When people think of social media brand deals, they typically think of giant companies sponsoring people with huge followings. But the truth is that there are thousands of brands who are actively looking to reach audiences of all sizes. More and more companies are coming to realize that brand deals with content creators are a powerful way to connect with consumers.
This means that you don’t need millions of followers to find someone willing to work with you. It just means you might need to do a bit more work to get on their radar.
In this quick guide, we’ll help set you up to land your next brand deal, as well as explore some new tools and ideas for creating authentic and engaging branded content, rather than simply “sponsored posts” that your audience ignores.
Branded content is one of the most popular ways for creators to make money, but it’s not the only way. If you want to learn about ways to monetize by going direct to your audience, check out Top Kojis To Monetize Your Link in Bio.
Understand Your Own Brand
While it’s certainly not required, having a strong understanding of your own brand is important in determining the kinds of brands you might want to work with. If you approach a brand that aligns with your own, it’ll be easier to close the deal. Not to mention, you’ll have more fun working with a partner whose values align with your own.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:
- What are your core values?
- What does your audience look like? What has worked in the past, and what hasn’t?
- Of all the different types of content you make, what’s your favorite? What’s most successful?
- Who are some other creators you look up to? What kinds of brand deals have they done? What worked and what didn’t?
What do brands look for?
The most important criteria for a brand is whether your audience aligns with their target audience. This might seem obvious—a makeup company probably isn’t going to care about advertising on an outdoor adventure account—but sometimes you’ll be surprised what you find when you really start to think about your audience from this perspective.
The easiest way to understand this is to look at other campaigns run by the brand. Check out their ads on social media, their official accounts, other creators they’ve partnered with in the past, and anything else you can find about them. This will help you understand whether or not the brand will be a good fit for you.
Tips for finding brand partnerships
Reach out directly
Most companies have a contact email address located on their website. You can send an email introducing yourself and expressing interest in partnership opportunities. Tell them a bit about your social media channel and why you find their company to be an interesting fit.
Some have more structured applications or contact methods for getting in touch about a partnership, so check to see if those exist before you reach out through a different channel.
Make sure you’ve done your research about the brand and their products, and make sure you have stats and key information about your audience ready to go, so you can quickly and accurately answer any questions they might have.
Ask other creators for introductions
If you’ve seen other creators do partnerships with a brand you like, you can reach out to them and ask for an introduction to the brand. These kinds of warm introductions are more effective than cold emails, but you’ll still need to prepare in the same way by doing your research and having your data in order.
Use influencer marketing platforms
There are hundreds of platforms (for example, influence.co) that are built to connect you with potential brand partners. These companies are professional networks that welcome creators of all sizes and provide opportunities for both you and your brand partners.
Other Ways To Earn Money From Social Media
Add Kojis That Help You Make Money
Even though brand partnerships are a great way to make money as a creator, they’re not the only way. If you are interested in other ways to monetize by going direct to your audience, check out our list of Top Kojis.
Bonus: Affiliate Links
Most major companies will have a way to generate an affiliate link for certain products. Anytime someone clicks on this link and makes a purchase, a percentage of that money will go to you. You can register for an affiliate link through a company’s website or by using an affiliate network site.
Final Thoughts
Brand partnerships are not just for massive creators—they’re for everyone. Using Kojis like Brand Quiz or Brand Survey, you can offer brand partners new ways to engage with you and reach your audience.
Finding a brand deal is easier than you might think. Once you know a bit about yourself, and a bit about your potential partners, it’s simply a numbers game, and a matter of finding the right match.
If you have any feedback, need help building your Kojis, we’d love to hear from you! Tag us on Twitter, email us ([email protected]), or use the help chat available on the Koji Website.
Additional Resources
Branded Quiz
Branded Survey
How to Use Your Link in Bio to Level-Up Your Brand Partnerships
Official Announcement