How to Co-Create Content with Influencers: 5 Steps

Want to supercharge your brand's reach? Here's how to co-create content with influencers in 5 simple steps:

Find the right influencers
Set clear rules
Plan your content
Make the content
Check results

Co-creation is all about teaming up with influencers to make content that works for both of you. It's not just paying for promo - it's a real partnership.

Why bother? Because it:

Feels more authentic to followers
Reaches both your audiences
Brings fresh ideas to the table
Builds stronger partnerships

Ready to dive in? Let's break down each step.

What is Content Co-Creation?

Content co-creation is changing how brands and influencers collaborate. It's not just about paying for product promotion anymore. It's a team effort where both sides bring their A-game to the table.

What Co-Creation Means

Co-creation is a partnership. Brands and influencers join forces to make content that works for both of them. It's not like the old days when brands would just hand over a product and ask for a post.

In co-creation, both sides have a say. They bounce ideas off each other. The result? Content that feels real to the influencer's followers and hits the brand's targets.

Why Co-Create Content

Co-creation is a win-win. Here's why it's catching on:

It feels real. When influencers help create, the content comes across as genuine. Fans pick up on that, and they engage more.
It reaches more people. You're tapping into both the brand's and the influencer's audiences. That's a lot of eyeballs.
It brings fresh ideas. Influencers think differently. They might come up with content ideas that brands wouldn't dream of.
It builds stronger ties. Working together closely creates better partnerships. In fact, 96% of creators want deeper relationships with brands beyond just social posts.

Take Revolve and fashion influencer Aimee Song. They teamed up to create a clothing line. Song had a say in fabrics and content. The result? A collection that hit home with her followers and Revolve's customers.

Setting Goals

To make co-creation work, you need clear, measurable goals. Here's how:

1. Be Specific

Don't just say "boost brand awareness." Say "grow Instagram followers by 20% in three months after launch."

2. Align with Business Objectives

Make sure your co-creation goals fit your overall strategy. Launching a new product? Maybe aim for a certain number of pre-orders through influencer content.

3. Make it Measurable

Pick metrics you can track easily. Think engagement rates, click-throughs, or sales from co-created content.

4. Set Realistic Timeframes

Give your efforts time to show results, but check progress along the way.

Remember, setting goals is an ongoing process. As marketing expert Nick Stamoulis says:

"Clear goals are a win-win for everyone, influencers will appreciate the guidance, and you will love the productivity and results in the end."

Setting clear goals keeps everyone on the same page and moving in the right direction.

Step 1: Find the Right Influencers

Finding the perfect influencers for your brand is like matchmaking. It can make or break your co-creation efforts. Here's how to choose influencers who truly fit your brand and audience.

Check Brand Values Match

You need influencers whose values align with your brand. This creates authenticity and credibility - key ingredients in influencer marketing.

Take Nike's 2018 partnership with Colin Kaepernick. They chose an influencer whose social justice values matched their brand message. The result? A 31% boost in online sales just days after the campaign launch.

To check for brand value alignment:

Review the influencer's past content and partnerships
Analyze their stance on industry-relevant issues
Assess how they interact with their audience

An influencer who genuinely believes in your brand will create more impactful content.

Look at Audience Fit

It's not just about the influencer - their audience needs to match your target market too. Here's how to ensure a good fit:

Analyze demographics using tools like Sprinklr's Influencer Marketing Platform. This gives you data on the influencer's audience age, location, and interests.

Check engagement rates. High rates indicate an active, interested audience.

Examine content themes. Make sure the influencer's content aligns with your brand's voice and tone.

Daniel Wellington watches nailed audience fit. They partnered with micro-influencers who had fashion and lifestyle-focused audiences. The result? A 214% profit increase from 2015 to 2016.

Using TapeReal to Find Partners

TapeReal, a creator-first video platform, can help you find potential influencer partners. Here's how:

Explore topic-based community feeds to find influencers in your niche.

Monitor trending hashtags to spot up-and-coming influencers in your industry.

Engage with creators through comments and messages to build relationships.

Platforms like TapeReal help you find influencers already creating content aligned with your brand, smoothing the co-creation process.

"It's easy to collaborate with tons of influencers driving high conversions. But they're not necessarily on brand, and they may not even be creating content you want to reuse." - Allison Brown, MiniLuxe

Take your time with this step. The right partnership can create content that resonates with both audiences, a win-win for everyone involved.

Step 2: Set Clear Rules

Co-creating content with influencers? You need ground rules. Here's how to set them up:

Write Down the Rules

Create an influencer agreement that covers:

What work needs doing (posts, platforms, hashtags)
Content dos and don'ts
How you'll review content
When everything needs to happen

Take Glossier's approach with micro-influencers. They gave a clear brief on brand voice and look. Result? Authentic content that fit their brand perfectly. Oh, and a 600% Instagram follower boost in two years. Not bad.

Agree on End Results

Get on the same page about:

What kind of content you're after (photos, videos, blog posts)
How you'll measure success (engagement rates, click-throughs)
Who can use the content and how

Daniel Wellington nailed this. They told influencers exactly how to show off their watches. The outcome? Consistent, on-brand content across the board. It helped them grow from a $15,000 startup to a $220 million company in just four years.

"Clear communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings and frustrations." - Ibukun Oluwafunmi, Marketing Communications Professional

Here's the thing: set rules, but don't squash creativity. You want authentic content that works for the influencer's audience AND hits your brand goals.

Step 3: Plan Your Content

You've found your influencers and set the rules. Now it's time to plan your content. This step is key for creating a campaign that clicks with both your brand and the influencer's audience.

Come Up with Ideas

Want to create content that works for everyone? Here's how:

1. Brainstorm together

Get together with your influencers and bounce ideas around. They know their audience best, so their input is gold.

2. Learn from past wins

Look at your top-performing social posts. What made them work? Use that as a starting point. For example, OUAI Haircare teamed up with beauty influencer Jhánneu for a sustainable beauty tutorial. Result? Over 22,000 YouTube views.

3. Ride the seasonal wave

Tie your campaigns to holidays or seasons. It's a great way to create timely, relevant content that grabs attention.

4. Mix it up

Don't stick to just one type of content. Try product reviews, tutorials, interviews, or social media takeovers. Keep it fresh and interesting.

Remember, be flexible. As Ibukun Oluwafunmi, a Marketing Communications Pro, says:

"Clear communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings and frustrations."

Listen to your influencers. They might have ideas that fit your brand perfectly.

Picking the right platforms is crucial. Here's how to do it:

1. Know your audience

Use analytics to find out where your target audience hangs out online. Different groups prefer different platforms.

2. Play to platform strengths

Each social media platform has its sweet spot. Instagram? Great for visuals. TikTok? Short videos all the way.

3. Check influencer performance

See where your influencers shine. If they're TikTok stars but Twitter flops, that tells you something.

4. Spread your bets

Don't rely on just one platform. GRIN Influencer Marketing Software puts it well:

"Instagram is a firm favorite for influencer marketing. However, brands can and should leverage other social media platforms as well. TikTok continues to gain in popularity, and many brands now include new platforms like Twitch in their influencer marketing channel mix."

5. Look for new opportunities

Keep an eye out for up-and-coming platforms. TapeReal, for example, is a creator-first video platform with topic-based community feeds. It could be perfect for finding niche audiences and fresh influencers.

Step 4: Make the Content

Creating content with influencers is where the magic happens. Let's dive into how to make this process smooth and effective.

Set Up Your Work Steps

Here's how to organize your content creation and review process:

1. Create a detailed brief

Give your influencers a comprehensive brief that includes:

Brand info
Campaign overview
Key messages
Distribution channels
Specific deliverables
Content dos and don'ts
Review process
Payment details

A good brief helps limit revisions and keeps everyone aligned. For example, OUAI Haircare's partnership with beauty influencer Jhánneu for a sustainable beauty tutorial used clear guidelines, resulting in a video with over 22,000 YouTube views.

2. Allow creative freedom

Don't box in your influencers. Let them use their unique style - it's what their followers love. According to Aspire:

"77% of content creators say they're more likely to partner with a brand that grants them creative freedom."

3. Set up a review process

Establish clear review touchpoints:

Initial concept review
First draft feedback
Final approval

Urban Decay's summer solstice event is a good example. They set up a quick review process for influencer content created during the event, ensuring timely posting while maintaining brand consistency.

4. Use collaboration tools

Use project management tools like Asana or Trello to track progress, share feedback, and manage deadlines.

Adjust for Each Platform

Different social media platforms need different approaches:

1. Understand platform nuances

What works on Instagram might flop on LinkedIn. Take Koi Footwear's collaboration with Grace Beverley:

Instagram: High-quality product shots and behind-the-scenes Reels
TikTok: Fun, trendy videos showing the shoes in action
YouTube: In-depth review and styling tips

2. Optimize for mobile

78% of consumers discover new content while watching creator videos. Make your content mobile-friendly:

Use vertical video formats for stories and reels
Write concise captions
Create clear, tappable call-to-actions

3. Leverage platform-specific features

Use each platform's unique features:

Instagram: Interactive stickers in Stories
TikTok: Trending sounds or challenges
YouTube: Detailed descriptions with timestamps

4. Adapt content length

Tailor your content length:

Instagram: Short, punchy captions
Twitter: Concise tweets, maybe threads for longer content
LinkedIn: More detailed, professional posts

Remember what GRIN says:

"There really is no substitute for great content. And good content should be the backbone of your marketing strategy."

Step 5: Check Results

After teaming up with influencers, it's time to see how your campaign did and keep those relationships strong. Let's look at how to track your results and nurture these partnerships.

Measure Success

To know if your co-created content hit the mark, you need to crunch some numbers. Here's how:

1. Set clear KPIs

Before you launch, decide what success looks like. This could be:

How many people saw your content
How much engagement you got
Website visits
Sales
Money made

2. Use tracking tools

Here's how to see what impact your campaign had:

Give each influencer their own special link
Use UTM tags in your URLs
Create landing pages just for this campaign
Hand out unique discount codes

Koi Footwear, a fashion brand, did this when they worked with Grace Beverley. They gave her special discount codes to use on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This way, they could see exactly how many sales came from her.

3. Dig into the data

Use tools like Google Analytics 4 to see how many people bought something because of your campaign. Compare this to your other marketing efforts to see how it stacks up.

4. Look at the big picture

Numbers are great, but don't forget about the other stuff:

What are people saying in the comments?
Are fans creating their own content about you?
Has how people see your brand changed?

Mikaella King from CB Digital Design says:

"The best way to measure your success is to set targets."

By setting clear goals and tracking the right things, you'll know if your campaign worked and what to do next time.

Keep Good Partners

Building strong relationships with influencers is key. Here's how to keep them happy:

1. Give feedback

Tell them what worked well and what could be better next time. This shows you care about their work.

2. Share how it went

Be open about how the campaign did. If it was a hit, celebrate together. If not, talk about how to make the next one better.

3. Stay in touch

Don't ghost them after the campaign. Keep the connection alive by:

Interacting on social media
Checking in now and then
Sharing interesting industry news

4. Offer special perks

Give your best influencers first dibs on new stuff, invite them to cool events, or offer longer partnerships.

5. Think long-term

For influencers who keep delivering, think about working together more often. This can lead to more genuine content and better results over time.

Kyle Flaherty from Cybereason advises:

"Set up KPIs that are relevant to your brand and industry."

Conclusion

Co-creating content with influencers can supercharge your brand's reach and engagement. But it's not just about picking someone with a big following. You need to be smart about it.

Here's what you need to know:

Pick partners who get your brand

It's simple: team up with influencers who share your values. When Nike partnered with Colin Kaepernick in 2018, their online sales jumped 31%. That's what happens when your values click.

Set some ground rules

Give influencers a clear idea of what you want, but don't box them in. Glossier nailed this with their micro-influencers. They gave them a quick rundown on brand voice and look. The result? Authentic content and 6x more Instagram followers in just two years.

Build relationships that last

Don't treat influencers like a one-night stand. Build lasting partnerships. As GRIN puts it:

"The best influencer marketing programs treat their creator relationships with great care."

Let creativity flow

Trust your influencers. They know their audience better than you do. In fact, 77% of content creators are more likely to work with brands that let them do their thing.

Keep an eye on results

Don't set it and forget it. Check how your campaigns are doing and be ready to switch things up. Use tools like Google Analytics 4 to see what's working and what's not.

At the end of the day, influencer marketing is about real connections. As Joyce Vandijck, a social media and influencer marketing pro, says:

"In influencer marketing, co-creation means close collaboration with an influencer who is involved in a campaign."

So, don't just throw money at influencers. Work with them, trust them, and build something awesome together.

FAQs

What's the best way to approach influencers?

Want to connect with influencers? Here's how to do it right:

1. Follow and engage

Start by following them and actually interacting with their content. It's like warming up before the big game.

2. Do your homework

Malou Deuber from socialrelation gets a 90% response rate. How? She digs deep into influencer profiles before reaching out.

3. Email vs. DM

Emails give you more space to explain yourself. But check their bio first – they might prefer DMs.

4. Nail your pitch

Keep it short and sweet – 75-100 words max. QuickMail puts it bluntly: "If your pitch is boring, don't expect a reply."

5. Make it personal

Show you've actually looked at their stuff. Mention specific content you liked. This simple trick can boost your chances by 32.7%.

6. Talk money upfront

Be clear about payment or freebies from the start. No one likes surprises when it comes to compensation.

7. Let them be creative

77% of creators are more likely to work with brands that don't micromanage their content. Give them some freedom.

8. Follow up (once)

No response after a week? Send a quick, friendly reminder. Still nothing? Time to move on.

Building relationships takes time. As the Digital Marketing Institute says, "Influencer outreach is like dating – choose wisely and approach carefully."

How to Co-Create Content with Influencers: 5 Steps