Are you a new blogger or social media influencers with big dreams of working with brands and being paid to do it? but, you don’t know how?

Well this is the post for you!

I started reaching out to brands as soon as I reached 1k followers on Instagram and 100 blog subscribers.

Numbers matter to a degree when reaching out to brands.

Having 1000 followers just shows brands you are growing and you have an engaged audience.

It shows you take what you’re doing seriously.

That doesn’t mean you can’t pitch having less than a 1k followers.

I’m just saying that personally I did not send out pitches until I had the numbers and content to back my pitches.

When you are pitching you asking for money or products in exchange for a series of blog post, a single blog post, social media promotion etc.

I started pitching and landing paid sponsorships about 3 or 4 months into my blogging journey.

I reached out to “Follow Your Heart” brand . “Follow your heart” brand makes vegan cheeses, dressings, you name it they make it vegan and delicious.

My instagram and blog are centered around family, vegan cooking, and fitness.

I create my own recipes and shoot my own food photos

I sent a pitch in the “Contact us” section of the brands website outlining my idea of creating several recipes using “Follow your heart” brand products.

I sent my instagram links as well as photos of the food I cooked with their products.

Within minutes of sending my email I received an email asking for my mailing address and other details and they wanted to collaborate with me!

After the first pitch I was hooked.

I started reaching out to brands and leveraging my social and blog as advertising.

Brands LOVE advertising for the low.

You may have some of the best content and best ideas for a brand in the world, you could be everything a brand is looking for but if you don’t make yourself know and show these brands what you can do and how you can benefit them you won’t get the work.

I’ve pitched and received money, event tickets, trips, you name it over the past year I’ve pitched and I’ve received everything I asked for.

Partnership money is great money.

Every brand has a marketing budget and this post is going to show you how to get a piece of the budget for yourself.

Have a plan before you even write the email

Before you reach out to any brand for reason have a plan.

Check out the brands social media, their website.

See where you can benefit the brand.

Does the brand have a very small following on a social media platform that you have a larger following on?

Maybe a partnership with you will expose them to a larger or more diverse audience.

Keep that in mind for the email, you perhaps mention:

“I follow your twitter account and I love your tweets. I have a RT reach of over 68.7k a partnership between the two of us could expose you to a much larger audience on twitter.”

Research the brand and see how your content can be of value to the brand you want to work with, how can your blog post serve the brand?

Will the series of post be a “how to” post explaining how to use the product.

Will the post be a review? An entire Instagram campaign? What are you willing to do for this brands budget or product?

Just having a following and a blog doesn’t mean you should be paid for your content.

Know your worth as a creator going in.

know what you can offer and how you can be of service.

Know your strengths and how they can be used to benefit the brand you want to work with.

Even as a small blogger you have something to offer.

I had a plan, I was creating a series of recipes, I could benefit them with my blog with 5k views monthly (at the time) my growing Ig and the fact I’m a vegan chef, my audience knows me and trust me for my opinion on vegan food.

It only takes a few moments to do a little research and see how you can be of service to the brand you want to work with.

Once you have a plan it’s on the the next step..

Stalking the brand

If you really want to work with this brand, you have to make sure you’re the right fit.

Look at their social media pages, see how they write captions.. are they a serious brand? Are they funny in the captions? Are you even their target audience?

Look at their post and interact with the post. When your stalking the brand look up the brands PR email, marketing department email, media inquiry email.

Stalk the owners of those emails. Do they have a blog? Read it.. the could be a title of your email:

“I read your latest blog post and I had a few questions”

( If they don’t have those go to the pages “contact us” area save the email address located there)

While you’re researching the brand take careful notice of the previous and current campaigns the brand is running.

Ask yourself “can I recreate this or make it better? How can I make this my own? What ideas do I have to make this better!”

Form a relationship with the brand on social media

If you did your stalking homework correctly you will know what social media platforms the brand you want to work with is the most active on.

Once you know, you need to follow them.

There is nothing worse than reaching out to a brand for money and products and you don’t even follow the brand.

Don’t do that it’s tacky..

Follow the brand you want to work with.

Interact with their post. Comment, like and share their post.

You never know who is running the social media profile.

When you pitch and leave your social media links the social media person might say

“yes, I know who that blogger is! They are always in our comments and tagging us in photos. They have great content, we should work with them”

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. Get friendly with the brands you love online.

Create content that mirrors what you have in mind for partnership

When I pitch to brands I make sure the content on my IG and blog matches what I’m trying to do.

If I’m wanting food for recipes, I’ll make sure there is a recipe currently in my instagram feed.

I make sure my recipes on my blog are up to date and edited.

I may even create a recipe just to show them I’m capable of doing the work I’m asking to be compensated for.

I tend to create blog post and iG post prior to the entire pitch so have samples of my work on hand for the brand.

Make sure you blog and IG are presentable

Prior to sending that email, clean house.

If you have a shared IG (business and personal mixed)

you might want to remove the artsy pictures of you windsurfing nude in Cancun last week.

Especially if the brand you’re trying to land is a conservative brand.

You can end a deal before it’s sign by having an unkempt feed.

I’m not saying your feed has to have to theme or be professionally shot.

I am saying pitching is like going out for a job interview.

Your blog and IG are like your clothing make sure your shirt is ironed before you send that email.

Is your Bio up to date on your blog? Is your blog easy to navigate? These are things that matter.

Brands are going to be looking to see who you are.

Put your best foot forward, clean up before you invite the brand into your world with an email.

Writing your email pitch

Before you even start.. make sure you have the person of contacts name spelled correctly.

Nothing worse than spelling the brands name wrong.

The audacity to ask for money or products and you don’t even have the decency to make sure the name is spelled right…. moving on.

When I write I use a method I adapted from Gary Vaynerchuck “Gary Vee” “Jab, Jab, Jab right hook”

Basically “compliment, compliment, compliment.. ask for what you want

“I love your coffee, I’ve been buying your coffee 6 months it has changed my life! I’m happier, more energized and I think I’ve lost 6lbs, I would love to tell my audience about the amazing benefits of your products. I would love to partner with your brand on series of post explaining the positive benefits of your fantastic coffee”

Mention the benefits of working with you

I also make sure to mention my strength and how I can be a benefit to the brand.

That is the key. Too many times we just ask, ask, ask but you have to show the brand how partnering with you is really going to benefit them.

Are you offering exposure to a demographic they are not exposed to?

Are you niche that they haven’t though about but maybe of use? Bring that up.

Are you fantastic with “how to post” and your last post got 9000 views and you want to share those views with a brand you love? Mention that.

You want to show yourself as a benefit not a burden. You want to show ways that you can be of value to the brand.

Demographics

When you’re writing your email it’s important to have key demographics to share.

You don’t have to share every number but knowing your audience make up, your reach, number of followers per platform and page views is bare minimum.

If you know those numbers you’re able to express what your bring to the table.

Brands like to see number. They don’t have to be huge numbers, just know what your demographics are when pitching. It’s nice to add them in to email.

Spell out what you’re asking for clearly

Don’t just write “I’m a blogger with a large following I have an idea for blog post, do you work with bloggers”

No let them know a partnership includes you have a series of post , you plan to tag the company in social and promote them across your social media. Curated post with high quality photos.

Clearly speak out what they will be getting as benefit.

Send samples of your work in the email

When you are pitching to brands you want to show them you are capable of doing the work you are asking them to pay you for.

If you have partnered with a brand before show the link to work and explain the campaign.

If you have a blog post, any sample of your content that you can show them is helpful.

Here’s a sample Template

Quick to the point.. no pressure no mention of compensation on my part just opening a conversation about collaboration.

Here’s a pitch I sent Monday to a winery:

I spelled out everything in a few neat paragraphs. Left samples of my work and opened a door for further conversation.

If you’re clear and great fit.. chances are the brand will respond positively.

You sent your email now what?

Let it go, you’ve asked and it’s up the brand.

Relax, pat yourself on the back and get ready to write another pitch.

In order to have constant work and constant opportunities you have to craft pitches.

You can’t spend hours or days looking at your inbox waiting for a response.

Leave it alone. Follow up in 2-3 weeks with a simple email

“Hello, just following up to see if you received my email, take care have a great day.”

Silence isn’t always a “no” people go on vacation or your email simply got lost in a shuffle that day. A follow up email will really help your chances of a response as well.

Do NOT do this when reaching out

There’s just a few things you don’t want to do when emailing brands and I want to make sure I cover that.

• DON’T Mass email.. don’t be a “masshole” it should be a personal thing asking a brand for partnership. One email per brand. One email per person. No mass emails.
• DON’T SLIDE INTO A BRANDS DM’S WITH A PITCH! No! No! No! Slide in to ask for who the contact person is for partnership inquires, but don’t slide in asking for business opportunities. That’s just not professional.
• Don’t call out the brand in comments “Did you get my email? Do you work with bloggers?” Or “sponsor me!” That screams of desperation! Brands aren’t desperate and aren’t looking for desperate bloggers looking for handouts, don’t be that person.

What you CAN do

If you have the following, you have an idea, and you have a brand in mind.. just go for it! All you need is one “yes” to change your life in this industry.

You won’t know what will happen if you don’t just try and pitch to a brand.

As you can see this is not a send one email and bounce situation. This is process, it takes work but it’s so worth it!

I love when a brand responds back favorably and wants to meet and hear more of my ideas. There’s no feeling like it.

If you don’t have 1000 followers on Instagram check out my post Batsplaining Instagram: A quick guide to 1000 Instagram followers grow your following and start pitching for opportunities.

There are countless opportunities for bloggers. You just have to make them for yourself.

As the saying goes “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” If you want to make this your career you have to put yourself in the game and pitch!

Let know if you found these tips useful! Good luck pitching!!