When our founders set out to build an innovative influencer marketing agency, supporting social media creatives was at the core of their vision. The collaborators we work with are the heart and soul of our agency, and their experiences, perspectives, and feedback about what’s working for them and the audiences they’ve built continue to shape our approach. The following tenets have been our guiding principles from the start, and it’s these philosophies that help us navigate the ever-changing marketing landscape.

Authenticity Above All Else
If authenticity isn’t driving a partnership -- it won’t be as successful. Period. If a creator shares a message that doesn’t align with their values, or if a brand requires content on a platform that doesn’t make sense, or if anything jeopardizes authenticity, we know that the results are less effective. Today, consumers are more skeptical than ever, and they’ll often ignore marketing messages that are out of alignment with their expectations of what an influencer’s content generally feels like. When asking an influencer to share a message with their audience, we always frame the opportunity in a way that encourages authenticity.

“The idea was to explore balancing motherhood and work and working from all our different happy places. Something we are always trying to figure out and achieve as busy working mamas. We took our HP laptops everywhere, from home to the park, to our favorite lunch spot and even the beach. We did a great giveaway with our social media following where they had to guess clues of where our favorite happy place was (Malibu Cafe of course). There was amazing participation, and we found it to be such a successful sponsored post.” - The unforgettable actresses, musicians and moms behind Girls with Glasses

Commitment to Quality
Having worked on some of the first influencer campaigns back when blog posts were pretty much the only medium for sponsored content, we’ve witnessed the expansion of the industry firsthand. As more brands began recognizing the value and impact of influencer content, and more agency partners began to offer it, we saw campaign success dip when quantity was prioritized over quality. For us, quality is crucial to success. That means developing strategic campaigns with credible partners (both brands and creators!) that center on authentic, meaningful and sincere messages that inspire.

"Over the years, an entire industry has emerged from the word “blog”, and I’m so glad I jumped on this train when I did as it has opened so many doors for me, has allowed me to start my own business, and work and create relationships with insanely awesome brands like Old Navy, H&M, and Justin’s Boots." - Up-and-coming style blogger from Wyoming, The Egg Out West

Nurture & Support Collaborator Growth
We genuinely want our creative partners to grow and succeed. When the men’s lifestyle leader The Kentucky Gent thanked us for truly advocating for his brand, we felt a sense of pride for the work we do to expand the businesses of the people we’re lucky to collaborate with. There’s nothing more rewarding than helping a creator land their first big brand collaboration, realize their potential, and start generating consistent income from their creativity.

“I was given opportunities to work with large brands that I would have never imagined possible…and through each of those projects, I grew immensely as a creative. I've worked on projects for Patron, Naked Juice, Jawbone, and others.” - Content creator and photographer, Danny Owens

Clear & Consistent Communication
From the beginning, we knew that detailed creative briefs and impeccable communication would be essential to successful campaigns. For a creator to produce their best content for a brand, they must have a deep understanding of the brand’s aesthetic, messaging, and most importantly, campaign goals. At Collectively, we make it our #1 priority to capture both the big picture and the nitty-gritty details in order to fully brief collaborators on how to succeed.

“The creative brief describes the message the brand wants to tell through my DIY work and writing. By far Collectively is the most organized and personal agency I’ve worked with during the past three years.” - DIY expert and seasoned blogger, Kraft Mint

Creative Freedom
While we always provide detailed briefs, we never underestimate the importance of creative freedom. Clear guidelines allow collaborators to focus their ideas and challenge their creativity, but the right amount of flexibility within those boundaries allows for unexpected innovation. If a partner has an all-star idea that strays from the initial guidelines, we always make room to have those conversations.

“Once my gut tells me that this is a brand that I'd like to work with, my mind starts racing with creative ways to share their product or service. Creatively, I love the structure that comes along with working with Collectively. I’ve always been a believer that working with constraints allows me to be challenged and come up with my best ideas.” - Creative entrepreneur and designer, Design Comb

Transparency & Fair Pay
When it comes to costs, influencer marketing can still feel like the “wild, wild west.” There’s no official industry standard for assessing value. So, we developed a proprietary solution that allows us to pay influencers appropriately and fairly, based on metrics including audience size, engagement rate, and campaign performance. Our approach values flexibility and considers the overall campaign scope while honoring the best interests of both the creators and the brands we work with.

“With every campaign, they always reach out personally with projects that will best suit my blog and then they walk me through the process with clear guidelines, fairly negotiated contracts, and timely pay out. Their highly organized approach and creative campaigns always inspire me to do my best work.” - Long-time lifestyle and DIY blogger, Delia Creates

Enthusiasm, Passion & Personal Touch
When you love what you do, even hard work feels like fun. At Collectively, our team brings passion, enthusiasm, and curiosity for the industry. Building lasting, trusting relationships with our clients and collaborators is at the heart of our human-centered approach. In a hyper-expanding, lightning-fast digital world, taking the time to genuinely connect is vital — now more than ever. After all, human creativity is the force that fuels our work and it can’t be automated.

"I always enjoy working with brands through Collectively because they’re an influencer agency with a human approach and high-touch partnerships that keep personal, meaningful relationship with each influencer they partner with." - Kevin O'Gara, Editor of Thou Swell, a celebrated interior design blog

Developing a holistic influencer strategy, and need some support? We can help! Email us.