A four-week plan for your first short-video creator campaign

If you have never worked with a creator before, a clear timeline removes most of the stress. This is a four-week outline you can copy into a notes app and adjust. It assumes one creator, one short video and one platform. Nothing here needs special software.

Week 1: decide and shortlist

Write one sentence that says what the video should achieve, for example "show the product being used in an ordinary morning". If you cannot finish the sentence, you are not ready to contact anyone yet.

Then pick three or four creators whose existing content already looks like that sentence. Judge them by their recent posts, not only by their totals, and note why each one made the list.

End of week 1: one sentence, a shortlist of three or four, and a reason written next to each name.

Week 2: reach out and agree the brief

Send each creator a short message with four things: the goal, the format, the dates and what you can supply. Ask for their rate and what it includes (number of revisions, usage rights, how long the post stays up). When one creator says yes, put the agreement in writing in the same thread so nobody has to rely on memory.

End of week 2: one creator confirmed, a written brief, and dates for the draft and the publication.

Week 3: produce and review

Send the product and any materials early in the week. When the draft arrives, review it against your original sentence, not against a new idea you had halfway through. Give feedback in one list instead of a series of messages: it is easier for the creator to act on, and it keeps the video from drifting.

End of week 3: an approved draft and a confirmed publication date.

Week 4: publish and review

Publish on the agreed date and make sure the post is labelled as a partnership in the way the platform asks. A few days later, write down what you noticed: comments, saves, the questions people asked. Those notes are the real result of a first campaign, and they make the second one far easier to plan.

End of week 4: a half-page of notes and a decision about whether to work with the creator again.

Where TikTok fits

If the platform is TikTok, check the creator's public follower figure at the start of week 1 and again just before you book. A free TikTok follower counter (a Spanish-language page, no signup) does that without logging in. If you want somewhere to browse creators for your shortlist, Collabios is one place to start.

A general planning outline written by the Collabios team. Adjust the timings to fit your own product and calendar.