In the rapidly evolving world of short-form content, one of the most critical questions creators face is:
"How can you create engaging content that promotes a client’s brand or products while staying true to your followers?"
The Hulett Brothers, Daniel and David, offer a blueprint for success. Their trick-shot videos, launched during the pandemic, have turned into a global content creation business, and they’ve managed to maintain the trust of their fanbase while securing partnerships with numerous well-known brands throughout their journey as content creators. These collaborations span a variety of industries, from sports and consumer products to media and entertainment, showcasing the versatility of their content.
The following are the key elements of how the Hulett Brothers manage their followers and brand clients.
1. Your Followers Come First
At the core of the Hulett Brothers' success is their unwavering dedication to bringing joy to their audience. They know that without their followers, none of this would be possible. David Hulett emphasizes this, saying:
"We owe everything to our followers. Without them, we wouldn't be here. We're on the front end of a global trend that’s worth billions, but our goal is always to stay true to the people who helped us get here."
For the Huletts, fun and positivity are the core of their brand. With over twelve million followers on various platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, they ensure that their content stays true to their cheerful and positive mission.
It’s clear that creators must keep their followers at the center of their strategy, ensuring that sponsored content enhances, rather than distracts from, the experience.
2. Align with Your Client’s Mission
The Hulett Brothers' success is also tied to their ability to choose partnerships that align with their personal brand. One shining example of this is their collaboration with Chubbies, a brand known for its fun-loving and bold approach to lifestyle apparel. The alignment between the energetic, carefree Chubbies style and the Hulett Brothers' vibrant trick shots made for a seamless partnership that resonated with both their audiences
For other creators, this is a key takeaway: ensure that the client’s brand values match your own. This creates authenticity in the content and helps maintain trust with followers.
3. Retain Artistic Control
In order to maintain their unique style, the Hulett Brothers emphasize the importance of creative control. They spend countless hours perfecting a single trick shot to ensure it’s up to their standards before releasing it to the public. Their commitment to quality and fun means they carefully negotiate with brands to ensure they can produce content that feels genuine to their fanbase.
This level of control helps creators remain true to their brand, ensuring that sponsored content doesn’t feel forced or overly commercial.
4. Plan and Adapt
The process of creating sponsored content that aligns with both the client and the audience requires time and planning. For the Hulett Brothers, maintaining the balance between their high-energy style and brand sponsorships takes patience. For example, each trick shot can take up to four hours or more to execute..
Creators should plan their content to ensure that it maintains the natural flow of their usual posts while adapting to the needs of the sponsorship.
5. More Organic Content Than Sponsored
As much as the Huletts rely on sponsorships to monetize their content, they ensure that the majority of their posts are organic and meant solely for their followers’ enjoyment. This balance keeps their audience engaged, preventing them from feeling like they’re being constantly advertised to. Sponsored content, when carefully curated and spaced out, can complement organic content, rather than overwhelm it.
6. Engage With the Algorithm and Audience Behavior
Finally, the Hulett Brothers are masters at understanding the platforms they use. They recognize that their videos are part of a fast-moving, dopamine-driven ecosystem. By engaging with their audience's scrolling behavior and the platform algorithms, they ensure that their videos are not only fun to watch but also discoverable by new followers.
Conclusion: Striking the Balance
The Hulett Brothers have built a multi-platform content empire by maintaining an authentic connection with their audience while smartly integrating brand partnerships. Their success demonstrates the importance of striking a balance between follower-first content and sponsor collaborations. By keeping their followers in mind, aligning with the right brands, and maintaining creative control, content creators can thrive in this competitive space.
For more on the Hulett Brothers' journey and how they transformed a pandemic hobby into a global business, read the full story:
Checkout their website: Hulett Brothers
This balanced approach is not just the secret to their success—it's a valuable lesson for all content creators navigating the world of brand partnerships.
About the author: Jeff Hulett leads Personal Finance Reimagined, a decision-making and financial education platform. He teaches personal finance at James Madison University and provides personal finance seminars. Check out his book -- Making Choices, Making Money: Your Guide to Making Confident Financial Decisions.
Jeff is a career banker, data scientist, behavioral economist, and choice architect. Jeff has held banking and consulting leadership roles at Wells Fargo, Citibank, KPMG, and IBM.
Jeff provides management consulting services for The Hulett Brothers.
Major brands include:
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To see a full listing, please see The Hulett Brothers website.
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