Followers aren't everything: how to choose the right KOL for your brand

The biggest mistake in influencer marketing is paying for reach instead of relevance.

Look at where a creator's audience lives. For a local business, a creator whose followers are mostly in your city is worth far more than a national account.

Read the comments, not just the likes. Are people asking “where is this?” and tagging friends? That's buying intent.

Finally, give creators a clear brief and freedom in how they tell it. Authentic content performs better than a script, and it's easier to measure with a unique code or link.