Community Guidelines
Share what you know. Ask what you don't. Protect what isn't yours to share.
Creator Backchannel exists so creators can help each other navigate the business behind the creator industry. Good intel helps creators find contacts, understand professional relationships, check what is current, and learn from one another's experiences.
You don't need groundbreaking insider information to contribute. If another creator would find it professionally useful, it probably belongs here.
Good things to post
Share a useful contact
“Last time I worked with Brand X, Jane Smith at Agency Y handled the creator partnership.”
Include approximately when you worked with them so others can judge how current the information is.
Share an agency relationship
“Agency X was handling influencer for Brand Y when I worked with them earlier this year.”
Agency relationships change. Say “was handling” or “last I worked with them” when you are unsure whether it is current.
Share a professional update
“Looks like Jane moved from Agency X to Brand Y.”
Useful when you know this through legitimate professional or public information.
Ask for a contact
“Anyone have a current creator contact at Brand X?”
Exactly what Backchannel is for.
Ask who handles an account
“Anyone know which agency is handling influencer for Brand X right now?”
Good question.
Ask about someone’s role
“Is Jane Smith still handling Brand X at Agency Y?”
Also useful.
Ask about creator activity
“Has anyone worked with Brand X recently?” or “Anyone know if Brand X is actively doing paid creator partnerships?”
Great questions.
Ask about an experience
“Anyone worked with Agency X? How was the experience?”
Good.
Share your own experience
“I worked with Brand X last year. Communication was great, but payment took about 90 days.”
Be factual and distinguish your experience from broad claims about the company.
Better: “My payment took 90 days.”
Not: “They never pay creators,” unless you have a reliable basis for that broader claim.
Share compensation you may disclose
“They offered me $2,500 for one Reel.”
Only share compensation or contract information when you have the legal right to do so. Do not violate an NDA or confidentiality obligation.
Correct outdated information
“FYI — Jane no longer works at Agency X. She moved to Brand Y.”
The Backchannel becomes more valuable when creators keep information current.
Questions are contributions too
You don't need to arrive with insider intel. Questions make the Backchannel better because another creator may know the answer.
Instead of wondering, “Who handles influencer for this company?” ask the Backchannel. Someone else may have worked with them last week.
Don't coordinate rates or pricing
Creators must make their own independent decisions about rates, fees, and deal terms.
You may share truthful information about your own past compensation or describe an offer you personally received when you have the right to disclose it.
Do not use Creator Backchannel to:
- Agree with other creators on minimum, maximum, or standard rates
- Coordinate what creators should charge a particular brand or agency
- Organize a collective refusal to work unless specific rates or terms are offered
- Coordinate bids, discounts, fees, usage rates, or other commercial terms
- Pressure another creator to adopt a shared pricing strategy
- Ask others to commit to future rates or pricing behavior
Not: Let’s all agree not to accept less than $2,500 per Reel.
Better: I was paid $2,500 for one Reel in a campaign last year.
Historical compensation information is shared for individual professional awareness. Each creator must independently determine their own rates and whether to accept or reject an opportunity.
What NOT to post
Don’t knowingly post false information
Don't guess and present the guess as fact. Uncertainty is completely fine—just say when you're uncertain.
Not: Agency X definitely handles Brand Y.
Better: Does anyone know if Agency X still handles Brand Y?
Don’t share confidential information
Do not post confidential campaign briefs, internal strategy documents, unreleased materials, confidential contracts, private business documents, trade secrets, or information you are prohibited from disclosing under an NDA or confidentiality agreement.
Knowing something does not automatically mean you have the right to publish it.
Don’t upload private emails or messages
Don't dump screenshots of private email, Slack conversations, texts, DMs, or other private communications without the legal right and a legitimate reason. Share permitted professional information in your own words.
Don’t dox anyone
Professional information can be relevant. Private personal information isn't.
- Home addresses
- Personal phone numbers or email addresses
- Family information or private social accounts
- Financial information or government identification numbers
- Passwords, credentials, or precise private locations
A public/business email may be useful professional intel. A personal cell phone number is not.
Don’t expose another member
Do not guess or reveal a member's identity, share clues intended to identify them, ask others to identify them, or threaten to expose them. What happens in the Backchannel stays anonymous.
Don’t make unsupported accusations
Describe what happened. Let other creators draw conclusions.
Not: Brand X scams creators.
Better: My invoice was due Net 30 and I didn’t receive payment until day 75.
Not: This person is a fraud.
Better: They stopped responding after my deliverables were submitted.
Don’t harass people
Criticism is allowed. Harassment isn't. Do not threaten or repeatedly target someone, use slurs, encourage harassment, attack someone's identity or personal life, or pursue personal grudges. Keep criticism focused on professional behavior and firsthand experience.
Don’t manufacture consensus
Do not create multiple accounts, coordinate fake confirmations, manipulate Cred or reactions, fabricate answers, or pretend you independently verified something you did not.
Don’t spam or self-promote
Creator Backchannel is not a place to repeatedly advertise yourself, your services, course, or agency. A relevant professional recommendation may be appropriate when it genuinely answers a question.
A simple rule
- 1. Is it useful?Would another creator benefit?
- 2. Do I have a reasonable basis?Firsthand experience, legitimate knowledge, or reliable public information.
- 3. Am I allowed to share it?If it is confidential, improperly obtained, or private, don't post it.
If all three are yes: share it with the Backchannel.
When you're unsure
Use language that reflects what you actually know.
Not: Jane handles Brand X.
Better: Jane handled Brand X when I worked with them last year.
Not: Brand X is hiring creators.
Better: Anyone know if Brand X is currently looking for creators?
Not: Agency X lost the account.
Better: Does anyone know if Agency X still has the Brand Y account?
Being uncertain isn't bad intel. Pretending to be certain is.
Reporting something
Every post and comment has a Report action. Report false or misleading information, confidential or private information, harassment, spam, impersonation, or another concern.
Reports are reviewed by Creator Backchannel. Reporting something does not automatically remove it.
Corrections
Brand, agency, and professional information changes constantly. If you see something outdated, use Suggest a correction on the relevant profile. Corrections enter the moderation/admin review workflow.