I’m at the stage where I’ve identified some creators in Brazil and Mexico who look like good fits for our brand, but I’m realizing I don’t have a solid framework for evaluating them. With US creators, I usually check engagement rates, audience demographics, and brand alignment. But with creators I have less direct access to or connection with, I’m wondering if there are things I should be looking for that are specific to working with LATAM-based talent.
For instance, how much can I trust the follower counts and engagement metrics I see on the platform? Are there common red flags I should watch for? And how do you actually assess things like audience quality when you might not speak the language fluently and don’t have as much context about cultural references in their content?
I’m also curious about the nitty-gritty stuff: How do you handle contracts? What’s the typical turnaround time for content delivery? Should I expect different communication styles or project management approaches?
Rather than rush into partnerships with creators I’m not 100% confident about, I’d rather ask people who have done this before. What’s your vetting process?
Excellent question because vetting is where most brands screw up with LATAM partnerships. Here’s my systematic framework:
1. Follower Audit:
- Check growth patterns over 3-6 months. Sudden spikes suggest bought followers.
- Use tools like Social Blade or HypeAuditor to cross-reference claimed metrics.
- For LATAM specifically, be aware that bot activity is higher than in the US. Expect 10-15% fake followers as baseline; anything above 20% is a hard pass.
2. Engagement Quality:
- Look at actual comments, not just like ratios. Real engagement = substantive comments in Portuguese or Spanish.
- Cross-check engagement across different post types. A creator with 10% engagement on Reels but 0.5% on Stories is suspect.
- Calculate “authentic engagement rate” by excluding likes-only and bot-generated comments.
3. Audience Demographics:
- Use the creator’s audience insights if available. If not, ask for reports.
- For age targeting: Make 100% sure their audience actually matches your demographic. Mis-matched audience = wasted spend, regardless of engagement rates.
- Check follower overlap with competitors. You want unique audience access, not redundant reach.
4. Content Authenticity:
- Review 30+ posts, not just their best ones. Look for consistency in voice and values.
- Red flags: Heavy sponsorship density (more than 1 sponsored post per 5 organic posts), inconsistent quality, unexplained content gaps.
- Green flags: Genuine community interaction, regular engagement with followers’ content, niche authority.
5. Contract & Agreements:
- Specify deliverables in writing: exact post count, stories, reels, dimensions, hashtags, messaging guidelines.
- Include revision clauses (usually 2 rounds max).
- For LATAM creators, always include payment milestone structure: 50% upfront, 50% on delivery. This reduces flaking risk.
- Specify content rights: Can you repost? For how long? These vary by creator and country.
6. Communication Test:
- Before committing, do a small project or brief call. Assess responsiveness, clarity, professionalism.
- LATAM creators have different communication styles than US creators—that’s fine, but you need to understand their style before going all in.
- Set expectations on timezones and response times upfront.
What I actually do: I run 2-3 medium-risk pilots before any major spend. Small budgets, clear deliverables, tight timelines. This teaches you how the creator actually operates—speed, quality, reliability, communication style. Then I scale with creators who pass the pilot phase.