5 Mistakes to Avoid When Searching for Creators

Finding the right creators for your brand can be the difference between a wildly successful campaign and one that falls flat. In 2024, brands have more tools and platforms than ever to discover creators — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Many brands make mistakes that lead to poor engagement, wasted budgets, and a misaligned brand message.

To help you avoid these pitfalls, we’ve identified five of the most common mistakes brands make when finding creators — and, more importantly, how you can avoid them.

1. Prioritizing Follower Count Over Authentic Engagement

Many brands still operate under the outdated belief that “bigger is better” when it comes to influencer followings. While it might be tempting to partner with creators who have massive audiences, bigger doesn’t always mean better. The rise of fake followers, bots, and low-quality engagement has made follower count a misleading metric.

Why It’s a Mistake
A creator with 1 million followers may have significantly lower engagement than a micro-influencer with 10,000 loyal fans. If their audience isn’t actively engaging (liking, commenting, sharing), your message won’t be heard. Even worse, creators with fake followers may artificially inflate engagement rates, wasting your marketing budget.

How to Avoid It

• Look beyond follower count and analyze metrics like engagement rate, comment sentiment, and audience authenticity.
• Use tools like HypeAuditor, Upfluence, or FindMeCreators  to identify creators with real, engaged audiences.
• Focus on micro- and nano-influencers who have smaller but highly engaged and loyal communities.

2. Ignoring Brand-Alignment and Audience Fit

Not every creator who is popular will be a good fit for your brand. Brands sometimes focus on trendy creators without considering whether their tone, content, and audience align with the brand’s image. This mismatch can confuse your audience or, worse, damage brand credibility.

Why It’s a Mistake:
Imagine a luxury skincare brand partnering with a creator known for prank videos. Their audiences won’t overlap, and the brand message will get lost. If the creator’s tone or values clash with your brand’s values, the partnership could even backfire, leading to negative PR.

How to Avoid It:

• Research the creator’s past content to ensure their tone and style match your brand image.
• Look for content consistency — do they frequently cover topics related to your industry or niche?
• Use platforms like Aspire, or CreatorIQ to match creators with your ideal target audience.
• Prioritize authentic creators who already mention or love your brand. User-generated content (UGC) creators often make ideal partners.

3. Failing to Set Clear Expectations and Deliverables

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is assuming the creator “just knows” what to do. Without clear expectations, your campaign will lack direction. Creators are not mind readers, and every campaign requires specific deliverables, deadlines, and creative guidelines.

Why It’s a Mistake:
Unclear deliverables lead to miscommunication, missed deadlines, and subpar content. If the creator doesn’t understand what’s expected, you may receive content that’s off-brand or unusable. Creators may also feel confused and disengaged if they don’t have clear guidance.

How to Avoid It:

• Draft a creator brief that clearly outlines your expectations, deadlines, messaging points, and “do’s and don’ts.”
• Specify the type of content you need (videos, posts, stories, etc.) and the platforms on which it should be published.
• Provide brand guidelines (logo usage, colors, tone) so the content stays consistent.
• Schedule check-in points with creators to review progress before the final content is published.

4. Overlooking Long-Term Partnerships in Favor of One-Off Deals

It’s easy to think of influencer marketing as a “one-and-done” approach — a single post, one story, and you’re done. But one-off partnerships rarely create the sustained brand loyalty that long-term relationships can deliver. When you only work with a creator once, their audience may see it as a transactional ad, not a genuine recommendation.

Why It’s a Mistake:
Short-term deals limit your ability to build credibility and trust with the creator’s audience. It can also be more costly, as you’ll constantly be searching for new creators to partner with. Long-term collaborations allow creators to develop an ongoing relationship with your brand, making endorsements feel more authentic.

How to Avoid It:

• Focus on long-term partnerships with creators who love your brand. These creators will come across as authentic ambassadors, not one-time sponsors.
• Offer exclusive brand deals to creators who commit to promoting your brand for an extended period.
• Build a creator community or ambassador program to maintain consistent relationships with creators.
• Prioritize creators who already use your products organically and would be excited to work with you long-term.

5. Failing to Track Performance and ROI

Too often, brands focus on the “look and feel” of creator content while ignoring the numbers that truly matter. Without clear performance tracking, you’ll have no idea if your creator strategy is driving sales, leads, or brand awareness.

Why It’s a Mistake:
If you don’t track key performance indicators (KPIs), you’re essentially running your campaigns blind. You may spend money on creators who look impressive but have no impact on your bottom line. Worse, you might miss out on valuable insights that could improve future campaigns.

How to Avoid It:

• Set clear KPIs before the campaign starts. Are you tracking impressions, clicks, sales, or brand mentions?
• Use tracking links, discount codes, or affiliate links so you can attribute sales or traffic to specific creators.
• Use analytics tools like Google Analytics, Instagram Insights, or dedicated influencer marketing platforms to track campaign performance.
• Request creator analytics reports after each campaign to review post performance (reach, engagement, and clicks).

Key Points

Finding creators isn’t just about “who’s popular” or “who has the most followers.” The key is to focus on authenticity, relevance, and engagement. By avoiding the five mistakes listed above, you’ll be able to create partnerships that drive meaningful results..By following these guidelines, you’ll save time, protect your marketing budget, and ultimately partner with creators who deliver lasting value.