Tips For Collaborating With Ecommerce Content Creators

Last month, Storylane drove over 700,000+ impressions through influencer marketing. And at the start of the year, I had no idea how to make this channel perform consistently. I had no playbook, no proven process, and no ideas. So, I experimented. A lot. And while we’re still figuring it out, here’s what I’ve learned so far: 1. Smaller creators are outperforming larger ones for us Smaller creators often produce better, more authentic content. They’re typically more affordable, work harder, and deliver results with a hyper-focused audience. Larger influencers charge a premium, and the content often feels average. Exceptions exist, but they’re rare. 2. Build a curated influencer portfolio. There are more great influencers out there than your budget can handle. Start small, experiment, and refine a curated portfolio of creators who align with your goals, budget, and audience. This takes trial and error, so don’t rush it. Your “go-to” influencers will emerge over time. 3. Three months is enough to evaluate an influencer. In three months, you’ll know if the partnership is worth continuing. It’s enough time to assess content quality, audience engagement, and impact. 4. Set up clear contracts with influencers Include everything in writing: - Who owns the content? - Can you run ads with it? - Will they engage with your posts? - How many posts will they deliver? Clarity now saves confusion later. 5. Influencer costs vary... a lot. Pricing is all over the place, but here's a starting point. For this platform, expect $500–$2,000 per post for influencers with fewer than 100K followers. Bigger names might quote $5K or more. The highest I’ve seen is $650k per post (no joke). Decide what’s worth it based on your goals and their audience quality. 6. Influencer onboarding matters. Hop on a 1:1 call to align. Share your knowledge, past successes, and internal data. Learn their creative process and set expectations. The better you collaborate upfront, the smoother the partnership. 7. Influencer program management is a full-time job. I tried juggling this alongside my other responsibilities, and it’s a lot. Between sourcing, contracts, payments, content review, and feedback, the workload multiplies with every creator. Bring in outside help if you can afford it or upskill someone internally. 8. Give creators creative freedom. Over-controlling a creator’s content kills authenticity. Work closely on the brief to give them all the context they need, but let their voice shine through. The results are far better when they feel trusted. 9. Ethics build trust (with influencers and your buyers) Always disclose influencer partnerships (FTC compliance isn’t optional). I see a lot of brands and creators not disclose these partnerships (on LinkedIn, in private communities, Slack groups etc.) and it's WRONG. Don't trick your buyers. Be honest. We’re still learning, but this channel is showing promise, and I plan to scale it further in 2025.

Most people ask creators the wrong questions. If you want to earn their trust and build a real partnership — whether you’re sitting across the table or connecting through a screen — you have to start deeper. Whether you’re a manager, agent, editor, strategist, or any other team member, the best thing you can do is truly understand the creator you're supporting: ➔ Their background ➔ Their mission ➔ Their current business ➔ Their unique strengths, needs, and goals This approach isn’t new to me — it’s something I started developing years ago during my time at IGN Entertainment, working closely for the first time with gamers posting to YouTube. Over time, especially as my perspective expanded through experiences at YouTube, Facebook and Spotter, I've continued to refine this discovery framework to better support creators across different industries, platforms, and growth stages. After working closely with creators across different stages, here are the key questions I always start with: 🛤️ Background & Origin What first inspired you to start creating content? Was there a specific moment when you realized you had something special to share? 🎯 Mission & Vision How would you describe your mission today? What impact do you hope to make through your content? 💰 Financial & Business Standing What are your main sources of income today (AdSense, brand deals, products, memberships)? Are there new revenue streams you want to build? 🏗️ Operational Structure What does your current team look like (full-time, part-time, contractors)? Are there roles you're hoping to hire for or areas where you need more support? 💡 Strengths, Superpowers, and Goals What do you believe are your unique superpowers as a creator? What makes your content stand out? What are the biggest challenges you're facing right now? What’s your biggest goal over the next 12–24 months? The more context you have, the better you can serve — whether it's bringing in the right brand deal, launching the right product, finding the right editor, or simply being the right strategic partner. Every creator’s journey is different. Start by truly understanding theirs. If you work with creators: 👉 What’s one question you always make sure to ask when meeting someone new? #CreatorEconomy #CreatorManagement #InfluencerMarketing #ContentStrategy

I get the aggregated e-mails from 40+ creators' inboxes every day. Yes...I'm reading ALL of your cold outreach. And very few of you are nailing it. I'm sure your response rate confirms this. Some tips (save this post if you reach out to a lot of creators): 1. Don't send from a non-company account. I won't say which one, but there was a Fortune 500 brand that reached out to a HUGE creator from a gmail account. I was about to toss it to spam, but decided to reach out to the person on LinkedIn to see if it was legit. Disaster averted, but barely. 2. Most creators are just looking for real, upfront-paid offers. If you have one, say that in the subject line. Especially if you know the rate and it's at-market. 3. Follow-up steps should NEVER be, "Can we hop on a call to explore?" unless the campaign is at or above rate. Creators are busy. Spending a half hour on a call to explore a potential deal is not a great use of time. 4. Reps trying to poach: probably not smart to reach out to an e-mail that literally has a competitor's website in the e-mail. Should go without saying... 5. There's so much power in a TL;DR. If you have an offer, pop high-level terms up top, then go into detail below. 6. Never, never, never, never tell a creator to follow a link to see a campaign. Do you know how many phishing scams there are? Not only will your CTR be terrible, but you'll only get creators who are notably not careful with their careers. 7. AI creator marketing companies are killing the efficacy of cold outreach. If you are an AI company that automates creator outreach, be a bit more cautious with the number of e-mails you send. Don't have AI in your e-mail or name, as it signals to us that you're farming for sign ups. And if you work at Google, please ban these companies! 8. Be realistic. If you're doing a gifting campaign, don't reach out to MrBeast offering a free battery for a video shout-out. If you're asking someone to attend an LA event, make sure they don't live in the Maldives. It makes you look sloppy. 9. Stop with the 'send me your rate card then I'll tell you my budget' dance. Know what you want to achieve and send a first offer. There will be less back and forth, higher response rates, and it makes you look like you actually value the creator's work instead of trying to milk them for as much work as possible at the lowest possible rate. (Also, creators, you should know your rate too and don't be afraid to tell people what you want) 10. If you really want a creator, go multi-platform. Send an e-mail, then DM saying, "I sent an offer to your e-mail" and if they have a rep, ping their manager saying you'd love to work with their creator. A little additional effort will go a long way.

Brands, we need to talk about the “try our product for free, post about it, and here’s your affiliate link” approach. For creators, this can feel like a one-sided deal. Testing a product, creating thoughtful content, and sharing it with an audience we’ve worked to build involves effort. When the ask is for a free review in exchange for a commission-only affiliate link, it’s one of the quickest ways to get a “no, thank you.” If you’re genuinely interested in partnering with creators, consider approaching things a little differently: 📌 Instead of diving straight into commission details, start by asking if we’re genuinely interested in the product. Have you seen us use it before? What sets you apart from competitor products we already share? Taking the time to connect and do a little research shows you see us as partners — not just promoters. 📌 Real partnerships go way beyond just free products and affiliate links. Compensating creators shows you truly value the time, effort, and expertise they invest in creating engaging content. Expecting a quick product review with deliverables but without any pay? That’s a full campaign, not just an affiliate opportunity. 📌 Focus on genuine connection — it goes a long way. Offering products without expectations builds a foundation for authentic relationships and can lead to rewarding partnerships. Sometimes, that means hopping on a call to understand how your brand fits into a creator’s content calendar. Bottom line? Be mindful in your initial outreach. The creator-brand relationship should be built on respect and mutual value. Lean into creating partnerships that feel like a win-win for everyone involved. #creators #brandpartnerships #influencermarketing