The influencer market is growing rapidly, and brands are constantly looking for engaging and unique content creators to collaborate with. What’s even better is that influencer marketing has evolved in recent years. It’s no longer just about how many followers you have, but also about building a community, having business knowledge, and aligning with brand values. This shift has opened up opportunities for creators with even just a few thousand followers to establish themselves and generate consistent revenue.
Starting out as an influencer and securing a brand deal might feel overwhelming. However, if you know where to begin and what steps to take, you’ll land your first deal in no time. This article will guide you through the necessary steps to get brand deals.
What is a brand deal?
Before we jump into understanding how to get a brand deal as a content creator, let’s take a closer look at what brand deals are.
Brand deals, sometimes known also as brand sponsorships or brand partnerships, are collaborations between brands and social media content creators. As opposed to sponsored posts, for example, brand deals are not one-time partnerships: they usually span for much longer periods, from a few weeks to months.
During the collaboration, brands pay the content creator to promote their products across social media channels. As part of the brand deal, influencers often receive gifted products from the brand, which they then promote in their content.
For example, in the case of clothing brands, a common practice for brands is to send out pieces from each new collection for the influencer to promote. Alternatively, they allocate the influencer a set amount of money they can use to shop on the brand’s website for the pieces they like.
Another aspect of brand deals to keep in mind is exclusivity. This will naturally depend on your contract, but more often than not, influencers aren’t allowed to work with other companies in the niche of the brand they are affiliated with.
How to get brand deals as an influencer?
Now that you know what brand deals are, let’s dive into how you can actually get them! Here’s the best part: you don’t need millions of followers to get deals! Sure, having a big following can be awesome, but it’s not a must-have. There are opportunities out there for creators of all sizes, and if you know where to look and how to approach brands for sponsorships, you’re on your way to success.
And don’t worry if you’re not sure where to begin – we’ve got your back with some practical tips and strategies to help you out!
Find more ways to earn as an influencer here.
Build your media kit
Your journey to becoming a top creator starts with a professional media kit. It’s your way of showing brands that you take your creator career seriously and are ready to become their partner. A well-crafted media kit can help you build credibility as a creator.
Your media kit acts as a digital portfolio, displaying your following, engagement, demographics, and previous collaborations. It’s an effective way to show brands why you’d make an excellent partner.
When it comes to having a dynamic media kit, consider ViralMango Media Kit. It’s an easy-to-use tool that allows you to showcase your stats from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all in one place. With various customization options, you can create a media kit that matches your needs. Choose from the provided themes, edit your bio, and hide/unhide different media kit sections to customize your media kit.
Once your media kit is ready, you can share the link everywhere – on social media, via email, on your website, etc.
Learn more about how to make it here: How to Build an Influencer Media Kit
Choose your niche
As an influencer, choosing your niche is a crucial step in building your creator’s business. Take some time to reflect on what topics or activities genuinely excite you. Then, assess your skills and expertise to see how they can align with your interests.
Conduct research to identify popular niches with significant audience demand. This information can help you narrow down your options. Authenticity is key, so avoid forcing yourself into a niche that doesn’t reflect your true self.
Experiment with various content formats to find what works best for you and your audience, and welcome feedback from followers and fellow creators. Tailor your content to resonate with your followers by analyzing their demographics and engagement.
Stay flexible as your interests may evolve over time. Remember that it’s a gradual process. Enjoy the experience of discovering the niche that represents you as an influencer authentically.
Boost your engagement
Boosting engagement is the key to creating a fantastic community around your content. Besides, brands also love that. High engagement is one of the things that brands pay attention to when choosing creators. So, what strategies can you use to have your audience hooked?
- Create visually captivating and emotionally resonant posts that leave a lasting impression.
- Understand your audience’s interests, needs, and desires, and tailor your content to match them.
- Keep the good vibes flowing with a consistent posting schedule – they’ll be excited to see you regularly!
- Attract them with engaging captions that spark conversations and fun interactions.
- Engage with your followers by replying to comments and messages – it’s like having a friendly chat!
- Collaborate with other influencers. Team up and rock the internet together!
- Excite your audience with contests and giveaways that spread your awesomeness!
- Use relevant hashtags as your secret power boosters.
- Take them behind the scenes with stories and live streams – they’ll love being part of your adventures!
- Stay true to yourself – authenticity attracts trust and loyalty from your amazing community.
Use these strategies to supercharge your engagement and create an epic influencer journey!
Be creative
In a sea of thousands, even millions, of content creators, your unique voice, style, and values are your secret sauce to standing out on social media! With trends coming and going, it’s easy to get caught up in the chase, losing your own authentic flair along the way.
Invest some time in creating content that’s uniquely you – fun, educational, and engaging. Show them that you’re in sync with their passions and values. This approach will keep your community engaged, intrigued, and coming back for more!
Being true to yourself won’t just grow your community, but it’ll also catch the eye of brands in your niche. They’ll be lining up to collaborate with a genuine and captivating influencer like you. Your unique voice will lead you to success in the world of social media.
Use platforms
Influencer marketing platforms are another way to find brand deals. These are tools that help you automate the process of finding brands and organize your workflow smoothly so that nothing ever gets lost.
You can think of these platforms as UpWork for influencers: they provide discovery and analytics tools for brands and influencers, helping them to connect for cooperation. These platforms are like a marketplace where brands and influencers connect. Brands list what they’re looking for, and influencers, like you, share their profiles and send pitches to those brands.
And the best part is, you can easily filter through hundreds of brands to find those perfect influencer deals that align with your preferences! These platforms are designed for brands and influencers of all sizes and can be of great help if you are unsure how to ask a brand to sponsor you or how to pitch to brands as a micro-influencer.
Pitch your talent
Pitching your talent is all about showcasing your uniqueness to brands and making them excited to collaborate with you!
Crafting a compelling email pitch can significantly increase your chances of landing exciting brand collaborations. Here are some tips to create an email pitch:
- Subject Line: Make it attention-grabbing and relevant to the brand you’re reaching out to. Avoid generic subject lines that might get lost in a busy inbox.
- Personalization: Address the brand representative by name if possible. Show that you’ve done your research and understand their brand and values.
- Introduction: Start with a friendly and engaging introduction. Briefly introduce yourself, mention why you love the brand, and express your interest in collaborating.
- Highlight Your Value: Showcase your unique strengths, niche, and the value you can bring to their brand. Mention any relevant statistics or past successful campaigns.
- Creative Ideas: Share creative campaign ideas that align with the brand’s message and your audience’s interests.
- Media Kit: Include a link to your media kit, where they can see your best work, audience demographics, and engagement metrics.
- Gratitude and Politeness: End your pitch with a thank you and a polite closing. Avoid using pushy language or sounding entitled.
- Follow-Up: If you don’t receive a response initially, consider following up after a reasonable time to express continued interest.
Brands receive numerous pitches, so make sure that yours stands out with personalization, creativity, and a genuine passion for collaborating.
To assist you in your brand outreach, ViralMango offers an automated outreach with customizable email templates that you can use to get noticed by brands and get brand deals. Create your media kit and use our ready-made email templates to reach out to brands you want to work with.
How to get sponsored by brands?
Getting sponsored by brands as an influencer requires dedication and strategic efforts. Start by finding your passion and creating content that’s all you – engaging and top-notch! Grow your audience with love and dedication, staying consistent like a pro.
Showcase your value with a media kit, highlighting your influence and successful collaborations. Find those brands that share your vibes and values, and personalize your pitches to impress them!
Networking is the key, so team up with other influencers and build your tribe. Keep working on your engagement, and let your analytics show how influential you are.
Be patient, and remember, this journey takes time and hustle. With passion and persistence, fantastic brand sponsorships are within your reach.
What are creator rates and types of compensation?
When it comes to rates and compensation as a content creator, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Your earnings depend on various factors, such as the platform, post type, and audience size you choose. Here’s an average payment rate for Instagram and TikTok, two popular influencer platforms.
| Type | Followers | Story | Post | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pico-influencer | 1-1,000 | $10-$20 | $10-$40 | $40-$50 |
| Nano-influencer | 1,000-10,000 | $50-$100 | $50-$150 | $150-$200 |
| Micro-influencer | 10,000-50,000 | $250-$300 | $250-$500 | $350-$500 |
| Macro-influencer | 50,000-500,000 | $700-$1,000 | $1000-$5,000 | $4,500-$7,000 |
| Milli-influencer | 500,000-1M | $4,000-$5,000 | $5,000-$10,000 | $7,500-$10,000 |
| Mega-influencer | 1M-10M | $8,000-$9,000 | $10,000-$50,000 | $45,000-$50,000 |
| Giga-influencer | 10M-50M | $40,000-$50,000 | $50,000-$100,000 | $100,000-$120,000 |
| Tera-influencer | 50M-500M | $100,000-$150,000 | $100,000-$250,000 | $250,000-$270,000 |
| Peta-influencer | 500M-1B | $200,000-$220,000 | $250,000 | $300,000-$450,000 |
| Exa-influencer | 1B-5B | $220,000-$250,000 | $300-000-$500,000 | $500,000-$700,000 |
Cash isn’t the only way brands compensate influencers. Gifted products, percentage-based on sales, pay-per-post, performance-based pay, content licensing fees, and other options are also available. In fact, the compensation possibilities are endless as long as both parties agree. So, be open to various methods and find what works best for you!
How do brands find Influencers for partnerships?
Much like influencers have strategies for finding brands, brands have strategies to find branded content creators. This starts by them defining their campaign goals and needs. Once the brand lays the groundwork, then starts the search process. Some of the most common and working strategies are:
- Using hashtags for search;
- Turning to influencer marketing tools;
- Using influencer databases;
- Use brand monitoring tools to find potentially interested influencers;
- Check the competition;
- Events and networking.
This is far from being a comprehensive list. Over time, by trying and testing different methods, companies understand what methods work best for them, and concentrate on those. By keeping these in mind, you’ll have a better idea of how to put yourself out there.
What do brands look for in creator sponsorships?
Ever wondered how brands pick content creators for awesome collaborations? It might seem like a mystery – is it just the follower count, engagement rates, or creativity?
Well, the truth is, it’s a mix of factors that vary for each brand!
But don’t worry, there are some common things brands consider when choosing creators for brand deals. Here are a few of them:
- Relevance: Brands look for influencers whose content and niche align with their brand identity and values.
- Engagement and Reach: They analyze the influencer’s engagement rate which includes likes, comments, and shares, as well as their total follower count.
- Authenticity and Credibility: Brands seek influencers who are authentic, genuine, and have built a sense of trust with their followers.
- Content Quality: They assess the influencer’s content to ensure it is of high quality, visually appealing, and aligns with the brand’s aesthetics and standards.
- Audience Demographics: Understanding the influencer’s audience demographics is crucial for brands to ensure they are reaching their target market effectively.
- Past Collaborations: Brands may look at the influencer’s history of brand collaborations and the success of previous campaigns.
- Brand Safety: Brands also consider whether the influencer has been involved in any controversies or situations that may negatively impact their brand’s reputation.
- Consistency: Brands evaluate how consistently and frequently the influencer posts content to ensure their audience remains engaged.
- Marketability and Personality: The influencer’s marketability and personality play a role in brands’ decision-making, as they want someone who can authentically represent their brand and resonate with the audience.
By going through this thorough examination, brands find influencers who perfectly match their needs. This leads to awesome partnerships that captivate their audience and leave a lasting impression.
15 Companies that Pay Influencers for Brand Deals
- Bidygo
- Moonbun baby
- Asos
- Amazon
- Artuyt
- Coca-Cola
- Glossier
- Forever 21
- Sephora
- Nike
- Canon
- Airbnb
- Proozy
- Nourison
- ASTRO Gaming
Sign up now and get access to our extensive directory of brands ready to collaborate with you.
Conclusion
As a content creator, one of the first questions you ask yourself is, “How do I work with brands?” Start by defining what you stand for and what content you want to create for your audience. Build a strong relationship with your community and apply the strategies above for a competitive edge. Be patient, try different approaches, and soon, you’ll land your first brand deal. Good luck on your journey!
