How Notion recruits creators to glamorize productivity

When designer Ram Reyes offered guidance to his followers on how to stay inspired, he clarified that the hard part isn’t actually coming up with ideas—it’s remembering them. 

“As quickly as inspiration comes, it can go just like that,” said Reyes, who said that his solution is using productivity software Notion as both a notepad and a vision board.

Notion, a digital note taking and productivity tool, is leaning on creators to humanize its products with true stories. 

As the brand with versatile use cases—it broadly defines itself as a space to get organized—Notion has found success in tapping a diverse network of creators that are connected to their communities under a common interest, hobby or passion. 

“We hone in on creators that make content for raving communities,” said influencer marketing manager Danielle Ito. “We try to associate with the passions that already exist, and then offer a way to take those passions to the next level.” 

Offering an accessible common ground

At a time when consumers are reevaluating the products that sit on their shelves, Ito said she finds joy in connecting creators and their followers over organization. According to Ito, a successful converter for the brand has been creators sharing their Notion templates, which their followers can use for their personal to-do lists.

“From a visual standpoint, clean, aesthetically pleasing Notion setups consistently engage our audience,” said social media manager Niki Frias, highlighting the value of Notion’s template gallery in helping creators and their audiences bond.

While Notion is a productivity app, the brand argues that productivity doesn’t always bleed into school or work — it can also mean organizing recipes, planning a group vacation or reaching a reading goal. 

Design creator KARO partnered with Notion when she hosted 30 strangers for an art night.  She used Notion to execute party planning and in the caption noted that the partnership was her “dream collab." 

"I’ve said it for months but I truly wouldn’t function without it," she wrote. "I use it every day and my entire brand is organized via my workspace." 

Maintaining creator contact

When working with creators, Ito approaches them as both creatives and small business owners. To keep them in the loop on product updates and use cases that can inform the business side, she launched a creator-specific newsletter. 

Ito stressed the importance of staying on a creator's radar through a broad stroke approach like a newsletter, which she said has been a "fun solve to communicate with and grow this community of creators." 

“I am very passionate about relationship building for creator marketing,” she said. “It’s my favorite part of my job and it also lends itself to better content."

As Notion continues to build its social presence, the team is confident it can find a reason for every creator across the creator economy to engage with the brand.

“Our product is super flexible,” said Frias. “It can be whatever you want it to be, and with that comes incredible stories that I'm personally super excited to continue to share.”