Brand and marketing team strategy

The $100 billion creator economy is changing the way brands collaborate with influencers across social media and niche communities. Brands today recognize the value of authenticity and targeted reach to online consumers. They embrace the demand for relatable content, the power of niche audiences, and the undeniable impact of influencer partnerships.

This is the tipping point to shift the scale from social ad spend to investing in more influencer marketing. As the creator economy moves forward at a rapid pace, true community-focused engagement means richer content, more strategic partnerships, and deeper market penetration.

Why focus on the creator economy?

Creators on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have loyal followers who trust their opinions. Partnering with creators inherently increases their value. Creators can reach and engage with audiences more authentically and effectively than traditional advertising.

Let’s take a look at some tips and strategies to take advantage of the creator economy, increase brand awareness, build strong creator partnerships, and authentically engage with your community.

Understand why you want to partner with creators

Whether you’re increasing brand awareness, launching a new product, or simply want to better understand the organic community your brand could benefit from, it’s important to keep your goals in mind.

However, that doesn’t mean you need a completely specific campaign to enter the creator economy. Even if you don’t have a project outline yet, it’s a good idea to understand and build your talent roster for future campaigns. Additionally, it’s helpful to know how these communities work before making any conclusions about whether they’re a good fit or not. Either way, know what you want to achieve before you start.

Find the right influencers and communities

Look for influencers with followers that match your core demographic. Assess your audience using tools like social analytics, AI-powered insights, and even a creator marketplace.

Similarly, you should also keep an eye on your engagement rate, as the number of followers can often just be a vanity metric. Engagement rate (likes, comments, and shares based on number of followers) is a good indicator of how loyal and engaged a creator’s fanbase is. The higher the rate, the stronger and more effective your brand partnership will be until you reach the right audience for your brand.

It’s also important to consider format and platform. B2B brands may do well to partner with a YouTuber or his LinkedIn creator who has a business-oriented audience. In contrast, D2C beauty and lifestyle collaborations could have a big impact on Instagram and TikTok.

A note about size. When building your roster of potential collaborators, aim to diversify the types of creators you work with, from micro-influencers to well-known niche figures.

pro tips. Identify “big” influencers related to your company’s niche and focus. From there, look at creators’ social networks (followers, follows, comments, tagged accounts) to find more targeted, niche creators who may have a small (but powerful!) audience. find.

There are also a number of platforms and marketplaces/exchanges that facilitate collaboration between brands and influencers, including Meta Business Partners, Instagram’s Creator Marketplace, Passionfroot’s Partner Network, and Brandwatch.

Learn more: Influencer marketing: the bridge between B2B brands and authentic connections

Relationship with creators

Regardless of size, creators wield tremendous power to influence their audience’s purchasing decisions. Treat them as partners.

Encouraging creative freedom usually results in more authentic content with a deeper impact. Please remember. They know their audience best. And we want to take advantage of that.

reach out directly

Many (if not most) creators work independently. This means I manage my own schedule, brand negotiations, and communications. If you contact them directly, be sure to personalize your message by being clear about what you offer and what you want to explore.

• Be prepared to negotiate. Influencers who manage their own partnerships have varying levels of experience and expectations regarding compensation and contract terms. Additionally, there may be predetermined packaging for collaborations with brands. Rather than specifying a budget right away, we present the creator with a price and give them the opportunity to negotiate from there if necessary.
• Keep things simple. Overly complex contracts can be a deterrent for some creators, so it’s best to keep your legal and contractual requirements simple.

Engage through an agency or management team

Agencies can efficiently handle contract and logistics details, making them a good option for teams with deep resources and limited time to directly manage negotiations. They typically work within a network of vetted influencers, which helps benchmark against other campaigns and market sectors.

There is one thing to note. Adding services will cost the agency more, so consider whether the costs match your final budget and his expected ROI.

Deciding on the scope of collaboration

When partnering with creators, the options are vast and varied, but ultimately the purpose of your campaign should dictate the format of your content. Below is a list of some of the most common partnership types.

• Sponsored content. Paid posts, videos, newsletters, or direct mail campaigns on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, etc.
• brand ambassador. A long-term partnership where the influencer promotes the brand on a regular basis.
• affiliate marketing. Creators receive commissions on sales generated through their unique links.
• Product review.Influencers provide their viewers with honest opinions about products.
• giveaways and contests. Co-promotional events to attract viewers.
• Co-produced content. Collaborative content creation that combines ideas from brands and influencers.
• Takeover of social channels. Creators temporarily manage the brand’s social media accounts.
• Event appearance. Influencers attend and promote events to increase brand awareness.
• guest blog. The influencer contributes articles and posts to the brand’s blog or his website.
• Exclusive product launch. Influencers introduce or recommend new products to their followers.

Let’s say you’re clear about what you want to achieve and have a creator (or several people) in mind. Then, align your goals with the influencer’s audience to ensure your message is on point.

Think about the type of content and where it resides. What works best for influencers and captures their audience’s attention? Pay attention to not only paying the influencer, but also budgeting for additional costs associated with the campaign, such as creative, video, and graphic support. please.

Set clear timelines that are actionable for everyone involved, and provide influencers with an overview of your brand’s activities and background information such as your company’s mission and values. We also set reasonable benchmarks to measure performance such as impressions, click-through rates, and conversions.

Don’t forget about legal matters. Get your contracts and rules in order, especially if you need an NDA or input from your organization’s legal team. Here are some great scope of work templates from Influencer Marketing Hub.

Practical advice for engaging with creators

Always communicate with the creators you collaborate with. Depending on the length of your campaign and engagement, regular check-ins will allow you to fine-tune your content as you go along and stay on track to achieve your goals.

Dive into a community of viewers. Look beyond the content created by influencers. Many have their own communities or moderate groups with common interests. Check out platforms like Reddit, Discord, Instagram, and Telegram to find these groups. Join us to get a feel for their vibe and see what conversations are happening. This way you can really get a feel for what will resonate with your audience.

Let’s explore the often underrated user-generated content (UGC) creators. These creators may not have big personal brands or high-profile influencer status, but they are very good at creating brand-specific content. Additionally, there are tons of communities dedicated to this type of content, so it’s worth taking advantage of if having an influencer with a strong brand isn’t your top priority.

Leverage partnerships with creators to achieve true engagement

As the creator economy continues to expand, brands that value and build meaningful partnerships will ultimately prevail. Above all, foster true partnerships with creators and give them the creative freedom they need while ensuring your brand’s message is on point.

Don’t forget the important things. Define clear goals, find the right partner, and choose the type of collaboration that fits your goals. Keep communication direct and flexibility in negotiations and contract terms.

Most importantly, immerse yourself in a niche community of viewers. This is where the big trends and conversations happen, and you get the chance to connect with creators who might be the hidden gems you’re looking for.

Dig deeper: What marketers need to know about the credibility of influencer marketing