How do I vet a creator before a paid collaboration?

PostSnag vets a creator before a paid collaboration by capturing their actual posting history, then checking whether their strongest numbers are real and consistent, using their Analytics tab, the Outlier flag, and Compare, instead of taking a media kit's word for it. A screenshot of one great post doesn't tell you how that creator performs on a normal Tuesday; captured history does.

Before you start

• PostSnag is installed and pinned to your toolbar.
• You're signed into Facebook and PostSnag.
• You have the creator's profile or Page open, the actual account you'd be paying, not just a name from a pitch email.

1. Capture their real history

Open their profile, click the PostSnag toolbar icon, scroll steadily while the panel captures, wait for Synced, then click Export To Dashboard. On the Free plan, each scan saves up to 30 posts; if you need a fuller history for a bigger decision, Pro or Lifetime save a profile's complete history on every scan. See How do I capture posts from a Facebook profile? and What's included in the Free plan?

[SCREENSHOT: The PostSnag panel mid-scroll on a creator's profile, with the Collected count rising]

2. Read their Analytics tab for the real numbers

Open the profile and click Analytics. This is where a media kit's claims either hold up or don't:

• Posting cadence, whether they're actually active or mostly dormant between the occasional big post.
• Content mix and go-to format, whether their posting style actually matches what you'd want them to make for you.
• Top posts by reactions, comments, and shares, three separate rankings, so you can see whether their engagement is real conversation and shares, or mostly easy likes.
• Share rate, since shares are harder to earn than a like or a comment; a creator with a healthy share rate is being passed along, not just scrolled past.
• Best time to post, evidence of a creator who's actually paying attention to their own audience rather than posting at random.

See How do I read a profile's Analytics?

3. Check whether their best post is a pattern or a fluke

A creator's Analytics tab flags their single most viral post, but a media kit tends to lead with exactly that post and nothing else. Open the global Posts page, filter to Outlier, and narrow with the creator filter to just this account. The outlier flag ("Nx their typical post") is always measured against that creator's own typical numbers, so you can see immediately whether their headline post is an isolated spike or one of several. A creator landing repeated 2x and 3x outliers is a more consistent bet than one with a single 20x post and a flat baseline underneath it. See What is an outlier post?

4. Put them next to their peers in Compare

Capture one or two other creators in the same niche or tier, then drop all three into Compare. The At-a-glance table lines up posts captured, followers, groups, last captured, bookmarked, and verified status, highlighting whoever leads on each row, and the parallel breakdown charts show whether this creator's posting habits and engagement composition actually stand out from their peers or just look impressive in isolation. See How do I compare competitors side by side?

5. Bookmark them and keep watching before you commit

A single capture is a snapshot. Bookmark the creator's profile so you can find them again quickly, and if the decision isn't urgent, check back over a week or two: scroll their profile again and export to sync whatever's new, then see if the pattern from step 3 held up. The creator stays in your Recent scans list for quick return visits either way. See How do I bookmark posts, profiles, and groups?

6. Export the record

Before you sign off, export the creator's profile as Data as Markdown or Data as CSV to keep a dated record of what you actually saw, separate from anything they sent you. If the decision involves someone else on your team or a client, Markdown reads cleanly as a written summary; CSV is easier to drop into a shared spreadsheet. See What is included in a PostSnag export?

Common questions

What's the single fastest red flag to check?

Compare their Analytics most viral post against their Posts page Outlier list, narrowed to just them. One giant post with nothing else close is a different creator than one with several solid outliers.

Does a high follower count mean their engagement is real?

Not on its own. Followers show up in Compare's At-a-glance table, but content mix, share rate, and the outlier pattern in Analytics tell you more about whether people actually engage.

Can I check if their account is Facebook-verified?

Yes, Verified is one of the rows in Compare's At-a-glance table.

Should I capture their full history or just a quick scan?

A quick scan gives you a first read. For a bigger commitment, Pro or Lifetime's full-history capture gives you a more complete picture instead of just the most recent 30 posts.

Does capturing their profile notify them or affect their account?

No. Capture is read-only from your own Facebook session. PostSnag never likes, comments, follows, or posts on your behalf.

Related articles

• How do I read a profile's Analytics?
• What is an outlier post?
• How do I compare competitors side by side?
• How do I bookmark posts, profiles, and groups?
• How do I analyze a competitor's Facebook profile?

PostSnag is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta Platforms, Inc.