The Blogger’s Guide to Working with Brands
“This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often… Live your dream and share your passion.” ~ From the Holstee Manifesto
It has been a few years since I first came across the Holstee Manifesto ~ a time when I was caught in the endless cycle of finding a work-life balance in my corporate job. Today, when I read these words again, I smile and realise how fortunate I am to finally be living and sharing my passion. I often feel that it is this zeal that has also helped me collaborate with brands {that share my vision and values essential for working as an influencer} more easily, and enjoy affable relationships with the marketing managers of the companies I have partnered with.
My strength lies is deep knowledge of my audience, and awareness of brand partnerships that they would appreciate. As a result, I enjoy great returns, and I can strengthen my reputation on the internet and garner the attention of a broader audience.
But how can you successfully partner with brands as an influencer?
I’ve been through the drill and in the course of my experience, I have been able to create a road-map for myself that helps me stay focused on my goals thereby facilitating collaborations with brands that incite my interest. That being said, it’s important to note that each influencer ~ from the ones who target local audiences to those who want to focus on global readers ~ has their own personality, which is distinctively created through their blog posts. This assists brands looking for bloggers whose personality and style mimics or reflects their own brand values. But curating posts that align with your personality to attract brands that will be more inclined to collaborate with you ~ is an art. So today, I am going to talk about the most fundamental principles that will help you land more partnerships and propel your blog towards greater success. Without further ado, I present the blogger’s guide to working with brands.
Build An Audience And Keep Them Engaged
Everything takes time, and nature teaches this lesson very beautifully. When I started my blog, I just had a handful of readers which gradually grew to a few thousand and it was only when my blog touched 15,000 page views a month, did I begin to think of approaching brands and planning partnerships.
Engaging your audience and building your follower base go hand in hand. If people who read your post will like it, then they are more likely to share it with others. So, focus on creating quality content that can fuel engagement from your users. And once you begin to notice people leaving comments, make sure to always reply. In my opinion, when you indulge in a conversation or promptly reply to your readers, they feel special and would hence look forward to future posts.
Brands are always hungry for greater reach. They want to tap into your reader base to increase their online presence, educate more users about their products, and strengthen their position in the market. This means that they will be interested in collaborating with you only when they see that you have a considerable audience who are actively engaged in your posts. And, this engagement is generally measured by brands through the number of comments, likes, and shares your posts get on various social media platforms.
With all that said, in my opinion, you’ll need to have at least 5,000 to 10,000 page views per month to effectively collaborate with brands. As the content of your blog will play a big role, I’d advice you not to steer away from quality content.
Read this to know more about growing your follower base.
I have also written about tips to increase your Instagram followers. You can find my post here.
Keep a Media Kit Ready
Once you are ready to approach brands, the first thing to do is to create a media kit. You will want the brands to know what your blog has to offer and at the same time arouse their interest. As this media kit will be used to create a first impression, you will be required to word it carefully and include adequate information.
E.g.
• Your targeted audience.
• Topics you cover.
• Existing collaborations {if any} and collaboration options.
• Statistics to measure engagement, views, and number of readers.
You must aim to match the values of the brand without giving up on the true essence of your blog. This will help brands see why it makes sense for them to partner with you.
Prepare A List of Brands That Will Be Suitable For A Collaboration
Always stay relevant. Sometimes, your blog may just not be cut for a specific collaboration because your ideologies don’t match those of the brand, or your audience will not find it useful. This is why it helps to have a list of brands that fit seamlessly into your blog. That way, you’re still delivering the great, relevant content that your audience comes to you for, and you’re marketing the brand and their products most effectively and organically.
A few pointers to keep in mind when curating your list:
- Explore the industries your blog can relate with, while also identifying up-and-coming brands to partner and enjoy long-standing relationships with. With smaller companies, connecting with the right person is going to be a much quicker process for you to spark collaborations.
- One thing that works for almost all bloggers is partnering with digital companies. Since everyone uses the internet, it is easier to promote digital products like plugins, apps, and web graphics, if that fits your niche.
Find A Way To Establish Contact
Armed with everything that you require for partnering with a brand, you are now ready to establish connections. To keep things real, I want you to know that every mail you send and every conversation you have with a brand representative may not lead to a successful collaboration. And, it may be weeks before you land your first brand partnership, but I’d advice you not to give up.
Now, here’s how you can personalise your email.
The most basic form of personalisation is addressing your reader by name; an etiquette that I always lean toward. It may not be easy for you to find the marketing representative’s name on the brand’s website or their social media platforms, but this is where you will have to do a little sleuthing. Send an email to the mailing address mentioned on their website, use direct messaging on different social media platforms, or use the contact form on the website to request the contact name and email address of the marketing representative for the brand. Brands are usually considerate enough to send an email address, and if you get lucky, you may even have a name to mention on your email.
What To Include In That First Email
The span of attention of any marketing representative or social media manager is usually very low when it comes to reading emails from potential collaborators. They get too many of these and they may not have time for long mails. So you aim to keep your initial email precise, rouse the interest of the reader, and position yourself as a strong contender.
You will get time to discuss collaboration ideas at length when you will have their undivided attention after successfully striking a deal. For now, you must be able to mention in just a few sentences how the collaboration can be useful for the brand.
A framework that can work if you are running out of ideas:
• Begin by telling the brand about yourself and your blog.
• Transition to your love for the brand and its products.
• Explain that you want to collaborate with them, and why it will be good for the brand.
• Enter a clear call to action like, “Would you like to hear the ideas I have thought of?”
• Conclude by attaching your media kit which can be in the form of a Google Doc.
Altogether, your email should not exceed 5 to 7 sentences ~ short and sweet.
Keep in mind that brands take time to respond. I have noticed that brands usually give you a chance to share your ideas. Wait for 7 to 10 days before sending a follow-up message. This is when you can send a more detailed email with your specific collaboration ideas and why they’d be a great fit for you and them.
To conclude: With most influencers reaching out to as many brands as possible, companies crave uniqueness in collaboration ideas. It may take time for you to land your first collaboration especially because you will want to partner with a brand that is the right ‘fit’ for you. Send out several emails and keep at it until you’re able to find a brand that is interested in partnering with you. With your first partnership behind you, you will realise that success succeeds and it will take no time for you to land more brand collaborations.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the blogger’s guide to working with brands, and have found value in my words. Do you have more questions about working with brands? I will be glad to answer them in the comments.
Urban Diaries has so many helpful tips… thank you for sharing! I need to begin working with brands; however I still have to develop my blog’s following.
Absolutely, Nurli. 🙂
Any blog’s success comes from strategy, as well as the community, and engaging with every one of them as frequently as would be prudent.
Great post! I have been an avid follower of Urban Diaries since I started blogging a year ago, and receiving newsletter updates from you has been the absolute best! xx
You’re very welcome, Kajal.
I am beginning to grow my Instagram and acquire followers, and am looking at obtaining more sponsorship as well… Thank you for such a detailed and exhaustive post!
Instagram is certainly where it’s at from an influencer standpoint, so you’re in the right place, Sasmita.
This post has been super helpful! I only just received an offer from a brand that would like to include my work in their travel guide… thrilled to bits!! 🙂
Congratulations on the opportunity, Akshay! I am certain it will be the first of many…
They are some people who you feel you can immediately connect with and will forever make an impact on your life. For me, that person is you, Tanya! Fantastic post, with a lot of information about building a relationship (and a connection). Thank you for sharing. xx
That’s a touching comment. Thank you so much. And I love that you found this post helpful, Keerthi.
Love this! When I do a collaboration with an amazing brand, I too want more than just getting recognition or sales… By the way, any tips on the best way to help my web-based social networking? I generally post a photo on Instagram right after I post on my blog, and I use specific hashtags.
You’re on the right track using hashtags, Akanksha. I’d also suggest engaging with people in your intended target group, regardless of whether they are following you or not. Good luck!
Collaborating is SO necessary! And finding the right brand… MAGICAL! Lots of blessings and love to you on your journey, and here’s to many many more collaborations and people to inspire!
Thank you for reading, Kalyan. 🙂 And here’s wishing you the very best with your future collaborations, too!
Thanks for the beautiful and insightful words, Tanya! Amen to relationship/connection/shared heart language as a foundation for collaboration. Know that you’re surrounded my people who love you and who celebrate your beautiful heart! ❤️
I’m overwhelmed. Thank you so much, Jasnoor!
Thank you, this was exceptionally useful. After taking a moment to pull myself out of some self pity and self doubt that was invading my soul this past weekend, your wonderful blog reminded me that I need to open my eyes and stop selling myself short! I can’t wait to begin reaching out to brands.
Knowing others are receiving positive vibes from my words… Well, that’s pretty awesome! Good luck, Bhardwaj!
Your heart for connection radiates through your words, Tanya! Why is it always so hard to see our own awesomeness?! LOL. Thank you for this amazing post! It has provided me with what I need to reach out to brands that I want to work with. xx
What a beautiful thing to say. Cheers to awesome collaborations, Paarul!
I love you’re sharing nature, and I am so eager to gain knowledge from you, Tanya! I have been trying to develop my following “organically”, and it has brought me up to this point. But now I have to put elbow grease into it and learn strategy!
Absolutely, Pallavi! Excited to see you apply the techniques shared in this post.
Thank you for this post, Tanya! Isn’t it funny how we are sometimes our worst critic? But girl, you rock! My little blog will be down for maintenance today in preparation for all the AMAZING stuff coming this month… 🙂
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Nisha. Much appreciated.
An absolutely brilliant and informative post, with awesome advice on the best way to associate with brands! It’s been a hell of a week for moi, but thank goodness for fun collaboration projects and huge wins like finding the perfect shooting location! I am super inspired and ready to tackle the day!
Thank you for your kind words, Tanvi. Looking forward to seeing you here more often. 🙂
So arbitrary, but I just couldn’t leave without saying it ~ I adore how unassuming and supportive you are in the way you respond to all our comments, Tanya!! Lotsa love! ❤️❤️❤️
That is so sweet, Neelam. 🙂 Thank you!
Beautiful and informative share. You are immensely talented, Tanya. And on that note, I’m excited to share that I have reached my #collaborations goal for the first half of this year! It’s amazing that something you “literally write” as a new year goal has come to pass. Of course I don’t stop there, I keep on keeping on… 🙂
That’s wonderful, Manoj! Congratulations!
I love that you freely share your insights, thoughts and ideas with us, and in doing so give us the opportunity to realise our visions and ideas on the blog! ❤️ Big hugs!
I value your appreciation. And the pleasure is entirely mine, Anubha. 🙂
It is always so amazing to read your perspective on topics related to blogging… Having read your tips, I will be moving through my week like a #girlboss! 🙂
Glad to hear it, Saanvi.
If you know me, you would know that I’m terrified of sending out collaboration emails in fear of rejection. But sometimes your passion for your work needs you to place yourself outside of your comfort zone. Thank you for the awesome Influencer Marketing inspiration! xx
I glad that you found the information useful, Samridhi!
To all the aspiring influencers, bloggers, entrepreneurs – these are the words to live by! Tanya, thank you for creating a space to educate, inspire, and empower women who are leaders, moms, influencers, and entrepreneurs. Thank you for sharing your time with us. ❤️
You’re very kind. This is just the beginning for impacting the future of our growth, Tarushi. Thank you for following along…
Motivating content! A piece of the puzzle that isn’t talked about very often is our relationship with brands that allows us to curate the content that we do… I’m glad you see us as real people with a real passion for what we do… Thank you.
That’s sweet of you, Riya. Cheers to platforms that allow us to share our story…
Your post is a really introspective one on the things that bloggers often worry about… When you go above and beyond the brand’s expectations, you will start building key relationships. xx
Absolutely! And, if you work hard and give it time – you are definitely going to go places.
Yes! Bloggers without a defined brand should throw a wide net and attract as many brands as they can. But they would be better off to repel those who don’t belong, in order to serve those who would actually invest. 🙂 Sending positive vibes!
It’s all about getting into that niche!
This post is so close to my heart! ❤️❤️❤️ Glad to find a genuine influencer to support others and build a community! Follow those that make you better at what you do and get you closer to your goals…
Hear, hear! I can’t wait to continue to make connections through this amazing journey!
Building brand partnerships is a give and take kind of situation. Sometimes you get it right, other times you learn to do it better. I embrace both! 🙂
Focus on these tips and you’ll do great, Arpana.
Beautiful work, as always! In my opinion, your pitch for campaigns should be a blend of what you want to communicate and what your readers want to read. This balance should always be maintained for the outstanding outcomes of the strategy. 🙂
Wise words, Anu. Let’s hope this is a year of breakthroughs and passion projects! Bring it on!