Creator Marketing Guide
Answers to the questions brands and creators ask before every collaboration – from costs and briefs to UGC, invoicing, business registration and ad disclosure.
Find & book creators
How to find the right creators, check their stats and plan a campaign you can actually measure.
Creator marketplacePrices, reach and audiences in the open — book without a round of quotes.Micro- and nano-influencersFilter by follower tier, engagement rate and audience rather than by fame.ListingBrief once instead of asking twenty times — matching creators apply to you.Payment protectionWhy the money only goes to the creator after approval — and what happens with a refund.Complaints & disputesRevision, case chat and refund when a delivery does not fit the brief.Product samplesSending a product to the creator — value of goods, returns, replacement, offsetting.Find influencersFrom search profile to wishlist — how to find creators whose audience fits you.Hiring influencersFrom request to approval — and which line items end up on the invoice.The basicsWhat influencer marketing is, what types there are and how a collaboration works.StrategyGoal, audience, creator mix and timeline — the building blocks of a campaign you can plan.Writing a briefThe points of a creator brief template — and what else belongs in it for UGC.Contacting creatorsWhat belongs in a request to a creator – and why so many requests go unanswered.Measuring campaignsWhich metric fits which goal – and how to estimate the ROI of a campaign.Checking statsRed flags for bought reach – and what’s behind the “verified numbers” badge.Engagement rateThe formula, its variants for Instagram and TikTok — and how to compare numbers fairly.Creator poolCollect candidates, align with your team and request everyone on the list at once.Tracking & codesA link and a code for each creator – and where attributing sales hits its limits.Long-term partnershipFrom one-off job to brand ambassador – what to agree on and how repeat bookings run smoothly.
Pricing & budget
What creator marketing costs, what drives the price and how to split your budget wisely.
Influencer pricingA rate card instead of a price request: package prices, surcharges and fees at a glance.Cost per postStory, feed post, video: why formats cost different amounts and how to compare rates fairly.TikTok pricingWhy views matter more than followers on TikTok – and what Spark Ads change about the price.Reel pricingReel, Story or feed post – what drives the price and what a partnership ad costs.UGC pricingLength, variations, raw footage and usage rights – what really sets the price of UGC.Budget planningThe cost blocks of a campaign — and how to get started sensibly even on a small budget.Fee + commissionA fixed fee plus a share of the sales driven — how the model works and when it is fair.Barter dealProduct instead of a fee — when that’s fair, why many say no and what still needs to be agreed.Invoice & feeWho issues the invoice, what's on it and when the reverse charge applies.Whitelisting costA usage rights surcharge plus your own ad spend – what Spark Ads really cost.
UGC & content
Understand user generated content, brief it well and use it in your online store and ads.
UGC and contentVideos and photos for your ads — produced by the creator, published by you.UGC creatorMeaning, role and skills: what a UGC creator delivers and what they don’t.UGC video adsStructure, variations and usage rights: how creator videos become ads that perform.UGC examplesUnboxing, testimonial, tutorial and more: which UGC format fits which purpose.UGC briefHook, key message, script outline: what a UGC creator needs to know before filming.UGC for ecommercePlan and use product videos and lifestyle photos for product pages, ads and email.UGC vs. influencerBuying reach or buying content: the difference between UGC and influencer marketing.Paid ads with creatorsDark posts, brand ads or the creator's account: how influencer content becomes a paid ad.Product photosEveryday lifestyle photos instead of studio shots: shots, brief and rights for UGC photos.
Creator marketing by industry
Ideas and formats for hotels, restaurants, retail, beauty, fitness, apps and many other industries.
Influencers for hotelsThe right creators, strong formats and clear agreements for hotel collaborations.Tourism influencersShowcase destinations with creators: source markets, topics across the seasons, many local businesses.Travel UGCGuest-style travel videos and photos for your website, social media and ads.Influencers for restaurantsFind local food creators, set terms for the visit and fee, and choose the right formats and dates.Local creatorsFind local micro-influencers, start small and choose formats for your store, studio or trade.Creators for ecommerceReach, discount codes and UGC: how online stores use creators with purpose and track results.Beauty influencersMakeup and skincare with creators: selection, formats, testing time and product claims.Fashion influencersShow fashion with creators: match style and size, try-on hauls, timing and samples.Fitness influencersSports creators for gyms, sports brands or apps — formats, timing and claims.Food influencersRecipe videos, taste tests and product photos: food creators for food and beverage brands.Apps & SaaSMake software tangible: creators for app promotion and SaaS, formats and tracking.Gaming influencersChoose streamers and gaming creators by format, platform and audience instead of fame.Event creatorsFrom a spot on the guest list to an agreed deliverable: book creators for openings, launches or trade shows.B2B creator marketingExpertise over reach: creators who reach decision-makers in their working day.Family & kidsBook parent creators for kids’ products — with respect for the children’s privacy.Pet influencersPet creators for food, accessories and care — real everyday life instead of staged scenes.
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & more
What works on which platform and what to watch out for in collaborations.
Instagram ReelsShort vertical videos that reach beyond your followers – planned with creators.TikTok marketingBook TikTok creators who show your product in their own style – at fixed prices.YouTube sponsorshipsIntegration, dedicated video or Short: hire YouTubers whose videos keep getting found.Twitch sponsorshipsPresent it live, don’t just show it: book streamers for products people can try out.Instagram StoriesShort, direct, with a link: Stories for promotions, codes and quick clicks.LinkedIn creatorsProfessionals with a business audience: how LinkedIn creators make B2B brands visible.Pinterest creatorsIdeas that get saved: Pinterest creators for fashion, home, food and DIY.Connecting channelsNumbers straight from Instagram, TikTok or YouTube instead of screenshots by email.
Agencies & teams
Organize creator marketing with an agency, management, a team and multiple locations.
Agency or platformBuy in advice or book yourself — and how the two work together.Creator managementWhat a manager takes on, what belongs in the contract and where the limits are.Agency softwareCreator CRM, campaigns, approvals and billing in one tool instead of five.Team & rolesWho requests, who pays, who sees what – influencer marketing with several people and locations.EnterpriseHeadquarters and countries: who decides, who books and how global campaigns fit together.Regional creator poolA shared pool of local creators — the board preselects, the businesses book.
Creators by country & region
Find and book creators in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and across Europe.
Influencers in AustriaFind creators with an Austrian audience — from Vienna to the provinces.Influencers in GermanyNationwide or regional: find creators with a German audience and book them through creatordeal.Influencers in SwitzerlandGerman-speaking Switzerland, Romandy, Ticino: find creators with a Swiss audience.UGC creators ItalyFind Italian UGC creators and micro-influencers – or get booked as a creator from Italy.Book internationallyLanguage, audience, shipping and billing for creator collaborations in other countries.Creators in EuropeMany languages, many markets — find and book European creators with one workflow.US influencersFind US creators by country, language and audience – fixed prices, payment in euros.US brands in EuropeLaunch in Europe with European creators – multilingual, one invoice, servers in the EU.US creators and EuropeWork with European brands as a US creator — fixed prices, secure payment, payout in euros.
Become a creator
Getting started as a creator or UGC creator: profile, portfolio, media kit, rates and link in bio.
Become a creatorFrom your first post to your first paid collaboration — step by step.Become a UGC creatorProduce content for brands instead of building reach – how to get into UGC work.UGC portfolioA few strong work samples instead of a long list – how to build your portfolio.Media kitWho you are, who you reach, what you offer – a media kit that stays up to date.Rate cardFormats, prices and surcharges at a glance – how to put together your rate card.Setting your ratesEffort, reach, format and usage rights — how to arrive at your own rate.Link in bioWhy the link sits in your profile and what belongs on a good bio page.Linktree alternativeA bio link with legal notice, packages and requests – free, with servers in the EU.Link in bio shopYour own products, affiliate links and discount codes in the Shop tab — next to your packages for brands.Optimize your profileSet up your bio, images, channels and packages so brands find you and understand you right away.Faceless creatorFaceless content and faceless UGC: formats that fit, the limits and what brands want to see.Small creatorsWhy brands book small accounts and how to land collaborations with few followers.
Brand deals & making money
Find brand deals, win brands over, negotiate fairly and deliver cleanly.
Payout & KYCPayout method, identity check, tax number and the self-billing invoice for every payout.Get brand dealsThree paths to a brand deal — and what to check before you say yes.Pitching brandsStructure, tone and timing of a collaboration pitch – and the mistakes that make pitches fail.First collaborationWhat to clarify before you accept, how delivery works and what you need for the payout.Finding brand dealsListings board, open calls and creator search – where brands are looking for creators right now.Making moneyIncome streams, pricing factors and what is left of a job after commission and taxes.Affiliate for creatorsCommission instead of a fee: how affiliate links work and how to use them the right way.Refer creatorsShare your invite code: free Pro time for newcomers, a share of the commission for you.Networking as a creatorBuild contacts with brands, agencies and creators – no obligation, and in both directions.Negotiating ratesJustify your rate, use levers besides price and answer a counteroffer with confidence.Delivery and approvalPreview, revision rounds and approval – how you deliver content and get paid.Pro membership for creatorsWhat you can use without a subscription, what Pro adds and how to get Pro time.
Legal, taxes & contracts
General guidance on business registration, invoicing, contracts, usage rights and ad disclosure – not legal advice.
Usage rightsFour levels from organic to full buyout — what the brand may do with the content.Creator contractThe points a collaboration turns sour without — and where you find them here.Legal notice in bioPublisher information for business profiles — solved without a website of your own.Ad disclosureMaking paid posts, product samples and affiliate links recognisable — and who answers for it.Business license AustriaBusiness license, taxes and social insurance for creators in Austria — a first orientation.Business registration GermanyBusiness or freelance, registration, trade tax and VAT — a first overview.Writing an invoiceWhat goes on an influencer invoice — and why you get a credit note on creatordeal.VAT exemption for creatorsVAT as a creator: what the small business exemption means and where its limits are.Barter deals & taxesWhy products you keep are usually income — and what records you should keep.Contract checklistWhat an influencer agreement needs – and where those points already live on creatordeal.ExclusivityKeep category exclusivity narrow: category, duration, start date — and why it costs extra.Music in adsTrending sound or licensed music: what applies in paid Reels and ads.Disclosure in Austria“Anzeige” or “Werbung,” where the label belongs and who is watching in Austria.Data privacyWhat data flows in creator marketing — and how to handle it sparingly and properly.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Last updated: September 28, 2026