One question that I’m frequently asked is,

“How are you able to collaborate with so many brands?”

After being active on social media for about seven years, I have acquired many tips and tricks to how I have been able to work with various brands to create paid and unpaid content.

Before I get into some of my tips, I feel like it’s important to disclose that most of collaborations are unpaid however the product is sent to me in PR to review on my social media platforms. Recently, I have chose to halt all sponsorships or brand collaborations and focus on creating content that I feel is more authentic to myself and my personal brand. I will continue to do sponsorships with companies further down the road but for now, I will be focusing on developing more content that is not sponsored.

Additionally, I did want to share that until August, I was represented by a talent management. The firm would negotiate with companies and brands to help me land sponsorships, collaborations and opportunities that I don’t think I would have been able to land by myself when I was first starting off in the influencer industry. The company was very helpful and I appreciate all of their help but since taking a step back from social media, I decided to cut ties with the management firm and to represent myself.

So with all of that out of the way, let’s get into the tips!

When initially reaching out to a brand, I always do my research. I will always make sure I thoroughly check the companies website and then ask myself, “Does this company’s mission and values align with my personal brand?” If it does, I will continue on to the next step but if not, I’ll scrap the company and move forward.

When I am particularly interested in collaborating with a company, I will check their Instagram and see what other content they’ve created to ensure that I am able to create content that is up to par with their standards. When collaborating with a brand, the brand gives you products in hopes that you will come up with digital content that they can repost to their social platforms. It costs them little to no money to send influencers products so they can create free content for them instead of trying to create a full on photo shoot. So with that being said, I want to make sure that I am able to produce content that would have a shot at being reposted and would make for a quality post.

Example of a previous collaboration with the company, Jose Eber. The company reposted this on Instagram in 2018.

When finding who to contact, I always go to the website’s page, scroll down to the bottom and find the press page. After finding that, I click on a press release where almost always the press contact’s name and email will be listed. This is better than just emailing press@company.com because often emails sent to general addresses get lost and never forwarded to the correct person. By finding the direct PR contact, it helps ensure that my email will at least be read by someone which helps the chances of getting a response.

THE SUBJECT LINE MATTERS!!!!!!!!! In order to get a brand to even click on your email, it is imperative to create a subject line that will catch their attention. Companies go through hundred of emails a day but you want to make sure that they stop and click on yours.

How To Write A Catchy Subject Line

The “ask” is always clear and in the first paragraph. Whether you are asking for free product or the opportunity for a brand sponsorship, you always need to make sure that what you are asking from the company is clearly stated and towards the beginning of the email. If you are lucky and your email gets opened, you need to get your point across straight to the company about what your intentions of the email is. Often, companies will just skim emails so it’s important that your email is concise and clear.

I always personalize and tailor the email to the company. I do have a template that I use to help cut back on time however I do make sure that there are pockets of individualized content through out the email. By speaking about the brand directly such as what you like about the brand or what your favorite products are, you are making a case that you care about the company as a whole and are passionate enough to work with them.

Make sure to pitch yourself to the company and what the benefit of the collaboration is. Let them know who you are and why you can help them get press. Companies want to collaborate with people that create relationships but more importantly with people that can give them attention. Let them know in the email how you can help them advertise their product or service.

Previous post with most of my favorite brands that I often collaborate with. I create content that is easy for people to repost.

After collaborating with a brand, always send a thank you email. This is important because it’s a gesture to show that the collaboration was important to you and the relationship you created was meaningful. This could help you land collaborations with the company in the future.

Lastly, don’t be afraid of rejection. When you ask companies to collaborate, you may get a rejection email. It may because you’re not a great fit for the company or that they simply don’t have the budget for a sponsorship. More often than not, you may not hear back from the company. It’s important to not be discouraged and to keep going.

Hopefully, this information helps with those of you wanting to partner up with a brand. Through trial and error, I’ve learned all of this information to help me land more partnerships with brands. It’s all a learning experience and the more you reach out, the more often you’ll land collaborations.

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