Brand Safety: How to Vet Influencers Before You Partner

Influencer partnerships come with risk. A creator's past content, audience quality, and public behaviour all reflect on your brand. Here's how to protect yourself.

The Vetting Checklist

Before signing any partnership, run through every item on this checklist:

Content Review

• Review the last 50 posts for controversial or off-brand content
• Check for consistent messaging and tone
• Verify content quality meets your standards
• Look for competitor partnerships in the last 6 months

Audience Quality

• Check follower-to-engagement ratio (if it's too low or too high, investigate)
• Analyse audience demographics (age, location, gender) — do they match your target?
• Look for signs of purchased followers (sudden spikes in growth charts)
• Verify comment authenticity (real conversations vs. bot-like responses)

Reputation Check

• Search their name + "controversy" or "cancel" on Google and social media
• Check if they've had public disputes with other brands
• Look at how they handle negative comments
• Review their positions on social and political issues

Red Flags to Watch For

Contractual Protections

Your influencer contract should include these safety clauses:

1. Morality clause — Right to terminate if the creator engages in behaviour that damages your brand
2. Content approval — You must approve content before it goes live
3. Disclosure requirements — Mandatory ad disclosures per local regulations
4. Exclusivity window — They cannot promote competitors during and for a period after the campaign
5. Revisions — Specify how many rounds of revision are included before posting

Brand safety isn't about avoiding risk entirely — it's about managing it intelligently. Do your due diligence, set clear expectations, and protect both parties with a solid contract.