Curious how to master influencer vetting?

You’re asking the right question.

Influencer marketing is booming, and brands are investing heavily in creators because the returns are undeniable — up to 11x ROI.

Look at some of the biggest names in the industry:

Gymshark leveraged influencer marketing to achieve 200% YoY growth, with sales reaching $681 million in 2022.

But here’s the problem: brands can easily waste their budget if they invest in the wrong influencer. Just ask Snapchat.

They paid influencer Luka Sabbat $60K to promote their Spectacles on Instagram, with a contract for multiple posts and stories.

What happened? Sabbat didn’t fulfill the agreement—he failed to post all the required content or wear the product as specified.

The result? Snapchat sued him for breach of contract, and valuable resources were wasted.

So, how do you ensure your match is the right one? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of influencer recruitment and share all the steps to conduct a proper influencer check to ensure your partnership is a success.

Let’s dive in and explore how to vet influencers effectively.

-> How to Vet Influencers: Biggest Red Flags

-> Determining goals

-> Influencer’s Metrics to Check

-> How to contact the influencer

-> Conclusion

-> Q&A on influencer vetting

Ready? Let’s dive in! 👇

I’ve had the chance to speak with 8 seasoned experts in influencer marketing, each with years of experience working alongside creators.

They were kind enough to share some of their insider wisdom with me.

So, let me pass it on to you—the biggest red flags to watch for when vetting influencers:

The first thing you need to consider when you vet influencers is whether the creator’s content aligns with your brand’s message and overall vibe. If not, it’s best to move on.

Luiza Girardello, Influencer Marketing Manager at Semrush , highlights this point:

A prime example of misalignment?

Kylie Jenner promoting the phone game Travel Town left people scratching their heads. Her audience is all about beauty and fashion—not mobile gaming. It simply didn’t connect with her followers.

When you vet influencers, you also need to check the influencer’s background for any controversial content that could potentially harm your brand. Without a thorough influencer background check, you may end up with more headaches than results.

Taruna Vinaykiya, Influencer Marketing Manager, recommends:

Taruna also advises to leverage platforms that allow keyword searches across an influencer’s social media history to flag concerning content. A simple Google search, like “influencer name + controversy,” can reveal past incidents when you vet influencers.

Dan Albert, the Founder of 456 Growth , adds:

Albert adds that brands’ attention when vetting influencers has moved toward evaluating creators based on variables such as engagement rate and brand safety.

He also suggests including a morals clause in your brand agreement:

Engagement rate is another crucial factor to consider when you vet influencers. It shows how invested an influencer’s audience is in their content.

Different platforms and account sizes have varying benchmarks, but in general, a low engagement rate can be a major red flag.

To make your life easier, we’ve developed free tools to calculate engagement rates for Instagram , TikTok , and YouTube. Check them out!

(Pssst, there’s also a breakdown of average engagement rate based on account size and platform 🤫)

It’s also important to evaluate how an influencer’s audience reacts to sponsored content. An influencer might have high engagement on organic posts, but if their sponsored content underperforms, it’s a red flag.

Katie Stoller, founder of an influencer marketing agency, shares:

She advises paying attention to these signs:

1️⃣ Disengaged or random comments on previous sponsored posts (which could indicate fake followers or engagement pods)
2️⃣ Lower-than-average shares and saves
3️⃣ Lower-than-average engagement (likes and comments)

Katie says it’s okay not to hit all three areas perfectly when you vet influencers. However, if more than one of these metrics is significantly low, it indicates the audience isn’t really interested in the influencer’s sponsored posts.

When it comes to how much influencers charge, pricing is another red flag to watch for. Since there isn’t a standardized pricing model in the industry, influencers may overcharge despite their actual performance.

To help you out in influencer vetting, here’s a chart with approximate rates based on influencer’s size:

Luiza Girardello explains:

Olivia Crowley, Founder & Social Media Marketing Manager at Living Lavish Social, echoes this concern about influencer vetting:

Another red flag is when an influencer requests upfront payment. Taruna Vinaykiya warns:

Though it could also indicate past bad experiences with late payments, it’s something worth considering before proceeding.

To make any influencer partnership successful, it’s critical that the creator genuinely likes your product and is willing to engage long-term. If they show little interest in your brand, that’s a major red flag and not a good brand fit.

Marco Matti, Head of Digital Marketing, Media & E-Commerce at Unilever , shares:

Dan Albert also recommends this when you vet influencers:

Dan Albert explains that a creator who isn’t committed to a strategic content deployment will always underperform in the long run. It’s important to consider during the influencer audit.

My conclusion?

As Katie Stoller wisely advised: “Don’t just focus on metrics; evaluate content quality, storytelling, and alignment with your brand.”

That’s the best way to ensure you’re not falling into any traps.

Now that you know what to avoid during your influencer vetting process, it’s time to determine your campaign goals and find the perfect match to help your brand succeed!

Before diving into the process of influencer vetting or conducting an influencer check, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with your campaign.

Defining your objectives from the outset provides a roadmap that will guide your influencer recruitment and help you measure success.

Let’s break down some common goals:

If your primary goal is to boost brand recognition, start with effective influencer vetting to seek out authentic influencers with a broad reach.

Typically, these are mid- and macro-influencers who, through careful influencer vetting, can introduce your brand to a wider, more diverse audience, significantly elevating brand awareness.

But there’s a catch.

Influencers with large followings often have lower engagement rates. And who wants to invest in influencers with an inactive audience? This is where proper influencer vetting becomes essential.

An influencer vetting tool like Click Analytic can help you assess influencers by checking their engagement rates in seconds, ensuring their audience is both real and actively engaged with the content!

Looking to drive sales? You’ll need influencers with a proven ability to convert. In many cases, micro-influencers are the way to go.

Why? Their audiences tend to be more engaged, and they are often perceived as more relatable and trustworthy.

📊 In fact, 82% of consumers are highly likely to follow a recommendation from a micro-influencer.

So, when sales are your primary objective, micro-influencers can be powerful partners in generating real results.

Want to grow your social media presence? Begin with careful influencer vetting to find influencers with an engaged following on the platforms you’re targeting. This helps ensure that exclusive content, special offers, or promotions will effectively reach your intended audience.

With proper influencer vetting, you can turn their loyal audience into your own as the influencer encourages followers to engage with your brand through exclusive content and special offers.

Not sure which type of partnership will work best for your campaign? Don’t worry—solid influencer vetting will help you make informed decisions.

For more insights, check out our detailed guide on the benefits and disadvantages of influencer marketing, where we break down different types of influencer partnerships and the importance of influencer vetting.

Voilà! Now you’re equipped to partner with influencers who align with your brand goals. With effective influencer vetting, you’ll be better positioned to select influencers who help you achieve measurable success.

Let’s dive deeper into how to properly vet influencers. Here are the essential metrics to focus on during the influencer vetting process:

To determine if a creator is the right fit for your brand, effective influencer vetting requires evaluating several key metrics.

And here’s the good news—you can handle influencer vetting effortlessly in seconds with the Click Analytic tool. Let me walk you through the influencer vetting process step by step:

We’ve touched on this before, but it’s worth repeating.

A good influencer should have an engagement rate of 2% or higher. This ensures their audience is active and engaged.

With Click Analytic, you can filter influencers by engagement rate, automatically eliminating those with disengaged or inactive followers.

If your campaign involves video content, knowing how many views you can expect is crucial.

Whether it’s TikTok or Instagram, Click Analytic streamlines the influencer vetting process, allowing you to quickly check an influencer’s average view count and gauge the potential impact of your collaboration.

As a brand, you’ve likely developed a clear customer profile. When conducting influencer vetting, it’s essential to ensure that an influencer’s audience aligns closely with your target demographic.

With Click Analytic, the influencer vetting process lets you dive into crucial details like audience location, age, gender, language, and interests. You’ll also get access to an audience authenticity score, which is critical in verifying that you’re not just reaching bots 🤖 but real, engaged followers.

If brand visibility or awareness is your goal, you’ll want to know the potential reach of the influencer’s posts.

Don’t skip checking the estimated impressions per post during your influencer vetting process—this gives you an idea of how many people will actually see the content.

With Click Analytic, you can track follower growth month by month.

But there’s one last thing—how do you reach out once you’ve found your ideal match through effective influencer vetting?

Let me share this wisdom with you:

First things first—where should you reach out to an influencer after completing your influencer vetting process?

Many brands today opt for DMs, but here’s my take: contacting influencers via email boosts your credibility and authority.

Plus, it keeps all your negotiation history in one place, which can be incredibly helpful when managing influencer vetting and communications.

That said, DMs can serve as a great starting point, especially when email addresses are hard to track down. They also offer a gentle, casual way to follow up.

Curious about the pros and cons of email versus DM outreach?

Check out this insightful article for more details: Email vs. DM Outreach.

Once you’ve identified the best channel for contacting influencers, it’s time to initiate outreach. I have a secret strategy that has helped me achieve a response rate of over 70%.

Here are my tips:

1️⃣ Automate as Much as Possible (While Leaving Room for Personalization)

Use email automation tools to streamline your outreach process. Send personalized greetings and introductions to free up your time for crafting compelling collaboration proposals..

Manually reaching out to dozens of influencers can be overwhelming, which is why Click Analytic offers an outreach tool that allows you to contact hundreds of influencers simultaneously while automating follow-ups.

2️⃣ A/B Test Your Messages

Experiment with different subject lines, email lengths, and calls to action (CTAs) to see what resonates best with your audience. Analyzing this data can significantly improve your response rate.

3️⃣ Volume Outreach

If you aim to work with 10 influencers, don’t hesitate to reach out to 100. The more you cast your net, the better your chances of success.

If you’re interested in mastering influencer outreach, check out my ultimate 5-step guide here: Influencer Outreach Guide.

Once you’ve negotiated with the creator, it’s time to secure the deal.

A brief serves as legal documentation of your requirements and intentions, so don’t overlook this step! Here are three essential checkpoints to include:

Set Clear Goals

Define measurable goals that you can use to assess your success later on.

Prepare KPIs and Objectives

Identify your key goals and deliverables to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Detail Your Product’s Features

Include a thorough description of your product’s key features, pricing, and benefits. This clarity will serve as your guiding star throughout the partnership.

My main advice? Don’t micromanage the influencer’s creativity. Provide key messaging about your product but allow room for their personal touch and perspective.

Here’s a recap of DOs and DON’Ts:

If you want to know exactly what to include in an influencer contract, be sure to check out this helpful guide: What to Include in an Influencer Contract.

And there you have it! Now I can rest easy knowing you’re equipped with the knowledge to spot red flags, effectively vet, and reach out to influencers for success in your influencer marketing efforts.

Let’s wrap things up with some final thoughts…

Influencer marketing is an incredibly effective channel for any brand looking to make an impact. But to truly master this space, you need to know not just who to reach out to through proper influencer vetting, but also how to connect with them.

Keep this in mind: authenticity is key. Whether you decide to partner with micro or macro influencers, choosing individuals who genuinely align with your brand values will boost your credibility and resonate more deeply with their audience. Effective influencer vetting can help you identify these genuine connections.

And don’t overlook the power of tools like Click Analytic to streamline your outreach process, aid in influencer vetting, verify engagement rates, and establish transparent relationships with your influencers.

So, gear up and get ready—your next standout collaboration is just around the corner, thanks to effective influencer vetting!