In short
You run an influencer marketing campaign across six phases: brief, offer and contract, production, structured review, publishing and payout. The key is that every step lives on one record – so context, approvals and payment status never get lost between brand and creator.
What does running a campaign actually mean?
Running a campaign means carrying a collaboration from idea to payout without scattering the brief, contract state, revisions, publishing dates and payment status across email, chat, sheets and a banking portal. Every handoff between tools is a place where context leaks. Collavo's approach is to keep the entire collaboration on a single record – brief, offer, contract, review, publishing and payout all attach to the same case.
What phases does a campaign go through?
| Phase | What happens | What must be secured |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief | Define goal, audience, deliverables, tone and rights scope | A measurable goal and the rights scope are documented |
| 2. Offer & contract | Negotiate terms (with a negotiation ledger), seal the contract | Mutually accepted terms, sha256-sealed contract |
| 3. Production | The creator produces the content | "Payment secured" status (escrow FUNDED) is visible before production starts |
| 4. Review | Frame-level annotations, version history | Approval by an authorised role; self-approval is blocked |
| 5. Publishing | Real API posts to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube | Rights status checked, post scheduled or live |
| 6. Payout | Track payout status across five stages | KYC and DAC7 records present, protective hold elapsed |
How do you write a brief creators actually execute?
The brief has the highest return: the more precise the deliverables, tone and rights scope, the fewer revision loops in review. A good brief specifies length, hook, call-to-action, linking and do's & don'ts per platform – not just "a reel".
- A measurable goal instead of "more reach"
- Concrete deliverables per platform (format, length, CTA)
- Tone, brand values and clear do's & don'ts
- The rights scope (where, how long, which channels)
- A timeline with draft, review and publish dates
How does a structured approval workflow work?
In review, content isn't waved through a chat – it's structured: frame-level annotations mark the exact spot in the video, every revision creates a new version, and the history stays auditable. A person cannot approve their own content – self-approval is blocked, approval sits with an authorised role such as the brand manager.
How do you publish across platforms?
Approved posts are published via real API calls to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – not a simulator. One honest platform limit: Instagram Stories and link stickers cannot be published via API. For those there is a HANDOFF mode where the creator posts manually at the scheduled time.
How do you measure ROI?
Reach and engagement are half the story; the economic question is ROAS and attribution. Be honest: conversions can only be attributed to a campaign when an external signal is connected (a postback or Shopify).
How does the creator get paid?
Instead of a black box, Collavo shows payout status across five honest stages: approval pending, approved, scheduled, paid out and arrived – each with an expected ETA and an overdue flag. "Payment secured" means the escrow amount is visibly held (FUNDED) before production starts. It is not a creator-controlled trust account: funds are EUR- and Stripe-Connect-bound, payout requires KYC and DAC7 records, and a protective hold of roughly 56 days applies.
- Transparent math: gross − platform fee − VAT on the fee = net
- Payout ETA is a calculated expectation, not a guaranteed date (always "expected")
- Cross-brand earnings overview in one place
- DAC7-ready records as PDF/CSV – Collavo captures and exports but does not file with authorities
Hosting & compliance, stated honestly
Collavo runs DSGVO-compliant processes, is hosted in Germany and works with SCC-secured subprocessors. This is not full EU data residency and not legal advice.
Frequently asked
- How many phases does an influencer campaign have?
- Six: brief, offer and contract, production, review, publishing and payout. In Collavo they all attach to one record.
- What does "payment secured" mean?
- That the escrow amount is visibly held (FUNDED) before production starts. It is not a creator-controlled trust account; payout requires KYC and DAC7.
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