Creator Sourcing
Part of Checking influencer audience quality
Checking whether an audience is actually in Australia
Check Australian audience location using the right follower, viewer or watch-time measure, with dates and reporting limits intact.
Ask where the people watching relevant content are located, then check what the available report measures. TikTok One lists creator country or region and audience country or region as separate criteria, so check which one the evidence describes. An Australian creator, Australian comments or an Australian follower share alone does not establish Australian reach for the post you plan to buy.
Choose the population that fits the brief
For a planned video, recent comparable videos are generally closer to the decision than the account’s entire follower base. If only follower geography is available, use it as background and mark viewer location as unknown. Followers need not watch a particular post, and non-followers may still see it.
Check whether the report describes followers, views, viewers or watch time. These are different measures and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Ask whether individual-video geography is available. Note any limits stated in the report, including whether it flags limited data.
In TikTok One advertiser Creator search, inspect Audience details for the Country/region criterion. Creator details has a separate Country/region criterion, which describes creator location rather than audience location.
TikTok One’s creator profile review includes audience demographics such as age range and country/region. It also lists performance analytics such as follower growth, video views and engagement rate over time, plus recent organic and sponsored videos; these details do not identify the audience metric or post-level geography.
Follower Geography vs. Viewer Geography: Key Differences
- Follower GeographyIndicates where a creator’s followers are located. Does not confirm who viewed a specific post.
- Viewer GeographyShows where people who watched a specific video were located. More accurate for assessing reach of a single post.
- Watch Time GeographyReveals the geographic location of users who spent time watching a video. Useful for engagement depth analysis.
- Important DistinctionAn Australian creator or Australian comments do not guarantee Australian audience reach for a given post.
Audience Reach Metrics by Platform
- TikTok One – Audience Country/Region
- Available per video; distinct from creator location.
- YouTube Analytics – Audience Information
- Includes country breakdowns with possible limited-data indicators.
- Median Video Views (TikTok)
- Not a geography measure; use separately from audience data.
- Engagement Rate (TikTok)
- Performance metric; does not indicate viewer location.
Request an interpretable report
Ask for the platform and account, metric name, date range, post or account scope, geography breakdown and displayed total. Where available, seek recent content similar to the proposed placement.
TikTok One lists median video views and engagement rate as performance metrics, while audience country or region is a separate audience detail. Do not treat median video views as country-specific reach.
In YouTube Analytics, check the audience information shown and any limited-data indication. Use a country row only if it is displayed with a clear metric and scope; do not assume it describes an individual video.
Identify whether a percentage concerns followers, views, viewers, watch time or reached accounts. Do not compare those measures as if they described the same population.
A useful note might say: “Australian follower geography supplied; viewer geography for comparable videos unavailable.” It states the evidence and the gap without turning follower share into expected Australian reach.
A screenshot should retain its labels and dates. It shows what a report displayed, not independent proof of every underlying account’s location.
Validating Audience Location Evidence
- Confirm platform and accountEnsure the report references the correct platform (e.g., TikTok, YouTube) and account.
- Verify metric name and scopeCheck if it measures followers, views, viewers, watch time, or reached accounts.
- Check for limited-data flagsLook for warnings indicating incomplete or aggregated data.
- Request comparable contentAsk for recent videos similar to the proposed placement for better alignment.
- Avoid assumptionsDo not assume follower data equals viewer geography.
Handle missing geography correctly
If a report omits geography rows or flags limited data, do not treat the missing country row as zero. Do not assume visible rows cover the full total.
Do not divide an Australian row by the sum of visible country rows and call the result a share of all views. Calculate a share only when the Australian value and a compatible total for the same metric and period are available.
A country-level report is too broad to establish reach within a Sydney-only or Melbourne-only service area. Ask whether a suitable finer breakdown exists and record the answer. Choosing creators for a single-city promotion is a separate planning decision.
Using Follower Geography vs. Post-Level Viewer Geography
- Pros of Follower GeographyEasily accessible; useful for background context on creator base.
- Cons of Follower GeographyDoes not reflect actual viewership of a specific post; may overestimate local reach.
- Pros of Post-Level Viewer GeographyAccurately reflects who watched a particular video; essential for targeted campaigns.
- Cons of Post-Level Viewer GeographyMay be unavailable or flagged as limited data; requires verification.
Set the booking condition
For an Australia-wide offer, country-level evidence from comparable content may be enough to shortlist a creator, subject to its age and limits. For a narrower service area, decide whether the available breakdown is adequate.
Record the metric, period, format and gap beside the candidate. If location is essential and cannot be established well enough, hold or revise the location-dependent brief.
How to Validate Audience Location in Reports
- Identify the metricDetermine whether the report shows followers, views, viewers, or watch time.
- Confirm the scopeCheck if it applies to an individual video or the entire account.
- Review date range and limitsEnsure data is recent and check for any limited-data warnings.
- Check for finer geographic breakdownsFor city-specific campaigns, confirm if subnational data (e.g., Sydney, Melbourne) is available.
- Record gaps and conditionsDocument what’s known, what’s missing, and whether the location requirement can be met.
