The Champion Strategy Playbook: From Discovery to Collaboration

Finding champions is just the beginning. The real work is building a comprehensive strategy that takes you from initial discovery through successful, ongoing collaborations. This playbook provides the complete framework for a champion strategy that drives real results.

The Complete Champion Workflow

Stage 1: Discovery and Research (Week 1)

Objective: Identify and evaluate potential champions

Activities:

Use Champions discovery tool with 3-5 topic variations
Review champion scores (authenticity, relevance, authority)
Study example posts to understand content style
Check posting frequency and engagement patterns
Create a shortlist of 20-30 potential champions

Deliverables:

List of prioritized champions with scores
Notes on each champion's content style and audience
Initial assessment of fit for your goals

Time investment: 2-3 hours

Stage 2: Initial Outreach (Weeks 2-3)

Objective: Make first contact with prioritized champions

Activities:

Follow champions and engage with their content for 1 week
Use message generator to create personalized outreach
Customize messages with specific references
Send outreach messages (5-10 per week)
Track response rates and engagement

Deliverables:

Outreach messages sent
Response tracking spreadsheet
Initial relationship status for each champion

Time investment: 1-2 hours per week

Stage 3: Relationship Building (Weeks 4-12)

Objective: Build genuine relationships with responsive champions

Activities:

Consistent engagement with champion content
Value-first interactions (sharing, commenting, supporting)
Follow-up conversations with responsive champions
Identify collaboration opportunities
Build trust through consistent value delivery

Deliverables:

Active relationships with 5-10 champions
Engagement tracking
Collaboration pipeline

Time investment: 30 minutes daily

Stage 4: Collaboration Execution (Months 4-6)

Objective: Execute successful collaborations with champions

Activities:

Propose specific collaboration projects
Define mutual value and expectations
Execute collaborations (content features, co-creation, etc.)
Amplify and support champion content
Measure results and gather feedback

Deliverables:

Completed collaborations
Performance metrics
Case studies and learnings

Time investment: Varies by collaboration type

Stage 5: Long-Term Partnership (6+ Months)

Objective: Build ongoing partnerships with top champions

Activities:

Regular check-ins and relationship maintenance
Ongoing collaborative projects
Mutual support and value exchange
Network expansion through champion introductions
Strategic planning for future collaborations

Deliverables:

Long-term partnerships established
Expanded network through introductions
Ongoing collaboration pipeline

Time investment: 1-2 hours per week

Setting Champion Strategy Goals

Before you start, define what success looks like:

Goal Types

Awareness Goals:

Reach X new people through champion collaborations
Increase brand mentions by X%
Grow follower count by X over Y months

Engagement Goals:

Achieve X% engagement rate on champion-featured content
Generate X conversations or comments
Build X active community members

Relationship Goals:

Establish X ongoing champion relationships
Get introduced to X new creators
Build X collaborative projects

Business Goals:

Generate X leads or signups
Drive X sales or conversions
Build X strategic partnerships

SMART Goal Framework

Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound:

Bad goal: "Get more followers through champions" Good goal: "Grow from 5K to 10K followers in 6 months through 10 champion collaborations, targeting 500 new followers per collaboration"

Champion Selection Criteria

Not all champions are created equal for your specific goals. Use this scoring system:

Selection Matrix

Rate each champion (1-5) on:

Relevance (Weight: 30%)
- How closely aligned is their content with your niche?
- Do they serve your ideal audience?
Authenticity (Weight: 25%)
- Is their content original and genuine?
- Do they have real engagement from real followers?
Authority (Weight: 20%)
- Are they respected in their niche?
- Do other creators engage with them?
Engagement Quality (Weight: 15%)
- Do their followers actively engage?
- Is the engagement authentic or bought?
Collaboration Potential (Weight: 10%)
- Are they open to collaborations?
- Do they have a history of working with others?

Scoring:

4.5-5.0: Priority champions—focus here first
3.5-4.4: Strong candidates—good for outreach
2.5-3.4: Consider if you have capacity
Below 2.5: Probably not a good fit

Outreach Strategy by Champion Type

Type 1: High-Authority Champions (Authority 85+)

Characteristics: Established voices, large followings, selective about collaborations

Outreach approach:

Lead with significant value proposition
Show you understand their audience and goals
Propose high-impact, strategic collaborations
Be patient—they receive many requests

Example message structure: "I've been following your work on [topic] and noticed you're focused on [specific goal]. I've built [specific thing] that directly addresses [problem they care about] for your audience of [their audience type]. I'd love to share how this could benefit your community—no strings attached."

Type 2: Rising Champions (Authority 65-84, High Authenticity)

Characteristics: Growing influence, highly engaged audience, more accessible

Outreach approach:

Focus on mutual growth and collaboration
Emphasize shared values and goals
Propose creative, win-win projects
Build relationships, not just transactions

Example message structure: "Your content on [topic] really resonates—especially [specific post/angle]. I'm working on [project] that aligns with [shared value/goal], and I think there's a natural collaboration opportunity that would benefit both our audiences. Would you be open to a quick conversation?"

Type 3: Niche Champions (High Relevance, Smaller Following)

Characteristics: Deep niche expertise, highly engaged smaller audience, very accessible

Outreach approach:

Emphasize shared niche and values
Focus on community building together
Propose collaborative content creation
Build long-term relationships

Example message structure: "I love how you approach [specific niche topic]. Your perspective on [specific thing] is exactly what I've been trying to articulate. I'd love to collaborate on [specific project] that serves our shared [niche] community. What do you think?"

Collaboration Types and When to Use Them

Collaboration Type 1: Content Features

What it is: Champion features you or your content in their posts

Best for: Awareness goals, reaching new audiences

How to propose: "I'd love to share [resource/content] that I think would be valuable for your audience. No obligation—just thought you'd find it useful."

Success metrics: Reach, impressions, new followers

Collaboration Type 2: Co-Creation

What it is: You create content together

Best for: Relationship building, demonstrating expertise

How to propose: "I'd love to collaborate on a thread about [topic] that combines your expertise in [their strength] with my experience in [your strength]."

Success metrics: Engagement, relationship depth, mutual value

Collaboration Type 3: Cross-Promotion

What it is: You promote each other's content or projects

Best for: Mutual growth, building relationships

How to propose: "I'm launching [project] and would love to cross-promote with you. Your audience would benefit from [specific value], and I'd be happy to promote [their project] to mine."

Success metrics: Mutual reach, relationship strength

Collaboration Type 4: Community Building

What it is: Building something together (event, challenge, group)

Best for: Long-term relationships, community growth

How to propose: "I'm thinking about creating [community initiative] around [topic]. Would you be interested in co-hosting? I think our combined audiences would really benefit."

Success metrics: Community growth, relationship depth, ongoing engagement

Measuring Champion Strategy Success

Key Metrics to Track

Discovery Metrics:

Number of champions discovered
Average champion scores
Discovery-to-outreach conversion rate

Outreach Metrics:

Messages sent
Response rate
Positive response rate (interested vs. not interested)

Relationship Metrics:

Active relationships maintained
Engagement frequency
Relationship depth score (subjective but trackable)

Collaboration Metrics:

Collaborations completed
Reach per collaboration
Engagement per collaboration
Follower growth from collaborations

Business Metrics:

Leads generated
Conversions from champion traffic
Revenue attributed to champion strategy
ROI of time invested

Tracking Tools

Spreadsheet Template:

Champion name and handle
Discovery date and scores
Outreach date and response
Relationship status
Collaborations completed
Metrics per collaboration
Notes and next steps

Regular Reviews:

Weekly: Review outreach responses and follow-ups
Monthly: Assess relationship health and collaboration pipeline
Quarterly: Evaluate overall strategy performance and adjust

Case Studies: Champion Strategy in Action

Case Study 1: Product Launch

Goal: Launch new product to relevant audience

Strategy:

Discovered 30 champions in target niche
Reached out to top 10 (highest relevance + authority)
Built relationships with 5 responsive champions
Executed content features with 3 champions
Result: 2,000 new followers, 150 signups, 3 ongoing partnerships

Key learnings:

Quality over quantity in champion selection
Relationship building before asking for features
Mutual value is essential for success

Case Study 2: Thought Leadership

Goal: Establish authority in niche

Strategy:

Focused on high-authority champions (85+)
Proposed co-creation projects (threads, events)
Built deep relationships with 3 key champions
Result: Introductions to 10+ other creators, speaking opportunities, established authority

Key learnings:

Co-creation builds deeper relationships than features
High-authority champions open doors to networks
Quality relationships > quantity of collaborations

Case Study 3: Community Growth

Goal: Build engaged community around topic

Strategy:

Discovered niche champions (high relevance, smaller following)
Built relationships through consistent engagement
Created collaborative community initiative
Result: 500 active community members, 5 ongoing champion partnerships, sustainable growth

Key learnings:

Niche champions often more valuable than large followings
Community building creates long-term value
Consistent engagement builds trust

Common Strategy Mistakes

Mistake 1: No Clear Goals

Starting without clear goals leads to scattered efforts and unclear results. Define what success looks like before you begin.

Mistake 2: Chasing Follower Count

Prioritizing large followings over relevance and authenticity leads to poor results. Focus on fit, not size.

Mistake 3: One-and-Done Outreach

Sending one message and moving on wastes opportunities. Build relationships, not just send pitches.

Mistake 4: Not Tracking Results

Without tracking, you can't improve. Measure what matters and adjust based on data.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Relationship Health

Focusing only on new outreach while neglecting existing relationships wastes investment. Maintain what you've built.

Scaling Your Champion Strategy

Phase 1: Manual (0-10 Champions)

Personal outreach for each champion
Manual relationship tracking
Customized collaboration proposals
Time: 5-10 hours per week

Phase 2: Systematized (10-50 Champions)

Templates and systems for outreach
Spreadsheet tracking and automation
Standardized collaboration frameworks
Time: 10-15 hours per week

Phase 3: Scaled (50+ Champions)

Team support for relationship management
CRM or dedicated tools for tracking
Tiered relationship management (deep vs. regular engagement)
Time: 15-20 hours per week with team

Conclusion

A successful champion strategy isn't about finding the most champions or sending the most messages. It's about building a systematic approach that takes you from discovery through long-term partnerships, with clear goals, proper tracking, and a focus on genuine relationships.

Start with clear goals, discover champions strategically, build relationships authentically, execute collaborations that create mutual value, and maintain partnerships for long-term success. This playbook gives you the framework—your execution and relationship-building skills make it powerful.

Remember: champion strategy is a long-term investment. The relationships you build today will pay dividends for months and years to come. Start with one champion, build that relationship well, then scale what works.

The best champion strategies aren't built in weeks—they're built over months and years through consistent, value-first relationship building. Use this playbook as your guide, but let genuine relationships be your north star.