What to ask for (and what not to ask for) from a creator

When a collaboration goes badly, the easy conclusion is that the person was not the right fit. Often the problem came earlier: in what was asked for.

Ask for the what, not the how

It makes complete sense to say what you want shown and what matters to you: the new product, the opening hours, the fact that you are on that particular street. It makes far less sense to dictate the wording line by line.

If someone has followers it is because they post in a particular way. The moment you make them post in yours, their followers notice instantly — and then it stops being a recommendation and becomes an ad you paid for. Exactly what you were trying to avoid.

Be precise about the boring parts

What is worth pinning down in writing, with no ambiguity, is the unglamorous stuff: how many posts, in what format, roughly when, whether you can reuse the content on your own channels and for how long. Almost every falling-out starts here, not in the creative part.

Do not ask anyone to pretend

Do not ask someone to say they are a long-standing regular if they walked in today for the first time, or to claim things about your product they have no way of knowing. Beyond misleading their people, it shows — and the damage lands first on whoever posted it and then on you.

And ask for what you actually want

If what you need is for people to know you exist, say so. If what you need is people coming in on a Tuesday afternoon because that is when the place is empty, say that too. It is useful information that almost nobody shares, and it completely changes what the other person can do for you.