How to collaborate with brands

M&K International
Nov 29, 2021
4 min read

Updated: May 15

In this blog post we will shortly explain the different types of collaborations with brands you may have as a blogger or influencer.

We will also give some advice on how to find brands to work with on Instagram, how to approach them and also tell you some interesting platforms to find collaborations, all in one place.

If you are interested in Hotel Collaborations, you might want to see our guide with the action plan and exact email we send to land free stays or paid hotel collaborations.

HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH BRANDS

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COLLABORATIONS

GIFTING CAMPAIGNS

A gifting collaboration is when a brand offers you a free product in exchange for social media exposure or a UGC content. This is an unpaid product exchange collaboration.

For example, a cosmetic company reaches out and sends you a box with their products, and in return, they expect you to create photos using it, style it, make a video of your routine or write a blog post with a review of these products.

Don't forget to tag the brand in your post and specify that this has been gifted, so your followers know (by law).

Gifting campaigns are very common when you’re starting as a blogger or influencer and do not have a big enough audience. Yet even some bigger accounts accept these for a short shout-out in their video – unboxing, for example.

Gifting collaborations are a good way to start and build up your portfolio to then land a paid collaboration.

SPONSORED POSTS

A sponsored post can be anything from an Instagram post, stories, or a video to a blog post that’s sponsored by a brand, meaning the company is paying you to promote their products or services.

For example, a brand sends you a backpack and pays you a certain amount of money to post a photo to your feed. As you already have a platform of followers who also love to hike or travel as backpackers, it is for them a more convenient type of "ad", because these people trust your opinion as an influencer and are more likely to go and purchase this item.

You may also get a special link or a discount code that would work as an affiliate, so you would make an extra penny from each item sold.

SPONSORED HOTEL STAYS

A sponsored hotel stay is what many so called influencers want. A free 5star hotel night.

We have written a detailed e-book with an exact pitching email we used to land our free hotel nights. Check it out here and stay for free.

Hotels essentially give creators a free stay in exchange for some content, which could be social media posts, blog posts, videos or professional photos of their property.

Sponsored hotel stays can be both paid and unpaid – it depends on who contacted who, how large your audience is or your level of expertise.

PRESS TRIPS

Press trips are offered by tourism boards, hotels or travel companies in exchange for positive social media exposure. These trips can be paid or unpaid, depending on the client’s budget.

Typically everything from airfare to food and entertainment is covered, and they expect you to talk about this experience or products with your followers. It could be an individual trip for a single blogger, as well as a group trip for fashion bloggers, for example.

CONTENT CREATION

This means that you will create content, such as photos or videos, for the brand's use on their social media and other channels. And this is something that should for sure be paid.

Here you do not need to post the photo to your social media; it might appear on hotels' websites, for example, and as such, they would essentially buy the rights to use your photos.

SHOULD YOU ACCEPT FREE PRODUCTS?

Are you just starting out? - then yes

Is it a brand you really love? - then yes

Do you see other potential in this cooperation? - then yes.

See for yourself, case by case; just please do not be one of those bloggers, who take every free product and then land up "absolutely loving" three brands of shampoos in one month.

If your social media is solely about gifted things, bigger brands see it and you will never land a bigger, more exciting and paid collaboration.

More over, your followers will get tired from your content and they will unfollow.

HOW TO FIND BRANDS TO WORK WITH ON INSTAGRAM

Look for brands you love, for new things on the market or brands that other influencers collaborated with. Create a folder within Instagram, where you will save all this content and then take your time to introduce yourself to them.

Another way is to just look around yourself at home. What are the things you use and love? Have you bought a new rug? Write to the company you love. Show them how you presented to your followers on social media and ask them whether they would be open to a collaboration with you to promote their items to your followers.

A third way to find brands to work with is by reaching out to PR companies.

Introducing yourself and your online brand to a PR company in your area is a great way to get into their radar for future collaborations. PR companies often have a long list of clients that work with influencers, and the next time you might be the perfect fit for one of them. Reach out to them with an introductory and media kit. They oftentimes invite influencers for theme parties as well, which could get you further into the business by finding new contacts.

The last but not least way to find brands to work with you is through influencer platforms. These platforms allow influencers to apply for different brand campaigns online. Everything is on one spot and you can simply choose, what you want to do

INFLUENCER PLATFORMS act as a middleman between you and a company. They’re essentially tasked with finding influencers for both paid and unpaid campaigns.

Once accepted into the platforms, you can apply for these campaigns yourself.

For example: