As a Digital Creator in the constantly evolving social media space, it’s both challenging and rewarding to create engaging content. My posts incorporate branded content as well, for global brands that are part of my daily life. Brands such as Fila, JCPenney, and luxury designers Huntsman Savile Row London. Also others in the personal care industry including Gillette and Dove Men+Care. Today I’ll cover how to pitch brands, the importance of a media kit, and how to grow your influence. Check out my CLS Influencer Kit at the end, it contains all the professional documents that I use, that will help you to get paid to post on Instagram or any other platform.
Your personal brand. Even more important than follower count!
More than just the number of followers you have, developing your personal brand is crucial. I particularly focus on nurturing my personal brand and less on the numbers game. If you’ve got an engaged niche audience, even if it’s relatively small, great! Nowadays you don’t need a following in the hundreds of thousands to become an influencer. Collaborations with micro and nano-influencers are becoming commonplace with brands.
Whether 1 thousand or 1 million followers, a real connection with my audience and personal interaction is key. The quality of my content and the value it provides is also important. In addition, given the core values I represent, brands know exactly what to expect from my social media platform. This is essential since they have to be confident about who and what they align their brand with. Establish your brand identity online in much the same way a brand usually would offline, and stick with it.
Why are Influencers important?
“A brand is no longer what we tell consumers it is, it’s what consumers tell each other it is.” —Scott D. Cook. Consumers trust the content and recommendations influencers post, oftentimes even more so than the brand itself. Now, social media channels are rapidly growing across all age groups. Since these platforms are where influencers primarily connect with consumers, this provides an avenue that brands are taking advantage of as part of their marketing strategy.
Grow your influence.
It’s important to reveal your personality as you strive to become an influencer who’s ultimately paid to post on Instagram. As much as possible, be relatable and keep everything natural and fun. It’s also helpful to find something you’re passionate about, this ensures you enjoy the creative process of making awesome content. Enjoying what you do is immediately perceptible and leads to more authentic and engaging content that resonates with your audience.
Have an Influencer Media Kit.
If you’re serious about getting paid to post on Instagram, an influencer media kit is a must. It’s what you’ll share with brands you wish to work with and highlights your professionalism. It shows how serious you are about what you do, and future partnerships.
What’s an influencer media kit? Think of it as a composite of a CV, business card and portfolio. It’s common for brands to request a media kit, so having one ready is vital. Whether you’re pitching to brands, or they approach you for collaborations, a media kit will make you stand out.
The Pitch
Now you can start reaching out to prospective brands you’d like to partner with. Before you send that first pitch though, it’s important to establish what your fees are for collaborations. You don’t need to mention this in your initial email of course. Having a clear understanding of what your billing structure and fees are will help you pitch the right sized projects. It will also ensure you get equitable pay for the work you’ll be producing.
Once you know your worth, start researching prospective brands. Review the content they publish online to get cues on what they may be looking for. You may also notice content types they’re lacking. For example, you may find that they don’t post stop-motion videos and this is something you’re good at. Your research should help you to generate creative ideas, and the more clearly defined they are the better. Also, spend some time considering how you’ll serve both your audiences and business goals.
The CLS Influencer Kit.
To get you started, I’ve created professionally designed documents you’ll need (download them here). The CLS Influencer Kit arms you with documents that will ensure you display a high level of professionalism. This makes it easier for brands to decide on partnering with you. It includes a Business Pitch template of exactly what to say when contacting brands. There’s a Media Kit template that has the key info brands usually require. The CLS Influencer Kit also contains a professional Invoice so you get paid for your work. Among the documents too, is a Campaign Report template, brands typically request this at the end of a campaign. Finally as a bonus, it includes a Business Card template. Get the CLS Influencer Kit here and start earning from your social media platform.
I hope you found these tips useful. Leave a comment, question or feedback below and share the article with someone who’d find it helpful.
Chris is a Digital content creator and a bit of a perfectionist. Always dapper, this gentleman's strong sense of style has garnered attention across traditional and new media. He's been featured in the Flair lifestyle magazine and on Morning Television. Smith also known as CLS, loves to travel! ..more