Module 47Stage: Research90 min

Finding Creators

Build a shortlist of relevant creators systematically.

Jump to lesson:
01Creator Discovery02Audience Quality03Engagement Quality04Brand Safety (Creators)05Creator Evaluation
1
Lesson 1

Creator Discovery

Objective

Build a shortlist of relevant creators systematically.

Teach
Search by niche hashtags, check who your best customers already follow, and look at who competitors have worked with — combining multiple discovery methods finds better-fit creators than any single method alone.
Real-World Example
Checking which creators a loyal customer follows can surface a highly relevant, previously unknown creator.
Common Mistake
Only searching by follower count or a single hashtag, missing well-fit creators discoverable through other signals.
Practical Exercise

Use 2 different discovery methods to find 3 new creator candidates.

Lesson Checkpoint

Effective creator discovery typically combines

2
Lesson 2

Audience Quality

Objective

Evaluate a creator's audience beyond the headline follower count.

Teach
Check for signs of real, active audiences — consistent engagement relative to follower count, genuine-sounding comments, and audience demographics that match your target, if available.
Real-World Example
A creator with 50,000 followers but very low, generic-comment engagement may have a less valuable audience than one with 15,000 followers and active discussion.
Common Mistake
Judging audience quality by follower count alone, missing signs of low engagement or bot followers.
Practical Exercise

Check the comments on a potential creator's last 3 posts — do they look genuine and specific, or generic and bot-like?

Lesson Checkpoint

Audience quality should be judged mainly by

3
Lesson 3

Engagement Quality

Objective

Distinguish genuine engagement from inflated or purchased engagement.

Teach
Sudden unexplained follower spikes, generic comment patterns, or engagement far out of proportion to follower count can signal inauthentic growth — worth checking before committing budget.
Real-World Example
A creator whose follower count doubled overnight with no viral moment to explain it is worth investigating further before partnering.
Common Mistake
Not checking for red flags of inauthentic engagement before signing a partnership.
Practical Exercise

Review one potential creator's follower growth history (if visible) for any unexplained spikes.

Lesson Checkpoint

A red flag for inauthentic engagement is

4
Lesson 4

Brand Safety (Creators)

Objective

Review a creator's history before partnering.

Teach
Check a creator's past content and public statements for anything that conflicts with your brand values — a partnership ties your brand's reputation to theirs, so this diligence matters regardless of their metrics.
Real-World Example
Reviewing a creator's recent posts and any past controversies before finalizing a partnership.
Common Mistake
Skipping this review step because a creator's metrics look strong, only to face reputational issues later.
Practical Exercise

Do a quick review of one potential creator's recent public content and reputation.

Lesson Checkpoint

Brand safety review for creators is important because

5
Lesson 5

Creator Evaluation

Objective

Combine all the above into one scoring framework.

Teach
Score candidates across niche fit, audience quality, engagement authenticity and brand safety before making a decision — a single strong metric (like follower count) shouldn't override weakness in the others.
Real-World Example
A creator scoring high on reach but low on niche fit and brand safety should generally rank below a smaller, better-fit, safer creator.
Common Mistake
Letting one impressive number (usually follower count) override red flags in other evaluation areas.
Practical Exercise

Score 2–3 creator candidates using the four criteria above.

Lesson Checkpoint

A sound creator evaluation combines

Module Template

**Creator Evaluation Scorecard** — see Templates Library.

Deepen Your Knowledge
  • •Influencer Marketing Hub — creator vetting guides
  • •HubSpot Academy — influencer marketing lessons
Module Checkpoint Assessment

Test Your Mastery of Module 47

5 questions · 70% passing threshold required

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