Did you recently start a blog and now you’re looking for a way to take it to the next level? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Promoting your blog by boosting your social media presence is a great way to take your online career to the next level.
Wondering how to do it? Let’s break down everything you need to know when it comes to working with brands as an influencer through the power of your blog.
Tagging the Brand
Especially if you’re just starting, building a following is probably one of the first things on your mind. Not only is building a following important to gain readership on your blog, but it’s also important when it comes to brands noticing your account. To gain followers, you can of course use popular hashtags, use relevant keywords in your bio, or even collaborate with other bloggers. But there’s another way to gain an audience that will also put your social media accounts and blog in front of brands – talk about killing two birds with one stone!
So, how do you do it? Create content using products from the brands you want to work with. When you create eye-catching content and tag the brand in your social posts, it’s highly likely the brand will see the post and will reach out to you. When they reach out, they’ll either ask to repost your content on their social channels or could propose a collaboration.
Sharing your Blog Posts
Other than creating social posts using products from your favorite brands, you can do what you know best: write a blog. Brands love customer testimonials and any good press they can find, so writing a stellar blog post about how much you enjoy their products can easily catch their attention. In your post, you can also discuss how you use the products, why you like the brand’s mission and values, or why you started using the products exclusively.
If you need content around the holidays, you can even create gift guides that mention a few products from the brands you want to highlight, too. Once you publish your blog, you can share it with the brand(s) you mentioned either through email or on social media. This way, you’ll gain their attention for organic outreach or future collaboration.
Adding Yourself to Influencer Marketing Agency Databases
Nowadays, influencer marketing agencies are completely changing the landscape of the marketing industry. With traditional media methods in advertising becoming less effective than they once were, many brands are choosing to partner with various influencer marketing agencies to achieve their social media campaign goals.
If you want to promote your blog, partaking in social media campaigns by getting your name in an agency’s list of industry-specific influencers is a great way to get your brand out there and boost your social media presence. By signing up to an influencer agency’s network and building a relationship with the account managers, these agencies will match you with relevant paid campaign opportunities that adhere to your brand and facilitate communication with the brand for you. However, it can be intimidating to figure out where to start.
Don’t stress – it’s fairly simple! To get involved with an influencer marketing agency, head to their website and look for a contact form that allows you to reach out to the agency directly so you can add yourself to their database. As a general rule, it’s recommended to do your research on these various agencies so you can find the ones that work the best for you. For example, there are certain influencer marketing agencies that specialize in gaming brands or focus on targeting college-aged women.
Here are some links to agencies that work with various influencers and brands to get you going:
Reaching out to Brands Directly
As mentioned before, it’s a great idea to email brands directly to share your blog posts. However, it could be possible that you have a specific blog niche or some other factor stopping your from writing a brand-focused blog post. Instead, you can reach out to a brand directly through a pitch. To do so, here’s a few helpful tips:
- Create a Media Kit
A media kit is the main way a brand can learn about your experience, expertise in the space, and your analytics. Think of it as a business card, resume, and portfolio all in one. Even if you don’t have a ton of experience in campaigns, you can still create a strong media kit with unique and fresh content examples that can help you land impressive brand partnerships. If you don’t know what to include, here is what most brands expect to see:
- A bio
- Your statistics from your blog and social channels
- Audience demographics
- Examples of your work
- Pitch to the Right Brands
When pitching to brands, it’s important to make sure you’re contacting a brand that has previously worked with influencers. These brands will have a specific influencer marketing strategy that will help streamline the process.
However, don’t count out smaller brands. Even if a smaller brand isn’t overly familiar with running campaigns with influencers, they are most receptive to emails and you can quickly get on their radar. Plus, if you really want to go above and beyond, you can approach them with a few content ideas to help them visualize your collaboration and show what you can bring to the table.
- Keep it Professional
It’s not a good idea to message a brand and say you want free stuff. First impressions count, so it’s crucial to stay professional and introduce yourself and bring up the possibility of an upcoming collaboration in a polished way. In your message, which can be over email or over a direct message, you should ask about any upcoming partnership opportunities, talk about your experience, send over your media kit, and explain why you would be a great fit for the brand.
Bonus tip: If the brand your reaching out to has a specific tone or voice, crafting your message accordingly can improve your pitch.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – your personal guide on how to work with brands as an influencer through your blog. Now, you can find brands to collaborate with and build a positive relationship with the brands and influencer marketing agencies you’ve been dying to work with. By increasing the value of your social channels and following, you can grow professionally as a blogger, influencer, and digital creator. As your online presence continues to grow through collaborations and sponsorships, it’s only up from here.
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Summary: If you’re a blogger looking to partner with brands, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know about working with brands as an influencer through your blog.
Author Bio: Selena Ponton is an experienced writer at NeoReach. She specializes in writing influencer marketing-related content including pieces on social media strategies, campaigns, and influencer marketing case studies. She has previously written for a variety of websites and publications, such as the lifestyle website SwipeLife and College Magazine.