Beyond the Like: How to Prove Your Value and Win Over Brands as a Content Creator

Waking up to emails full of brands that want to work with me is a feeling I wish upon all of you. I used to think it could never happen to me when I first started out years ago. It was just a dream. But some things I’ve learned along the way to enable this vision to come to life are:

1. It’s never too early to start working with brands. Know your worth and understand the value you bring to the table. Don’t sell yourself short.

2. Understand what brands that want to partner with you want most: conversions. They’re less interested in your followers and sub counts and how cool you are and gaining ‘brand awareness’ then they are in conducting transactions. The more you understand their wants the easier it will be to negotiate and communicate how you are a solid collaborator for them.

3. It should be a mutual value exchange: Don’t chase the money. The money is good but it will hurt your brand and ethos long term if you just chase the dollars. You should want to provide as much value to the brand and get the most bang out of every buck they spend with you. The more you can fulfill their needs the better the relationship long term and more money in your pocket. And word gets around trust me. If you’re a creator who can deliver for the brand that spreads like wildfire, which equals more money and more brand deals. The converse is just as true.

4. Don’t be afraid of hearing ‘No’. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not, no matter how special you think you are, or how well you researched the brand before you pitched them, rejection is a part of the game. Get used to it. But a ‘No’ now doesn’t mean a ‘No’ later so don’t dismiss them and don’t be afraid of re-pitching them at a later date. I cannot stress how important it is to get comfortable with pitching and how many profound lessons I’ve learned from understanding the nuances and intricacies of this type of conversation. It is everything. Literally.

The more comfortable you are talking and communicating with brands the better you will be at negotiating the right deal for you and them. So do it often, and get rejected often. Especially when you are just starting out. As you grow your content business you will grow in confidence and having more pitches under your belt only gets you more experience and expertise at how to approach these types of important meetings.

I would love to hear from you! What are your best tips for content creators when it comes to brand deals and sponsorships. Let me know.

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