The Number That Tells You Everything (Almost)
When creators apply to your campaign on CreloAI, each application shows a match score — a number from 0 to 100. It's one of the first things you'll notice, and it's designed to save you from scrolling through profiles trying to guess who'll perform.
But what is it actually measuring? And should you trust it blindly? This post breaks it down.
What Goes Into the Match Score
The score is a composite of four signals:
- Niche overlap: Does the creator's content category match your campaign's target niches? A skincare brand looking for beauty + lifestyle creators will score a fitness-only creator lower. Overlap is weighted heavily.
- Platform match: If your campaign targets Instagram and the creator only has YouTube, that's a platform mismatch — and the score reflects it.
- Follower range fit: If you set a minimum follower threshold, creators who barely clear it score lower than those who comfortably exceed it. A 10k minimum with a 500k creator scores higher on this dimension than a 12k creator.
- Audience demographics: Where available, gender alignment between your campaign's target audience and the creator's audience is factored in.
These four inputs are combined into a weighted score. No single factor dominates — a creator with a perfect niche match but wrong platform can still score in the 60s.
What the Ranges Mean
- 80–100: Strong alignment across all criteria. This creator was built for your campaign. Prioritise these applications.
- 60–79: Good fit with one or two mismatches — maybe they're on a secondary platform or their niche is adjacent. Worth reviewing manually.
- 40–59: Partial fit. The creator applied, but they may be stretching into your category. Can still work if their content quality and engagement are strong.
- Below 40: Low alignment. This doesn't mean they'll perform poorly — but it means they're less targeted. If they have compelling past work, still worth a look.
Should You Only Approve High Scorers?
Not necessarily. Match score tells you about targeting fit — it doesn't know how authentic a creator's relationship with their audience is, how creative their content is, or whether their followers are actually in your buying demographic.
Some of the best-performing campaigns come from creators in the 55–70 range who bring genuine enthusiasm for the product. A beauty creator who loves supplements will outperform a supplements creator going through the motions.
Use the match score as a first filter, not the final word. Sort by score to prioritise your review queue, then dig into the creator's actual content before approving.
How to Improve Your Campaign's Match Pool
If you're getting too many low-score applicants, your campaign's targeting criteria may be too broad. Try:
- Specifying 2–3 niches instead of leaving it open
- Setting a realistic minimum follower count (not too high — that limits your pool)
- Selecting target platforms explicitly rather than leaving them unchecked
Tighter targeting = better match scores across the board = less manual review time.
💬 Discussed in Creloverse
Brands in our community have been debating whether to approve all creators or only high scorers. Join the thread: Should I approve every creator who applies to my PPV campaign or be selective?
Also see: What does the match score actually mean?