How does a content creator collaborate with the bazillion brands out there? We’ve been answering this question bit-by-bit. If you landed on this page first, then do hop to ‘the before.’ It’s the first part of the series. This is the second episode and what we call ‘the middle.’
How To Find Collaborations With Brands?
Until now, in the bid to collaborate with brands and earn some moolah, the creator has built an online presence and then tango-ed with the brand’s social media. What happens next?
They reach out with a pitch. The first official step to finding and grabbing a brand collaboration. Even though collaborations can be helpful to get you or your brand’s name out there, you should remember that you can also reach your business goals on your own. Building your dedicated following has never been easier before, check out Socialwick and their wide range of choices and select the most suitable platform for you.
Making The Pitch
The pitch is an email that introduces you to the brand, without wasting their time. It is polite and polished.
What does it contain? In a few short lines, explain:
- Who are you?
- Who is your target audience?
- What do you bring to the table?
- Your media kit (more on this later).
Pitching to a big, bad brand can freeze even the most experienced online influencer. Don’t sweat it. A collaborative process takes time, and the pitch is going to be the first of many emails, calls, and messages. Focus on two key elements, and you’ll grab their undivided attention.
- Goals
The email should explain how you add value to the brand. For that, you need a plan with set goals. For example, tell the brand how your content promotes the company’s intentions and targets. Some figures on where, when, and how many times you will post brand-related content doesn’t hurt either.Keep the email tone open to suggestions. Remember, the brand may have some kickass ideas that your creator brain may not have thought of, and a brand loves it when you involve them in the process.
- Media Kit
While the media kit is not necessary, it does provide a clear picture of you to the brand. Think of it as a resume that mentions:
- A short bio
- Your social media stats
- Relevant past collaborations
- Contact details
The pitch is meant to make the creator shine, but blowing your own trumpet too hard is a faux pas. While listing the number of followers you have on Instagram is A-Okay, listing the stats of every previous partnership is not. Also, don’t scare away the brand by writing your rates on the first email. That part comes later in the process. In case you don’t have a media kit, provide links to all your socials.
Got what you have to say in a pitch? Great, moving on…
Sending The Pitch
Who do you pitch for a brand collaboration?
That’s a vacation-in-Maldives question because the person you connect with at the brand is as important as what you write in your pitch. If you catch hold of middle management, the odds of you being recognised are low. Look for a social media executive low on the totem pole or search for a person who has actual decision-making powers in the firm. How? Digital natives, do we need to tell you how to search on Google?
A better and, most times, more effective method is to locate an influencer who has already partnered with the brand successfully. They will have the details of the right contact.
Where do you send the pitch?
Dropping a comment that says, “Wanna collab?” is not the way forward. While a lot of creators swear that their collaboration began in the DMs, it is not professional. Moreover, you’ve taken pains to create a media kit that showcases your bomb content. Don’t let it hide among the dozens of direct messages brands receive.
If you’ve been able to find the email of the right contact person in the brand, shoot them the personalized pitch. If not, then drop the mail on the id given on the brand’s Instagram page.
Be Genuine In Your Brand Collaboration Pitch
Brand collaborations are easy, as long as the content creator lays down a mountain worth of groundwork. By groundwork, we mean high-quality content. When your content is unique, it engages your audience (which brands look for), and it makes you stand out which will get you noticed by the brand.
Another practice that’s likely to soar your chances of brand collaborations is authenticity. When you are genuinely interested in the goals, products, initiatives and services of a company, it becomes visible in your conversation with them. Your sincere interest will perk up the brand’s curiosity and take you a step further on the collaborative path.
What happens after you send the pitch for a brand collaboration? Is there any other route to it? We talk about both and more in our next and final post of this series.
So, stay tuned folks!