Creators Don't Want One-and-Done Anymore

Hey everyone,

It’s June! To me, this last month has been all about disclosure. Ever since Spielberg released Disclosure Day, I can’t help but feel like everyone is walking around with the same question: what are you hiding from me?

Data centers are a perfect example of this. Erin Brockovich recently pointed out that residents’ biggest concern around new data center development isn’t just the noise, the water usage, or the rising utility costs, it’s the lack of transparency.

According to Brockovich, residents have described feeling “silenced,” “ignored,” and shut out of a decision-making process that directly affects their rural communities.

Meanwhile, Trump has also been on a mission to find answers this month. Specifically, which bastard is putting fertilizer in the Reflecting Pool?

But when it comes to disclosing paid partnerships with influencers, the answer should be a lot less mysterious. Contrary to popular belief, clear and conspicuous partnership callouts don’t erode trust, they help build it! Attempts to hide relationships with creators usually draw the exact kind of attention you were hoping to avoid, leaving everyone to wonder what, exactly, you’re trying to conceal.

Anyway, curious what you all think should be next for the Reflecting Pool:

Val Cheney

Partner & VP; Influencer

People First

The creator economy isn’t a kid anymore. We’ve watched it grow up in real time, and as its “parents,” brands need to grow with it.

Looking back just four or five years, most “brand partnerships” weren’t really partnerships at all. They were closer to what I imagine casual dating was like in the 90s.

A brand would send a creator a product, hope they liked it, and maybe, if there was enough interest, they’d score a first date: a post.

Then over time as creators started to find their footing, the dynamic shifted so that barter deals, or one-off sponsored posts, replaced product seeding. Creators weren’t just being seen for their reach, but for the relationships and trust they’ve built with their followers.

That was a sign of growth within the creator economy, whereas now we are watching it mature.

Because who really wants to keep casually dating around forever? Brands don’t wanna start from scratch every month: finding new creators, testing new messages, negotiating new terms, and hoping a one-off post delivers. And nor do creators want to build their livelihood by turning their feeds into a revolving door of unrelated sponsors.

So, if you my recommendation on how to start building long term relationships with creators, here it is:

Too often, orgs find themselves already in bed with a creator before the first official date. What starts as a simple email exchange can become a contractual relationship within two or three days.

That speed can be helpful when you’re in a pinch, but it’s not the best way to build a real foundation.

Instead, use the early planning phase to identify and “date” a wider pool of creators before making the official ask. The goal should be to understand them beyond their profile: What is their personality like? What issues does their audience care about? What are their long-term goals? What kind of work actually excites them?

Having led plenty of creator briefing sessions myself, I’ve found that the most rewarding part is identifying someone I’d never imagined to be a fit, so my advice is to build rapport with everyone you meet and cast a wider net than you think you need. These conversations don’t just help you narrow the pool down to the creators you really like, it helps make the negotiation process easier too.

Because when I follow up the next day with the official ask, the creator isn’t reading it like a cold email. They remember the good conversation we had, the fact that we somehow spent ten minutes talking about Love Island, and they’re much more likely to see the opportunity as a natural next step.

One-off relationships dominate the brand-partnership landscape, but why should they? Stop contracting creators for one post and making sweeping assumptions based on one piece of content. Instead, partner with a creator for four weeks to three months and contract them for a series of posts.

Sequence the content intentionally.

• The first post can introduce the partnership or build early awareness.

• A later post can explore the campaign or issue more deeply.

• Additional posts can respond to audience questions, share use cases, or drive action.

This gives the creator more room to develop a story, and it gives the brand better performance insights. One post rarely tells you enough, but a series allows you to evaluate whether the partnership is actually worth continuing.

Even if the first flight did not go as planned, the relationship does not have to come to a complete halt.

Brands can move select creators into affiliate partnerships, where they earn a percentage for each conversion, sign-up, or purchase they help drive. This can be especially useful when a creator cares deeply about maintaining control over their personal brand and a more traditional sponsored post starts to feel like a sticking point.

And if, over time, that creator proves they can drive real return, the relationship can evolve again into a retainer-style agreement, where they are compensated regularly for an ongoing scope of work.

That is the point: creator partnerships do not have to be one-and-done. The smartest brands are building flexible relationships that can grow, shift, and deepen over time.

Creators who pass the first milestone should be considered for longer-term, retainer style agreement. Start by giving them a menu of accepted deliverables each month:

• Short-form videos

• Story posts

• Link-in-bio mentions

• Newsletter mentions

• Collab posts

• Livestreams

• Event appearances (in-person, virtual, etc.)

Then, agree on a point system for each activity. Define a minimum and maximum output desired for each month, and assign a monetary value to the points.

This creates stability for the creator so they’re not having to spend their time shopping around, and predictability for the brand when it comes to deliverables every month.

Pro Tip: If you’re working with multiple creators, consider bringing them into a channel like WhatsApp. Stay in touch between meetings, help facilitate and build community with other creators, and be there to respond quickly to their needs and branch off their ideas to help keep momentum going between touchpoint.

Depending on the level of the talent and the stage of the brand, you’ll see deals that include not just a fee for the deliverables, paid usage rights, or exclusivity, but also equity within the company or a royalty per unit sold.

This can be especially valuable for startups and companies where they’re more serious about their exit - and you don’t need to be a mega celebrity for it to happen.

See Caitlyn share more about how she landed an equity deal:

That is just a glimpse of where the creator economy is headed. So before you go back to square one, ask yourself whether the relationship really needs to end, or whether it simply needs to ~mature✨

Browse our current campaign listings and apply to the ones that feel like a fit for you.

Heads up: Some campaigns may only be available to users in certain regions.

Powered Up with NPower: A four-year degree is not the only path into tech. This campaign is recruiting creators who can speak to alternative career pathways and help promote NPower’s free Tech Fundamentals program.

Hidden Heroes: Help us show how America’s story is one of ordinary people, of all backgrounds, doing extraordinary things. The figures everyone already knows, Washington, Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr., will be everywhere in the 250th celebration. We’re asking you to take a deeper dive into American history and shine a light on someone whose story deserves more recognition.

Science Powers our Future: Do you have a passion for STEM? Join our campaign to share more about what made you decide this career path, who supported you along the way, and why should STEM programs be protected for future generations?

Voter Dollars: Influence for Everyone: Frustrated that politicians listen more to wealthy donors than to voters? Join our Voter Dollars campaign - a plan to get Dark Money out of politics and make voters the donors who fund campaigns.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: The American Cancer Society is looking for prostate cancer patients in treatment, survivors, caregivers, loved ones, and advocates to share stories about how prostate cancer has impacted their lives this September. Your contribution will share your experience navigation Prostate Cancer with the support of ACS.

Let’s Talk about Pleasure: Pleasure. Desire. Orgasm. Body autonomy. Fertility. Menopause. Sex after major life changes. The way our bodies shift over time. These are all things every human experiences and has questions about, yet open conversations about our bodies are typically frowned upon. Apply to our campaign with International Planned Parenthood Federation to join the conversation about pleasure and end the stigma against our bodies.

Stop Sportswashing in our Backyard: The World Cup is here in cities like Boston, Atlanta, and Seattle. This moment of unity is being undermined by FIFA’s partnership with Saudi Aramco, a state-owned oil company using the event for ‘sportswashing’. Join our campaign to tell FIFA to stop sportswashing and hold polluters accountable.

Celebrate Hospital Workers: Hospitals and health care workers play a vital role in every community—showing up for patients and families during some of the most important and challenging moments in their lives. Join our campaign and share your appreciation for hospital workers.

Your Personal, Private Health Companion: Are you someone who’s passionate about taking charge of your health, but often find it hard to get clear, trusted guidance? If so, we’d love for you to join our campaign and be among the first to experience Verily Me, a free app that provides personalized health recommendations from licensed providers.

That’s it for this month, but here’s how you can stay in touch with our team at People First:

• Influencer Impact: Strategist Edition: Ryan Davis shares five digital strategy lessons from the last year that campaigns should be carrying with them on the road to Election Day.

• Influencer Impact: The Podcast: Nicole Dunger sat down with Tiffany Rivers, VP of Emerging Media + Influencer Marketing at Media Cause, to talk about where the influencer industry is headed next.