Collab Marketplace FAQ

Collab Marketplace is an AI-powered platform that connects content creators with businesses and other creators for collaboration opportunities. Using advanced matching algorithms, we help you find perfect partners based on your niche, audience, content style, and location.

Key features include:

• AI-powered semantic matching using vector embeddings
• Secure payment processing with escrow protection
• Project management tools for deliverables and approvals
• 90% payout to creators (only 7% platform fee + 3% processing)

Creating your profile is easy:

1. Navigate to /collab/setup from your dashboard
2. Fill out your profile: display name, bio, location, and website
3. Connect your social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)
4. Select your niches, audience tags, and content formats
5. Set your collaboration types and pricing range
6. Upload your portfolio and media kit (stored securely in R2)
7. Accept the marketplace terms and independent contractor agreement

Once complete, our AI will generate a semantic profile embedding to match you with perfect collaborators!

Collab Marketplace is currently in early access for select users. To join:

• Creators: You need an active It's Buzzing account and must complete your creator profile
• Businesses: You need a Business or Network+Team plan to access collaboration features
• Early Access: Initially available to aviloagency@gmail.com and kori@itsbuzzing.com

We'll be rolling out to all users based on feedback from our early access program.

Our matching system uses pgvector (PostgreSQL vector extension) with OpenAI embeddings to create semantic profiles:

1. Profile Analysis: We analyze your bio, niches, audience, platforms, and content style
2. Vector Embedding: Your profile is converted into a 1536-dimension vector using OpenAI's text-embedding-3-small model
3. Similarity Search: We use HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World) indexes for fast nearest-neighbor search
4. Smart Scoring: Matches are scored based on vector similarity, audience overlap, local proximity, and niche complementarity

This means matches aren't just keyword-based – they understand the meaning and context of your profile!

By default, we show matches with a score of 0.60 (60%) or higher. You can adjust this threshold in your settings.

• 0.90+: Exceptional match – highly compatible
• 0.75-0.89: Great match – strong alignment
• 0.60-0.74: Good match – worth exploring
• Below 0.60: Not shown by default

Yes! Each match has a status that you can update:

• Suggested: Default state for new matches
• Hidden: Remove from your feed (but keep the record)
• Contacted: Mark when you've reached out
• Collaborated: Mark when you've worked together

Use the icon to hide a match, or the icon to mark as contacted.

Starting a collaboration is simple:

1. Find a match you like on the /collab/matches page
2. Click "Request Collaboration" on their profile
3. Fill out the collaboration request form with project details, budget, and deliverables
4. The other party will receive a notification and can accept or decline
5. Once accepted, a Lead record is created for project management

Creators upload deliverables through the collaboration dashboard:

• Upload: Files are securely stored in Cloudflare R2 (not in the database)
• Status Tracking: Pending → Submitted → Approved/Rejected/Revision Requested
• Approval Workflow: Business reviews and approves each deliverable
• Revisions: Creators can resubmit with feedback incorporated

Supported file types: images, videos, PDFs, ZIP files. Max file size: 100MB per upload.

If a business rejects a deliverable:

1. The status changes to "revision_requested"
2. The business provides revision notes explaining what needs to change
3. The creator can resubmit an updated version
4. The revision_count increments for tracking
5. Payments are held in escrow until all deliverables are approved

If there's a dispute, both parties can escalate to platform support.

Creators receive 90% of the project total after fees:

• Platform Fee: 7% of project total
• Processing Fee: 3% (Stripe payment processing)
• Creator Payout: 90% of project total

Example: For a $500 project:

• Platform fee: $35 (7%)
• Processing fee: $15 (3%)
• Your payout: $450 (90%)

Note: These are among the lowest fees in the industry. Many platforms charge 15-30%!

We use Stripe to hold funds in escrow until deliverables are approved:

1. Project Start: Business is charged when collaboration begins
2. Funds Held: Payment is held by Stripe (not released yet)
3. Deliverables Submitted: Creator uploads work for review
4. Approval: Business approves all deliverables
5. Release: Funds are transferred to creator's Stripe Connect account (within 24 hours)

Protection: If there's a dispute within 10 days, both parties can request mediation.

Payout timeline:

• Approval: Business approves your deliverables
• Release Delay: 24-hour hold (safety period for disputes)
• Transfer: Funds transferred to your Stripe Connect account
• Bank Deposit: Stripe deposits to your bank (typically 2-3 business days)

Total time from approval to bank account: 3-5 business days.

Yes! To receive payments, you'll need to connect a Stripe account:

1. Visit your creator profile settings
2. Click "Connect Stripe Account"
3. Complete Stripe's onboarding (identity verification, bank info)
4. Once approved, you can receive payments

Note: Stripe handles all tax reporting (1099-K forms for US creators earning $600+/year).

You are an independent contractor. This means:

• You set your own rates and terms
• You control how and when you work
• You are responsible for your own taxes
• You are not entitled to employee benefits
• You retain rights to your content (unless work-for-hire is specified)

You'll acknowledge this when accepting the marketplace terms during profile setup.

Content ownership depends on the collaboration agreement:

• Default: You retain copyright, business gets usage license
• Work-for-hire: Business owns content (must be explicitly agreed)
• Usage Rights: Specify in the collaboration request (1-year, perpetual, exclusive, etc.)

Important: Always clarify content rights before starting a project!

We have a dispute resolution process:

1. Direct Communication: Try to resolve with the other party first
2. Platform Mediation: Request mediation within 10 days of approval
3. Evidence Review: Both parties submit deliverables, contracts, and communications
4. Decision: Platform support makes a final decision (funds released or refunded)

Disputes are rare when expectations are clear from the start!

Businesses can discover creators in two ways:

1. AI Matches: Navigate to /collab/matches to see AI-recommended creators based on your business profile
2. Search & Filter: Browse all creators with filters for niche, location, audience size, pricing, etc.

Our AI analyzes your business description, industry, target audience, and values to find creators who align with your brand.

Collab Marketplace supports various collaboration types:

• Shoutouts: Single post featuring your product/service
• Content Swap: Mutual promotion between creators
• UGC (User-Generated Content): Create content for your brand to use
• Sponsored Series: Multi-post campaigns over time
• Brand Ambassadorship: Long-term partnership
• Event Coverage: Live or recorded event content

Yes! Each creator profile includes:

• Portfolio: Sample work uploaded to R2 storage
• Media Kit: Downloadable PDF with stats, demographics, and case studies
• Platform Links: Direct links to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.
• Follower Metrics: Self-reported audience size per platform

Always review a creator's work before requesting collaboration!