Follower count is the least useful number in influencer marketing. Here's what actually matters.

Follower count is the least useful number in influencer marketing. Before any money moves, here's what actually matters:

• Engagement rate relative to their niche, not a generic benchmark
• Comment quality — real questions and replies, not bot spam
• Audience overlap with your actual customer, not just demographics on paper
• Past brand partnerships and how that content performed
• Response time and professionalism during outreach

A quick way to catch inflated numbers: check if engagement spiked suspiciously after a follower jump, and look at whether the likes-to-comments ratio looks human. Real audiences argue, ask questions, and tag friends. Bought audiences mostly just emoji-react.

Vetting takes an extra hour per creator. Skipping it costs a lot more than an hour when the content flops or the partnership turns into a headache.