One of the major ways that social media influencers can make money is by collaborating with a brand. Whether you are just starting your career or are looking forward to growing it, one of the questions you may ask yourself is how to build more relationships with brand decision-makers. Fortunately, here are some of the premier strategies to help you succeed.

Why Should Brands Partner with You?

As an influencer and brand ambassador, you must establish yourself as an authority in one or more niches, such as fashion, food, interior design, technology, etc. You must define what you love talking about and clearly explain the value that your content provides to your audience and potential brands.

There Are 4 Types of Influencers

Brands often make decisions to collaborate based on follower counts and engagement rates. Here’s the breakdown in influencer categories:

• Nano-influencers: 1K-10K followers
• Micro-influencers: 10K-100K followers
• Macro-influencers: 100K-1M followers
• Mega/Celebrity influencers: 1M+ followers

While larger numbers may seem better suited for many brands, this is not always the case, as audience engagement is a big factor. Usually, brands prefer meaningful connections over super-sized audiences.

Creating Content that Stands Apart

Working with brands requires a polished and cohesive portfolio across social media channels. The work should speak to professionalism and resonate with your brand. Quality should always remain high in key areas such as photography, writing, and even video creation. You will even hire professionals who get tasks done on your behalf, such as editing or managing your social media, because building a successful brand involves a team.

How to Get Notified by Brands

With your content nailed and your audience in mind, now it is time to get on the radar of brands. Following are six ways to get noticed:

Engage with Brands: “Flirt” with the brands you admire. Tag them in your posts, comment on their content, and write about your connection to their products.

Personal Outreach: DM or email them and introduce yourself. Tell them why you love their brand, how long you have been following it, and why you’d be a perfect partner. Always add your social stats and request a contact for a partnership discussion. 

Influencer Platforms: Several influencer marketing platforms are a gateway between brands and influencers. Some will advertise what the brands are looking for, including budgets, content guidelines, and details on how to apply to collaborate with them. Most platforms will allow you to create a profile with your stats, where the brands can view and pick the influencers closest to their requirements. 

Engage with Agency Representatives: Many brands outsource influencer management to agencies. Research and network within the influencer agencies to identify what brands they work with and how you can get involved. One of the premier influencer marketing agencies you can partner with is HireInfluence.

Utilize Your Network: Use LinkedIn or industry connections to reach out to individuals who work within the marketing department of the brands you’d like to collaborate with.

Find a manager: There are many social influencer managers out there. They will typically get paid a commission based on the deals they bring you, which is often negotiable. Finding one of these managers may make your work much easier, while often, these managers may also have connections with brands and can get you deals much quicker.

Outsourcing and Collaboration

Don’t be afraid to seek help managing all aspects of content creation. Bring the right photographers, videographers, and social media management teams in, and let the pros handle certain areas so you can focus on what you are good at and be more productive in building your brand. You can do so much more by having others help you.

Ultimately, the key to successful influencer-brand collaborations rests on one’s persistence with continuous improvement in creating quality content, networking, and teamwork. Keep pushing, keep honing your craft, and keep building those connections.

Published by: Nelly Chavez