My Top 10 Tips On Landing Brand Deals

On Friday I decided to switch things up from my typical fashion content and shared one of my most-requested blog posts: how to grow your blog, YouTube, and Instagram. The post did so well and I was flooded with sweet messages and comments from you guys saying you so appreciated the post and that it encouraged you to go after your dreams!

My second most-requested blog post is the one I’m writing today: how to work with brands! It’s important to remember that free clothes, paid posts, and additional exposure are not why you should be starting a blog. However, it most definitely can be a goal you set for yourself from the start. These are *bonuses* that come along with the gig when your brand starts making the transition from hobby to part-time job.

I’ll admit, working with brands I’ve supported and loved for years is one of my favorite parts of being a content creator. There’s nothing better than bringing their creative vision to life while doing what you love—It’s a win-win for everyone. And today, I’m sharing my top 10 tips on landing brand deals.

1. Gain prior experience 

Number one is so important. Similar to building your resume in the “real world” you’re going to want to gain some prior experience. I think one of the biggest misconceptions in the influencer industry is that you’ll get rich quick. And I’m here to tell you that could not be further from the truth—it wasn’t until year four that I accepted my first paid Instagram post!

I’ve taken dozens of unpaid partnerships over the years and truth be told, I still do. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a time where you deserve to be compensated for your work but you also shouldn’t expect to land huge brand deals without any prior experience. Accept a few unpaid partnerships to get the hang of sponsored content, grow your “resume”, and gain new skills.

I would say the average paid posting threshold typically begins at 5K Insta followers, even if you are making just $100 per post. However, this is different for every person and every niche—some may be making hundreds more and some won’t start accepting paid work until 10,000 followers later. Everyone is different!

2. Have lots of work to offer/showcase 

Perhaps paid partnerships aren’t even on your mind yet and you’re simply wanting to start landing unpaid, product-exchange for post collaborations. These are great and one of the best ways to start landing those is making sure you have lots of work to showcase across your platforms.

I landed my first brand deal with Warby Parker in November of 2016, 11 months after I began my blog. At the time I was uploading almost daily to my Instagram and posting four times a week to my blog. I had tons of content for the brand to sift through.

Companies want to work with influencers whose brand and images align with theirs—the more experience/examples of your work you have to showcase, the better. Also, if you are reaching out to a brand first, I highly recommend linking a few blog posts and Instagram photos with similar content to what you’re wanting to produce for them.

3. Post high-quality content often 

In Friday’s blog post I covered so many ways to better your social media platforms, all of those tips will help you create higher quality content. Posting high-quality content often is the goal. Brands want to work with someone who sticks to a consistent posting schedule, produces work they are clearly proud of, and shares their real, honest opinions.

Make sure you are truly proud of your platforms before reaching out to brands. And, if you’re following the rest of these steps and still not getting any emails in your inbox, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate the quality of your content. The goal is to stay true to yourself while answering your viewer’s questions/solving the problems they didn’t know they had!

4. Stop selling yourself short 

I know I’ve stressed the importance of doing things solely for the experience and not always the money, but stop selling yourself short! You should never accept a brand deal that offers you a percentage off of your purchase. Not only is that company getting free advertising, but they are making a profit too! You also should not be accepting any deals that say “we’ll pay for the product you just have to pay the shipping”. This often occurs with spammy sunglass brands, swimwear, and other tchotchkes.

And, if you are at the point where you feel you deserve to be compensated for your work, don’t be afraid to ask. Make sure you are highlighting the number of hours it’s taking you to create the content, stats from previous partnerships showcasing how many people your work is reaching, and any sales you have driven for the company. It never hurts to ask and the worst that can happen is they say no!

5. Show Them You’re Interested 

Show brands you’re interested in partnering with them! By this, I mean start actively tagging the brand in your Instagram photos and in the captions. Most brands have a hashtag that they ask people to use when wearing their clothing—start utilizing it. Go into their following and see if they are following any specific hashtags (most companies do) and then start using those on each of your photos.

Brands look through these hashtags and through their tagged photos when searching for influencers for upcoming campaigns and collaborations. This will show them that you’re interested. This won’t always result in an instant partnership but it almost always gets you on their radar which is an important step.

It’s also important to actively engage with their content. You should be liking and commenting on their photos; oftentimes I will reply to their story posts as well. This helps build a relationship with the company!

6. Make sure your email is everywhere 

First and foremost, you should have a separate email for your blog/Instagram. Not the pinkglitter Gmail account you made when you were ten, a real professional email address that you use for all of your collaborations. I recommend that your email match the name of your brand.

Once you’ve created an email address, make sure it’s everywhere. I recently learned in my Social Media Strategies class that companies are 50% more likely to pass on an influencer if their email address is not easily accessible within Instagram!!! That means you need to have your email in your bio if you are serious about taking your brand to the next level.

I also leave mine in the description bar of every YouTube video and in various places across my blog.

7. Reach out to brands on your own

So, you really love Princess Polly and you’ve been following all of the above tips but still haven’t gotten an email from them asking to partner with one another… No worries; you can reach out to them! I promise it’s not as scary as it may seem.

In fact, I reached out/initiated the partnership with about 50% of the companies I work with daily. Stop waiting until you reach X amount of followers or Y amount of views to reach out to the brand of your dreams! Do it now!

I’ve landed some huge deals with a rather small following— heck I went to New York Fashion Week with just 1.5K on YouTube. If I can do it, so can you! Big dreams, a good work ethic, and passion will take you very far in this industry. Don’t be afraid to highlight those characteristics when reaching out to a company.

8. Do Your Research

You may be thinking, “yes! I’m ready to reach out but where do I begin?”. Now it’s time to do. your. research. Do not go and ask Sally how she started working with X brand and if she can share their contact info with you. Not only does it come off as rude (and a bit lazy) but many brands have you sign contracts saying you won’t give this kind of information away. Be professional and if you do approach Sally, ask if she has had a positive experience working for that company/if she has any advice for you.

Instead, go to the brand’s Instagram and see if their email is linked to their account. 8/10 times it will be. If it’s not, go to their website and do a little digging. Usually, there are a few email addresses linked under the “Contact Us” or “Collaborations” tab (these are usually along the bottom of a website).

If you’re still coming up empty-handed, try reaching out to them via the phone. Give them a 2-minute elevator pitch and ask if they can transfer you to someone in the PR department or if they can pass along an email address. I used this tactic a ton when planning my Fashion Week trip. It also never hurts to connect with people in the industry through LinkedIn.

9. Don’t Forget To Follow Up 

Once you’ve reached out to a company, don’t forget to follow up! Very few companies will respond to your initial pitch; make sure you are following up 2-3 times to reiterate your interest and push your initial email to the top of the brand’s inbox.

If you’re still getting no response, don’t be afraid to reach out to the company on another platform. Oftentimes I will go to Instagram and DM them asking if there is a better point of contact to reach them regarding a partnership.

But also, understand that reaching out to a company does not always mean getting the answer you hoped for. About 60% of emails you send will never be responded to. 20% of those that respond will be companies turning you down, saying they are not interested or are not currently taking on new influencers. Companies get thousands of emails a day and many only respond to emails from people they are truly interested in pursuing a partnership with.

It doesn’t mean you’re doomed forever; for those that do turn you down, say “thank you for your response, please let me know if any opportunities arise in the future”.

For those who never responded, try again in a few months after bettering your content, gaining more experience, and engaging with their content. Speaking from experience, sometimes the third time really is the charm!

10. Make A Media Kit 

Last but not least, make a media kit. A media kit is the influencer word for “resume”. A media kit should include all of the following: a bit about you, your social handles, your contact info, a few key statistics, and some previous brand work.

When pitching a brand for the first time, I almost always attach a copy of my media kit. Not only will this allow a brand to learn more about you and your platforms but it shows that you’re professional too. This is where that experience we discussed at the beginning of the post will come in handy!

You don’t need to include every brand you’ve ever worked with, just highlight a handful that you’re most proud of/that cater to the company you’re currently trying to land a deal with. I change up this category often depending on who I’m pitching. If you don’t have any previous brand work and are trying to get your foot in the door, don’t be afraid to say that— brands love transparency.

There are dozens of free media kit templates out there. I recommend checking some of them out to get some inspiration on creating your own. I’ve had a handful of media kits over the years and have used Canva, Word, and Photoshop to create them.

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Phew, that was another long one! Like I said, working with brands is one of the most exciting parts of my job but it also comes with a great deal of hard work and responsibility. I hope this post helped you learn something new about landing brand deals and encouraged you to reach out to your dream brand.

Remember, it may not always work out in your favor the first time around. But persistence and high-quality content that you are clearly passionate about will eventually get you where you want to be— don’t forget, good things take time! Best of luck girl; you’ve got this!

With love, McKenz

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