How to work with creators in 2024?
Most brands don't know how to work with creators. Here's your cheat sheet.
Hey You,
As much as I’m an entrepreneur, I also consider myself as a creator. It’s something I wear proudly when I enter any room.
And like any creator, we get a TONNE of brand deals for our channel. We’ve picked none so far. Because most brands don't know what they want. That’s right.
Here’s another interesting topic:
How to work with Influencers / Creators in 2024
Once again, take this with a grain of salt. My job is to challenge you.
But before that, if you were forwarded this email, join 5,000+ CMOs, CEOs, VCs, and marketers on this email list by subscribing to this one. It’s free, it comes weekly, and there’s always something different I dive into.
Lets go.
I’m sharing pointers that I’ve come across through my own experience and that of several other creators that I interact with. So here it goes.
Pick “engagement” over followers on Instagram. The number of followers is merely a number. The real metric that you need to look for is engagement. The number of shares, comments & likes.
Go and study the creator’s posts. Wherever their ‘shares are greater than their likes’, is the kind of content / category that they flourish best in. Anything else won’t get you a bang for your buck.
Every creator has a format in which they flourish. Use that to push your brand out. It’ll be more organic than trying to push your format on to them.
If you are not VC backed or have a shit tonne of money carved out for creators, do not enter this segment. You will need to experiment a lot more than you can imagine, before you get this right.
Anything less than 3-5 posts with a creator is money down the drain. Can you become part of their lifestyle? Can they embed you in their journey? That’s when you’d benefit the most. A single post is just money made by the creator and not the brand.
A relationship with a creator goes beyond just a paid collaboration. It’s about keeping them as your brand loyalists, sharing your merch with them, so that they can embed themselves in the vibe of your brand. It’s only then, that they would come up with new innovative concepts for you. They NEED to breathe your brand, like you do.
Build a campaign around relevant creators. Get them to use or talk about your product, as though it seamlessly blends in their lifestyle or content format. If your product stands out, the consumer is going to look at it as an ad. And that’s detrimental for your brand.
Do a YouTube video with the creator rather than just an Instagram or TikTok reel. The lifetime value of a YouTube video is far higher. Don't look at the creator’s YT numbers; think of longer form content as multiple reels or mini-segments that can be used. Even if 100 people watch your YT video with a new creator, they are 100 new people spending 5-10 minutes of their time + you get to tap into a new audience with the creator.
Don’t focus on momentous marketing with creators. With everyone trying to do the same thing around trends, chances are anyone's content can be a hit or miss. The probability of success is low. Avoid (Eg: If you were to do a Fathers Day post with a creator, it’s going to get lost amidst the noise out there. Use your opportunities wisely)
Have a separate landing page, super personalised for the creator. When a customer lands on a LP that’s tailor made by / for a creator, they are more likely to trust than just the brand page. Let that page have their persona, their name, things that make them truly unique. Just a coupon code with their name? Meh.
Identify the right creators: don’t work creators who have shot to fame because of a trending audio or a couple of viral videos. A solid creator needs to have a unique style / format of disseminating content. They’re present on more than 1 channel. They have signs of a loyal audience. And not just followers.
If you have a PR agency that identifies creators for you, talk to the creators before the concept is closed. A direct relationship between the creator & brand is so essential to build a lasting relationship.
I’m going to keep this short. And let you think about this. My best experience of working with brands is when they seamlessly blend with my content on Instagram & Youtube. They perform the best. It builds trust both ways: for you as a brand and for me as a creator.
Until next time,
Gratitude,
Sak