[ I took a good amount of time off to pursue a career and travel (and then life got in the way) but now I’m back and more dedicated than ever.]
From time to time I get the occasional press email about a product I’ve never heard of – the ones that truly sound interesting I’ll gladly accept and try, but majority of them I pass on. Sometimes a pot of gold lands in my inbox like from Kohls or Minted and I do a happy dance.
But with the social world being so active and so gosh darn competitive – product reviews, collaborations and partnerships aren’t just going to fall in your lap. I mean some will, but not the brands you wish for.
So I decided to post about how I approached brands for my son’s new playroom. How I made the attempt to reach out to prove my worth, grow my audience and work with companies I admire.
What’s the worst that could happen? They say no? Okay, on to the next thing.
But first things first – how to contact:
Check their website and contact info – sometimes you gotta dig for it.
DM on Instagram asking for a contact email or more information about blogger partnerships.
Send them a private message on Facebook (through your blog/company page, preferably.)
Now what to say:
Now that you have their contact, here are my top (5) tips when reaching out to brands when seeking to partner with:
1. Get personal – Take a second to introduce yourself. Be brief, but friendly. Mention your main reason for reaching out and what your overall goal is.
2. Provide a press sheet – Something pretty to look at that sells you. Shows off your stats, following, contact information and your overall style. I use one from Fohr Card. It populates your stats and pulls your instagram photos in a very cool layout. See below:
3. Include specifics – Get to the point. You want to do a product review? Would like to host a giveaway? Maybe both? Including timing and editorial goals will help them get you what you want. Don’t ask for anything, ask for something.
4. Be honest – No reason to fib because analytics these days tell the truth. And hold yourself accountable, if your post is late, or didn’t get the impressions you wanted, it’s not the end of the world, but it all needs to be communicated.
5. In their shoes – They probably get bombarded with emails from folks, so try to stand out from the rest. Make it seem worth their while to work with you. You’re there to help them, actually! It’s a partnership.
And that’s about it! I hope this information was helpful…
So very grateful to work with Minted and Chasing Paper on my son’s playroom which we will be debuting on the blog very soon! 🙂
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I’ll be doing another post about working with brand/storyteller companies (Linqia, Cirqle, Fohr Card etc) and the deal w/ affiliate links.
Is there a topic you wish would be covered? Lemme know below.
Great post! I'd also love to see one on how you handle the messages you receive from brands.
This is what I was looking for weeks! Thank you so much!