# Influencer Discovery — Vetting & Selection

## Platform-Specific Search Strategies

### Instagram
- **Hashtag mining**: Search branded, industry, and niche hashtags; review top and recent posts for consistent creators
- **Explore page analysis**: Monitor Explore in your vertical to identify rising creators before they spike
- **Competitor tagged posts**: Audit who tags and mentions competing brands organically
- **Location tags**: Filter by geography for local or regional campaigns
- **Reels-first filtering**: Prioritize creators with strong Reels output — algorithm favors this format for reach

### TikTok
- **FYP keyword search**: Use in-app search with niche keywords; sort by relevance and recency
- **Sound and trend tracking**: Identify creators who originate or early-adopt trending sounds
- **Creator Marketplace**: Use TikTok's native marketplace for verified audience data and direct outreach
- **Duet/Stitch chains**: Trace conversation threads to find creators with high community engagement
- **Comment section scouting**: Creators who dominate comment sections often have loyal followings

### YouTube
- **Search + filter by upload date**: Find active creators producing content on relevant topics
- **BrandConnect**: Google's native influencer platform with verified analytics
- **Community tab activity**: Creators with active Community tabs have more engaged subscribers
- **Shorts vs. long-form split**: Evaluate whether the creator's strength aligns with your format needs
- **Suggested video mapping**: Review the "suggested" sidebar on competitor-sponsored videos

### LinkedIn
- **Newsletter subscribers**: Creators with LinkedIn Newsletters have opted-in B2B audiences
- **Post impression benchmarks**: Look for 5x+ impressions relative to follower count
- **Company page mentions**: Track who organically discusses your industry or competitors
- **LinkedIn Top Voice badges**: Indicates platform-endorsed subject matter authority
- **Event and Live activity**: Creators hosting LinkedIn Events or Lives signal community builders

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## Influencer Tier Definitions & Rate Benchmarks

| Tier | Follower Range | Avg. IG Post Rate | Avg. TikTok Rate | Avg. YT Rate (dedicated) | Engagement Benchmark |
|------|---------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|
| **Nano** | < 10K | $50 – $250 | $50 – $200 | $100 – $500 | 4% – 8%+ |
| **Micro** | 10K – 100K | $250 – $1,500 | $200 – $1,000 | $500 – $5,000 | 2.5% – 5% |
| **Mid-Tier** | 100K – 500K | $1,500 – $5,000 | $1,000 – $5,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 | 1.5% – 3% |
| **Macro** | 500K – 1M | $5,000 – $15,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 | $15,000 – $50,000 | 1% – 2% |
| **Mega** | 1M+ | $15,000 – $100K+ | $15,000 – $80K+ | $50,000 – $250K+ | 0.5% – 1.5% |

**Notes on rates:**
- Rates vary significantly by vertical (beauty/fashion command premiums; B2B/finance command premiums for different reasons)
- Bundle pricing (multi-post packages) typically discounts 15%–30%
- Exclusivity clauses add 20%–100% depending on category and duration
- Usage rights for paid media amplification add 25%–50% of base rate per month

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## Influencer Vetting Checklist

### Audience Authenticity
- [ ] Follower growth pattern is organic (steady upward, no suspicious spikes)
- [ ] Follower-to-following ratio is healthy (not following an excessive number of accounts)
- [ ] Comments are substantive and on-topic (not generic "nice!" or emoji-only)
- [ ] Audience demographics match target market (age, gender, geography, language)
- [ ] Audience overlap with your existing customers or prospects is meaningful

### Engagement Quality
- [ ] Engagement rate meets or exceeds tier benchmark (see table above)
- [ ] Likes-to-comments ratio indicates genuine interaction (not bot-inflated likes)
- [ ] Creator responds to comments consistently (signals active community management)
- [ ] Save and share rates are available and healthy (indicates content utility)
- [ ] Story engagement (replies, poll votes, sticker taps) is active

### Brand Safety
- [ ] Content history review — past 12 months minimum for controversial content
- [ ] Political or polarizing topics are absent or handled thoughtfully
- [ ] No history of brand partnership failures, public disputes, or contract violations
- [ ] Competitor partnerships — check for current or recent exclusivity conflicts
- [ ] Personal conduct — no pending legal issues or reputation risks

### Content Quality
- [ ] Visual quality is consistent and aligns with brand aesthetic standards
- [ ] Storytelling ability — can the creator narrate a compelling brand message?
- [ ] Sponsored content quality matches organic content quality (no drop-off)
- [ ] Caption/copy quality is strong, grammatically sound, and authentic-sounding
- [ ] Content diversity — creator produces multiple formats effectively

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## Fake Follower Detection Signals

| Red Flag | What to Look For | Tool/Method |
|----------|-----------------|-------------|
| **Follower spikes** | Sudden jumps of 10K+ without corresponding content virality | Social Blade, HypeAuditor growth charts |
| **Ghost followers** | High follower count, low engagement; accounts with no profile photos, no posts | Manual audit of follower list sample |
| **Generic comments** | Repetitive comments like "Great post!" "Love this!" from accounts with no content | Manual review of last 10 post comment sections |
| **Engagement pods** | Same group of accounts commenting on every post within minutes of publishing | Time-stamp analysis on comment patterns |
| **Follower geography mismatch** | Creator is US-based but 60%+ followers are from low-CPM countries | HypeAuditor, Modash, or Grin audience reports |
| **Like-to-comment ratio** | Extremely high likes with very few comments (or vice versa) | Manual ratio check across 10–20 posts |
| **Follower quality score** | Third-party tools flag >25% suspicious followers | HypeAuditor Audience Quality Score, Modash |
| **Engagement rate volatility** | Wild swings in engagement from post to post without content variation | Track engagement across 20+ recent posts |

**Recommended verification tools:** HypeAuditor, Modash, Grin, Upfluence, CreatorIQ, Social Blade

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## Influencer Evaluation Scorecard Template

Score each dimension 1–5 (1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent). Weight by campaign priority.

| Evaluation Criteria | Weight | Score (1–5) | Weighted Score |
|---------------------|--------|-------------|----------------|
| **Audience relevance** — Demographics match target persona | 25% | ___ | ___ |
| **Engagement quality** — Rate meets tier benchmark, comments are authentic | 20% | ___ | ___ |
| **Content quality** — Visual/narrative quality aligns with brand standards | 15% | ___ | ___ |
| **Brand alignment** — Values, tone, aesthetic match brand identity | 15% | ___ | ___ |
| **Audience authenticity** — Low bot/fake follower indicators | 10% | ___ | ___ |
| **Professionalism** — Responsive, meets deadlines, easy to work with | 5% | ___ | ___ |
| **Rate efficiency** — CPE/CPM within budget expectations | 5% | ___ | ___ |
| **Platform strength** — Strong on the platform(s) you need | 5% | ___ | ___ |
| **TOTAL** | 100% | | ___ / 5.0 |

### Scoring Thresholds
- **4.5 – 5.0**: Priority partner — move to outreach immediately
- **3.5 – 4.4**: Strong candidate — proceed with additional due diligence
- **2.5 – 3.4**: Conditional — may work for specific campaigns or with negotiation
- **Below 2.5**: Pass — does not meet minimum partnership standards

### Decision Framework
1. Run scorecard for all shortlisted creators
2. Rank by weighted total score
3. Cross-reference with budget constraints and campaign timeline
4. Select primary and backup creators per campaign slot
5. Document scoring rationale for stakeholder review and future reference

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## Outreach Prioritization Matrix

| Priority Level | Criteria | Action |
|---------------|----------|--------|
| **Tier 1 — Immediate** | Score 4.5+, budget-aligned, no exclusivity conflicts | Send personalized outreach within 24 hours |
| **Tier 2 — High** | Score 3.5–4.4, strong in 2+ key dimensions | Outreach within 1 week; prepare negotiation flexibility |
| **Tier 3 — Pipeline** | Score 2.5–3.4 with one standout dimension | Add to watch list; re-evaluate quarterly |
| **Tier 4 — Decline** | Score below 2.5 or critical red flag in any dimension | Pass; document reason for team alignment |

**Outreach best practices:**
- Lead with what you admire about their content (be specific)
- State the brand and campaign concept in 2–3 sentences
- Include compensation range upfront to respect their time
- Provide a clear next step (call, brief review, rate card request)
- Follow up once at 5 business days; move to backup if no response by 10 days
