We are bringing you the real lessons behind the metrics and how to apply them in any industry.
This is the final post in our three-part series recapping the Ad Age webinar Beyond the Like, hosted by Creator in partnership with Groupon. In Part 1, we broke down how Groupon streamlined creator recruitment. In Part 2, we explored how they repurposed influencer content across channels to maximize ROI.
Now, we’re closing the loop with what every brand wants to know: What worked best? What do we wish we did sooner? And what advice would we give to anyone starting out?
Here’s a look at the biggest wins and how to apply those learnings to your own creator program.
Reagan Anthony from Groupon shared the importance of strong influencer communication.
“How to create briefs for these campaigns, how to communicate expectations has made the process so much easier, which has allowed us to move faster."
One of the biggest operational wins came down to how briefs were built. Clarity and communication sped everything up. With better briefs and clearer expectations, the team spent less time chasing deliverables and more time driving results.
This didn’t happen by accident. At Creator, our expert team has worked across hundreds of campaigns. By combining industry experience with insights from past performance, we helped Groupon deliver clear, actionable briefs that set creators up for success from day one.
Takeaway: Invest time upfront in setting expectations and building templates. The clearer the brief, the smoother the campaign.
“Focusing on building a community with our influencers earlier on is something I wished we had done.”
A roster is just a list, but a community is a strategy. While content gets you noticed, connection keeps creators coming back. We know community isn’t built overnight, but it pays off long-term in creator loyalty, better content, and more authentic advocacy.
Trust us, you won't regret it, but you will regret not starting earlier.
Takeaway: Start community-building early. Encourage feedback, keep creators in the loop, and nurture long-term relationships instead of one-off transactions.
As Creator’s Ishita Sachdev put it, the most impactful lessons from the Groupon partnership weren’t tactical, they were strategic:
The brands winning today are building systems to scale influencer campaigns. By embedding creator content across channels and treating influencers like strategic partners, companies like Groupon are finding smarter, faster, more sustainable ways to reach real audiences.
And with the right approach, so can you.
