Why Brands Must Vet More Than Just Follower Counts

Working with influencers can bring tremendous visibility and excitement to your brand. But it also means you are stepping into their world, their tone, their values, and their entire posting history. When you hire an influencer, you aren’t just hiring a single post. You’re sitting beside everything they have ever said, done, filmed, captioned, or reacted to. Your brand becomes part of their online legacy, for better or worse.

Influencers often live in a bubble of their own curated importance. Sometimes that bubble floats into awkward territory. Sometimes it pops in a very public, very embarrassing way.

Here are the biggest pitfalls to watch out for, along with scenarios that highlight why due diligence is essential.

The Tone Deaf Traveler

Many influencers chase “epic content” without pausing to check the reality on the ground. Picture a pair of travel influencers cheerfully filming airport selfies on their way to a tropical island that is hours away from being hit by a major storm. Their captions celebrate sunshine and “island vibes.” Meanwhile, residents are bracing for impact.

A brand sponsoring that trip suddenly looks like it co-signed the insensitivity. Consumers don’t see nuance. They see your logo sitting beside a post that aged like milk.

The Restaurant Rule Breaker

There will always be influencers who turn everyday inconveniences into dramatic exposés. Imagine someone at a buffet filming themselves loudly challenging staff because they want to take more food than the restaurant allows. Instead of being polite, they frame it as a “scandal” for content. The worker becomes an unwilling character in a viral confrontation video.

A brand that partners with this person risks being associated with entitlement, bullying, or unnecessary conflict. Not a great look when what you wanted was a happy review of your product.

The “Customer Service Crusader”

Some influencers love turning minor customer service moments into multi-part sagas. A delayed latte, a misprinted receipt, or a minor misunderstanding suddenly becomes a ten-video series about “standing up for what’s right.” The influencer ramps up the drama because drama gets views.

If your brand hires them without vetting, you might discover later that their online persona thrives on negativity. Suddenly you’re linked to someone known for putting minimum-wage workers on blast.

The Misleading Expert

There’s a breed of influencer who presents strong personal opinions as undisputed fact. One day they’re a nutrition expert. The next they’re a financial advisor. The day after that they’re an amateur psychologist diagnosing strangers.

Your brand could accidentally be partnering with someone who dispenses bad advice or makes claims that aren’t accurate or safe. The risk isn’t just embarrassment. It could become a trust issue for your customers.

The Manufactured Drama Influencer

Some creators thrive on stirring up conflict. They pick fights with other influencers, exaggerate insults, or stage breakups for attention. The engagement is high, but so is the chaos.

Brands that step into that ecosystem often find their sponsored content sandwiched between rants, rumors, and heated comment wars. Not ideal for your carefully crafted messaging.

The “Shock Value” Prankster

Prank influencers often push boundaries for views. Some “pranks” cross into unethical territory, involving unsuspecting people in uncomfortable or frightening situations. Even if the influencer apologizes later, the internet rarely forgets.

A brand sponsoring them looks like it endorses the behavior, even if that was never the intention.

The Problem With Viral Apologies

A final caution. Many influencers who cause problems eventually release tearful apology videos. These can go one of two ways. Either they are sincerely remorseful or they are performing regret to maintain their follower count. Brands get dragged into that spotlight whether they want to or not.

Once your logo is linked to an influencer’s meltdown, you are part of the narrative.

The Takeaway

Influencers aren’t just content creators. They are public figures whose posts, reactions, and judgments instantly reach thousands or millions of people. Brands should remember that partnering with an influencer is like agreeing to stand beside them on stage while the spotlight moves around unpredictably.

Not all influencers are problematic. Many are thoughtful, creative, and professional. But the ones who aren’t can cause real damage to your reputation.

The safest approach is to vet carefully. Look at their history. Look at how they treat people. Look at how they behave when they think the camera gives them power.

Great influence can build your brand. The wrong influence can bury it.

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