Best Practices & FAQ
Planning a campaign? Here is what to know first.
Quick answers for brand partners on planning campaigns, working with creators, using your content, and getting the most from your credits.
Getting Started with Hummingbirds
1.1How does Hummingbirds work?
Hummingbirds connects your brand with local nano-influencers and everyday content creators who purchase your product at retail, create authentic content, and share their experience on social media.
Our team manages the campaign process, including campaign setup, creator communication, creator selection, content review, and reporting.
1.2What does my Hummingbirds partnership include?
Your annual package includes:
- Platform and creator community access
- Dedicated Customer Success support
- Campaign strategy and onboarding
- Campaign brief creation and management
- Creator recruitment and communication
- Content rights in perpetuity
- Campaign reporting and analytics dashboard
- Creator perks/gift cards
1.3How do credits work?
One credit represents one participating creator.
Each participating creator typically delivers:
- 1 Instagram Reel or Feed Post
- 1 Instagram Story
Campaigns have a 10-credit minimum.
1.4Do I need to purchase or distribute creator gift cards?
No. Hummingbirds handles the purchase and distribution of creator perks for you.
1.5When do creators receive their perks?
Creators receive their perk in two parts:
- 30% after they're selected for the campaign
- 70% after they've completed all campaign requirements
Campaign Planning & Submission
2.1How do I launch a new campaign?
Submit all new campaigns through the Hummingbirds Campaign Submission Form: https://onboarding.hummingbirds.com/
Once submitted, our team will review your information, build your campaign brief, and prepare your campaign for launch.
2.2What information should I have ready?
To build the strongest campaign, we'll ask for:
- Retailer(s)
- Product(s) or SKU(s)
- Store list, if applicable
- Campaign goals
- Key messaging
- Product images
- Desired launch/posting timing
The more information you can provide upfront, the easier it is for our team and creators to execute your vision.
2.3How far in advance should I submit my campaign?
We recommend submitting campaigns 4–5 weeks before you'd like creators to begin posting.
For seasonal campaigns, retailer launches, or other key dates, earlier is always better.
2.4How many creators should I plan for?
Campaigns have a 10-credit minimum, with one credit representing one participating creator.
Your campaign size will depend on your goals, available credits, markets, and retailer footprint.
2.5How many markets should I include?
Whenever possible, we recommend grouping at least 3–4 markets together.
Larger market groupings create a bigger pool of eligible creators and tend to generate stronger interest. Very small or single-market campaigns can sometimes see more limited creator participation.
2.6Where is Hummingbirds active?
You can explore Hummingbirds' current cities and market coverage here:
Hummingbirds Cities & Markets: https://www.hummingbirds.com/cities?selected=48292004
Use this resource when planning your campaign to explore where Hummingbirds has creator communities and determine which markets may align with your retail footprint.
If you're unsure whether we can support a specific retailer or market, reach out to your Customer Success Manager. We're happy to help determine the best approach for your campaign.
2.7Can I run separate campaigns for different retailers, products, or markets?
Yes, but we recommend being thoughtful about how campaigns are grouped and timed.
Rather than breaking your credits into several very small campaigns, combining markets or retailers when it makes sense can create a stronger creator pool and bigger campaign splash.
We also recommend spacing campaigns strategically so multiple campaigns from the same brand aren't competing for creator attention at the same time.
2.8Can I submit campaigns for later in the year?
Absolutely, and we encourage it.
If you already know about upcoming retailer launches, seasonal moments, product launches, or other priorities, you can submit those campaigns early.
Even if every detail isn't finalized yet, planning ahead helps us understand your priorities and pace your credits appropriately.
2.9Can I repeat a previous campaign?
Yes. If you'd like to repeat a previous campaign or run something similar, submit a new Campaign Submission Form and note the campaign you'd like to build from.
This ensures our team has the most up-to-date retailer, product, timing, and campaign information.
2.10What happens after I submit my campaign?
Once your campaign is submitted, the Hummingbirds team will:
- Review your campaign details.
- Build the creator-facing campaign brief.
- Send the brief for review and approval.
- Prepare the campaign for an upcoming creator newsletter.
- Collect creator interest.
- Move into creator selection and confirmation.
- Activate the campaign and begin content creation.
We'll reach out if anything additional is needed before launch.
2.11What happens if my product is out of stock?
During campaign setup, you'll select a backup plan in case a creator can't locate your product.
Depending on the campaign, this may include:
- Purchasing an alternate approved SKU
- Visiting another eligible store
- Removing the creator from the campaign
Our team will help determine the best option based on the situation.
Campaign Briefs & Requirements
3.1How much control do I have over my campaign brief?
Your campaign brief is built collaboratively. You provide your goals, products, messaging, and must-have requirements, while our team structures the brief using campaign best practices to support creator participation and strong content.
You'll have the opportunity to review your brief before the campaign launches.
3.2What's the difference between a requirement and a “Brand Would Love to See”?
Requirements are items creators are expected to complete as part of the campaign.
Brand Would Love to See items are creative preferences or suggestions that help guide creators but are not guaranteed deliverables.
If something is essential to your campaign, make sure it is clearly communicated as a requirement before the campaign launches.
Once creators have been selected and the campaign is underway, we're unable to add new requirements or change the expectations creators originally agreed to. For anything new that comes up, we're happy to make sure it's included in your next campaign brief.
3.3What content requirements can I include?
Depending on your campaign, requirements may include:
- Showing the product in-store
- Demonstrating product usage
- Mentioning key product benefits
- Tagging your brand and retailer
- Featuring a specific SKU
- Including specific campaign messaging
- Language preferences
If English-language content is important for your campaign, make sure it's included as a requirement in your campaign brief before launch.
We recommend keeping required elements focused and concise so creators still have flexibility to produce authentic content.
3.4Can I include product images?
Yes. We highly recommend including clear product renders or packaging images.
These help creators identify the correct product while shopping and can reduce confusion at the shelf.
3.5Can I make changes after approving my campaign brief?
Minor updates may be possible before your campaign launches.
Once a campaign is live and creators have reviewed and agreed to the campaign expectations, changes become extremely limited.
New requirements generally cannot be added after launch, so we recommend reviewing your brief carefully before approving it.
3.6Can I require creators to purchase multiple products?
We generally recommend keeping required purchases to one product.
Lower purchase requirements reduce barriers to participation and can help attract a larger pool of eligible creators.
If you'd like creators to consider additional products, this can be included as a preference rather than a required purchase.
Creator Selection
4.1How are creators selected?
Creators express interest in campaigns they're excited about and eligible for.
Creator fit can depend on:
- Location
- Retailer/store accessibility
- Audience fit
- Content quality
- Engagement
- Campaign requirements
Brands also have the opportunity to review interested creators before selections are finalized.
4.2Can I choose which creators participate?
Yes. Please contact your Customer Success Manager if you would like to star your birds.
Please note, because participation is interest-based, the exact creator mix and number of interested creators can vary based on your product, retailer, market, timing, and campaign requirements.
4.3What is Starring Birds?
You can indicate preferred creators, but we recommend keeping your selection pool flexible.
Waiting for a very small group of specific creators can sometimes slow down campaign confirmation. If you have priority creators, selecting a broader pool helps keep the campaign moving.
4.4Can you guarantee creators from every market?
We can't guarantee an even split of creators across every market.
Participation depends on creator eligibility and interest, which is one reason we recommend grouping several markets together whenever possible.
4.5Can I request specific creators?
If you've previously worked with creators you loved, you can indicate that you'd be interested in working with them again.
Because participation is interest-based, specific creators aren't guaranteed to be available or interested in every campaign.
4.6Can I avoid repeat creators?
Yes. If you'd like to prioritize new creators to reach different communities, let your Hummingbirds team know during the selection process.
4.7Can I require a minimum follower count?
Our community primarily consists of nano-influencers and everyday content creators with highly engaged, locally relevant audiences.
If you have creator preferences, they can be considered during selection, but we generally recommend evaluating creators based on overall fit, content quality, engagement, and local influence rather than follower count alone.
4.8What happens if a creator can't complete the campaign?
If a selected creator is unable to participate, our team will work to replace them whenever possible.
If participation isn't completed, applicable credits are handled according to your agreement.
We grant creators a one-week extension grace period if they communicate to our team that they are unable to post during the standard two-week posting window.
Content, Revisions & Usage Rights
5.1Who owns the content?
Hummingbirds owns the campaign content, while your agreement includes perpetual usage rights, allowing your brand to use the content across approved channels such as:
- Organic social media
- Brand-owned websites
- Email and other owned marketing channels
- Paid media, where applicable under your agreement
You'll be able to download your campaign content and repurpose it across your brand channels.
5.2Can I edit the content?
Yes. Once downloaded from your dashboard, you may crop, edit, combine, or repurpose the content for your brand channels.
5.3Can I use the content in paid advertising?
Yes. Paid usage rights are included in your agreement.
5.4What's the difference between paid usage and whitelisting?
Paid usage allows you to use creator content in ads running from your brand's social accounts.
Whitelisting allows ads to run directly from a creator's social account. Because this requires additional creator permissions, whitelisting requires separate agreements and fees.
5.5Can I request content be removed or changed?
If content does not meet an agreed-upon campaign requirement or violates platform policies, reach out to the Hummingbirds team so we can review it.
It's important to distinguish between an agreed-upon requirement and a Brand Would Love to See preference when requesting changes.
5.6Can creators leave retailer reviews?
We don't require or incentivize creators to leave retailer reviews.
Creators who genuinely enjoy your product may choose to leave a review independently, but retailer reviews are not guaranteed or included as a campaign deliverable.
Reporting & Campaign Performance
6.1Where can I view campaign results?
Your Hummingbirds dashboard includes campaign metrics, creator submissions, downloadable content, and reporting.
6.2When should I evaluate final campaign performance?
We recommend allowing approximately 11 days after content posts for social platforms to provide more complete performance data before evaluating final campaign results.
6.3Can I compare creator performance?
Yes. Individual creator metrics are available within your dashboard. Navigate to the participation tab and select “Download CSV” to get the metric sheet with individual results.
When reviewing results, we recommend looking at the campaign holistically rather than evaluating success based on a single creator or metric.
6.4Can I track sales?
Hummingbirds campaigns are designed to drive awareness, authentic content, retail discovery, and local advocacy.
If you're looking to measure verified purchases, Hummingbirds Offers provides a receipt-verified cashback solution that can complement your creator campaigns.
Credits & Ongoing Campaign Planning
7.1How should I pace my credits?
We recommend planning campaigns around your most important retailer moments, launches, seasonal priorities, and markets rather than using credits simply to use them.
Most brands run on a monthly or quarterly campaign cadence, depending on their retail calendar and available credits.
Planning several campaigns ahead also makes it easier to see how your credits will be distributed throughout your partnership and ensures you have enough reserved for key moments later in the year.
Your Customer Success Manager can help you map out a cadence that makes the most sense for your goals and available credits.
7.2Can I add more credits?
Yes. Additional credits can be purchased during your contract if you'd like to expand an upcoming activation or add campaigns to your plan.
7.3What happens if my campaign is delayed?
If your launch timeline changes, let the Hummingbirds team know as soon as possible.
We'll work with you to adjust campaign timing whenever possible. Please note that once birds receive the perk, we are unable to cancel.
Campaign Best Practices
8.1How do I get the best campaign results?
A few of our biggest recommendations:
- Submit campaigns 4–5 weeks ahead of your desired posting window.
- Group 3–4+ markets together whenever possible.
- Keep campaign requirements focused and concise.
- Include clear product and packaging images.
- Provide accurate retailer and store information.
- Give creators flexibility to tell an authentic story.
- Avoid splitting credits across too many small campaigns.
- Plan ahead for seasonal and key retailer moments.
- Review your campaign brief carefully before approving it.
Support & Your Hummingbirds Team
9.1Who should I contact if I need campaign support?
For campaign-related questions or support, contact:
For strategic planning, reporting, partnership questions, or other account-specific needs, your dedicated Customer Success Manager remains your primary point of contact.