Which campaign type to run
Collab, affiliate, performance and contest campaigns compared, with what each is actually good at.
Every plan, including Free, can launch all four types. The type decides how money moves, so pick it against your goal rather than your budget.
| Type | You pay | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collab | A fixed fee per creator, up front, held until you approve | Predictable content volume and UGC you can reuse | You pay whether or not it performs |
| Collab, barter or gifted | Product only, no cash released | Seeding, early-stage brands, physical products | Smaller creator pool, lower commitment |
| Affiliate | Commission on tracked sales | Direct response with a real margin | Creators need buying audiences or nothing converts |
| Performance / bounty | On measured results such as views or conversions | Scaling reach with cost control | Needs tracking set up correctly first |
| Contest | Prizes to the winners only | Mass participation and cheap volume | Entry quality varies wildly |
Rough guide by goal
- Need ad creative you own: collab with usage rights written into the brief.
- Need sales this month: affiliate, with a strong offer and a working code.
- Need reach efficiently: performance / bounty.
- Need awareness on a small budget: contest or gifted collab.
Barter and gifted campaigns release no payout
On those, and on affiliate work, there is no cash release step. You mark the collaboration complete instead. Say clearly in the brief that it is product-only, or you will waste everyone’s time in chat.
Platform fees differ by type at checkout: collab jobs are 5%, performance and bounty campaign funding is 10%, creator services are 0%. See Fees explained.
Related
Running and tracking a campaignCreating a campaign, inviting creators, tracking status, and the plan limits on active campaigns.Posting a brief that gets good applicationsWhat to put in a brief, how proposals arrive, and how boosting a listing works.Fees explained: what Elev8or charges and whenEvery fee on the platform, who pays it, and the exact percentage, with a worked example.
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