Free Playbook

Tiffany Hardin’s Playbook for Creator Discovery, Vetting, Outreach, and Casting

New to creator marketing? This step-by-step playbook covers creator discovery, vetting, outreach, and casting—built for modern brand growth.

Hate it or love it, the creator economy is the new operating system for brand growth.

Many brands treat creators like content vending machines, but the most impactful brands build creator partnerships the way Hollywood casts talent: intentionally, strategically, and intelligently.

If you’re new to working with creators, this process might seem daunting. I wrote this playbook to help you launch creator collabs that drive awareness, affinity, and action from the start. Inside, you’ll get my proven system for:

Discovering creators who have influence, not just reach.
Vetting for brand safety and values alignment.
Crafting high-conversion outreach that creators actually notice.
Building a casting strategy rooted in purpose, trust, and performance.

Why listen to me?

As founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, I’ve spent the last decade-plus paying millions to creators for brands like Hulu, Target, Rocket Mortgage, WeWork, and Microsoft. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when brands approach creators as strategic partners versus human billboards or tactical media buy placements, and I’ve helped brands build scalable creator programs that work, whether you're starting from scratch or leveling up.

This playbook reflects that experience. It’s designed to help your team move faster, think smarter, and build the kind of reputation that creators want to co-sign.

Ready to build creator partnerships that make an impact?

To execute with confidence, download the full Creator Discovery, Vetting, Outreach & Casting Playbook, complete with templates, checklists, and step-by-step guidance.

- Creator Discovery & Tracking Sheet

- Vetting Checklist (Downloadable PDF)

- Outreach Email Templates & DM Scripts

Download Tracking Sheet Download Vetting Checklist & Email and DM Scripts [Slides]

5 Steps to Starting Creator Collabs

Like all systems, creator collaborations need a solid foundation. Start by solidifying your strategy and criteria before you slide into anyone’s DMs. Then, you can jump into discovery, vetting, outreach, and casting.

One

Strategy

Tiffany Hardin tip one is focus on strategy

The biggest mistake I’ve seen new teams make is jumping straight to discovery without a strategy. Let me walk you through how to do this right.

Before you even open TikTok, ask: What do I want creators to accomplish? Is it to drive sign-ups with a unique code? Build awareness for a new product? Seed community conversations?

Once you’re clear on your “why,” or your goal for engaging creators, write down criteria for the type of creators who can help you reach that.

Consider:

Content style.

Which content style will lend itself well to your message? For example, a creator who posts mostly voiceover content won’t be a good match for a visual product. Consider if you want a creator who posts mostly highlight reels versus one with on-camera close-ups and candid conversations.

Platform choice.

Which platforms are you active on, and which are you trying to grow? Consider also where your target audience is and what types of creators they follow. For example, make sure you’re on Twitch, Discord, and YouTube if you operate a gaming platform.

Brand values.

Consider what values you want your creators to embody, like luxury vs. affordability or well-being vs. hustle culture. Think about what might raise a red flag for your brand, like profanity for a company selling children’s products.

Nail this foundation upfront, then use it as your North Star for the rest of the process.

“The most impactful brands don’t treat creators like content vending machines — they cast them like Hollywood talent.”

tiffany hardin-1 — Tiffany Hardin
Creator Marketing Expert

Two

Discovery

Tiffany Hardin step two focus on discovery

The discovery phase is where you start matching that vision and criteria to real-world creators. This part is fun, and there are a number of ways to go about it.

If you have access to an influencer platform, use it for creator discovery by searching by keyword, industry, or reach. These can be very useful, but also expensive, and they aren’t required.

Browsing the native platforms is a great, but time-consuming, way to discover relevant creators. Manual research on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, or even Substack can uncover obvious and not-so-obvious choices for good-fit creators. An agency or consultant can save you time by proposing a list based on your parameters.

Then, don’t forget the power of referrals. My favorite hack is to find one creator you genuinely admire, then ask them, “Who else in your circle would fit the bill for this?” People love to tell you who they’re following or refer work to their friends.

So, let’s say that you created a list of 50 creators in your niche. How do you narrow it down?

Look closer at these evaluation criteria:

Cultural resonance.

Does the creator hold real influence in the specific community you’re trying to reach? Not just followers, but authority. For example, a YouTuber who shared a vlog from the Appalachian Trail will have more sway with outdoors gear enthusiasts than one who shares day hikes or city walks.

Reach.

How many people will your campaign be able to reach? Everyone wants to work with celebrity influencers, but that’s not always realistic. Micro-influencers and nano-influencers have higher engagement than most celebrities and can drive successful influencer campaigns despite a smaller follower count.

Authenticity.

Does their content feel connected and real, not performative? (Yes, I know “authenticity” is an overused word, but we still need to ask: does this feel true?)

Engagement quality.

Are people watching the content all the way through? Commenting meaningfully or sharing? Look beyond likes and study watch rates, saves, and conversation depth to determine how engaged their audience is.

Creative POV.

Does the creator have a unique angle or distinctive voice? Can they talk about your category in a way no one else does, or is it bland?

Pro Tip

Keep a simple tracking sheet from Day 1. Even if you’re not using software yet, note names, niches, and why they stood out. You never know when they’ll be perfect for your next campaign.

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Step Three

Vetting

The vetting step checks that creators align with your brand standards and needs before signing a contract. Vetting isn’t just about avoiding scandals. It’s a gut check for trust, quality, and compatibility.

What to look for when vetting:

Vetting Checklist

Available

Reputation and values alignment. Scroll their full feed, including their Stories archive. Look for red flags, like vulgarity, past controversies, or recent collabs with direct competitors.
The comments section. Do comments feel real, or like bots? Is follower growth steady, or suspiciously spiky? Does their audience read like your target audience?
Content integrity. Look at their video and image quality: Is their copy and video editing clean? Do they use captions and transitions effectively?
Business readiness. Look at whether the creator appears ready to work with brands. First, check for any previous collabs with brands. Did they feel cohesive and organic? Then, see if their profile includes any information about rates or a media kit. This may not become clear until outreach

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Creator Vetting Tools vs. Manual Audits

Several platforms, like Sprout Social, ViralNation, or CreatorIQ, offer brand fit scores and safety scores to help you determine if a creator is suitable. Most small and medium businesses start with a manual audit— and that’s okay.

Spend 15 minutes reviewing their last 30 posts. Ask yourself, would I feel proud to have this next to our logo? If the answer is yes, you can move ahead to outreach.

"I’ve spent the last decade paying millions to creators, and I’ve seen firsthand what happens when brands treat creators as partners instead of placements."

tiffany hardin — Tiffany Hardin
Creator Marketing Expert

Four

Outreach

Tiffany Hardin outreach creator email template

To start a conversation, craft an outreach message that feels personal yet professional. Creators receive dozens of generic DMs a week, but you can stand out with a specific, clear, and respectful ask.

There is as much at stake for the creator as there is for you, so be prepared with a sharp outreach message. This elevator pitch should show that you respect them and the substantial time, craft, and emotional labor they invest in their content.

Outreach principles to keep in mind:

Make it personalized. Mention a specific post, POV, or moment that resonated.
Connect on values. Explain why this matters, both for them and your audience. By the time you’re doing the outreach, you can be really transparent about why you chose them, what you’re looking for, and the quantity.
Be transparent. Share timelines, deliverables, compensation range, and usage rights upfront. This likely won’t be in the first message, but quickly after they express interest.

Find their contract information for the initial message, and keep in mind that larger creators will use a talent manager or agency as a middleman. When they respond, be ready to share campaign details, timelines, and compensation.

Contract Negotiations

Outreach is a multi-step process ensuring that both parties get what they want and need out of the partnership. Since it is a business partnership, later conversations will revolve around one thing: money.

Always share your budget transparently upfront and give enough creative details that creators understand what’s expected of them.

For instance, share how many times you want them to post and whose account content will be shared from. Anyone casting on the creator side should understand your media plan and ask the right questions upfront. The team then avoids renegotiating later.

Share all possible ways you might use the content in your campaigns, as this affects compensation. You don’t want to renegotiate usage on the tail end — trust me. Creators typically require more money for paid campaigns than organic ones, so share that upfront. You can always add a clause in the contract about renegotiating paid media at a later date.

Outreach Email Template

Five

Casting

Tiffany Hardin step five focus on casting

Most brands don’t just work with one creator on a campaign. They work with an entire cast. The casting step solidifies a vision of how your creator network will tell your story as a whole. Think about your final creator roster as a strategic ensemble cast, not a random list of names.

Here’s how to finalize your list and create a balanced, effective cast of creators.

Here’s how to finalize your list and create a balanced, effective cast of creators.

Available

Build dynamic cohorts, not isolated talent. One hero macro creator and three relatable nano creators often outperform five similar mid-tier voices.
Use layered storytelling. Use macro-creators for awareness, micro for trust, and nano for conversion. Give your creators creative freedom to share your story through their perspective, rather than handing them a script.
Build in diversity. Different creators can speak to different demographics or tell your story through a different lens. Make sure your creators don’t all look and sound the same.
Make budget choices. If one incredible creator comes in over budget and you decide it’s worth it, trim other creators or negotiate rates to balance it out.

At the end of this process, you should have a good mix of creators primed to tell a rich, full story. Once the negotiations happen, you can onboard the creators, deliver the campaign brief, and start the campaign.

Many times, either you or the creator will walk away from the process for one reason or another. Some people will say, “This doesn’t work for me, sorry.” But, you can keep that relationship open. Try, “Let me come back when I have the budget,” or “Let’s touch base in the next quarter in case it’s a fit then.” That’s especially valuable when starting a relationship and leaves the door open for future collabs.

a team integrating their creator strategy

Consider An Integrated Approach

We live in a moment where creator campaigns are often sold as easy, cheap, and fast by all kinds of platforms. The best creator collaborations are not simply transactional.

And, some while some brands are still timid about using creator marketing, the truth is, you may bump your head experimenting.

The brands that succeed are not simply the ones with the largest budgets but those willing to put some elbow grease into finding the right creators to develop as partners — not just use as distribution channels.

I've witness creator partnerships of all kinds have a company-wide impact. Using an integrated approach can support sales teams, strategy, public relations, product innovation, and cultural relevance across organizations.

If a brand is using clear goals, a strong brief, and operating with trust, brands can work with creators to get powerful content that positions their brand amongst the right audiences.

All of Tiffany's Creator Resources

Creator Discovery & Tracking Sheet

Organize, evaluate, and compare creators in one place with this easy-to-use tracking sheet built for strategic creator discovery.

Download Now

Influencer Outreach Email & DM Templates

Influencer Outreach Email & DM Templates

Cut through inbox noise with proven outreach emails and DM scripts creators actually respond to—clear, respectful, and conversion-ready.

Download Now

Vetting Checklist

Confidently assess brand fit, safety, and quality with a creator vetting checklist designed to help you choose the right partners.

Download Now

Mandy Bray

Tiffany Hardin’s Playbook for Creator Discovery, Vetting, Outreach, and Casting