I’ve been evaluating creators for brand partnerships for about three years now, and I can tell you that the moment a brand fixates on follower count as the primary signal, I know they’re going to have a bad campaign.
Last year, I helped one of my clients (a US-based CPG brand) run a cross-border influencer campaign for Russian and Eastern European markets. We didn’t pick the biggest creators. We picked creators who had actual influence in their specific micro-segments.
Here’s what I learned matters way more:
Audience authenticity. I look at engagement patterns, not just numbers. If a creator has 50K followers but 3% engagement from real accounts in your target market, that’s worthless. But a creator with 15K followers and 12% engagement from exactly your target demographic? That’s gold. The platform’s cross-market matchmaking actually helps here because you can see audience composition by geography and interest.
Creator-to-brand alignment beyond surface level. Does the creator actually use products in your category? Or have they just posted ads for anything that pays? I look at their unsponsored content first. If they genuinely talk about skincare products, then a skincare brand deal makes sense. If they’ve never mentioned skincare and suddenly they’re pitching your campaign, it’s going to feel forced.
Communication and professionalism. This sounds basic, but it’s insane how many creators don’t respond to emails or send proposals that are clearly templated without any customization. I want someone who asks questions about the campaign’s goals before they start creating. That tells me they’re thinking strategically, not just collecting checks.
Cross-market insights. This is where the bilingual hub actually changes the game. Creators who understand both markets—not just their native one—bring strategic value. They can tell you “this angle works in Russia because X,” and “Americans respond better to Y because of these cultural differences.” That’s worth paying more for.
Track record with similar brands or campaigns. Case studies matter. Have they done anything remotely similar? What was the outcome? I use the platform’s documented case studies a lot for this.
I once turned down a 200K-follower creator for a smaller 80K-follower creator, and the 80K person crushed it because their audience actually cared about the product category. The CFO questioned it at first, but then the ROI came back and suddenly everyone understood.
Brands often ask me: “Why shouldn’t we just go with the biggest names?” And my answer is always: “Because you don’t need their audience. You need the right audience.”
For creators reading this: when a brand is evaluating you, are they asking the right questions about your actual influence? Or are they just looking at a number?