How Willow got 306,000 views from seven creators, at 36% below their quoted rates

Willow is an AI voice dictation app: you talk, and it types in whatever app you're using. Willow had been finding creators itself and through a marketplace, but most of the applicants weren't a fit. It asked us for well-made videos from creators whose viewers work at a keyboard all day.

1. 1

   Found creators who make things.

   We shortlisted developers and tech reviewers with 18K to 590K YouTube subscribers. Willow approved every creator and every draft.

2. 2

   Negotiated the rates.

   We booked the seven creators for 36% less than they quoted in total.

3. 3

   Showed the product in use.

   Dictation is hard to talk about for ten minutes, so creators used it on screen instead. Mehul Mohan built projects in his coding tutorials by talking to Willow, with a bubble on screen each time it typed for him.

4. 4

   Mixed the formats.

   From May 1 to July 13, seven creators made 17 posts: dedicated YouTube videos, mentions inside regular videos, Shorts, TikToks and Instagram Reels.

The 17 posts have passed 306,000 views. Viewers liked, commented, shared or saved them at a rate of 3.0%, against about 2% typical on YouTube.

AppleDsign posted a YouTube integration, a Short, a TikTok and an Instagram Reel for Willow. Together they passed 126,000 views, and the Reel alone reached 97,000.

IntegrationJun 19ShortJun 14

Awesome built Willow into one of his regular videos for 141,000 developer subscribers. It passed 61,000 views with 4,246 likes and 376 comments, an engagement rate of 7.6%.

IntegrationMay 18