How do you secure brand partnerships?

If you are a creator in the digital space, you might be wondering how to secure brand partnerships that can help you grow your audience, income, and influence. Brand partnerships are collaborations between creators and companies that involve creating and sharing content that promotes a product, service, or message. In this article, we will share some tips on how to find, pitch, and negotiate brand partnerships that align with your values, goals, and niche.

1 Know your niche

The first step to securing brand partnerships is to know your niche and what makes you stand out as a creator. Your niche is the specific topic, audience, or problem that you focus on in your content. It helps you attract loyal fans who trust your expertise, opinions, and recommendations. To know your niche, you need to do some research on your target market, competitors, and trends. You also need to define your unique value proposition, which is the benefit or solution that you offer to your audience that sets you apart from others.

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Mireia Azuara Guerrero

Head of CIMAM Communication & Sustainability
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Understanding your target audience and their needs is crucial before offering your product, service, or knowledge to solve their problems or fulfill their requirements. In contrast to traditional marketing, which aims to create a non-existent need in consumers to sell invented products, modern marketing should focus on providing sustainable solutions to their problems. Therefore, partnerships between brands and content creators should promote responsible consumption habits and awareness. Knowledge is generated through collaboration, combining the expertise of companies and content creators to create content that benefits everyone, socially and environmentally, rather than only enriching the company or content creator.

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2 Find potential partners

The next step is to find potential partners that match your niche and values. You can utilize various tools and platforms to uncover and connect with brands that are seeking creators to collaborate with. Examples of these include marketplace platforms such as AspireIQ, FameBit, and Grapevine, as well as social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Utilizing hashtags, keywords, and mentions is a great way to join conversations about brands and products that interest you. Additionally, you can use your existing network of contacts, peers, and mentors to reach out to brands that could be interested in partnering with you. Requesting referrals, introductions, or recommendations from those who have worked with or know the brands is a great way to get started.

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Mireia Azuara Guerrero

Head of CIMAM Communication & Sustainability
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Nowadays, the conversation with brands is no longer one-way but bidirectional. Consumers have become content creators themselves, not only providing feedback on the brand's performance, but also helping other consumers with their queries or creating their own unique brand experience. This new approach to brand interaction enables the brand to expand its reach and cater to a wider audience. However, it is crucial to create truthful, inclusive, and equitable content. The challenge lies in finding content creators who can uphold these values.

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3 Pitch your proposal

Once you have a list of potential partners, you need to pitch your proposal to them. Your proposal should be a document or email that demonstrates your value as a creator and outlines how you can help the brand reach their goals. Introduce yourself and your niche, then provide a summary of your audience demographics, size, and engagement. Also include a clear and specific idea of the content you want to create and share with the brand, as well as a timeline and budget for the project. Lastly, include a call to action that invites the brand to respond, arrange a call, or sign a contract.

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Mireia Azuara Guerrero

Head of CIMAM Communication & Sustainability
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Preparing the pitch is important, describing yourself as a content creator and specifying the niche that you cover and the kind of audience that follows you. However, as a content creator collaborating with a brand, it's essential to share some basic values beyond just having a large number of followers. Brands should prioritize the quality of the content over the quantity of followers. We need to shift our focus towards our common values and create content that adds value to society as a whole, linking the brand and the brand experience with the purpose of sustainability. It's not just about reaching more people to consume the product, but also about being more responsible and creating content that contributes positively to society.

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4 Negotiate your terms

After you pitch your proposal, you might receive a response from the brand that expresses interest in working with you. This is when it's time to negotiate your terms and finalize the deal. Your terms should cover the deliverables, compensation, and the rights and responsibilities. The deliverables should include the format, length, style, and quality of the outputs you will create for the brand. When setting your rates for compensation, consider your time, skills, expenses, and value. You should also discuss any additional benefits you may receive from the brand, such as free products or discounts. In terms of rights and responsibilities, discuss issues such as ownership, copyright, disclosure, exclusivity, and termination.

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5 Deliver your work

The final step is to deliver your work according to the agreed terms and expectations. You should communicate regularly with the brand and update them on your progress, challenges, and feedback. You should also follow the best practices and guidelines for creating and sharing content that is authentic, engaging, and compliant. You should also track and measure the results and impact of your work, such as views, clicks, conversions, or sales. You should share these metrics with the brand and use them to evaluate and improve your performance.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you secure brand partnerships?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Know your niche

2 Find potential partners

3 Pitch your proposal

4 Negotiate your terms

5 Deliver your work

6 Here’s what else to consider

Creator Economy

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How do you secure brand partnerships?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Know your niche

2 Find potential partners

3 Pitch your proposal

4 Negotiate your terms

5 Deliver your work

6 Here’s what else to consider

Creator Economy

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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