It can be tough to break into the world of influencer marketing. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll give you some tips on how to reach out to brands as an influencer and get started.
Why reach out to brands?
There are many reasons why you might want to reach out to a particular brand. Maybe you’re a fan of their product and want to share your love with them. Maybe you’re looking for partnership opportunities, freebies, or paid sponsorships. Whatever your reason, if you’re an influencer, there are some things you should keep in mind when reaching out to brands.
Before you start shooting off emails or direct messages, do your research. Make sure that the brand is a good fit for you, and that your content and audience align with their values. Once you’ve established that, take a look at their social media channels and see what kind of tone they use — this will give you a better idea of how to approach them.
When you’re ready to reach out, be polite and professional. Introduce yourself briefly and explain why you think working with the brand would be beneficial for both of you. If you have specific ideas for content or partnerships, include them in your message. And make sure to proofread — typos or grammar errors can make a bad first impression.
Last but not least, don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back right away (or at all). Brands are often inundated with requests from influencers, so it can take some time for them to get back to everyone. If you don’t hear anything after a few weeks, it’s okay to follow up once or twice — but after that, it’s best to move on and focus on other opportunities.
How to find the right brands to contact
Reach out to brands as an influencer that you genuinely like and use. This will make your task a lot easier because you’ll be able to talk about the products with excitement and conviction. To find the right brands, searching online is a great place to start. Social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube also allow you to search for particular keywords, which can help filter your options.
Once you’ve found a selection of brands that you think would be a good match, take a look at their existing partnerships with influencers. This will give you an idea of the type of people they’re likely to work with, and whether your content style will fit with their image. If you can see that there’s a good fit, prepare a portfolio of your previous work to show them what you can do. Finally, reach out to the brands directly and introduce yourself – it never hurts to be proactive!
How to contact brands as an influencer
When reaching out to a brand as an influencer, it’s important to be professional and provide value up front. This means having a well-crafted pitch and media kit ready to go. In your pitch, introduce yourself and your audience, explain why you’re a good fit for the brand, and share some ideas for potential collaborations. Your media kit should include your contact information, social media stats and reach, past examples of your work, and any other relevant information. Once you have all of this together, reach out via email or social media direct message and wait for a response.
What to include in your pitch to a brand
You have the power to reach out to brands as an influencer and secure sponsorships and endorsement deals. But before you can start raking in the Dough, you need to know how to put together a winning pitch.
Here are a few things to include in your pitch to a brand:
- Your social media stats. Make sure to include your follower count, engagement rate, and any other relevant metrics that show you have a large and engaged audience.
- Links to your previous work. If you’ve done similar campaigns with other brands in the past, be sure to include links or screenshots as examples of your work.
- Your ideas for the campaign. What kind of content will you create? How will you promote the products or services? Be as specific as possible so the brand can see that you’ve given thought to the campaign and how it will benefit them.
- Your rates and/or sponsorship requirements. Make sure to include your compensation requirements so the brand knows what they’ll need to budget for if they decide to work with you.
By including these elements in your pitch, you’ll increase your chances of landing a sponsorship or endorsement deal with a brand. So get pitching!
How to follow up with a brand
It’s important to follow up with brands after you contact them. A quick follow-up email or phone call can show them that you are interested in working with them and also help to solidify the relationship. Here are a few tips on how to follow up with a brand:
- thank the brand for their time,
- recap what you discussed,
- reiterate your interest in working with the brand,
- suggest next steps,
- provide additional information (e.g. social media links, website), and
- end with a call to action.
By following up, you will come across as professional and eager to work with the brand. This will increase your chances of developing a long-term relationship with the brand and eventually becoming an influencer for them.
How to build long-term relationships with brands
When you’re just starting reach out to brands as an influencer, you may think that any brand will do. But if you want to build a long-term, sustainable career, it’s important to be strategic about the brands you work with. Here are a few tips for how to build long-term relationships with brands:
1. Do your research.
Before reaching out to a brand, take some time to research their marketing goals and target audience. This will help you determine whether or not you’re a good fit for their campaign.
2. Personalize your pitch.
When you do reach out to brands, make sure to personalize your pitch. Generic pitches are less likely to be successful than those that are tailored to the brand’s specific needs.
3. Offer value.
Brands are looking for influencers who can offer value beyond just exposure. When pitching yourself to brands, be sure to highlight the unique skills and perspectives that you can bring to their campaign.
4. Be responsive.
When a brand does reach out to you, be sure to respond in a timely manner. Prompt communication will show them that you’re serious about working together and make it more likely that they’ll choose you for future opportunities.
What to do if a brand doesn’t respond
If you don’t hear back from a brand after reaching out, there are a few things you can do:
- Try again: Send another email or message, maybe even give them a call.
- Follow up: After a week or two, follow up with the brand again to see if they received your previous message and if they are interested in working with you.
- Move on: If you still don’t hear back from the brand or if they say they’re not interested, it’s time to move on and start reaching out to other brands.
What not to do when contacting a brand
There are a few things to avoid when you are reach out to a brand as an influencer.
One of the most important things is to not just contact the brand and ask for free stuff. This looks incredibly greedy and will most likely turn the brand off from working with you.
Another thing to avoid is not doing your research on the brand. If you reach out to a brand and do not mention anything about their company or what they stand for, it shows that you are not really interested in working with them. Take the time to learn about their products and services, and articulate why you would be a good fit as an influencer for their brand.
Finally, do not contact a brand and demand a certain amount of money for your work. Be realistic in your expectations and give the brand a range that you are comfortable with. Remember that brands have budgets, so try not to price yourself out of a potential partnership.