Episode description

1. “Campaign guidelines mean setting the right expectations and setting yourself up for success.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD
2. “Let the creator craft the message to their audience themselves.” @jhcjr_  #DTCPOD
3. “You need content for your business to stay relevant.” @jhcjr_  #DTCPOD
4. “Let your creator know what the campaign should and shouldn’t do.” @jhcjr_  #DTCPOD
5. “Working with creators is great for going after tried-and-true audiences or testing out new audiences.” @jhcjr_  #DTCPOD

We speak about:

• [02:00] The essential elements of campaign guidelines  
• [06:00] Helpful guidelines for creators
• [12:35] Working with creators to test out new audiences   
• [15:10] How to put together your style guide when you’re just beginning  
• [17:45] The ideal timeline for your campaign  
• [21:50] Jamie’s final advice to ensure a successful campaign  

Today, Jamie Catanach, head of customer success for Trend, joins the show. Trend is the leading destination for brands looking to work with creators and produce high-quality content.

Campaign guidelines are a critical piece to the success of an influencer campaign. Have a plan from the start! The goal with campaign guidelines is to set the expectations for creators upfront.

Creators will be basing their content off of the campaign guidelines. You want to provide as much detail as possible here. Also, you want to be clear and communicate exactly what you are looking for.

Make sure that the creators know upfront that you intend to have the rights to their content afterward. If you are on Trend, our platform will manage this aspect for you.

You should be upfront about a timeline for your creator. When reaching out to creators, a timeline should be clearly communicated and confirmed with the creator.

Make sure that the creator understands what products they will be receiving. Also, share talking points around your brand and the products that you’re sending.

Your creator should be creative about the caption that they provide. However, you should provide five to ten bullet points about the brand and the product. Then, your creator can reference some of those things in their caption. 

The style guide is where you describe the type of content that you are looking for. Make sure you communicate the kind of digital aspects you are looking for the creator to create.

When communicating guidelines, be as specific as possible. Should the creator be outside, indoors, in nature, with their family? This type of information is critical when communicating the kind of content you are looking for from creators.  

Lastly, don’t hesitate to provide examples. If you see some great content on Pinterest, don’t be afraid to share it with your creator. If you like bright warm photos, find creators with that type of content. 

Stay tuned as Jamie explains how to create a style guide when you’re just in the beginning stages of content creation. Plus, Jamie reveals what to consider when figuring out your campaign timeline. 

If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.