The influencer marketing business is bigger than ever, with the industry hitting $24 billion in 2024. But with that growth comes risk.

Nearly 55% of brands have run into safety issues because they didn’t vet influencers properly—and some have learned the hard way. 

For instance, MCoBeauty partnered with influencer Emma Claiir, but after she publicly admitted to killing two cats as a child in a podcast, outrage erupted online. The backlash was swift, and MCoBeauty quickly cut ties with her.

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A deep dive into an influencer’s social media profiles and history can help brands avoid these pitfalls. Background checks reveal red flags like fake engagement or inappropriate content before they escalate into major problems.

This article breaks down why a social media background check process matters, what to look for, and how to conduct one.

Why Social Media Background Checks Matter in Influencer Marketing?

An influencer’s past online content—be it tweets, videos, or public statements—serves as a digital footprint that reflects their values and beliefs. When a business partners with an influencer, it implicitly endorses this footprint.

So, if past content includes offensive remarks (e.g., racist, sexist, homophobic), controversial opinions (e.g. sensitive social or political issues), or inappropriate offline or online behavior (e.g., criminal activity, illegal activities, harassment), it can tarnish the brand’s reputation.

In fact, failing to conduct thorough social media background screening on influencers can result in:?

• Media scrutiny, public outrage, and negative reviews that damage both the brand’s reputation
• Significant financial losses from severing partnerships, pulling campaigns, or implementing damage control measures
• Loss of consumer trust and decreased brand loyalty that can lead to the brand’s boycott

Here are some instances that highlight the pitfalls of inadequate influencer vetting:

Sephora and Olivia Jade Giannulli  

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In 2019, Olivia Jade, a beauty influencer and longtime Sephora collaborator, became embroiled in the college admissions scandal when her parents, actress Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of bribing their daughters’ way into USC.

This act of privilege and dishonesty directly contradicted the values of meritocracy and fairness that many brands, and especially Sephora, aim to project. As public backlash grew, Sephora faced mounting pressure, including boycott threats, forcing the brand to sever ties with Olivia Jade.

Key Takeaway:

Brands must be aware of influencers’ personal controversies, as their online behavior and actions can severely impact brand reputation.

Laura Lee’s Resurfaced Tweets

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Laura Lee, a popular beauty guru, faced intense scrutiny when racist and offensive tweets she had posted years earlier came to light. The resurfacing of these tweets sparked outrage publicly.

Brands that had partnered with Laura Lee, including Ulta Beauty, Morphe, and Diff Eyewear, quickly distanced themselves, issuing public statements condemning her past behavior.

Key Takeaway:

Social media history matters—past content can resurface and create severe consequences for both influencers and the brands that associate with them.

What to Look for in a Social Media Background Check?

Conducting a comprehensive social media background check is essential to ensure that the influencer’s social media content, audience, and past collaborations align with the brand’s values, company culture, and objectives.

Here are four most important things to consider when vetting an influencer:

1. Content Analysis

A thorough review of an influencer’s past content is crucial to identify any offensive or controversial material. This requires a nuanced approach:

• Timeline deep dive: Scroll back through their entire social media history, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles. Analyze the comments they’ve left on other people’s content to learn about them as a person.
• Content themes: Identify recurring themes and topics in their content. Do these align with the brand’s messaging and values? Are there any topics that could be controversial or polarizing for the brand’s target audience?
• Language and tone: Is the language used respectful and inclusive? Are there any instances of hate speech, discriminatory language, offensive jokes, or aggressive behavior? For instance, PewDiePie has often been criticized for using racist slurs.

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• Context is key: While reviewing past content, consider the context in which it was posted. A joke from years ago might not be acceptable today. Thus, the fact that the influencer held those views in the past reflects the candidate's personality.

2. Audience & Engagement Authenticity

Authentic engagement is paramount. A large following on various social media platforms can be easily bought, but true influence comes from an audience that actively participates and resonates with the influencer’s content.

Thus, brands must watch out for:

• Sudden spikes in follower count
• Influencers with a high number of followers with no profile picture or social media activity
• Low engagement rate (divide likes, comments, shares by follower count) despite a high follower count
• Unnatural engagement patterns, such as a sudden increase in likes and comments immediately after a post, followed by a drop-off

It is equally important to understand the follower demographics—do they align with the brand’s target market in terms of age, gender, location, interests, and values? 

Most importantly, check the quality of the engagement. Are people genuinely interested in what the influencer has to say, or are they just passively liking posts? What is the general sentiment of the comments? Is it positive, negative, or neutral?

Such insights can help brands understand how the audience perceives the influencer and their content.

3. Brand Collaborations & Reputation

An influencer’s past brand partnerships offer their clients a wealth of information about their credibility, professionalism, and potential fit with the company's values and culture. It’s not just about who they’ve worked with, but how they’ve worked with them.

• Brand portfolio analysis: Run a background check on the types of brands an influencer partners with. Do they consistently align with a particular set of values? A diverse portfolio can be fine, but a portfolio that’s all over the map might suggest a lack of focus or a willingness to partner with anyone for a fee.
• Collaboration longevity: Have they had long-term relationships with brands, or are they constantly jumping from one partnership to the next? Long-term collaborations often indicate a strong working relationship and mutual respect.
• Campaign performance review: Beyond engagement rates, try to assess the actual impact of their past social media campaigns. For instance, did they drive traffic to the brand’s website or improve their ranking in the search engine? Did they generate leads or sales?
• Authenticity: Does the sponsored content feel authentic and integrated into their overall content, or does it feel forced and promotional? For instance, in 2016, Naomi Campbell accidentally pasted the entire text she received from Adidas for a sponsored post, including instructions on what to write in the caption and even the suggested hashtags. This incident shattered the illusion of authenticity that influencer marketing relies upon.

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• Professionalism and communication: Have they been involved in any controversies or disputes with brands? Do they meet deadlines? Are they communicative? References can be helpful in understanding how an influencer worked with a brand previously.

4. Ethical & Legal Considerations

Brands and companies must ensure that influencers have not been involved in misinformation, fraudulent activities, or violations of social platform policies. Promoting misleading products, engaging in deceptive advertising, or spreading false information on social media can have serious legal and reputational consequences for companies.

For instance, Kim Kardhasian’s partnership with Duchesnay to promote the morning sickness pill Diclegis in 2015 drew FDA scrutiny. Her social media posts were flagged for downplaying the drug’s risks and side effects, violating advertising regulations.

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Duschenay received an FDA warning letter, was required to revise the content, and had to submit a plan to prevent future violations. While there wasn’t a legal penalty, the warning letter is a serious matter. It puts the company on notice that they’ve violated FDA regulations, which can negatively impact their reputation and sales.

Here’s a quick checklist to ensure ethical, professional, and legal compliance when hiring or working with influencers:

• No history of misinformation: Verify that the influencer hasn’t been involved in spreading false or misleading information.
• No fraudulent activities: Check for engagement in scams, fake giveaways, or deceptive promotions.
• Compliance with platform policies: Ensure they haven’t been penalized or banned for violations on social platforms.
• Proper disclosure of sponsored content: Confirm they follow FTC guidelines for transparency in paid partnerships.
• No history of copyright infringement: Review past content to avoid legal risks tied to unauthorized use of intellectual property.
• No past lawsuits or legal issues: Assess their legal history for any liabilities that could impact the brand.

Tools & Techniques for Social Media Background Checks

Running a social media check manually for even a single influencer can be an exhausting job. It can take hours to scroll through an influencer’s old social media posts alone, while also looking out for poor disclosures, offensive content, or fake following.

This is where automated influencer vetting and credibility monitoring solutions step in:

AI-powered Influencer Screening Tools

These tools provide a streamlined and data-driven alternative to human analysis. They detect fake engagement, flag controversial content, and evaluate brand alignment through features like sentiment analysis, historical content audits, and audience demographic verifications.

Some of the leading tools in this space include:

1. Phyllo

Phyllo’s AI-driven solution conducts a thorough scan of an influencer’s past and present content across multiple platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X. It goes beyond just text and images, analyzing audio, video, and caption overlays to ensure no problematic content is overlooked. 

Plus, the AI-powered system enables custom keyword searches so that brands can check influencer’s stances on sensitive issues like sustainability, politics, or industry-specific topics.

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2. HypeAuditor

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This AI-powered tool specializes in influencer fraud detection. It analyzes follower authenticity, engagement rates, and audience demographics to determine whether an influencer’s reach is legitimate. Its deep analytics help brands distinguish between organic influence and artificially inflated numbers.

3. Brandwatch Influence

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Brandwatch Influence focuses on sentiment analysis and controversy detection. It monitors an influencer’s historical content and audience reactions, flagging any potential reputational risks before they escalate.

Top 3 Platforms for Monitoring Influencer Credibility

A thorough social media screening also includes continuous monitoring as audience sentiment and online conversations can shift unexpectedly. Many platforms help brands track influencer credibility over time by analyzing trends, detecting risks, and providing clients with real-time alerts.

Below are the three most effective platforms for monitoring influencer credibility on social media:

1. Phyllo

Phyllo’s Engagement API offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to monitor and assess influencer credibility effectively. By providing instant access to a creator’s social media profile information and over 50 data fields, the API enables brands to gain a nuanced understanding of an influencer’s audience engagement.

This includes metrics such as likes, views, reach, and impressions. In fact, the API’s continuous refresh capability ensures that engagement data is frequently updated, allowing brands to monitor real-time changes in an influencer’s performance.

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2. Meltwater

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This media intelligence platform provides real-time monitoring of influencer mentions, media coverage, and audience sentiment. It helps brands stay ahead of potential PR crises by detecting changes in how an influencer is perceived.

3. Talkwalker

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With powerful social listening capabilities, Talkwalker tracks influencer engagement across multiple platforms. It identifies shifts in brand perception, detects viral trends, and provides early warnings for emerging PR threats.

Steps to Conduct a Thorough Social Media Background Check

An influencer social media background check process is a strategic, data-driven process that assesses candidate credibility, brand alignment, and potential risks before a partnership is formed. It involves three key steps:

1. Establish Screening Criteria

Before assessing a candidate's online presence, brands must first determine the exact parameters that define an ideal partnership for them. This means:

• Establishing a list of core values, messaging pillars, and ethical standards that an influencer must adhere to
• Setting minimum thresholds for engagement rates, audience authenticity, and sentiment. For instance, industry standards suggest that a strong engagement rate falls between 3-6% for micro-influencers on Instagram
• Defining audience characteristics (age, gender, preferences, location) and comparing them with the influencer’s follower demographics. For example, if 70% of an influencer’s followers reside in a market irrelevant to the brand, they may not be a good fit
• Outlining clear disqualification criteria—e.g., history of offensive remarks, association with controversial figures, engagement in fraudulent activities

Next, implement a multi-tiered workflow to ensure consistency throughout the vetting process:

• Tier 1: AI pre-screening: Use automated tools to filter candidates based on basic criteria and identify potential red flags.
• Tier 2: Manual analysis: Conduct a deep dive audit of the top candidates, focusing on the key criteria. Use a score-based evaluation system to assign weighted scores to different evaluation criteria. For example, influencer authenticity: 30%, engagement: 25%, audience fit: 20%, compliance: 25%
• Tier 3: Decision-making: Hold a structured meeting with relevant stakeholders to review the findings and make final selections. Document the rationale behind each decision during the hiring process.

2. Conduct a Deep Audit

Once the social media screening criteria are in place, brands must conduct an exhaustive audit of the candidate’s social media accounts. They must review the candidate's activity on different social media platforms as well as assess their long-term behavior to see if they're a cultural fit.

• Cross-check consistency: Influencers often tailor content for different social media sites, but drastic inconsistencies can indicate inauthenticity. For instance, an influencer promoting sustainability on Instagram but engaging in wasteful practices on TikTok raises red flags.
• Analyze historical content trends: Reviewing content from several years back across all the public profiles of an influence provides insight into how their views have evolved.
• Check for deleted or edited content: Some influencers attempt to scrub problematic content, but third-party tools like Wayback Machine can track deleted tweets, Instagram captions, or YouTube videos. This ensures brands get a complete picture of the candidate's history for an informed hiring decision.

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• Track brand mentions and endorsements over time: An influencer who frequently jumps between competing brands signals a lack of authenticity.

3. Leverage Data & AI for Decision-Making

AI-powered tools help businesses reduce uncertainty in influencer vetting. By analyzing massive amounts of data within minutes, they refine influencer selection and help assess potential risks before making a hiring decision.

By leveraging these tools, brands can:

• Scan thousands of comments, reactions, and mentions to detect trends in audience perception.
• Flag harmful content patterns across different social media accounts, such as affiliations with extremist ideologies or misleading information, thus reducing PR risks.
• Discover irregularities like sudden dips or spikes in social media engagement, signaling potential issues such as bot activity or audience distrust.
• Forecast how an influencer’s content is likely to perform in upcoming campaigns based on past engagements.
• See how an influencer stacks up against others in the same niche based on credibility scores and influencer risk assessments.

Automate and Streamline Influencer Vetting with Phyllo!  

A brand’s reputation is inextricably linked to the individuals it chooses to represent it. Proactive social media background checks before hiring should, thus, be considered a first line of defense against potential PR crises, reputational damage, and financial losses.

By prioritizing thorough influencer vetting, brands can protect themselves from influencer-related risks. However, they must also implement clear contractual agreements with influencers, outlining expectations regarding conduct, disclosure, and brand representation.

Ultimately, brands must understand that encouraging due diligence in every influencer partnership—from initial screening to social media campaign execution and beyond—is not just about mitigating risk. Rather, it’s an investment in brand safety and long-term success influencer marketing.

And that success hinges on data-driven influencer insights. From pre-campaign influencer vetting to ongoing campaign monitoring, Phyllo provides unparalleled transparency into influencer audience demographics, engagement patterns, and content performance.

Book a demo today.

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