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Abstract

d you can use them for all your marketing needs.</p><h1 id="8e8e">3. Highlight your strengths</h1><p id="1e6d">What can a post on your account bring to the table?</p><p id="81e0">As a collab manager who has worked with hundreds of micro and mid-level influencers, I noticed a lot of the collabs weren’t bringing in the results the company wanted. I would have influencers direct their followers to our product on Amazon as that’s where most of our sales came from in general. Amazon doesn’t share where sales come from so I would judge a campaign’s success by link clicks for the most part. Most of the time a link would get just a few clicks!</p><p id="49c1"><b>If you know you have made a lot of sales for brands you have worked with in the past, make sure to include that in your pitch.</b></p><h2 id="8472">How do you know if you’ve made sales?</h2><p id="b68a">1. Ask brands for a specialized coupon code for your followers and then ask them how many people have used it afterwards.</p><p id="eb66">2. Use affiliate links. Become an Amazon afflitiae and link the products you love in your stories often. You’ll be able to tell how many sales you’ve made.</p><p id="3fdb">3. Ask your followers to let you know when they’ve bought something based on your recommendation. It will open up communication about your #ads and what products your audience wants to see you try.</p><p id="5a17"><b>If you don’t have sales data show them other concrete data.</b></p><ul><li>How many accounts do your posts typically reach?</li><li>How many story views do you typically get?</li><li>Are your posts shared or saved often?</li><li>Include screenshots of your backend.</li></ul><p id="18d0">Stating your like, follower and comment counts isn’t helpful because brands can see that for themselves and they are often inflated by engagement groups.</p><figure id="1ea6"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption>Photo: Laura Chouette on Unsplash</figcaption></figure><h1 id="f78a">4. Tell them about your relationship with your audience</h1><p id="1b60">In your pitch, mention that your engagement is 100% organic and you interact with your followers regularly. If your followers especially love tuning into your stories or sliding into your DMs, include that.</p><p id="a211">I was once approached by an influencer with a high follower count and great engagement. She was asking for a certain amount for a post and story but with engagement groups rampant (I didn’t realize how rampant) I proposed a lower rate. She asked for more saying she hadn’t gone below that amount in years.

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I figured if so many other brands were willing to pay that much it must be worth it, so I agreed.</p><p id="b1a0">After she posted her story, I checked the bitly link I have given her and saw just one or two clicks. I asked how many story views there were and I was surprised to find they were quite low. If people truly care about what an influencer is up to, they’ll tune into her stories. There’s room for discrepancies, of course. Stories generally get less impressions than posts do. But something doesn’t add up when an influencer with over 150k followers gets less than 200 story views.</p><p id="2846">Brands appreciate non-inflated engagement. Maybe they won’t pay as much with a lower engagement rate but if they’re happy with your work, chances are they’ll want to work together again and you’ll be able to raise your rates or offer more (such as a Facebook post in addition to an Instagram post) for higher pay. Which brings me to the next point.</p><h1 id="239b">5. Look for long-term relationships</h1><p id="ade5">If you’re on the smaller side, maybe even work in exchange for the product to get your foot in the door. I know this is article is about how to get paid <i>more</i> for brand deals, but building long term relationships is key. You can even ask them upfront if they’d be open to a long term relationship before agreeing to work together.</p><p id="7507">Once, I worked with an influencer who was very affordable and delivered great content that I could utilize. Her followers were the right demographic and similar brands were all collaborating with her. Working with her was a breeze. So, when she asked for higher rates it was a no brainer for me.</p><h2 id="d171">Benefits of Long Term Brand Collaborations</h2><ul><li>Stability. You’ll be able to count on a portion of your income every month. They’ll know what to expect and you’ll know what to expect.</li><li>Familiarity. You’ll get to know the brand’s style and how to make them happy, and won’t need to work with completely new people all the time.</li><li>Authenticity. As you get familiar with the brand and their products you’ll be able to talk about them more in a more natural and accurate way. Your audience will see you’ve chosen to work with the brand again and again, which you wouldn’t do if you didn’t use the product and enjoy it.</li></ul><p id="7d9e">The great thing about these tips is you don’t have to apply all of them to be successful. Even utilizing one or two at the start of your interactions with a brand will increase the chances of better pay. Experiment, see what works for you and go get those collabs!</p></article></body>

How to Get Higher Paying Collabs with Brands on Instagram

Tips from a former collab manager

There are so many brands out there just looking to work with someone like you. Yes, even those of you with less than 1000 followers. Here’s how to take sponsorships to the next level.

1. Reach out to brands that align with your brand

The more specific the better. If you focus on reviewing books, seek out publishing houses, book stores or even individual authors. If you’re in the exercise niche be in touch with athletic clothing brands, reusable water bottle companies or health-conscious food brands.

Working with more specific brands does limit your options but it also gives you a better excuse to contact the ones that you align with. There will probably be offers to collab with companies and products that have nothing to do with your account, but your audience will appreciate a hand-selected sponsored post much more than spon-con that comes out of nowhere.

Make it official

Especially if your account is more general, add something in your bio to show brands and followers that you’re focused on a specific, related niche.

For example, include something like this in your bio:

Recipe reviewer.

Dog product tester.

Makeup enthusiast.

Daily outfit ideas.

In your pitch say you try out similar products on your account and bring up other relevant brands you’ve worked with, not just big name brands but brands in the industry. Your bio will confirm that you’re an authority on the category which ups your value to the brand.

2. Offer them what they need

Brands need content for their own accounts and general marketing, so when you approach them, mention how many different photos you can include for both their social media and any other form of marketing. Thoroughly check out their feed and pinpoint the photography style they gravitate towards in your note.

For example:

Hi (brand),

I review all kinds of snacks on my Instagram account. I’d love to try out some of yours and share them with my audience. I can also provide at least 5 different images that match the bright, happy aesthetic I see throughout your branding and you can use them for all your marketing needs.

3. Highlight your strengths

What can a post on your account bring to the table?

As a collab manager who has worked with hundreds of micro and mid-level influencers, I noticed a lot of the collabs weren’t bringing in the results the company wanted. I would have influencers direct their followers to our product on Amazon as that’s where most of our sales came from in general. Amazon doesn’t share where sales come from so I would judge a campaign’s success by link clicks for the most part. Most of the time a link would get just a few clicks!

If you know you have made a lot of sales for brands you have worked with in the past, make sure to include that in your pitch.

How do you know if you’ve made sales?

1. Ask brands for a specialized coupon code for your followers and then ask them how many people have used it afterwards.

2. Use affiliate links. Become an Amazon afflitiae and link the products you love in your stories often. You’ll be able to tell how many sales you’ve made.

3. Ask your followers to let you know when they’ve bought something based on your recommendation. It will open up communication about your #ads and what products your audience wants to see you try.

If you don’t have sales data show them other concrete data.

How many accounts do your posts typically reach?
How many story views do you typically get?
Are your posts shared or saved often?
Include screenshots of your backend.

Stating your like, follower and comment counts isn’t helpful because brands can see that for themselves and they are often inflated by engagement groups.

4. Tell them about your relationship with your audience

In your pitch, mention that your engagement is 100% organic and you interact with your followers regularly. If your followers especially love tuning into your stories or sliding into your DMs, include that.

I was once approached by an influencer with a high follower count and great engagement. She was asking for a certain amount for a post and story but with engagement groups rampant (I didn’t realize how rampant) I proposed a lower rate. She asked for more saying she hadn’t gone below that amount in years. I figured if so many other brands were willing to pay that much it must be worth it, so I agreed.

After she posted her story, I checked the bitly link I have given her and saw just one or two clicks. I asked how many story views there were and I was surprised to find they were quite low. If people truly care about what an influencer is up to, they’ll tune into her stories. There’s room for discrepancies, of course. Stories generally get less impressions than posts do. But something doesn’t add up when an influencer with over 150k followers gets less than 200 story views.

Brands appreciate non-inflated engagement. Maybe they won’t pay as much with a lower engagement rate but if they’re happy with your work, chances are they’ll want to work together again and you’ll be able to raise your rates or offer more (such as a Facebook post in addition to an Instagram post) for higher pay. Which brings me to the next point.

5. Look for long-term relationships

If you’re on the smaller side, maybe even work in exchange for the product to get your foot in the door. I know this is article is about how to get paid more for brand deals, but building long term relationships is key. You can even ask them upfront if they’d be open to a long term relationship before agreeing to work together.

Once, I worked with an influencer who was very affordable and delivered great content that I could utilize. Her followers were the right demographic and similar brands were all collaborating with her. Working with her was a breeze. So, when she asked for higher rates it was a no brainer for me.

Benefits of Long Term Brand Collaborations

Stability. You’ll be able to count on a portion of your income every month. They’ll know what to expect and you’ll know what to expect.
Familiarity. You’ll get to know the brand’s style and how to make them happy, and won’t need to work with completely new people all the time.
Authenticity. As you get familiar with the brand and their products you’ll be able to talk about them more in a more natural and accurate way. Your audience will see you’ve chosen to work with the brand again and again, which you wouldn’t do if you didn’t use the product and enjoy it.

The great thing about these tips is you don’t have to apply all of them to be successful. Even utilizing one or two at the start of your interactions with a brand will increase the chances of better pay. Experiment, see what works for you and go get those collabs!