How to Vet a Brand Before You Say Yes: the Brand-Fit Checklist

The first "brand deal" I almost took was for a skincare line I had never heard of. The message was lovely. They loved my content, they had a campaign ready, and all I had to do was buy the starter kit at a "creator discount" so I could film with it. They would reimburse me after the video went live.

I didn't buy it, mostly because something felt off and I couldn't find the brand anywhere outside of that message. But I remember how close I came, and I remember thinking: I need a way to check these that doesn't depend on my gut.

That is what this post is. It's the same two-part checklist I walk the creators I coach through before they reply to any inbound offer. Part one screens for scams. Part two checks whether a real deal is actually right for you. Because here's the thing nobody tells you when you start: a brand being real and a brand being a good fit are two completely different questions.

Why vetting matters more in 2026

Inbound offers feel like proof you're doing something right, and sometimes they are. But creators are a target now in a way they weren't a few years ago.

Per Bitdefender's security research (Feb 2026), fake brand deals have become one of the easiest ways for attackers to take over creator accounts on TikTok. The "campaign brief" is the bait. You open it, and the goal is to get into your account, not to hire you.

And the "pay to get paid" pattern is everywhere. Per the FTC's data spotlight on job scams (Dec 2024), reported losses to job scams topped $220 million in the first half of 2024 alone, and a lot of those scams follow the same shape: you're offered work, then asked to pay something first.

None of this means you should be scared of inbound offers. It means you should have a process. A process works the same way on a tired Tuesday night as it does on a good day.

Part one: the scam screen

Run this every single time, before you send rates, your address, your phone number, or anything personal. If you tick any one of these, you either decline or you verify it yourself before going further.

1. They ask you to pay anything. Product, shipping, a "training", software, a deposit, a starter kit. Real brands pay you. They don't charge you for the privilege of working with them.
2. The sender's email domain doesn't match the brand's real website. If the brand's site is one domain and the email comes from a free email address or a lookalike domain with an extra letter, stop.
3. They push you off-platform to a messaging app before sharing a brief. A real marketing team can send a brief by email. Moving you to a chat app first is a way to get out of view.
4. They ask for logins, one-time codes, or banking details before a contract. Nobody needs your password or a verification code to hire you. Ever. Banking details come after a signed agreement, on an invoice you send.
5. The pay is wildly out of line with the work, or it's "paid after posting" with nothing in writing. Too good to be true usually is. And "we'll pay you once it's live" with no contract is a promise, not a payment term.
6. You can't find the brand's real site, real products, or any real reviews. Search the brand name yourself. Look for a working store, a contact page, and reviews from actual customers.
7. Links in the message go somewhere other than the brand's own domain. Hover before you click. A "brief" hosted on a random file-sharing link or a shortened URL is a red flag, especially after what we know about account takeovers.

The most important habit here: verify through the brand, not through the message. Go to the brand's real website yourself, find their contact page or their marketing email, and confirm the person and the campaign exist. Don't use the phone number, link, or email in the message you're trying to verify.

Part two: the deal-fit check

If the offer clears the scam screen, it's probably real. Now comes the question most creators skip: is it right for you?

A real brand with bad terms is still a bad deal. I've seen creators take a legitimate offer and end up locked out of a whole category for months, or watching their face run in ads for a year for the price of one organic video.

For each line below, mark it OK, Ask, or No.

That's six of the checks I use. The full sheet I give students also covers timeline, revisions, disclosure, and the contact person, but these six will catch most of the problems I see.

A few notes on the rows that trip people up most.

"I'd genuinely use this"

This is the one creators want to skip because they want the deal. But brands hire UGC creators because the content feels real. If you don't believe in the product, it shows on camera, and it makes the content harder to sell. It's also the row that protects your reputation over time.

"Every claim is one I can say truthfully"

Read the talking points in the brief line by line. If it asks you to say a supplement "cured" something, or that you saw results in a timeframe you didn't, that's a No. Saying claims you can't stand behind costs your audience's trust, and it can put you on the wrong side of advertising rules. If you're new to reading briefs, my post on how to read a UGC brief before you agree to it walks through this section in detail.

"Rights asked are clear"

This is where good deals quietly turn into bad ones. "Usage: all channels, perpetual" in one line of an email is a very different deal than "organic only, 90 days." If the brief mentions ads, paid placements, or running content from your account, that's a separate permission and a separate price. I broke down exactly how those two differ in usage rights vs whitelisting.

"Exclusivity is defined, or there is none"

An undefined exclusivity clause can mean you can't work with any competitor, on any platform, for as long as the brand decides. A fair one names the category, the platforms, and the term. "No other protein powder brands on TikTok for 60 days" is a clear ask. "Exclusive partnership" with nothing else is an Ask, every time.

The decision rule: pass, hold, or decline

Once you've filled in both parts, the decision makes itself. This is the part I love, because it takes the emotion out of it.

• Pass: Part one has no ticks. Part two has no No and two or fewer Ask. Move on to your proposal and your rates.
• Hold: Part one has no ticks, but part two has three or more Ask. Send your questions and don't quote until they're answered.
• Decline: There's a part one tick you can't clear, or there's a No on the rows about using the product, truthful claims, or payment terms.

Write the decision at the top of your notes with the date. Then log it wherever you track your brand conversations.

What to send for an Ask

An Ask isn't a no. It's a question. Most real brands are happy to clarify, and asking good questions makes you look like a professional before you've sent a single video. Two lines I use constantly:

• "Can you confirm the usage period and placements in writing?"
• "Is there an exclusivity requirement, and if so, for which category and how long?"

Keep it short, friendly, and specific. If a brand gets annoyed that you asked how long they'll run your content, that tells you a lot about how the rest of the partnership would go.

A quick walkthrough

Here's how this looks on a real-feeling example. A pet brand emails you. The email comes from their real domain, which you checked by going to their site yourself. They want two videos for a new dog treat, they share a brief by email, and they ask for your rates. Part one: no ticks.

Part two: your dog loves treats and your portfolio already has pet content, so the first three rows are OK. The brief says payment is "net 30 after delivery," written in the email, so that's OK. Rights say "organic and paid social," but there's no duration. That's an Ask. Exclusivity isn't mentioned. That's an Ask too.

Two Ask, no No. That's a pass. You send your two questions alongside your proposal, and you price the paid usage once they confirm the duration. Five minutes of checking, and you've gone from "a brand emailed me" to a professional reply that protects you.

Mistakes this checklist prevents

• Paying a "brand" to work with them. The classic starter-kit scam ends with you out of pocket and no brief.
• Saying things you can't back up. It costs trust and can create real compliance problems.
• Signing open-ended rights. Your video runs in ads indefinitely for the price of one organic post.
• Agreeing to loose exclusivity. One deal blocks a whole category for months.
• Checking only for scams. A real brand with bad terms is still a bad deal.

One more thing on disclosure. The FTC's Endorsement Guides (revised June 2023) expect a clear disclosure when there's a material connection between you and a brand, and that includes free product. If a brand ever asks you to hide the relationship, that's a No. A good partner will never ask you to put your accounts at risk.

Results vary. Nothing here promises brand deals, clients, or income. The checklist is a way to protect your time and your accounts, and to say yes to the right offers with confidence.

Start with the basics

If you're still at the stage of building your first portfolio and getting brands to notice you, the vetting part comes right after you've got the foundation in place. My free UGC guide covers what UGC is and isn't, filming tips, what goes in a portfolio, the tools to get started, and a 7-day action plan. The PDF arrives in your inbox in under a minute, with no credit card required. It pairs well with this checklist once the offers start coming in.

FAQ

How do I know if a UGC brand offer is a scam?

Run the seven-point scam screen above. The biggest signals are being asked to pay anything, an email domain that doesn't match the brand's real site, being pushed to a messaging app, and requests for logins, codes, or banking details before a contract. Verify through the brand's own website, never through the links in the message.

Should I ever pay for product to work with a brand?

No. Real brands send product or reimburse it under a written agreement, and they pay you for your work. Being asked to buy a starter kit, pay shipping, or pay for training to get the deal is one of the most common creator scams.

What if a real brand has terms I'm not sure about?

Mark those lines as Ask and send specific questions before you quote. Usage period, placements, exclusivity, payment schedule, and revision rounds are all fair things to ask about. Three or more open questions means hold until they're answered.

Is it okay to turn down a legitimate brand deal?

Yes. If you wouldn't use the product, can't say the claims truthfully, or the payment terms aren't written down, declining protects your reputation and your time. Saying no to the wrong deal leaves room for the right one.

Do I need to disclose a gifted or paid partnership?

Per the FTC's Endorsement Guides, you should clearly disclose any material connection with a brand, including free product. Use the platform's paid partnership tools where they exist, and decline any brand that asks you to hide the relationship.