How to Pitch to Brands and Get Collabs and Sponsorships

 Are you posting to your social media channels, creating great content and want to get to the point of working with brands either through collaborations or fully paid sponsorships? If you answered yes, you are in the right place! 

But wait. There's a process. There's SO much more to it than just reaching out to your dream brands and hoping they will want to work with you. There are steps you have to take BEFORE you even start pitching. Don't make the mistakes that so many influencers make by jumping into pitch emails before doing the other work. 

If you're ready to really prepare to be a paid influencer, check out our 5 step process that will get you on the road to YES! 

Today we're sharing the Spark Pitch Process, a 5 step guide to getting you #Sponsored. Now, the first three tips may feel familiar because its the same as our Spark Attraction Method, but it's because all of this applies when you are getting ready to pitch to your favorite brands. 

Step 1: Select

- Know which brand you want to pitch. The best way to do this? Think about the brands you already know, love, and actually use! If you aren't truly passionate about the product, it will show both to your audience and to the potential sponsor. 

- Do your research on the brand: new products, releases, seasonal, promotions. Do you know enough about the product to even be pitching yet? Make sure you have this info researched and ready to go!

- Investigate if they’ve worked with influencers before and in what capacity. Some brands are already working with influencers (those brands are smart) while others haven't caught up to the potential of working with us. Look into the brand and see what they are ALREADY doing with their advertising partners. 

Step 2: SYNC

- Connect with a brand and build a relationship. One of the BIGGEST mistakes we see influencers making is that they pitch to a brand without even showing the brand that they are already a fan. Remember that part about choosing brands you already use? Why would a brand want to work with you if you don't genuinely use their product. As you start your journey to paid influencer, tag the brands you hope to one day work with. Is it "free" promo? Sure. But this is also a resume of sorts. It shows the brand the type of content you COULD create for them, it gets you on their radar, and it's AUTHENTIC which should always be your number one goal. 

- Make sure you follow the brand engage with them often (daily if possible) for at least 30 days before you pitch. This should be a no-brainer to most people. If you aren't even following the brand, how could you ever expect them to want to work with you? If they are doing influencer marketing correctly, they are only going to work with people who really enjoy their product and are a fan of their brand FIRST! 

- Watch and reply to their stories. This is a great way to build a relationship with the brand. But if they respond back, don't go straight to pitching them! Have you done the other steps we outlined above? If you haven't, you aren't ready to pitch! And your first interaction shouldn't be about working together. You need to build a genuine relationship before you even consider pitching them a business transaction!

Step 3: SHARE

- Feature the brand organically on your channel. Again, this is a great way to show the brand that you are a fan first, and that your content is professional! Show them what you are capable of!

- Shows brand affinity and loyalty. This will make you stand out among all of those other "influencers" who are just reaching out for free products. 

- Shows that you’re a true fan and already a customer. If it's between you, a true fan and customer, and a random blogger/instagrammer, the brand is always going to go with the true consumer. 

- Gives a preview of what branded content will look like. 

- Tag them in feed and stories. If you aren't using stories yet, you are behind the curve. Get on there and show your audience and the brand how you genuinely enjoy the product! 

The #1 MISTAKE INFLUENCER MAKE WHEN PITCHING TO BRANDS: Not syncing or sharing. 

Step 4: SHIFT

- Optimize your influencer portfolio for the brand you’re pitching. Do you have an influencer portfolio yet? If not, get on it. This is a quick view of your audience, demographics, case studies and more. Your rate card should be there too. 

- Get ready before you pitch: show similar brands, industry-specific examples. Make sure you are showing them content that applies to their brand. 

Step 5: SEND

- Find an email to send over your content. This could be through their website or via DM. 

- Send an email: how you provide value, talk about your audience, give them a partnership idea so they already know the type of campaign you would be able to provide for them. 

- Send media kit and case studies. Wait to send your rate card until AFTER they reply with interest. 

- Follow up in 7 days via email or DM. 

So now you have the steps to pitching brands, but maybe you are STILL lacking confidence in the whole process. Don't be afraid! If you truly follow the steps above, and TAKE YOUR TIME, you will be ready when the time comes to pitch. 

 And don't fear rejection. Even I get rejected still, everyone does. No just means "not right now." You never know when the time will be right, so don't give up!

 Are you ready to take the next step? Register now for my Masterclass to discoed my proven step-by-step system to get #SPONSORED by brands, even if you don't have a huge following yet. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!