Working with brands is a rewarding experience!
Getting recognition from a company you admire and creating something for them in exchange for product and/or monetary compensation is the ideal situation for any content creator that is just starting out.
Like most things in life, it's not easy.
It’s not always easy attracting clients to your platform, or if you pitch - how to properly reach out and close the deal.
After a couple years of experience (both being an influencer and working with influencers for a brand on the recruiting side), I’ve put together a list of a few tips that can hopefully help you out and seal the deal for your future collaborations!
After a couple years of experience (both being an influencer and working with influencers for a brand on the recruiting side), I’ve put together a list of a few tips that can hopefully help you out and seal the deal for your future collaborations!
There are 3 pieces that are very important when it comes to attracting brand deals as well as reaching out and showing them you are worth working with them.
Content
Content is king. You should have killer images, a voice projected in your captions and the right amount of curated content and your page should reflect who you are and what you are all about. Whether that's your Instagram page, blog, or whatever channel you wish to promote on - should be your portfolio in a way. I’m going to give most advice for Instagram today, but if you want me to cover more blog-focused content, I’d be happy to do a follow-up post with more info geared towards blogging!
I work in marketing for a beauty brand, and I manage the influencer recruiter on that team. When reviewing influencers for Instagram projects, I like to see a profile with 100+ posts. This gives the brand a good idea of the kind of content you create on a regular basis and if they can picture their brand in the mix of it. If you have 100+ posts, it also indicates your frequent posting and activity. It’s probably a good idea to post 1 photo everyday or every other day.
The type of content that you post is also important. Images that show who you are and also what you look like! Brands want to see the face behind the profile and that also helps your audience connect better to see who is showing them certain products.
Content tip: if you are trying to work with more fashion brands, your content should be 60% (or more) fashion related with lots of styles outfit photos. If you want to work with more beauty brands, then your content should be product reviews and lots of selfies with your hair, skin, makeup, and showing how you use products in your everyday routine.
Pitch
If you are the one reaching out to the brand, your pitch really matters!
If they reach out to you, you still need to sell yourself through appropriate responses, professional negotiation and timely execution.
Pitching can be intimidating, but it always feels really good when you get a positive response in return.
Here are some tips for writing your pitch to a brand:
- Make it short and sweet and to the point
- Your voice should be friendly and enthusiastic, but still professional (no “hey” no emojis, etc.)
- A media kit is not always necessary, but it adds a nice touch and keeps it professional. It's also good to show your insights to brands (or at least be prepared to)
- Be sure to include any links to your pages (Instagram, blog, YouTube etc.)
- End it by asking for what you want (example: "If you would be interested in sending me product in exchange for a post, please let me know!")
Relationship
Forming, building and maintaining relationships with brands as an influencer is super important and needed just like with any other business partner.
If you can start by working for product in exchange for posting and get to a point where you can request monetary compensation, that is probably the best way to go about it if/when you are still small and starting out.
Within your relationship with the brand, I think it is important to always do the following:
- Before posting, ask if they need approval of your photo or caption
- Deliver what you said you would do (plus more if possible)
- Follow up with links and insights after you post, and if you can Provide images they can download (so they don’t need to screenshot your Instagram post in order to keep the content), that is always appreciated
- Be sure to mention another future collaboration (make your pitch there or leave it on a good note so that you can follow up later down the road)
I hope that today's post was helpful! If you have any specific questions, I'm happy to answer them in the comments.
Thanks for reading today!
Wearing: Aritzia Blazer, Zara Shorts, ROSS Sunnies, DIY T-shirt, Ted Baker Bag, Birkenstock Sandals
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