6 Steps Of Creator Playbook

Heyy!

Creators 101

So, in today’s newsletter, I’m going to write a quick playbook that includes the following:

1. The 3 types of creator relationships and how each one is valuable
2. How to get in touch with creators
3. The process of outreach
4. The terms to include in your contract (usage, licensing, etc.)
5. How to brief & ask for assets
6. Maximizing performance with URLs, LPs, tracking software, and offers

1. 3 Types of Creator Relationships

Depending on what you want from working with creators, your agreements and relationships will be set up differently. You also want to make sure you’re clear abut how you plan to work with a creator so that you don’t overpay for something you didn’t need to.

For content: These are usually micro-creators or creators with less than 50k followers on TikTok or less than 10k on Instagram.

For reach: These creators have a wide enough reach that a sponsored post that gets less-than-average engagement would still make sense.

For the co-sign: Sometimes, you need the co-sign from a specific creator, which signals to their audience, and wider, that your product passes an invisible set of standards that their audience recognizes. For example, if Holly Owens recommends a product, I can count on the fact that it’s non-toxic and clean and that she’s researched it.

Affiliate sales

Whether you’re promoting through regular affiliates (influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, etc.) or TikTok Shop affiliates, you still need to send product out to these people to create content from. If they’re affiliates who go live to sell your product, then you’ll need to send a lot more than you usually do!

Product Seeding

Usually around a new product launch, you want to have a network of creators who receive your product, try it, and share their experience of it. The brand, Lemme, does it brilliantly!

It’s important to understand how you’re using creators. You don’t want to pay someone who’s set up to deliver reach when you really just need content. You might overpay by thousands of dollars!

2. How to get in touch with Creators

Once you’ve established that you’re ready to work with creators, getting in touch with them can be a tough nut to crack, especially in a way that doesn’t feel annoying to them. I’ve easily put a lot of my hours in here, both on the brand side and talking to them and seeing how they like to receive messages or what avenues of communication actually get to them. Let me give you the inside scoop.

Direct Messages (DMs)

Use the brand account, ideally verified with many followers, to DM the creators directly. They may not read every fan DM, but if they see a brand DM come in, there’s a good chance they will open it. All you need is the open. When you do write your DM to them, make it easy to understand the punchline within 6 seconds.

For example:

Hey Sami!

My name is Ibrahim and I’m the CMO at Gheelish. We’re huge fan of FORM and everything you stand for around health!

We are a brand focused on making popcorn with ghee, instead of seed oils. We’re in Sprouts and expanding soon. Can we send you a few bags?

If you like it, we’d love to talk about a paid partnership with you.

Thanks!

Say hi, add a sentence of praise, give context, go for the ask. Aim to get a Yes, No, or “Sure, can you email [email protected]”. Going for anything else in this first DM is going to be too much work, and you risk them not following through.

P.S: I don’t work at Gheelish.

Cold Email

If you know me, you know I love a good cold email. If DM doesn’t work, you should try sending an email. You can copy it in the same format as above. Find their email in their Instagram bio or YouTube profile’s About section.

Mutual Follower

Press the DM button on Instagram to see if you have people in common. Sometimes, it will even say, “You and girlwithnojob both follow 7 people” or something similar. Use that as a cue to see who they follow, and if there is someone they follow that you know, who could DM them.

LinkedIn

If you’ve tried everything, try LinkedIn. Sometimes that’s a way to get into their personal inbox (through a LinkedIn DM notification email) or it’s another way to get a notification on their phone (they may not have LinkedIn notifications off, where they would for Instagram or TikTok).

3. The Outreach Process

The only thing I would note here as you are reaching out to creators, is you want to make sure they check these boxes:

• Their audience matches your demo; you’re not just working with them because you (the founder or a marketer) are a fan.
• They genuinely use the product or see themselves using it, and they like its benefits.
• They don’t frequently work with any of your competitors.
• They are excited about the partnership; it’s not just another check to collect for them.

4. Contract & Payment Terms

Always make sure you have an agreement when someone is creating content for you, or when posting and representing your brand. The main things to try for:

With small creators who are making content just for you, you want to try and get a full license to use the content forever, if possible. In the OG paragraph that I’ve used for 7 years, just replace CREATOR with the influencer and COMPANY with your brand.

“CREATOR hereby grants COMPANYOFFICIALNAME (“COMPANY”) a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, modify, copy, display, perform and distribute in any media or format now known or hereafter developed, all designs, photographs, videos, and other copyrighted material delivered or made available by CREATOR to COMPANY or used on behalf of COMPANY under this agreement (the “Contracted Assets”). CREATOR represents and warrants that it owns the Contracted Assets or has sufficient license rights to make such grant.” – One of the lawyer friends I used to work with had shared this with me.

Usage rights for content by creators who you’re using for reach, co-sign, or anyone with a large following, she says you want to try at least to get usage for one year or at least the next quarter if they’re big. You also want to ensure you get the right to edit the raw clips you get back as you see fit. So, while you may get one final video back from the creator, the goal is to use the content to make another 8-10 videos. If needed (or if they’re big), you can add terms that allow the creator to give final approval of that content.

5. Briefing Creators

Make sure to include:

• Filming notes, if applicable (i.e., “Make sure you’re facing natural sunlight versus a ring light”)
• A variety of hooks — look to see what is also trending, hook-wise, in the TikTok Ads Library
• Talking points to introduce the product
• Talking points to explain product benefits
• Talking points to talk through value props over competitors
• Talking points to explain why you love it so much, maybe even a personal anecdote
• Call to actions (add multiple and test them all)

Any creator should be prepped with commonly asked questions as well so they’re aware of how to answer any questions their followers ask them in comments or through DM. As a brand, you should also reply to any serious questions.

6. Maximizing Performance with Creators

Now, some final tips to maximize the performance of your creators:

• Use landing pages when you can, especially when introducing the brand to an influencer’s audience.
• When you run their ads on Meta, make sure you identify the hook or video version in the UTM, along with who the creator is.
• Use creator-name-specific promo codes (i.e., “DTC20” or “IBRAHIM20”).
• If you’re sharing links for affiliates, use Social Snowball to prevent coupon codes from being leaked and misattributed.
• If you click well with a creator and have a successful campaign, see if you can seed a PR box with goodies and product to their network of friends as a gift from them.
• If this is a consumable product, even when you’re not actively working with them, make sure they stay stocked with product.
• Give them the opportunity to earn affiliate sales on top of their flat fee to post—you want them to be truly invested in the long run.
• Anything that does well on the creator’s account, run paid media behind it.
• When running a whitelisted ad, reply to every comment. Reply to most from the creator’s account, but the serious questions (ingredients, allergies, etc.) from the brand’s social account.
• When starting with affiliates, offer a higher commission to get people in your corner.
• Create incentives for your affiliates. I’ve heard of brands giving away cars to the influencer who drives the most revenue in a weekend or giving away a big trip to the affiliate with the most sales.
• Overall, keep it simple. Align yourself with the right creators. Ensure it’s a genuine relationship. Build the relationship for a long-term win-win-win situation (the brand, the creator, and their audience).

Alright folks, that’s it for today!

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