How to run a clipping campaign that actually pays out
A practical playbook for turning founder footage, demos, and reviews into performance-linked posts, with Briefs, review, and Payouts that hold up.
Clipping turns one piece of source footage into many posts across many accounts. Done well, it is a virality engine, reach you engineer rather than buy. Done badly, it is a pile of low-effort uploads nobody verifies. This guide covers the second part: how to run a Campaign that pays on performance and holds up under scrutiny.
Define the Brief
The Brief is the contract between you and every creator. State the format, the rules, and the Payout before anyone applies. Ambiguity here is what produces disputes later.
Set the payout model
Most clipping campaigns pay on CPM, a rate per thousand verified views. Decide the rate, the verification window, and the cap before launch.
| Model | Pays on | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CPM | Verified views | Reach at scale |
| Per post + bonus | Approved post, then performance | Predictable volume |
| Pool + bonus | Shared pool by rank | Launch challenges |
Launch and review
Once creators apply, the work moves through a Review Queue. This is where you approve Submissions against the Brief, not vibes.
- 1
Publish the Brief
Open the Campaign with rules and Payout visible.
- 2
Approve creators
Match accounts and formats to the Brief.
- 3
Review Submissions
Check each post against the rules before it counts.
- 4
Verify and pay
Confirm views in the window, then release Payouts.
A campaign without verification is a giveaway with extra steps.
Common questions
Written by
Elliot Padfield & Brandon Huang run performance creator campaigns — and write down what works.
Reach you can’t buy with ads.
Mainstage turns one video into hundreds of posts from real creators — and you only pay when the views are real. Launch your first campaign this week.
