Creator Casting Tool#

Find and shortlist the right creators for any brand campaign, activation, event, or ambassador program.

Who This Is For#

• Brand marketing teams casting influencer campaigns
• PR and comms agencies sourcing talent for clients
• Casting directors for events, activations, content shoots
• DTC brands building ambassador or affiliate programs
• Creative agencies staffing content productions

Prerequisites#

• web_search tool (required) — for cross-platform discovery, rate research, conflict checks
• web_fetch tool (required) — for reading profiles, articles, and content
• gram CLI (optional but recommended) — for Instagram discovery, engagement data, and content analysis. If unavailable, web search is used as fallback.

Check gram:

bash

which gram

Workflow#

1. Collect Campaign Brief#

Ask the user for (or detect from context):

ParameterRequiredDescriptionbrandyesBrand name and brief descriptioncampaign_typeyesContent, event, activation, ambassador, gifting, UGCcategoryyesFashion, beauty, food, fitness, lifestyle, art, tech, travel, wellness, home, luxury, music, gaming, comedy, parenting, financevibeyesAesthetic/tonal direction (e.g., "minimalist, editorial, elevated" or "playful, bold, Gen-Z")audience_demorecommendedTarget audience age, gender, locationbudget_rangerecommendedPer-creator budget (e.g., "$1K-5K" or "$10K+")num_creators10How many to returnplatformsallWhich platforms matter: instagram, tiktok, youtube, substackfollower_range10K-500KMin and max followersgeo_focusUSGeographic focus for creatorsexclusionsnoneCompetitor brands, creators to avoid, agencies to skipdeliverablesoptionalWhat the creators would produce (e.g., "1 IG Reel + 3 Stories")

2. Discover Creators#

Search across platforms for creators matching the brief. Cast a wide net (40-60 candidates) to filter down.

Instagram (via gram CLI if available):

bash

gram search "[category] [vibe keyword]" --limit 20
gram explore "[category]" --limit 20
gram hashtag "[relevant hashtag]" --limit 20

If gram unavailable, use web search:

text

"[category] [vibe] instagram creator" [geo]
"[category] influencer" aesthetic [vibe keywords] 2026
site:instagram.com "[category]" "[vibe keyword]"

TikTok:

text

"[category] tiktok creator" [vibe] [geo] 2026
"[category] tiktoker" [audience_demo keywords]
"best [category] tiktok" [vibe] creators

YouTube:

text

"[category] youtube creator" [vibe] [geo]
"[category] youtuber" [audience_demo] subscribers

Substack:

text

"[category] substack" [vibe] newsletter writer
site:substack.com "[category]" "[vibe keyword]"

Also search for:

text

"[brand name] type creator" OR "[competitor brand] influencer"
"[vibe] creators to watch 2026"
"[category] creators for brand campaigns"
best "[category] [vibe]" influencer lists 2026

Listicles and round-ups (great for discovery):

text

"[category] influencers to watch 2026"
"[vibe] creators" brand campaign
"best [category] content creators" [geo]

3. Gather Creator Profiles#

For each candidate, collect:

From gram (if available):

bash

gram user info [handle]
gram user posts [handle] --limit 12

From web search / web_fetch:

text

"[creator name]" [platform] followers engagement
"[creator handle]" brand partnership OR sponsored
"[creator name]" rate OR pricing (for rate estimates)

Build a profile for each:

• Name / handles per platform
• Follower counts per platform
• Engagement quality (like-to-follower ratio, comment quality, saves if visible)
• Content style and aesthetic
• Audience demo indicators (comments, content topics, stated location)
• Recent brand partnerships (last 6 months)
• Content quality notes (production value, editing, originality)

4. Check Brand Conflicts#

This is critical. For each candidate, check if they're currently working with or recently posted for a competitor.

text

"[creator name]" "[competitor brand 1]" OR "[competitor brand 2]"
"[creator handle]" sponsored "[competitor category]"

From gram (if available):

bash

gram user posts [handle] --limit 30

Scan recent posts for competitor brand tags, #ad/#sponsored with competitors, or gifted product from competing brands.

Classify as:

• Clear — No competitor conflicts found
• Potential conflict — Posted competitor product but unclear if paid
• Active conflict — Currently in a paid campaign with a competitor → FLAG prominently

Also check for:

• Controversial content or past brand safety issues
• Alignment between creator's personal brand and the campaign brand

5. Estimate Rates#

Based on follower count, engagement, platform, and niche, estimate per-creator rates:

Follower RangeIG PostIG ReelIG Story SetTikTokYouTube10K-50K$250-1K$500-2K$150-500$300-1.5K$500-2K50K-100K$1K-3K$2K-5K$500-1.5K$1.5K-4K$2K-5K100K-250K$3K-7K$5K-10K$1.5K-3K$4K-8K$5K-10K250K-500K$7K-15K$10K-20K$3K-5K$8K-15K$10K-25K500K+$15K+$20K+$5K+$15K+$25K+

Adjust estimates based on:

• Niche premium: Luxury, finance, tech command higher rates
• Engagement quality: High engagement = higher rates justified
• Content production value: High-quality production = premium
• Exclusivity: If campaign requires exclusivity, add 30-50%

Cross-reference with web search:

text

"[creator name]" rate card OR pricing
influencer rate calculator [follower count] [platform]

Note: These are ESTIMATES. Always flag them as approximate.

6. Score & Rank (1-100 Campaign Fit Score)#

SignalPointsAesthetic/vibe alignment with brief+25Audience demo match+20Engagement quality (not just rate — comment quality, saves, shares)+15Brand safety — clean history, no conflicts+15Within budget range+10Multi-platform presence (amplification potential)+10Past brand campaign experience (knows how to deliver)+5

Deductions:

• Active competitor conflict: -30
• Potential competitor conflict: -10
• Low engagement relative to following: -15
• Inconsistent posting: -10
• Content quality below brief standard: -20

7. Output Format#

markdown

# Creator Casting Report

**Brand:** [brand name]
**Campaign:** [campaign type and description]
**Category:** [category]
**Vibe:** [vibe description]
**Budget:** [per-creator range]
**Platforms:** [target platforms]
**Geo:** [geographic focus]
**Candidates Screened:** [total reviewed]
**Shortlist:** [number returned]

---

## Shortlist

### 1. [Creator Name] — Fit Score: [X]/100
**Handles:** IG @[handle] ([X]K) · TikTok @[handle] ([X]K) · YT [channel] ([X]K)
**Engagement:** [avg likes/comments per post, engagement rate if available]
**Content Style:** [2-3 sentence description of their aesthetic and content approach]
**Why They Fit:** [Specific reasons this creator matches the brief — reference vibe, audience, content style]
**Recent Brand Work:** [List 2-3 recent partnerships if any, or "No recent sponsored content visible"]
**Conflict Check:** 🟢 Clear / 🟡 Potential conflict with [brand] / 🔴 Active conflict with [brand]
**Est. Rate:** $[X]-[Y] for [deliverable type]
**Content Examples:** [Link or describe 2-3 posts that demonstrate campaign-relevant content]
**Notes:** [Anything else relevant — representation status, availability signals, negotiation notes]

---

### 2. [Creator Name] — Fit Score: [X]/100
...

---

## Budget Summary

| Creator | Est. Rate | Fit Score | Conflict |
|---------|-----------|-----------|----------|
| [Name] | $[X]-[Y] | [score] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
| **Total Est. Range** | **$[min]-[max]** | | |

## Casting Notes
- **Best value picks:** [creators with high fit score relative to rate]
- **Premium picks:** [highest fit score, may be above budget]
- **Safe bets:** [proven brand campaign performers with clean histories]
- **Rising stars:** [smaller but high-momentum, great for long-term ambassador programs]

## Methodology
- Platforms searched: [list]
- Search queries run: [count]
- Candidates screened: [count]
- Excluded (conflicts): [count]
- Excluded (poor fit): [count]
- Instagram data source: [gram CLI / web search]
- Rate estimates are approximate and based on publicly available data + industry benchmarks

Error Handling#

IssueActiongram not installedUse web search for all Instagram data; note reduced accuracy in engagement metricsVague briefAsk clarifying questions before searching. Minimum: brand, category, vibeNo budget givenReturn creators across ranges, flag estimated rates, let user filterVery niche categoryBroaden to adjacent categories, note limited poolCan't find enough creatorsLower follower minimum, expand geo, broaden vibe interpretation. Report what you found.Rate data unavailableUse benchmark table, flag as "estimated based on industry averages"Competitor list unclearAsk user to confirm top 3-5 competitors to check againstCreator has no recent postsFlag as "potentially inactive" with last post date

Tips for Best Results#

• Be specific with the vibe. "Elevated minimalist with warm tones" yields better results than "fashion"
• Include competitor brands in exclusions — this prevents embarrassing casting overlaps
• For ambassador programs, prioritize creators with owned audience (newsletter, podcast, Substack) over pure social
• Smaller creators (10K-50K) often deliver better engagement rates and are more responsive to briefs
• Always verify shortlist manually before presenting to a client — this tool finds candidates, humans close deals
• Run quarterly for ongoing programs to catch rising creators before they price up
• For events/activations, factor in location — a creator's city matters for in-person work