The document offers insights on influencer vetting, emphasizing that follower numbers are often misleading and the importance of confirming that influencers reach the target audience. It suggests a thorough vetting process that includes analyzing social media engagement, site statistics, and content style, and highlights the need for transparency in metrics. The overall message stresses that qualitative assessments are as crucial, if not more so, than quantitative ones when selecting influencers.

1. Deep Dive Influencer Vetting
The Good, the Difficult, the Worthwhile
LEIF PETTERSEN

2. Takeaways
@leifpettersen
•Number of followers is meaningless - usually
•Consider your key audience and confirm the influencer is
reaching them
•Proper vetting takes a long time, but it’s ultimately worthwhile

3. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
•Search/sort easy to use

4. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
•Search/sort easy to use

5. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
•Snapshot is nice, but it’s only the beginning
•Sort by social numbers if you like, but don’t judge by social numbers
•Year blog started is a nice starting point, but not a deal-breaker
@leifpettersen

6. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
How well the site will rank on search engine page results.
Comparative metric, not absolute score.
Domain Authority -

7. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
Not everyone publishes this. Consider audience. Ask for a
recent Google Analytics screen shot.
Monthly Traffic -

8. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
Sampling of global users over three months. Search Status
Firefox extension. Unique visitors + page views = rank.
Alexa Rank -

9. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
Experts argue it’s skewed data. Grain of salt – but not
a small one. Google Analytics is probably better.
Is Alexa Rank important? -

10. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
Meh. Sure, look at it, but don’t weigh it too heavily.Klout -

11. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
•Read their bio – learn
about their audience and
pertinent non-statistical
info
•Ask where they’re really
based – sometimes they
don’t indicate moves
•Do they contribute to
other blogs, podcasts,
traditional media, etc?
@leifpettersen

12. BloggerBridge (or site you like)
•Check their tags
•Review site info and
stats (if any)
@leifpettersen

13. Media kit
•If they don’t have one, move on
•Some are exhaustive, some are
vague
•Don’t be afraid to ask for more
info/stats/details
•Request recent Google Analytics
screen shot if not supplied
•If they can’t/won’t provide details,
move on
•Beware of dubious accolades –
“Top 100 Travel Bloggers
(according to Ziggy’s Gnarly Blog)”
•Fact check a few items
•Beware the Bikini Quotient
Kelsey’s
Travel Blog
Luxury | Wellness | Vegan | Namaste
Bikini Butt

14. Read the blog
•Read at least three posts
•What’s the user experience, e.g. does the site load slowly, have too many
pop-ups or confusing navigation?
•Do you like their style and does it compliment your brand?
•Are their posts just paraphrased copy from a destination’s website or are
there original thoughts and personality?
•Do they have too many pictures/too few?
•Do they have conspicuous share buttons and do they keep a tally?
•Read the comments, if any – are they real comments or just the same five
people saying “love this” and “I want to go to there, LOL!”?
•Only gauging site stats is tempting, but there’s far more to consider
@leifpettersen

15. Google them
•Get a sense of their online presence
•Are they doing other things that may or may not compliment your brand?
•Maybe find some dirt – look for a pattern, don’t judge them on a single
complaint!
•Find and reach out to other DMOs that have worked with them
•Banned Travel Writers of America Facebook group
@leifpettersen

16. Facebook
•It’s not enough to count ‘likes’ and comments
•How many likes do they have and how many of those likes are actual fans?
•How often do they post?
•Is it all their content or do they share other people’s content and/or fun stuff?
•Do they engage in the comments section or just ‘like’ every comment?
@leifpettersen

17. Facebook
Likes page gives
performance insight,
but not who has
liked it
@leifpettersen

18. Facebook
•It’s not enough to count
‘likes’ and comments
Click this
@leifpettersen

19. Facebook
•Who liked their post, normal
people or other bloggers?
•Hover to see if they have a
blog – failing that click their
profile
•*Some* other bloggers
engaging is fine, but a
majority may be a bad sign
Hover@leifpettersen

20. Twitter
•Followers are
meaningless - usually
•What’s the ‘Following’
to ‘Follower’ ratio?
•Are they just self-
promoting or do they
strike a balance with
normal stuff?
•Check engagement by
clicking on ‘Tweets &
replies
•Twitteraudit.com check
for bots
@leifpettersen

21. Twitter
•No conversation is bad
•No replies to questions
from followers is REALLY
bad
•‘Likes’ are good,
retweets are better
@leifpettersen

22. Twitter
Look for:
Personal tweets
Multiple topics
Personality
Replies
Conversation
Variety of participants
@leifpettersen

23. Instagram
•Again, follower numbers
are meaningless –
usually
•What’s the ‘followers’ to
‘following’ ratio?
•Are ‘likes’
disproportionately low for
# of followers?
•Are they just self-
promoting?
Looking good!
@leifpettersen

24. Instagram
•Who’s their audience?
•Who’s liking their posts?
Look for non-bloggers
•Who’s commenting and
are they quality
comments?
•Engagement in
comments is good, but it
also falsely inflates
comment numbers
@leifpettersen

25. Questions?
@leifpettersen