Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
Wanting to take your blog to the next level? This can mean you are ready to start pitching to brands and building business contacts. Pitching to brands can be very daunting at first, but it gets easier. There are no rules to say at what stage you have to be at before you start to reach out to brands.
I was incredibly fortunate to have my first brand reach out to me, but no one says you have to wait for them to come to you. Get yourself known! If you want to reach out to brands, but are not yet confident to do so thats ok, you can do it when you are ready.
Brands are so busy with the running of their businesses, so it is where pitching brands directly allows you to sell yourself and why they should work with you and how it will benefit them to collaborate with you. The more you practise pitching to brands the more confident you will become.
Here are 9 tips and aspects to consider when you are pitching to brands:
1. Reach out to brands that you love
It is important that you are only reaching out to brands you enjoy because that will reflect in the quality of your pitch and the content you create for them. You want to stay authentic to your audience by sharing content that both yourself and your audience can relate to. A brand is also more likely to work with bloggers who use their products and are passionate about the brand.
2. Email the brand directly and not through social media DMs
If you are pitching a brand cold it is important that you find the best PR contact and email them. If possible try and avoid the generic info@ emails. It shows more professionalism emailing the brand rather than messaging on social media. Emailing a brand can allow you to write and send attachments that are easy for the brand to follow and access.
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
3. Do your research on the brand
Even if you love the brand and have been using the brand’s products for a while, it is important that you research about the background of the company and their mission statement or their values. It will help you tailor your pitch and show them you have put in the extra work and are likely to do so for the content you will create for them.
4. Send your media kit in the email
A brand is going to want to know your statistics and your follower count. With a media kit you will have all your statistics and it is a chance to show some of your photography, other brand work you may have done and even a little bit about you. Using a media kit for all the statistics rather than listing them can make your proposal more professional and allows the brand to keep your media kit on hand in case of further collaborations. It will also save you so much time when writing your proposals.
5. Gather evidence
When you have added your media kit to the email, it can be helpful and effective to share content that has done well for brands on your blog or even testimonials from brands you have previously worked with. This can show how well you work with brands and show how well you work with brands and the quality of the content you create. Positive feedback from brands can be really successful in closing proposals with new brands. If you have done work with other brands asking for feedback or a testimonial is definitely a great suggestion and something you should always do.
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
6. Be direct in your proposal and ideas
Brands are very busy and will get lots of emails and numerous proposals, so the more direct the email you are sending is the better. Brands will want to be able to quickly assertion what your proposal is and what they will gain from working with you. You will want to pique their attention so they want to learn even more. A lengthy email that is full of extra pitching that is not needed.
7. Do not expect an instant reply
Brands like I have said will receive so many emails and so you should not expect an instant reply. This does not mean you are being ignored or turned down. They may love your pitch but they may have to run it by their marketing team or even check their budget. You have to be patient for a response.
8. Following up is okay
If you are wanting to follow up you can but you have to ensure you are not seen as pestering. Following up after a week or so is good in case your email has been missed. A follow up email can show willing and if formulated correctly. Again, do not expect an instant reply to the follow up email also.
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
9. Do not take it personally
If you do not get a reply or you are turned down for a collaboration do not take it personally There may be a multitude of reasons why they have decided to turn down your collaboration, could be to do with budget or they have other creators they are working with. If they say no with no explanation you can always ask for feedback, as the feedback could help you grow and learn from ready for your next pitch to a brand. You will have also gained experience in writing a proposal and will help build your confidence when reaching out.
If you do agree on a collaboration it is important in protecting yourself and your content by organising a contract that is signed by both parties. The contract should outline what you are expected to create and if any what the payment is for your content and services.
Working with brands is a great opportunity but it is important that you are ready to do so. It might be a great idea for you to try and contact local companies to do a collaboration. You must always remember when you do work with a brand on content whether that is paid of gifted, you must disclose at the start of any posts or content. This is important to be authentic and transparent to your audience.
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