Welcome to The Spark Show! In this episode, I’ll be talking about media kits! First, I’ll be sharing why it’s super important to have one, but it’s only one of the three things you need to get brand deals. Second, I’ll talk about all the things that should be on your media kit. Third, I’ll be talking about the #1 thing that successful influencers do that get paid brand deals vs the ones that only get discount codes and free product.

A lot of influencers out there are working for free and not getting paid for their work. This is a problem! Everyone deserves to be paid for their work. When we, as influencers, create content and promote a brand to our audience, that’s business. That creates brand awareness, that’s marketing, that’s advertising. 

Brands would pay a network or TV station or radio channel for an ad to get featured and in front of their audience, it’s the same thing. So, if you’re wondering if brands would pay, they already do. Chances are they’re investing in Facebook or Instagram ads and hiring a photographer or model to create content for their channels. 

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is when you hire someone to create content and endorse your brand to their built-in audience. It takes work to build an audience and to create content. So really, that’s the first thing you need to understand. 

A lot of people don’t understand how influencers make money and why brands pay. They pay because it increases their bottom line, it drives traffic, creates awareness and makes sales. Just think of your recent purchases, it’s probably because you saw an ad or you heard about it or saw it in your feed. That is worth something to brands.

When you start working with brands, there are two ways this happens. They’ll either reach out to you or you’ll reach out to them. If you want them to reach out to you, you’ll want to use the Spark Attraction Method that I teach inside my course, Seal the Brand Deal. This is how to get brands to reach out to you and notice you so they’ll want to partner with you.

The other way this happens is if you reach out to brands. I teach the Spark Pitch Process in Seal the Brand Deal and what’s important to know is that it’s not the actual pitching that gets you the deal, it’s the pre-work, the pre-pitching that happens. 

There are two ways to work with brands: attracting and pitching.

Once you are in communication with a brand, they will either ask for your media kit or you can offer it. So, let’s talk about what a media kit is.

What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a document that clearly communicates what your brand is about. It has information on you, your audience demographic, your numbers (like followers, reach, engagement rate) and what other brands you’ve worked with. These are all the things that should be on your media kit. It’s kind of like a resume for influencers. 

Now, most influencers only have a media kit, but what I teach influencers to have is an influencer portfolio where the media kit is only one part of it. There are three total parts. 

The second part is the rate card, that’s like a price sheet with your services and how much you charge. 

The third part is case studies. This is where you can go deeper and show your work from past partnerships with screenshots and analytics. Most influencers do not have this and what I’ve seen in my personal experience and from my students that I’ve taught this method to, they are more likely to get PAID brand deals when they have all three of these components. 

Let’s say you’re just starting out and you may not have a lot of things to put on your media kit, and that’s okay. You’ll want to start out by focusing on growth and then doing some collaborations (that may be unpaid) but creates and starts a relationship with a brand (think of it like an internship before a job). And, once you gain more followers and experience, then you can start building your influencer portfolio and then attracting and pitching to brands for paid deals.

Why You Should Charge for Your Work

Now, the #1 thing that sets aside influencers who are getting paid brand deals and the ones that are not is that they’re not afraid to ask. So many influencers are afraid to charge for their work. If you keep accepting free stuff, then that’s all you’re going to get. If you ask for money, then the brand says no - at least you tried. 

The answer to a question you don’t ask is always no. 

I can’t tell you how many times my students have told me that they asked and the brand said YES. They didn’t even negotiate or counter (sometimes they will), but once you get over the fear, you’ll realize that it’s really that simple - you’re just gonna have to ask.

Think of it like negotiating your salary, some people say if they asked for more they would probably get it. Sometimes you won’t and it’s not just in the budget, but you will never know.

Also, you have to think about all the work that goes into it. You have to think of the concept, produce the shoot, do your hair and makeup, do the shoot, then edit, then go back and forth with the brand, then post and do the caption, then engage with your audience plus growing your audience on a daily basis. If you calculate the time, you’re probably underpaid already.

This all comes down to worthiness and acknowledging your self-worth. You have to put your foot down and decide that if this is a business for you then you have to monetize it. Because, if you’re not making money, it’s just a hobby - which is fine too but you actually have to make up your mind about it. 

Listen to the full episode here: 

Watch the Masterclass

thespark.show/class

Listen to Previous Episodes: 

How to Write Your Influencer Mission Statement

When To Have Multiple Instagram Accounts

What To Do When Your Brand Evolves

How to Master Your Mindset featuring Satya Purna

The Truth About Follow / Unfollow

Connect with Gwen Lane

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