Influencer Fundraising Collaborations

I have managed over 500 influencer campaigns and grew Vavo Digital | Influencer Marketing to multiple 6 figures in the last 4 years.  Here are 15 key tips I would give anyone looking to run a successful influencer campaign (in no particular order): 1. Utilize Micro-Influencers Collaborate with micro-influencers who have a highly engaged niche audience for more authentic reach. 2. Create a Branded Hashtag Design a catchy, memorable hashtag to unify campaign posts across platforms. Example: #RedefineYourStyle for a fashion campaign. 3. Involve Influencers in Product Development Take influencers' input when designing or testing the product to make their endorsement more genuine. 4. Run an Influencer Challenge Create a fun, interactive challenge that encourages influencers and their followers to participate. Example: A fitness brand launching a 30-day workout challenge. 5. Utilize Instagram Stories Takeovers Have influencers take over your brand’s Instagram stories for a day to engage their followers. 6. Co-create content with Influencers Collaborate on content creation to blend both your brand and the influencer’s identity. Example: A beauty brand and a makeup artist co-producing tutorial videos. 7. Leverage Trending Topics Time your campaign with trending cultural or industry-related topics to stay relevant. 8. Exclusive Sneak Peeks Offer influencers early access to a product and allow them to give their audience exclusive sneak peeks. 9. Launch Teasers Get influencers to drop teaser posts to create buzz before the full campaign launch. 10. Collaborate with Multiple Influencers Bring together influencers from different niches for a cross-industry impact. 11. Interactive Q&A Sessions Host live Q&A sessions with influencers to engage followers in real time. 12. Influencer Gifting Send personalized gifts or product packages to influencers with a request for an authentic review. 13. Gamify the Campaign Introduce a game element, like a competition or leaderboard, that influencers can promote. 14. Highlight User-Generated Content Encourage followers of influencers to create their own content using your product, and feature the best ones. 15. Offer Influencer-Exclusive Discounts Provide influencers with unique discount codes to share with their followers. Virality isn't just about views. It's about creating a ripple effect of sharing, discussing, and remixing. Focus on sparking genuine emotions and connections. What's the most memorable viral campaign you've seen lately? #influencermarketing #socialmedia

Nonprofits are sitting on a goldmine of attention… but most are failing to mine it. While brands have been printing money with influencer marketing for years, nonprofits are still relying on outdated tactics like cold emails, gala dinners, and Facebook fundraisers that nobody clicks on. Let’s look at the numbers: ✅ Influencer-driven campaigns convert 2x higher than traditional nonprofit ads. ✅ 25% of donors are influenced by social media to give. ✅ The average nonprofit engagement rate? 0.066% on Facebook. Influencers? 3%–10%—aka 50x more impact. Nonprofits That Cracked the Code 1️⃣ St. Jude PLAY LIVE – Raised $50M+ through Twitch gaming influencers. 2️⃣ The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Partnered with Instagram creators, hit a 20% engagement rate, and reached 240K+ users. 3️⃣ MrBeast & TeamSeas – $30M raised through viral, shareable content. What’s the Playbook? 🚀 Stop Chasing Mega-Influencers – Micro-influencers (10K–100K followers) convert 5x better than big names. 🎥 Go All In on Short-Form Video – TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts. Gen Z consumes 68% of their cause-related content through video. 🤝 Make It Easy to Share – No long donation forms. No PDFs. Just frictionless giving and viral challenges. Nonprofits Need to Move. Now Stop wondering why your email open rates are 1.2% and your donor base is shrinking. Get out there, start building partnerships. With purpose and impact, Mario

I've partnered with 20+ brands over the past 2 years as a B2B creator with 200K+ followers across Instagram, Linkedin and Tiktok. Here's my hot take(?!) on what I've learned about influencer marketing that works vs. doesn't work. The difference between partnerships that perform and ones that flop usually isn't the creator or the influencer marketing team. It's how tight the product marketing is before the brief even gets written. I've worked with a lot of B2B companies that have genuinely complex products. But when the brief comes through, it's often a list of features to cram into a 60-second video. No clear positioning or ideal customer. No simple one-liner on the outcome. No priority on what matters most. So I end up guessing and inferring. Trying to figure out what the product actually enables for the user — when the brand knows this better than anyone based on their own customer research. (They're probably not expecting a product marketer on the other side. But here we are) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: → 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳. Give creators a clear one-liner on what the product enables and the outcome to highlight — not just a feature list. If your product marketing team did the work defining positioning and messaging — share it with your influencers! I've even had a brand put a product marketer on the briefing call. Chef's kiss, thank you. → 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀. When I partnered with Anthropic, I gave my audience a downloadable Claude skill to get a 30-day build plan for their side project idea. Over 1,000 comments asking for it. Combined with Manychat, it drove engagement and gave people something actually useful. → 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀! One of my favorite partnerships to date has been with Adobe — we posted across platforms, including my Substack, which is rarely part of sponsored posts. That newsletter post let me tell a longer personal story that wouldn't have fit on other platforms about using the Photoshop product since high school, to a smaller but captive audience (8K subs at the time; 50% open rate). Different platforms, different storytelling. → 𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 = 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. The partnerships that tank are often the ones with a million requirements. Say the brand name in the first 3 seconds. Use this exact CTA. Hit these 5 talking points. The content ends up feeling and performing like a generic ad because there's no space to flex creativity after checking the boxes. The best brand partnerships feel like a collaboration, not a checklist. If you're on the brand side working with creators: tight positioning, creative freedom, and giving creators something valuable to offer their audience will consistently outperform a rigid brief! And if you're doing this already, you're the best!

The Creator Economy doesn’t need more of the same. It needs better thinking, stronger partnerships, and creators treated like the strategists they are. That’s why we’ve built Influencer into the world’s leading global independent specialist - by demanding better, and delivering it. We believe creators don’t belong at the edge of a marketing plan - they belong at the heart of it. So we asked 500 of them what it really takes to build better brand partnerships. The result? Our latest Creator Perspectives report, now featured in Forbes, thanks to Ian Shepherd 🙌 Here’s what creators told us - and why it matters 👇 🎯 “Clear brand guidelines mean less back and forth, fewer edits, and content that actually lands.” - @mrscotteddy Structure doesn’t kill creativity - it sharpens it. Too many brands mistake “total freedom” for “great creative.” But what creators actually want is a solid brief. Clear direction leads to faster delivery, fewer rounds of feedback, and stronger results. When expectations are aligned from the start, you avoid unnecessary friction - and most campaigns can (and should) be wrapped within two rounds of amends. That’s not just efficient - it’s fair, and it sets everyone up to win. 💰 “People think it’s just a quick video… but it’s planning, filming, editing, reshoots, strategy. That’s why I price based on effort, not followers.” - @prettylittlemarketer The way we price influencer marketing is about to change. Too many campaigns still bundle creator fees into a single number. But in 2025, that’s no longer good enough. While brands will continue buying at scale, agencies and in-house teams working directly with creators need to evolve. We can’t just quote for a post - we need to price for what’s actually being delivered. Think production, think usage, think platform-specific adaptation. Breaking this out creates transparency, fairness, and better forecasting. It’s not just smart - it’s necessary for sustainable, scalable partnerships. 🤝 “The brand didn’t just send me the product—they brought me in, showed me the tech, got me genuinely excited. That changed everything.” - @paperboyo Great partnerships create great advocates. When creators understand the why, they elevate the what. Bring them in early, show them the product, and they won’t just deliver content - they’ll become true advocates. Superfans. Product experts. The kind of partners who can confidently speak about your brand in DMs, in comments, and in every interaction with their community - because they actually know it. This industry doesn’t need more noise. It needs better work. Built with creators at the start.

Why are long term creator partnerships outperforming one off influencer posts?   Because in today’s marketing mix, consistency builds trust, and trust drives performance.   I’ve seen this pattern play out across gaming, tech, SaaS, and AI brands. A single post can spark awareness, but it rarely shapes behaviour. Long term creator relationships do something different. They give brands repeated moments of credibility, relevance, and authentic education in front of the same warm audience.   When a creator integrates your product into their everyday workflow, their community begins to understand it, not just notice it. And once people understand a product, they are far more likely to adopt it.   Here’s what long term creator partnerships actually deliver: ▶️ Compounding trust: Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds confidence. ▶️ Higher quality content: Creators get better at showing real use cases over time. ▶️ Stronger ROI: You’re not paying for one spike. You’re paying for consistent influence. ▶️ Marketing assets you can reuse: Tutorials, demos, reviews, and deep dives that fit across paid, owned, and earned channels.   The lifetime value of creator content is rising fast. Brands that treat influencer marketing as an ongoing relationship, not a one off tactic, are already seeing the difference.   If you want influence that lasts, you need partnerships that last too.

Last month, Storylane drove over 700,000+ impressions through influencer marketing. And at the start of the year, I had no idea how to make this channel perform consistently. I had no playbook, no proven process, and no ideas. So, I experimented. A lot. And while we’re still figuring it out, here’s what I’ve learned so far: 1. Smaller creators are outperforming larger ones for us Smaller creators often produce better, more authentic content. They’re typically more affordable, work harder, and deliver results with a hyper-focused audience. Larger influencers charge a premium, and the content often feels average. Exceptions exist, but they’re rare. 2. Build a curated influencer portfolio. There are more great influencers out there than your budget can handle. Start small, experiment, and refine a curated portfolio of creators who align with your goals, budget, and audience. This takes trial and error, so don’t rush it. Your “go-to” influencers will emerge over time. 3. Three months is enough to evaluate an influencer. In three months, you’ll know if the partnership is worth continuing. It’s enough time to assess content quality, audience engagement, and impact. 4. Set up clear contracts with influencers Include everything in writing: - Who owns the content? - Can you run ads with it? - Will they engage with your posts? - How many posts will they deliver? Clarity now saves confusion later. 5. Influencer costs vary... a lot. Pricing is all over the place, but here's a starting point. For this platform, expect $500–$2,000 per post for influencers with fewer than 100K followers. Bigger names might quote $5K or more. The highest I’ve seen is $650k per post (no joke). Decide what’s worth it based on your goals and their audience quality. 6. Influencer onboarding matters. Hop on a 1:1 call to align. Share your knowledge, past successes, and internal data. Learn their creative process and set expectations. The better you collaborate upfront, the smoother the partnership. 7. Influencer program management is a full-time job. I tried juggling this alongside my other responsibilities, and it’s a lot. Between sourcing, contracts, payments, content review, and feedback, the workload multiplies with every creator. Bring in outside help if you can afford it or upskill someone internally. 8. Give creators creative freedom. Over-controlling a creator’s content kills authenticity. Work closely on the brief to give them all the context they need, but let their voice shine through. The results are far better when they feel trusted. 9. Ethics build trust (with influencers and your buyers) Always disclose influencer partnerships (FTC compliance isn’t optional). I see a lot of brands and creators not disclose these partnerships (on LinkedIn, in private communities, Slack groups etc.) and it's WRONG. Don't trick your buyers. Be honest. We’re still learning, but this channel is showing promise, and I plan to scale it further in 2025.

Here’s what NOT to do if you work in marketing: Send gifts that collect dust. Last Black Friday, Puresport did the exact opposite. Instead of mailing out another stack of products that end up unused, unopened, or “thank you!!”-posted-but-never-touched again… They sent 500 influencers an empty box. Literally empty. Inside was a note explaining the idea: Fill it with whatever you have in excess. Extra gear. Unused products. Clothing you never reach for. Anything that could help someone who needs it more. Every box came with a prepaid return label. Whatever influencers sent back was donated directly to Greenhouse Sports, a charity that supports young people through mentorship and athletics. And then Puresport took it a step further. They turned their weekly run club into a “Gift It Back Run,” where the community carried the returned boxes over to Greenhouse Sports together. A physical moment that made the whole thing feel real. A great reminder that marketing doesn’t always have to be about sending more. Sometimes the most memorable campaigns ask people to give, not receive. I love when a brand talks the talk and actually walks the walk. Huge kudos to Grayson Hart and Adam Ashe for this one. If you’re new here, I’m sharing the most creative and meaningful Black Friday ideas all month. Connect with me (Brendan Cox) to stay in the loop. #marketing #brandstrategy #blackfriday #creatorstrategy #communitybuilding

An increasingly important channel for GTM product launches that is often misunderstood is the influencer program. And I don’t mean TikTok-style influencers, one-off ads, or chasing people with massive audiences just for impressions. What I’m talking about is building long-term partnerships with credible experts in your field. I first saw this many years ago at Autodesk, where we worked with 10–15 respected practitioners who are experts in the field. We gave them early access to our products, invited them onsite for strategy sessions, and in their own words they explained how it solved the real needs of their customers. They became extensions of our team by adding credibility and depth we could never create on our own. This then drove real curiosity, consideration and purchase from our target accounts who follow them. Over the years, influencer programs have now become huge and you see sponsored posts everywhere these days. Yet I’ve also seen too many programs lean toward the transactional, chasing reach instead of substance. Done that way, it rarely works. But done well, it can become a game changer in drive real traction and adoption. I’ve seen this validated first hand in 2 ways: 1️⃣ In my own launches (e.g. my PMM Job Search System launch), where my strongest “influencers”, former clients sharing their experience authentically drove a sizable share of organic engagement and ultimately purchase. 2️⃣ As an "influencer" myself, I’ve partnered with a handful of companies like Navattic or UserEvidence, where I genuinely believe in/use their product, and align with the company’s mission. So if you are a PMM trying to spin up an influencer program as part of your GTM, here is what I will tell you (and what I tell my clients): --> don’t try to spin up an influencer program right before a launch. The most effective ones are evergreen relationships you can activate differently across launches and campaigns. A few best practices: ➕ Pick "influencers" who are experts with more credibility over reach. Some of the best people have fewer following but high trust and engagement. Ask your customers who they follow and worked with, and whose voice they trust. ➕ Give these experts early access to the product so they can tell the story in their voice and focused on value-delivery to their client instead of just straight up presenting ads. Move away from product story to customer story. ➕ Invest in long-term partnerships, not one-off posts. Most partnerships take at least 3-months to see real results. TL:DR: “Influencer” is kind of a loaded word and cringy to be honest, but reframing it as expert advocacy can make it one of the most powerful levers a PMM can use in a launch. Have you built an influencer program before? Would love to hear what has worked for you! #productmarketing #productlaunch #GTM #coaching #influencer #advising

The Sidemen Charity Match. A blueprint for modern sponsorship: The facts: - 90,000 fans screaming at Wembley - 14M+ live views on YouTube - £4.7M raised for charity Yet: - No broadcast deals. - No pro players. - No leagues. (Just) YouTubers + influencers. Pure entertainment, maximum engagement, and brands fully integrated into the storyline. Why did it work so well? → Charity Factor £4.7M raised. Fans saw brands as partners in a good cause. → Brand Moments Prime Hydration, for example, was woven into the action. Visible during every penalty shot (14 shots!, see pic) and even changing-room sips. → Promo Codes Influencers can drive conversions we know that. Interesting to see promo codes on the LED board. → Digital Reach Free streaming on YouTube: Global audience. Instant shareability. → Viral Boost iShowSpeed + Kai Cenat + Max Frosh = content gold. Meme-worthy Moments that sponsors re-shared for extra and extended engagement. Creators x Football This has been a growing trend over the past years. You'll find different formats like: - Full pro lineups, no creators - Pure creator-led matches - Mixed creators + pros We provide sponsorship data across all three, including some of the biggest events. One thing I can tell you for sure: → This trend isn’t slowing down. And there’s so much to learn for brands, creators and sponsorship professionals. Every league, season, match = fresh case study. A growing space. Worth following! P.S. Where do you see creator-led sports events heading next? #CreatorEconomy #SportsMarketing #SportsBusiness #Sponsorship

Someone recently asked me, "Do non-profits also need to sign influencers?" My answer was simple: yes. For a long time, influencer partnerships have been associated with selling products and promoting brands. But influence is as important when you're trying to change mindsets, behavior, inspire action, or amplify a social cause. The right influencer can help a non-profit reach people who may never have heard about its work. They can spark conversations, encourage donations, recruit volunteers, and help important messages travel further than an organization's own channels ever could. The key, however, isn't finding the person with the biggest following. It's finding someone whose values align with your mission, whose audience trusts them, and who genuinely believes in the cause. In the non-profit space, influence is not measured only by numbers, It's measured by impact. So, if you're working on education, health, climate action, STEM, or gender equity, the right voice can help move people from awareness to action. The question is no longer whether non-profits should work with influencers. The real question is: Are we partnering with people who can genuinely move the mission forward? What's your take? Have you seen a non-profit campaign where an influencer partnership made a real difference? #PRandCommsGirl #Growth #influrencersfornonprofits