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A Content Creator’s Guide to Working with Brands: Here’s my version of a successful pitch. Now, let’s craft yours!

 

Wondering how to format your message? Here are some pointers and a successful pitch of mine to a skincare brand for reference.

Hello there, I hope you’re well.

My name is Maryam Vaseer and I’m a lifestyle, wellness and creativity blogger from sunny Sydney. As well as content creating for my website, I have an Instagram page showcasing photography within these niches. Over the five years I’ve been blogging I have come across many incredible local brands, (brand) being one I would love to further support.

I’m reaching out to ask if you’d be interested in a collaboration- I’ve partnered with skincare brands in the past with my most recent work being for (brand.) I have an engaged Instagram and Blog following and would be excited to  promote your products on these platforms through photography and content writing about (brand)

As well as being a fan of your humour (classic!) I admire your commitment to all natural skincare that makes everyone feel radiant and beautiful. Your products are a core part of my self care routine and it just wouldn’t be the same without them. I think it’s important to feel confident in your own skin and I love that (brand) promotes this philosophy. I’ve purchased scrubs and a few items from your beauty section but my all time favourite has got to be your (product)

Attached below are some of the photos I’ve taken that appear on my instagram page, some of which feature (brand) products. I hope this helps you envisage the content I could create for (brand)

Wishing you a lovely and restful weekend!

Maryam

 

 

To preface, there are countless ways you could format your email pitch. Don’t feel as if you need to follow my guide to a tee. I don’t always follow the below format and tend to just go with the flow! Creative work is all about individuality and moving things around to fit your needs and goals. To start of, you’ll want to introduce yourself. Your introduction is not the main body of your message so you should aim to keep it brief. Think of this as your elevator pitch. You may also wish to include a recent and relevant achievement of yours, whether that is your partnership with a brand of that niche or a special position you’ve attained. Then, ask for what you want and don’t shy away from being specific where needed. As you can see, confidence will get you far in life, as will subtle flattery and some gushing! When you set the terms of the collaboration through an initial message, you’ve stuck your foot in the door. Offer an idea that’s unique and tailored to the brand’s needs. Show them why it makes sense to work together and how you can benefit their growth. Your core paragraphs are sandwiched between your introduction and conclusion. You really want to seal the deal here. Remember, a collaboration isn’t about receiving free products. It’s about a building a mutually beneficial partnership. Naturally, that comes with various perks.

Now, listen up. You’ll want to visit the brand’s website and take a look at their products. Make note of the ways they market certain products. What is their selling point and how could you emphasise this? Familiarise yourself with ingredient lists, client testimonials and the like. Next, you’ll want to head to their About Me page. As an english whiz, I have fun pinpointing their buzz words, philosophies and encapsulating brand motto. In this way, you can show the brand that not only are you familiar with them and their ways but you are one with them. You know intimately what they stand for and will have no problem advocating for and representing this.

Then you’ll move on to insights and demographics. You’ll get into the nitty gritty and list all your numbers. This would include follower count, impressions and the average of likes, comments and story views that you recieve. Additionally, you may choose to include the typical age range of your audience alongside a gender ratio and a description of where majority of your viewers are located. To prove your credibility, it’s advised that you include screenshots to emphasise that your following is organic. Buying likes and followers will only get you so far. This way, your chosen brand will know what expectations they should hold when partnering with you.

 

 

Next, list your other successful platforms. Perhaps you have an impressive Youtube, Pinterest or TikTok following. All of these platforms have the potential to drive massive amounts of traffic when and where you need them to. Perhaps you offer additional influencer services on these platforms alongside your Instagram Page. Most often I’ll share posts to my Instagram feed and give my audience a rundown of the brand I’ve partnered with. On occasion, a brand will request that I share a blog post too. I always make sure that my work is thorough and covers all facets of the brand. I’ll make predictions as to what questions my audience might have and seek to answer those before the fact. Remember that it’s necessary to highlight your most impressive statistics and nothing more. There is no point in saturating your email with social links and giving your chosen brand useless information to wade through. Additional platforms that don’t further your craft are simply add ons.

Now, onto the most important step. Demonstrate to your chosen brand that you have expertise in their category and have worked with brands of that niche before. Include background information on your recent collaborations as well as important anecdotes and facts that tie into this. Dedicate a page to showcasing your most exceptional photos alongside the brand’s name and logo.

Finally, close your email with a question to invite the brand to engage in further conversation and give them a clear starting point. Alternatively, you could close by thanking the brand for their time, asking for their thoughts on your offer or saying you look forward to hearing from them.

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Comments

    • Ah, Olivia! Thank you so much for reading. I so admire your work and thoroughly enjoyed your recent post on media kits. On that note, the third installment of my content creators guide to working with brands is focused on media kits. I have it set up to go live in about a week from now!

      I had to build quite a significant media kit/portfolio for college this year but as long as I cut it down to the necessities, it can serve as an influencer kit. I figured it would be better to break the posts up into chunks so as not to overload people with information.

      Anyway, I’m excited for you to see my next post! I hope you’ll find value in it x

      Reply

  2. I love this! I always wondered what kind of emails bloggers write when trying to make a deal with brands. The idea of having a massive portfolio of statistics/accomplishments paralyzed me, so I never tried it. Your email reminds me so much of a cover letter when applying for a job, which makes a lot of sense!

    Reply

    • Thank you Hilary! I absolutely hear you on that- it can prove to be a massive mental block when you have all these expectations stacked on you as to how, when and who you should approach for a collaboration. It’s definitely not necessary to have a massive portfolio of work- I put mine together for college and as my creative submission. It ended up being around twenty two pages and included moodboards, my story, my vision, background on who I am and what I can offer the college etc.

      For influencer purposes, however, a basic document will do! Make it clean, chic, tell them about yourself, include statistics if you wish and put forward your pitch. Just be you, basically! The only brands you want to work with are those who celebrate you for who you are.

      Reply

  4. This is such an inspirational post, and with good information too. I find that pitching companies for writing gigs is similar as well, and it’s interesting to see how being nice plus having common sense can help get you working with other brands.

    Keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Sorry for the late reply! Your comment ended up in spam unfortunately. Thank you for your kind words! Is that what you do, pitch companies for writing gigs? I’ve always wanted to turn my creative work into a steady source of income but it’s quite difficult. Even when I enabled ads, I earned about twenty cents that month. You need a very steady and very high follower count. Ghostwriting or paid guest writing for other blogs or websites within my lifestyle/wellness niche could work though.

      Reply

  5. THIS IS SO HELPFUL! Thank you Maryam! ❤️ I really appreciate you sharing this template as well as your reasoning behind each competent and how to craft each email with consideration for each unique brand. You’re the best! 🥰

    Reply

    • Oh, of course! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and found it helpful to you. It’s a great area in the influencer world to break out in. Collaborative work can teach you and lot and really helps you become known in your area of expertise and focus x

      Reply

  6. Thank you so much Maryam! Another thing to attatch could be a media kit! Maybe you could do another post of different brands for different blog niches? Thanks for making this post!

    Reply

    • Haha, thank you Zainab! So many people are requesting a post on media kits. That’s actually the third instalment of this content creator guide series. It’s funny because I had them all pre written but it’s like if anticipated what you all would like to see! Stay tuned- it’s coming out next week ☺️

      Reply
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