What to Agree Before a Creator Campaign Runs

Deliverables

What is being made, on which channel, and when it goes live. A campaign scoped as “a video” and one scoped as “an integration, a community post and a Short cut from the same footage” are different products at different prices.

Usage rights

The organic post is one thing. Running that video as a paid ad, putting it on your own channels, or using stills elsewhere are separate rights, each priced separately and each running for a set term. Ask for them up front: buying usage after the fact costs more than buying it in the original deal.

Category exclusivity

Whether the creator can work with your competitors, in what category, and for how long. Exclusivity has a real cost to a creator because it turns away other work, so it is priced. Define the category narrowly. “No other meal kits for 60 days” is buyable; “nothing in food” usually is not.

Creative approval

Who sees the script, who sees the cut, how many rounds, and how long each takes. The campaigns that work are the ones where the brand supplies the message and the creator supplies the delivery. Approval over facts and claims is normal. Approval over tone tends to cost you the performance you were buying.

Disclosure

Paid partnerships are disclosed. On YouTube that means the paid promotion label and a clear mention in the video. It is not negotiable, and it does not hurt performance: an audience that trusts a creator expects it.

Timings

Live dates, the review window before them, and what happens if a date moves. Fixed launch dates cost more because they limit which creators are free, so the earlier a date is locked the more of the roster is available to you.

What we set out before booking

We put deliverables, usage rights, exclusivity, approvals and timings into the scope before anything is booked, alongside the recommended creator lineup and indicative rates. Nothing is committed until all of it is agreed.