How to find, vet and recruit creators

1 The bottom line

Find creators with small followings but strong, consistent reach, vet them by their comments, then recruit them with high-volume outreach that moves quickly to a call. Most outreach fails, so volume and persistence decide who wins.

2 Key takeaways

• Hunt for small creators whose videos already get big reach. The algorithm is pushing them, and you arrive before prices rise.
  • Filtering for under 5,000 followers with heavy reach found a creator with tens of millions of views who became a Praktika employee Adam Turaev, Praktika34:19.
  • Many of Pok Pok's creators have around 2,000 followers Melissa Cash, Pok Pok33:10.
• Vet creators by their comment sections, not views or followers. Views can be bought or empty, but real conversation shows a trusting audience.
  • A signed creator got 120,000 views in an hour and zero sign-ups, because the views were bought Cedric Roberge, Pep AI45:00.
  • A 160,000 view video with 33 comments about the platform counted as good engagement Kieran, StudyFetch14:09.
• Choose niches by why viewers watch, not by what the creator does. A perfect-looking topic can still fail if viewers want something else.
  • Several UFC creators were signed for thousands of dollars each and produced no download spike Jake Castillo, Cal AI20:53.
• Treat recruiting as a numbers game and plan for thousands of messages. Reply rates are low and few replies turn into signings.
  • Cal AI reached about 220,000 influencers and signed or onboarded roughly 2,000 to 3,000 Alfie Dickens, Cal AI35:39.
  • Instagram replies ran 3 to 4% and TikTok about 2% Evan Yadegari, Locked7:27.
• Get creators on a call before you talk money. Calls build the relationship and let you shape the deal.
  • Calling rather than only messaging probably 10xes the chance of a good deal Alfie Dickens, Cal AI37:58.

views can lie, followers can lie, but comments cannot.

Jake Castillo, Cal AI25:55

2.1 Pick the niche before the creator

A niche that looks like a perfect fit can fail if viewers watch for a different reason.

• Ask why people watch and what they want from it before you sign anyone. Source: Jake Castillo, Cal AI20:53
  • UFC viewers watch from the couch with pizza and beer, so they do not want calorie information Jake Castillo, Cal AI20:53.
  • Recipe videos and mukbangs did not convert for a calorie app because viewers watch them to avoid thinking about calories Alfie Dickens, Cal AI20:10.
  • The core niches that did work were gym, women's fitness and weight loss Alfie Dickens, Cal AI20:10.
• Test each niche with one creator before you scale it. Source: Alfie Dickens, Cal AI17:00
  • Run one video, check the result, and only expand in niches big enough to hold more creators.
  • One creator paid $20,000 drove $120,000 of signups in a month, and a second creator in the same niche did not do well Alfie Dickens, Cal AI17:00.
• Match the creator's age to what your buyer can spend. Source: Dawson Gibbs, Evo Marketing48:06
  • Track churn and paying customers for each content angle, not just views and signups Dawson Gibbs, Evo Marketing46:47.
  • If churn is high from young audiences, move to creators aged 30 and up.
  • A campaign got 40 million views and $1.2 million for SMB Market, but churn was about 45% two to three months later Dawson Gibbs, Evo Marketing46:47.
  • Mom and family creators convert at the highest rates for family-related products Dawson Gibbs, Evo Marketing48:06.
• Check which channel your competitors ignore, then sign everyone in it. Source: Cedric Roberge, Pep AI0:15
  • Competing GLP apps only ran ads, so Cedric found nearly every consistent peptide creator and had them post before he ran any ads.
  • Revenue went from $30,000 in month one to $50,000 in month two Cedric Roberge, Pep AI0:15.

2.2 Find creators before everyone else does

The best finds are small, new and undiscovered, and they sit outside the usual influencer lists.

• Filter for low followers and high reach. Source: Adam Turaev, Praktika34:19
  • Use a tool like Modash to cap followers below 5,000, then keep creators whose recent videos get heavy reach Adam Turaev, Praktika34:19.
  • Look for 5 to 10K followers, good engagement and a personal email in the bio Brett Bauman and Zack Hargett, Coconote25:49.
  • If the bio email is at an agency, you are too late, because agencies take more value than they give Brett Bauman and Zack Hargett, Coconote25:49.
  • A creator signed around the 12th to 15th at Cal AI went from 10,000 to 12,000 views to a 7 million view video in month three, then never dropped below 500,000 Jake Castillo, Cal AI28:45.
• Recruit storytellers and marketers, not big résumés. Source: Canyon (Kenyon Prasad), Sideshift12:00
  • Look for creators new to UGC who can tell a story to camera, since storytelling is hard to teach and formats are easy.
  • Treat the program like a talent manager scouting people not yet discovered Brett Bauman and Zack Hargett, Coconote15:14.
  • Past view counts can come from easy formats like text on screen Canyon (Kenyon Prasad), Sideshift12:00.
  • Coconote found a Spanish tutor who became a top creator in 9 months Brett Bauman and Zack Hargett, Coconote15:14.
• Search in places where creators and students gather. Source: Dillion Verma, Halo AI11:42
  • Post a job in Reddit UGC groups and Facebook UGC groups, then screen for UGC experience, app experience and US residence or a US VPN.
  • Post application forms in the Discords of influencers who train creators, and list internships on Handshake Nicole (madebycol), Glam Up and Sprout47:50.
  • Search niche terms on TikTok, such as learning German, practicing German, then German major or class Morrie Schonfeld, Pingo26:05.
  • Expect 30 to 50 applicants a day from the groups, and Facebook groups were the most recommended source Dillion Verma, Halo AI11:42.
  • Opal spotted a user mentioning the app on TikTok and hired her to build a channel that grew to about 700,000 followers Kenneth Schlenker, Opal48:00.
  • Nearly half of Visible's team has lived experience of the condition, so they know which creators to approach Luke Martin-Fuller, Visible47:56.
• Reach big creators through a warm intro or a job offer. Source: George, Wrestle AI5:27
  • Spot a mutual connection in the followed by line, and message that person instead of the creator George, Wrestle AI5:27.
  • Pitch the top creator a go-to-market role with salary and equity instead of buying one post Koby Conrad, Sunflower6:16.
  • With agents, win the manager first, then ask to add the creator to the group chat Alfie Dickens, Cal AI32:26.
  • The warm intro led to a 50/50 partnership with the top wrestling creator George, Wrestle AI5:27.
  • Eric, with 50 to 100 million views a month, became VP of Sobriety before Sunflower had revenue and drives 50 to 100k link clicks a month Koby Conrad, Sunflower6:16.

2.3 Vet by comments, consistency and audience

Check the audience behind the numbers before you pay anyone.

• Read the comment section for real conversation. Source: Evan Yadegari, Locked19:08
  • Good signs are comments about the content, questions, replies between viewers, and comments with many likes Evan Yadegari, Locked19:08.
  • Emoji-only comments will not convert, while comments thanking the creator for useful information will Jake Castillo, Cal AI25:55.
  • Evan paid creators with poor comments early because he only looked at followers and views, and calls it his biggest mistake Evan Yadegari, Locked19:08.
  • A 5 million follower influencer getting 2 million views per video produced a flopped game, and some creators charge $5,000 a post with no downloads Rafael Kramer36:33.
  • Even so, nine of ten creators will not convert Jake Castillo, Cal AI25:55.
• Check that comments match the views and talk about the product. Source: Kieran, StudyFetch14:09
  • Look for comment sections proportional to views, even at 10,000 views per video, because a commenter is intentionally present.
  • On a million-view video, count how many comments are actually about the product Esan Durrani, StudyFetch20:50.
  • Some influencers get many views with no following behind them, and those fail when moved to a new account Kieran, StudyFetch14:09.
  • Creators whose videos only draw passing reactions are often just viral and will not send people to the App Store Daniel Heintzman, Cal AI11:30.
• Judge a creator by their worst post, not their best. Source: Daniel Heintzman, Cal AI12:22
  • Look for a steady baseline, because paid ads perform worse than average content.
  • Cal AI looks for 100k views per video consistently Daniel Heintzman, Cal AI12:22.
  • At a smaller scale, Evan skips anyone under about 5,000 views per video, whatever their follower count Evan Yadegari, Locked10:04.
• Check where the audience lives and which platform it is on. Source: Kieran, StudyFetch19:03
  • For US-based creators, aim for over 80% US viewers, and for non-US creators prefer TikTok over Reels.
  • Cross-check Instagram stars on TikTok and skip those who do not perform there Kieran, StudyFetch37:30.
  • Some videos that went viral on Instagram had conversion close to none, while TikTok virals converted well Kieran, StudyFetch19:03.

2.4 Recruit through outreach at volume

Use one short, fixed message, send it to thousands, and move replies to a call.

• Open with a short message that gets opened. Source: Evan Yadegari, Locked13:00
  • Start with "paid promo?" so it stands out, then say you are the founder partnering with a select group of creators in a niche and ask for a call.
  • Pep AI's first line is "paid promo / affiliate deal?" across TikTok, Instagram and other platforms Cedric Roberge, Pep AI42:07.
  • Build a credible Instagram profile first, with mutual followers among influencers and ideally a blue check Rafael Kramer33:12.
  • That profile work was more effective than cold emailing 50 to 100 a day, and now three evening DMs bring about two replies by morning Rafael Kramer33:12.
  • Pingo's DM named the app and its user count, and it worked unchanged as the count grew from tens of thousands to three million Morrie Schonfeld, Pingo32:30.
• Plan the funnel up front, because only a sliver of outreach signs. Source: Ryan Thorpe, Flo38:35
  • Expect about 10% email replies, a fraction booking calls, and roughly 1% signed Alfie Dickens, Cal AI35:39.
  • Expect to message thousands, since persistence is what competitors will not do Jake Castillo, Cal AI43:50.
  • Ryan had just over 2,000 creators, about 10% became regular partners and only 1 to 2% were viral sensations Ryan Thorpe, Flo38:35.
  • Evan messaged at least 5,000 to 10,000 influencers to reach 14K a month Evan Yadegari, Locked7:27.
  • Cal AI did daily outreach for 18 months Jake Castillo, Cal AI43:50.
• Get to a call before you talk rates. Source: Alfie Dickens, Cal AI37:58
  • When creators first ask your budget, say what you want and why it suits them, then invite them to a call to finalize.
  • Move interested creators to WhatsApp or iMessage and onto a call right away Cedric Roberge, Pep AI42:07.
  • Evan almost never negotiates over DMs, since calls build the relationship and let him set the deal structure Evan Yadegari, Locked13:00.
  • At Pep AI, marketing managers take most calls and the founder takes big creators Cedric Roberge, Pep AI42:07.
• Add people and systems as volume grows. Source: Alfie Dickens, Cal AI44:29
  • Make the assistant's job end once the first outreach is sent, and let an AI system handle early replies and negotiation.
  • Run monthly contests with cash or voucher prizes for the most creators reached and onboarded Alfie Dickens, Cal AI42:34.
  • Make a VA your first hire to run Instagram DMs George, Wrestle AI5:27.
  • Cal AI used about 25 assistants each sending about 100 cold emails a day, roughly 2,000 a day, and email beat DMs because platforms cap DMs Alfie Dickens, Cal AI35:39.
  • Accounts hit a rate limit near 100 DMs a day, so Locked ran several verified accounts to send over 500 a day at peak Evan Yadegari, Locked12:46.
  • Boost App Social loaded 1,000 Gmail accounts sending about 10 emails each a day and got roughly 10 to 20% replies Alex, Boost App Social13:16.

2.5 Trial, keep and widen the pool

Test creators cheaply, protect the good ones from overload, and recruit more once a format wins.

• Run a short paid trial and promote on three criteria. Source: Dillion Verma, Halo AI15:00
  • Pay $20 per video for five videos in a Discord with a private channel per creator.
  • Promote on consistency, proactive communication and visible viral editing skill.
  • Run a paid test task and check on-time delivery Ryan Thorpe, Flo34:50.
  • Do not set a minimum view threshold, since only 5% to 10% of videos go viral Dillion Verma, Halo AI15:00.
  • About 250 regular creators came out of 500 to 700 who cycled through Flo, and some became full-time employees Ryan Thorpe, Flo34:50.
• Prefer responsive, self-sufficient creators and cap their campaigns. Source: Canyon (Kenyon Prasad), Sideshift12:51
  • Judge onboarding: fast replies, good questions and excitement beat a 10-star résumé who misses meetings.
  • Keep creators to five concurrent campaigns, because those who see no success in a week or two ghost you.
  • Zero past campaigns is a mild flag unless the creator is new Canyon (Kenyon Prasad), Sideshift12:51.
• Prove the format first, then widen the pool in stages. Source: Jay, Nomad Table53:40
  • Make the content yourself until formats work repeatedly, because paying for unvetted content is pointless.
  • Once a format wins, take a 5 to 10 minute call with new or earlier-passed creators and add them to the group chat with a leaderboard dashboard Nick Lawton, SideShift21:18.
  • Jay got the first 50 to 100k downloads from his own content before hiring anyone Jay, Nomad Table53:40.
  • StudyFetch grew from one person to five, to 20, to 400 creators over a school year, after one lecture hall video hit over 76 million views Esan Durrani, StudyFetch19:20.
  • With 60 to 70 creators, it is hard not to have a viral video about weekly Jay, Nomad Table30:30.
• Keep supply coming through referrals and training. Source: Alfie Dickens, Cal AI45:45
  • Message signed creators monthly and pay about $100 when a friend signs, which also bypasses agencies.
  • Train everyday people with a structured course Drew Levin, SideShift25:21.
  • SideShift's Duolingo-style course runs about 6 hours, and trained creators earn about 10 to 15 thousand dollars after a month or two Drew Levin, SideShift25:21.

2.6 Where they disagree

The right creator size, view floor and outreach channel depend on your budget and product.

• Small creators or established influencers. Some operators want the unknowns, and others pay big names.
  • Praktika caps followers under 5,000 Adam Turaev, Praktika34:19, and Flo prefers 2,000 to 15,000 or 20,000 and says it wants content creators, not influencers Ryan Thorpe, Flo34:50.
  • StudyFetch pays influencers with large followings, one with about 750,000, five-figure monthly retainers to start fresh branded accounts Kieran, StudyFetch1:03.
  • Even great-engagement influencers can flop on a new account because of shadow bans or the wrong audience, so test several Kieran, StudyFetch17:46.
• How high to set the view floor. Operators range from none to 100k.
  • Cal AI wants about 100k views per video even on the worst post Daniel Heintzman, Cal AI12:22, Locked skips under about 5,000 Evan Yadegari, Locked10:04, and Halo AI sets no minimum on trial creators Dillion Verma, Halo AI15:00.
• Whether past experience matters. Some want proof, and others want a blank slate.
  • StudyFetch looks for past brand partnerships or UGC work, and likes TikTok Shop creators who know how to sell Kieran, StudyFetch24:53.
  • Sideshift favors newer creators who tell good stories, who also come in at low rates Canyon (Kenyon Prasad), Sideshift12:00.
  • Rafael says you can coach an influencer on promotions, so past promotions are not required Rafael Kramer36:33.
• Email or DMs. The best channel depends on how you get around platform limits.
  • Cal AI found email worked better because DMs get capped Alfie Dickens, Cal AI35:39.
  • Locked ran several verified accounts to keep sending DMs Evan Yadegari, Locked12:46.
• Real creators or UGC. Cost and conversion pull in different directions.
  • Cal AI suggests running UGC alongside influencers as influencer prices rise, while expecting lower conversion Alfie Dickens, Cal AI49:55.
  • Nick has not seen AI UGC convert and says real creators drive conversions Nick Lawton, SideShift13:44.