Vetting TikTok Influencers: Why TikTok Demands a Views-First Lens

Molly Cole, creator program manager at Epic Gardening with nearly five years in influencer marketing, breaks down exactly how she vets TikTok creators before bringing them on. Her primary metric is views, not engagement rate. She argues that TikTok engagement is too inconsistent to be a reliable signal, so she prioritizes raw view counts and looks for two specific patterns: consistency over time and standout series that are gaining momentum.

When a creator has a series popping off, Molly uses it as an opening to have a real strategic conversation, something she notes many creators have never had with a brand-side marketer before. She also pays close attention to how creators talk about sponsored content they have already done, treating it as a window into their professionalism and brand fit. Unlike vetting for fake followers on Instagram, TikTok vetting demands a different lens entirely.

Watch to see how Molly turns a two-minute creator profile scan into a genuine partnership conversation.