The danger of too much control
If you micromanage the creative, you will kill your team's ability to test. You are not a creative director. You are a business builder. Tell your team what your growth goals are for the quarter. Tell them what your target CAC is. Then, get out of their way. If they suggest using a network to scale reach, let them. If they want to test ten different versions of an onboarding clip, let them. The cost of your interference is higher than the cost of a failed test.
Focusing on the funnel, not the feed
Your team should be focused on the entire funnel, not just the post. They need to understand what happens after a user clicks. Is your landing page converting? Is your app onboarding flow smooth? If your team only cares about how pretty the Instagram feed looks, they are missing the point. Your brief should reflect this. Tell them their success is measured by the quality and quantity of the users who actually install and use the app.
Introducing a managed content network
A managed content network is a set of many brand-owned Instagram pages (for example 50 pages like @brand.daily or @brand.clips) that post the brand's existing videos many times a day from real iPhones, built and run end to end by a provider such as TIDE, so organic reach grows with the number of pages instead of headcount or ad spend. It is a powerful tool for your team to use.
High-level accountability
Hold your team accountable for the metrics, not the creative process. If they are not hitting their install targets, ask them for a plan to change the distribution strategy. Ask them how they are improving their conversion rates. This creates a culture of accountability where people are focused on outcomes, not just on getting through their to-do lists. That is the kind of team that builds a profitable business.
Brief your team on business outcomes and let them choose the best distribution methods to hit goals.
See your network before you hire.
Tell us what your consumer app company already makes and how you get customers today. We'll show you a real network running live and tell you honestly whether it fits. It costs about the same as one marketing hire.
Follow-up questions
What if my team refuses to try a network?
Ask them what their plan is to hit the growth targets without it. If they don't have a plan, the network becomes the logical choice.
Should I set the creative tone?
Yes, but keep it simple. Your focus should be on the core value proposition, not the specific design or tone of each video.
How do I measure this in a one-on-one?
Focus the meeting on the growth metrics, the CAC, and the overall efficiency of the social acquisition funnel.