Blog
Notes on finding
creators’ accounts.
- How to find all of a creator's social media accountsManual methods that work for finding a creator's other social accounts, plus a checklist for confirming each match is really the same person.Read
- How to verify an influencer is who they say they are (and spot impersonators)Check an influencer is real before you pay: what badges mean now, the two-way link test, lookalike handles, scam red flags and a pre-contract checklist.Read
- How to build an influencer database that stays clean (spreadsheet or CRM)Design an influencer database that stays clean: one row per creator, a separate accounts table, normalized URLs, dedup rules, evidence and refresh dates.Read
- How to find micro-influencers in your niche (without a big budget)Find micro-influencers in your niche for free: platform search, hashtags, brand tags, communities and marketplaces, plus a weekly routine and vetting.Read
- How to calculate an influencer's engagement rate (with formulas)Engagement rate by followers, reach and views, with worked examples, spreadsheet formulas and an honest way to judge what a good rate is.Read
- How to spot fake followers and engagement on an influencer's accountA fair, step-by-step audit for fake followers and engagement: the signals to check, innocent explanations for each, and what to ask the creator.Read
- UGC creator vs influencer: what each does, costs and owns, and which to hireUGC creators make content for your channels; influencers post to their own audience. Compare pay, usage rights, briefs, vetting and when to hire each.Read
- Instagram creator vs business account: features, API access and which to usePersonal, creator or business: what each Instagram account type unlocks, how API access works since Basic Display ended, and what brands can see.Read
- Username vs user ID: why social handles change and IDs don'tHandles change, IDs don't. How usernames and user IDs work on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook and LinkedIn, and how to key a creator database.Read
- Whitelisting vs usage rights: what brands actually pay creators forUsage rights, whitelisting and allowlisting explained: Partnership Ads, Spark Ads, exclusivity, duration, pricing structure and what to put in the contract.Read
- Gifted vs paid vs affiliate influencer deals: which to offerHow gifted, paid and affiliate influencer deals work, what each side gets, the risks, how to track them, FTC disclosure rules and how to word each offer.Read
- Influencer agency vs influencer platform vs in-house: which is right for youAgency, software platform or in-house team for influencer marketing: what each does, how each is priced, control, data, contracts and lock-in.Read
- How to parse and normalize social media profile URLs (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X)Parse Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X profile URLs into one canonical form, with tested JavaScript and Python code and an edge-case table.Read
- How to get a YouTube channel ID from a handle (and the other way round)Resolve YouTube handles to channel IDs and back with the Data API v3 channels.list method, with Node and Python code, batching, quota and caching.Read
- The best social media profile lookup APIs in 2026 (compared)Ten APIs that look up social media profiles, compared on what matters: can they find a creator's other accounts from one profile, what they cost to start, whether you need a subscription, and whether they work with AI agents over MCP.Read