Tips on Working with Brands as an Influencer

A very important way that social media influencers get paid is through relationships with brands. Whether you are just starting out in your career or want to advance it, you have to wonder sometimes how you can build deeper connections with the key decision-makers at brands. Here are effective ways to help you thrive.

Why Should Brands Partner with You?

In becoming an influencer or brand ambassador, one has to become an authority in any niche: technology, fashion, food, travel, etc. Define your passion and be very clear about the value that your content brings to your audience and future brand partners.

An Overview of the 4 Types of Influencers

In general, brands select who to work with according to the number of followers and their engagement rate. Here are the influencer categories:

Nano: 1K–10K followers

Micro: 10K–100K followers

Macro: 100K–1M followers

Mega/Celebrity: 1M+ followers

But while bigger numbers might get a brand’s attention, larger isn’t always better in influencer marketing. Smaller, highly engaged audiences are often preferred over sheer volume.

Your social media portfolio needs to be tight and cohesive if you want to attract the brands. Your followers’ engagement is very important. Hopefully, you do not have fake followers, as these would be obvious based on the engagement level.

Your social media represents your professionalism and is attached to your personal brand. Some of the key areas where quality is always quite consistent include photography, writing, and video creation. It’s okay to outsource editing or social media management. Brands do not care if you do it all yourself or if you have a team, as long as you are professional and have an audience demographic close to what they are looking for.

How to Get Noticed by Brands

Here are six ways to get noticed:

Interact with Brands

Just interact with the brands you love, be it by tagging them in your posts, commenting on their content, or sharing your personal story of how you’re hooked to their products.

Personal Outreach

DM or email a simple intro of yourself. Let them know why you love their brand, how long you’ve followed them, and why you’d be such a great partner. Share your social stats and request a contact for discussing a potential collaboration.

Use Influencer Marketing Platforms

Sign up for influencer marketing platforms where collaborations and campaigns of brands are listed. Many of those platforms outline a budget, guidelines on content, and very often give the possibility to apply for an opportunity.

Contact Influencer Agencies

Most brands work with agencies in the management of influencer relationships. Research some of the best influencer marketing agencies out there and reach out to them. Get to know which brands the agency is working with, and contact them for any collaboration opportunity. One such great influencer marketing agency that you can collaborate with is HireInfluence.

Find an influencer manager

Find someone who would do all the work for you. Often these managers have existed and are currently in touch with some brands. You can ask around other influencers if they have managers. Ask if they are happy with them and if so ask for referrals. Most such influencer managers will work on a commission basis, so they only get paid when they book you jobs.

Leverage Your Network: Utilize LinkedIn or your industry contacts to search and connect with individuals currently working in the marketing departments of the brands you wish to partner with.

Building Long-Term Relationships

It’s not just about building the relationship; it’s about maintaining it. Keep in touch with the contacts; ask how you can collaborate in the future and always offer value. Consistency is key for persistence and professionalism in long-term partnerships.

Outsourcing and Partnership

And don’t be afraid to outsource professional help on any aspect of content creation. Hire top-rated photographers, videographers, or social media managers who can let you free up your time.

Finally, it all comes down to persistence, quality content, networking, and teamwork in the case of successful collaboration between influencers and brands. Keep honing your skills, keep building those connections, and always pursue your objectives doggedly.

Further Reading: How influencer marketing campaigns create success for brands and influencers