s.

• On the other, I’ve heard “Don’t waste your time — they’ll ghost you or ask $2K+ for a single story with no engagement.”

So now I’m trying to make sense of it all:

• How do you separate the signal from the noise?

• Where do you actually find the right influencers (not agencies charging a fortune)?

• Do you use platforms like Heepsy, Modash, or just go manual via DMs?

• What’s a realistic budget or structure for a win-win deal?

If you’ve tested this for your product (especially in SaaS or B2B niche), I’d love your honest feedback, any red flags, or tools you recommend.

Thanks in advance — hoping this thread helps others in the same spot too.