- Lindsey Gamble's Newsletter
- Posts
- 8 Strategies to Build Stronger Relationships with Creators 🤝🏿
8 Strategies to Build Stronger Relationships with Creators 🤝🏿
Eight ways brands and agencies can build stronger relationships with their creator partners.
Lindsey Gamble
October 13, 2025
This edition is exclusive to paid supporters. If you’re already supporting, thank you so much! If you’re enjoying the free content, consider upgrading to get full access to this piece and other exclusive strategies and insights.
Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking at Sprout Social’s Vantage Tour in Boston. I joined the Enter The Chat segment with Sprout Senior Content Strategist Aubree Schaefer to discuss my experience as a creator, particularly around working with brands.
I was excited about this topic because conversations about creators’ experiences with brands often gravitate toward the negative — from feeling lowballed on collaborations, to not getting paid at all, or being treated like transactions rather than partners.
I feel fortunate that my experience as a creator throughout various chapters has been mostly positive — from working with Skype and Converse through my hip hop blog, to LL Bean and Allagash Brewing as a hiking and outdoor creator on Instagram, and now with companies in the social media and creator economy space.
Every creator’s experience is different, and what counts as a “good” or “bad” partnership varies. That said, I’ve noticed some consistent traits that help brands and agencies build stronger relationships with creators. These insights come from my own creator journey, my experience as a marketer collaborating with creators on influencer programs for brands like SharkNinja, PayPal, and HotelTonight, and countless conversations and observations across the industry.
1. Pay Fairly and Transparently
Creators always talk to each other and they often know the brands that pay fairly.
The smartest brands are clear about what they’re paying for — whether that’s audience reach, engagement, production costs, usage rights, or exclusivity. Some even build internal rate indexes to ensure consistency.
Why It Matters: Most creators start from passion, but monetization keeps them going. Transparency turns negotiation into collaboration, builds trust, and attracts high-quality creators who can afford to be selective.
Practical Tips:
Explain what you’re paying for and why.
Clarify differences between a creator posting on their own channel versus creating an asset solely for the brand’s channels — rates should reflect that distinction.
Share your rate structure internally so all teams are aligned.
2. Pay on Time, Every Time
It sounds basic, but it’s a frequent pain point in the creator economy.
Creators operate as small businesses. Late payments can mean missed bills or delayed investments in their content business. Standardizing payment terms, like Net-30, and honoring them builds reliability. For longer campaigns and engagements, consider milestone payments or monthly installments.
Why It Matters: Timely payments build trust. Even when fees aren’t as high as a creator might hope, paying on time (or early) can strengthen the relationship and incentivize future collaborations. I once had a brand partner pay me minutes after posting, and that alone made me want to work with them again, even if it meant adjusting my rates.
Practical Tips:
Standardize payment terms and communicate them clearly.
Use milestone payments for larger projects.
Notify creators promptly if delays occur and provide a new timeline.
3. Respect Creative Expertise
If you hire a creator, it’s usually because they bring something unique — a strong voice, an engaged audience, or the ability to produce compelling content. Don’t strip that away by over-directing. Provide guidelines and goals, but let them figure out the how.
Why It Matters: Creators know their audiences better than anyone. Respecting creative freedom builds trust and produces content that resonates. Naturally integrated talking points lead to better engagement and campaign performance.
Practical Tips:
Share the campaign objectives but avoid scripting every line.
Encourage creators to bring their own ideas and style.
Give feedback that guides rather than dictates.
4. Streamline Communication and Approvals
Nothing kills momentum faster than a messy feedback loop. Creators often juggle multiple campaigns, and delayed approvals or too many revisions can derail content calendars and other partnerships.
Why It Matters: Brands expect creators to meet deadlines — respect works both ways. Clear processes reduce stress, frustration, and the risk of losing valuable creators. Even high-paying collaborations can fall apart if communication is overwhelming.
Pratical Tips:
Assign one clear point of contact.
Define expected revision rounds upfront, with buffer time.
Stick to timelines or give early notice if delays happen.
Consolidate feedback from different teams before sending it to creators.
5. Offer Long-Term Partnership Opportunities
Instead of one-off campaigns, think in terms of longer collaborations.
When creators get to know a brand, their content on your behalf typically is better. Long-term partnerships allow for:
Better execution of messaging.
Assets that can be repurposed across social and paid channels.
Opportunities beyond content, such as consulting, speaking, or providing additional value elsewhere.
Why It Matters: Long-term deals build trust and advocacy. Creators gain income stability and prioritize your brand. Audiences notice consistent partnerships, which increases credibility and trust in endorsements. For brands, this reduces time and effort spent sourcing new creators.
Practical Tips:
Plan multi-month campaigns or recurring collaborations.
Invite creators to participate in events, brainstorming, or product feedback.
Reward loyalty with perks like early product access or exclusive experiences.
6. Provide Usage Rights Clarity Upfront
Unclear content usage is a major source of friction. Creators need to know exactly how their work will be used — organic posts, ads, websites, or paid channels — and this should be outlined in contracts or scopes of work. Each use case should be negotiated and priced.
Why It Matters: Unclear usage damages trust and can create legal risk. Transparency ensures fair pricing and helps creators structure content for its intended format. Examples:
A TikTok post amplified with paid dollars versus a digital billboard requires different compensation.
Using content outside of the agreed-upon channels can create frustration or legal issues.
Practical Tips:
List every intended channel in the contract.
Specify duration of usage and whether exclusivity applies.
Discuss repurposing rights and pricing for each scenario.
7. Share Performance Data and Insights
Most creators never see the backend results of their campaigns.
Brands may hesitate to share metrics, assuming creators don’t care or fearing rate increases. Providing visibility into traffic, conversions, and sales lift helps creators understand the impact of their work.
Why It Matters: Creators who see results become better partners. They feel valued, can optimize future campaigns, and view the relationship as collaborative rather than purely transactional.
Practical Tips:
Share key metrics, especially bottom-of-the-funnel results, after each campaign.
Provide insights into how internal teams are engaging with or using the content.
Encourage collaboration by discussing ways to optimize future outcomes together.
8. Invest in the Development of Creator Partners
The best partnerships go beyond deliverables.
Creators want to grow — improving content, public speaking, or building careers beyond social platforms. Brands can support this through:
Training opportunities
Early product access
Event invitations or executive exposure
Communities where creators can connect and learn
Why It Matters: When creators feel invested in, they invest back. Development strengthens loyalty, improves content quality, and can generate PR wins. Experiences like media training or executive access leave lasting impressions beyond a paycheck. Personally, I love opportunities where I’m not only creating content for a brand but also have the ability to contribute through speaking engagements, such as my experience with Sprout Social.
Practical Tips:
Offer learning or mentorship opportunities.
Give creators insider access to your team or product.
Recognize achievements publicly to build loyalty and advocacy.
Remember the Human
These eight strategies are just the beginning. Above all, remember there’s a human on the other side of every partnership. Approaching relationships from a creator’s perspective is invaluable — a mindset I carry both as a creator and as a marketer.
What’s one tip you’ve found valuable for strengthening your relationships with creators? Have any questions about this topic or others? Don’t forget, you can reply or submit your question here. Also, let me know what you’d like to see covered next.
THANK YOU
Support the Newsletter: If you're getting value from the newsletter and want to support, you can do so in a few ways: share it with a colleague, contribute via Buy Me A Coffee, or upgrade to the paid tier.
Reply