If you're a creator in the digital economy, you know how important it is to connect with other creators, brands, and platforms that can help you grow your audience, income, and impact. But how do you make a great first impression with potential collaborators and sponsors? Here are some tips to help you stand out and build trust in the online space.
Before you reach out to anyone, you need to have a clear idea of what you offer as a creator and who you serve as an audience. What is your unique value proposition, your style, your tone, your message? What are your goals, your values, your vision? How do you differentiate yourself from other creators in your niche? Having a strong sense of your identity and your direction will help you communicate confidently and authentically with others.
Having a clear vision and identity is important. In an ever-growing category, this helps brands and agencies to self-select who they want to work with. In much the same way as we all select brands, that same approach applies. If your work then aligns to this and you can demonstrate this clearly, so much the better.
Once you have a list of people or organizations that you want to collaborate with or pitch to, you need to do some homework. Find out as much as you can about their background, their work, their audience, their needs, their challenges, their preferences. What are they looking for in a partner or a sponsor? What are their pain points or goals? What are their values or interests? How can you add value to them or solve a problem for them? Showing that you've done your research will demonstrate your professionalism and your interest in them.
This is also true when a brand or agency contacts you. Expect a brief. Clarity is everything. If you start to get a shopping list of everything they want, challenge it to really understand what the most important thing is they want to achieve. Also remember that they're approaching a content creator for ideas and collaboration, not to simply execute an idea. Use your skills and ideas.
When you're ready to make contact, you need to craft a personal and relevant message that grabs their attention and sparks their curiosity. Don't use generic or spammy templates that sound like you're sending the same email to hundreds of people. Instead, use their name, mention something specific that you liked or learned about their work, and explain why you're reaching out and what you're proposing. Make it clear how your collaboration or sponsorship can benefit them and their audience, and how it aligns with their mission or vision.
We work with a large number of creators and influencers across Europe and one of the common themes is incredibly basic. Good communication. From both sides. While the corporate world may prefer email, most of our day to day communications with talent is undertaken by WhatsApp. It's quicker, more convenient to them and is simpler for them to respond. Clear and timely communications from both sides sound basic but they really don't happen that often. We regularly hear from our talent of other brands and agencies ghosting them but equally poor response from a talent doesn't set you off on the right foot. It gets more complicated when agents are involved so it's imperative that talent and agent are aligned.
Another way to make a great first impression is to provide some social proof that showcases your credibility and your results as a creator. This can include testimonials, reviews, ratings, awards, recognitions, case studies, or metrics that demonstrate your impact, your reach, your engagement, or your revenue. You can also share some examples of your previous or current collaborations or sponsorships, and how they helped you and your partners achieve your goals. Providing social proof will help you build trust and authority with your potential collaborators and sponsors.
Finally, don't forget to follow up and follow through after you make contact. Don't expect an immediate response or a positive outcome from your first message. You may need to send a friendly reminder or a thank you note to keep the conversation going and show your interest and enthusiasm. You may also need to negotiate some details or clarify some expectations before you seal the deal. And once you do, make sure you deliver on your promises and exceed their expectations. Following up and following through will help you create a lasting impression and a long-term relationship.
We're way beyond what used to be the 'wild west' of working content and influencers. It's become more sophisticated but also at the same time there's more friction and less of the fun. Although I'm glad to no longer have an additional budget request landed on us the night before a talent shoot anymore, the rush to monetise and the sea of sameness has made it harder to find the right people to work with and deliver creative that is unique.