Checklist: Vet a Creator Before You Spend a Dollar

Checklist: Vet a Creator Before You Spend a Dollar

Trigger: creator passed first contact, before any payment. Owner: partnerships.

Audience reality (the kill switches).
— Engagement rate in your niche band? (Below ~1% on a large account is a flag.)
— Comments read like humans, not 'nice pic' bot spam?
— Follower growth chart smooth, not a vertical spike (bought)?
— Audience geo matches your offer's allowed regions?

Commercial fit.
— They've run paid promos before and will share rough results?
— Past sponsors are adjacent, not your direct competitor mid-exclusivity?

Process readiness.
— Responds within 2 business days?
— Will accept a tracking link and disclosure requirements without pushback?

Scoring rule. Each section is pass/fail. Any kill-switch fail then decline, no exceptions. All pass then move to a small paid test, not a big deal.

Definition of done: a filed scorecard with a yes/no and the test budget set. Never skip vetting because they 'feel' big.