A couple weeks ago I shared on TikTok some of the 25 brand collaborations I had in 2020 with less than 3,000 followers on Instagram. I think there's this misconception that you need to have well over 10,000 followers on Instagram to collaborate with brands and I wanted to share in the video that it's not the case at all. I do want to note when I refer to "brand collaborations" I'm including both gifted / product exchange products and paid campaigns.
Over the years I've been very fortunate to collaborate with over 70 brands with some of them being reoccurring monthly partnerships. I have been receiving quite a few questions in regards to HOW I was able to land those collaborations and wanted to share a more in-depth breakdown on how I did it since there's only so much you can fit into a 60-second video. So if you're just starting out or a smaller blogger and want to start working with brands, continue reading to see some of my tips!
POSTING QUALITY CONTENT
First things first, you need to be posting quality content. Before you begin to collaborate with brands you need to first show that you can post good, quality content. Whether it be Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc., you need to start posting content to show brands the type of content you're able to produce and what you have to offer. Think of this as being your portfolio.
Once you have some content posted, work on creating an engaged audience. At the end of the day, influencer marketing is a business and you need to show brands that you have the numbers you're able to produce.
There are three main ways I land brand collaborates: pitching to brands directly, through influencer networks, and from brands reaching out to me directly. I'd say I get the majority of my brand collaborations from brands reaching out to me directly and me pitching directly to them.
PITCHING TO BRANDS
As I previously stated, I'd say pitching to brands directly and brands reaching out to me are pretty much tied in the top two ways I get collaborations. I've been reaching out to brands directly for quite a few years now and after several years of practice, I have managed to land collaborations with brands such as Versona, Fabletics, and The Mint Julep.
So, how does one even begin to reach out to brands? It can be intimidating, I get it. I'd first sit down and write down a list of brands you'd like to work with. Think of companies you already love and purchase from for starters. This way it'll be a more natural collaboration for both you and the brand. I also think this is a given, but try not to reach out to brands that don't fit with your target audience. For example: if you share a lot on budget fashion and suddenly partner with Chanel. As exciting as that may be, you may also lose your audience's trust which can hurt you in the long run.
As for finding brand contacts there a few ways to go about this. The easiest way is to look directly on their website under their "About Me" or "Contact Us" page. You're going to want to look for someone who works in their marketing / pr / social media department and find their email address there. Other ways to find brand contacts that I've used in the past include LinkedIn, Googling, or looking through the brand's social media accounts.
Some things I like to include in my brand pitches are:
- My stats - target audience, how many views my blog gets, total followers, engagement rate, etc.
- A little about me / something that makes me stand out
- The reason why I want to work with the brand / my personal connection with the brand
- Ideas I have for the potential collaboration
- Links to my previous work / similar work I would do for the brand
BRANDS REACHING OUT TO ME
The next way I have been able to get brand collaborations is brands reaching out to work with me. Although I can't give you exact tips on why brands choose me for their collaborations, I can give you tips I've implemented to help get me seen by brands.
- Tag brands in your photos and stories. If you're doing an OOTD post on your story, sharing an outfit on your feed, talking about your favorite skincare product, etc. tag the brand! This will notify the brand you are actively using their product and may consider you a good fit for an upcoming campaign
- Use branded hashtags. Similar to tagging brands directly, use their branded hashtags. For example, if you are featuring a shirt from Target add hashtags such as #targetactually #foundattarget
- Follow your favorite brands and interact with them. Easy way to get the brand / social media manager to recognize your user name if you're actively engaging with their content.
- Optimize your bio. Be sure to include the city you're based out of and the type of content you post. Are you engaged? Share that. That way when brands are scrolling online looking for a Charlotte blogger that's engaged you'll be easier to find.
INFLUENCER NETWORKS
Next up we have Influencer Networks. I will say I don't get a ton of traction from Influencer Networks and it may just be a combination of me not applying / me not meeting the set requirements, but I still get some cool opportunities from time to time. Influencer networks are basically a third-party marketplace where brands can post campaigns to work with influencers and influencers can search through and find campaigns to sign up for.
Some influencer platforms I've used in the past include:
OTHER WAYS TO WORK WITH BRANDS IF YOU HAVE A SMALL FOLLOWING
I think there's a misconception that the only way to work with brands is to post about them on social media. Let's say you don't have a large following, your engagement is ok, but your photography skill is AMAZING. Or even you have a natural talent for video editing. Try reaching out to a brand to see if you could work with them to provide content for their social media. Often times paying creators for social media content is cheaper for the brand than higher the team to put together a full-on photoshoot.
I will say, I've only done this a couple times and it's through an influencer platform, but I have heard of a few others reaching out to brands directly to this for them. Something to keep in mind and consider!
And there we have it, friends! That is a rough rundown on how I've been able to collaborate with brands over the years. I'm thinking of making this a mini-series here on my blog so if you have any questions/topics you'd like me to touch on please leave them down below! I'm also sharing daily blogging / social media tips on my TikTok and Instagram if you'd like to keep up with me there!
I hope you all found this helpful and good luck!!
xoxo,
Amy
Luke D Edwards is a Web Programmer and Social Media Specialist at SOZO Design.
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