How To Successfully Pitch To Brands And Agencies As An Influencer
Successful influencers know how to sell themselves. They can pitch to brands and agencies like a pro. But if you’re new to content creation, reaching out to brands is nerve-wracking. So, let’s make it easier for you.
Prep before you pitch to a brand
Before you send a pitch to a brand, you need to lay the groundwork. We wrote about it in glorious detail in our guide to how to get brand collaborations. (Don’t skip it.) But the gist is to get to know the brand so that your vibe matches their vibe.
Why is that important? Because it aligns you with the brand and gives you a competitive edge over other creators. So, how do you do that? There are 3 ways:
1. Engage yourself with the brand
This is a no-brainer. Make sure you follow their handles, like their posts, and keep up with their latest posts, trends, and activities.
2. Organically promote the brand
If you love the brand’s products or services and already use them, tag them in a post. Use the caption to explain what you love about the brand. In case you don’t own a brand’s product, reshare a post from the brand’s feed. Both are great ways to show the brand that you’re a true brand advocate.
3. Participate in their affiliate programs
A beautiful and hatke way to pitch a brand is to find their affiliate program. Not all brands will have one, but if the one you love does, send a request to be a part of their affiliate network.
When it’s time to pitch to brands and agencies
Now that you’ve engaged with a brand and shown them some love, it’s time to pitch them. For that, you’ll need:
1. A media kit
A media kit is effectively your digital CV and must be included in your email pitch. Read this to know how to make a media kit.
2. The correct contact
Getting in front of the right person is half the battle of successfully pitching to brands. Find the PR contact of the brand or use their socials to discover an email ID. When both don’t work, slide into their DMs, but do it absolutely professionally.
Tips to successfully pitch to brands
- Brands are constantly pitched. So, they don’t have the time to read a long-a$$ email. Keep it short and focus on distinguishing characteristics that make you unique and a good fit for them.
- Make it about them, not about you. DO NOT go on and on about your following and incredible content. Mention why you love the brand’s products.
- Next, fill in the blanks. Instead of writing, “I love your sneakers and do you want to collaborate,” pitch this: “would you love to collaborate on an Instagram video that showcases your sneakers with 5 different outfit styles?” The goal should be clear and to the point. You’ll get brownie points if you can include a point that no other creator is talking about.
- Don’t make it hard for the brand to find your content. Along with the media kit, share the links to your socials.
- Customise the pitch by sharing content that would be relevant and of interest to the brand. If you’ve organically posted about them before, include it in the email.
For more tips on how to write a pitch email, swing by here.
The best way to format your pitch
- Introduce yourself. This is where you tell the brand about yourself, your niche, and your most recent accomplishments to grab attention.
- Then, tell them what you want to collaborate on. Is it a reel, a video, or a static post? What product will you include? What’s the broad concept of the content?
- Explain why collaborating is a good idea. Be specific, such as, “My followers adore this ABC skincare regimen and would love it if I made a trending reel detailing your products and services.“
- Link your media kit and social profiles. Remember that you don’t want the brand to struggle to discover information, so either link them or attach them in the email.
- Close the pitch email with a question that necessitates a response. A question that demands more than a basic yes or no answer is more likely to land you a collaboration. Think: “What are your thoughts on my collaboration idea?”
- Finally, sign off with a formal touch. A good option is “Looking forward to hearing from you! Regards, DYT”
Some quick pointers to elevate your pitch email
In your email, use valuable keywords and phrases like.
- Because my followers appreciate your (services/products), I feel my demographics/niche will add value to your brand.
- From contract formation through content approval, publishing schedules, and metric reporting, I am attentive and meticulous in all facets of cooperating with a company.
- Mention the founder of the brand: “I genuinely appreciate what ABC XYZ has done with the brand, and I’d be delighted to take your vision forward.“
Skip brand pitches and directly land collaborations with DYT
Never allow the fear of rejection to stop you from pitching to brands and agencies. Just because you didn’t succeed the first time doesn’t imply you won’t work with them in the future.
That said, there’s an easier way to land brand collaborations. One where you don’t have to go through the rough and nerve-wracking process of pitching 1000 brands.
Use Do Your Thng. It’s an app that already has paid collaborations on it. You don’t have to pitch brands. Simply find the one you love and create content!
Psst: here’s a complete course on how to land brand collaborations.