Influencer content approval checklist

Give the asset a clear name and version. Include the caption, cover and on-screen text if they are part of the review. Approval of the video file alone can leave a different caption or link unchecked.

The downloadable worksheet includes a decision log. Keep the actual approval message or email with it. A tick in your own document should point to the decision, not replace evidence that it was made.

Send the draft to the agreed contact with a clear request: “Please return consolidated feedback on version 2 by [date]. This review includes the video, caption and cover.” Replace the date with the timing agreed for the campaign.

When feedback arrives, separate corrections within the brief from changed scope. Correcting the wrong product name is different from adding a second concept or filming a new location. Record both so you can discuss the impact on fee and schedule.

After making the agreed changes, submit a new version and state what changed. Ask for approval of that exact version. Do not treat silence as approval unless the actual agreement explicitly supports that process.

Once the final version is approved, check that the scheduled post uses the same file and accompanying copy. If you make a material change afterwards, put it back through the relevant review.

Fictional example. A creator submits a kitchen tutorial against an agreed brief. The brand asks for a spelling correction in the caption and a new outdoor opening shot. The current draft contains the agreed indoor opening.

A useful reply is: “I will correct the caption. The outdoor opening would add a new shoot to the agreed scope. Please confirm whether you want that change so I can send the revised fee and dates. The current draft is awaiting final approval.”

This keeps the discussion specific. It does not imply that every change costs extra or that the original deadline disappears automatically. Those decisions depend on the agreed scope and what both sides confirm.

Review the words the audience will actually see and hear. An approved concept can still become an unsupported claim in the final edit. Ask the brand to resolve factual questions before publication and avoid describing an experience you have not had.

The ASA and CMA’s influencer guidance explains that advertising needs to be clear to the audience. Read the official guide. Include the disclosure in the asset review, with the rules relevant to the campaign’s market and product.

Approval from a brand is not a substitute for checking your own obligations. This operational checklist does not certify legal or platform compliance. For specialist products or disputed claims, get the appropriate qualified review.

Treat permission to promote the post as a separate decision. The usage-rights checklist records the content, placements and dates before you enable campaign permissions.

Open the published post and test the link. Save its URL and publication time. Note any difference from the approved version, then resolve it with the campaign contact.

Set a reminder for the reporting date agreed in the brief. Capture the requested evidence at that point, including the date and source. The campaign report template gives those figures a place to go.

Keep this approval record with the campaign files. Use your media kit for selected work and available account stats when discussing the next project; the full internal feedback history does not need to travel with it.