This Platform Helps Creators Attract Sponsors & Collabs
Get excited if you run a newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, blog, TikTok, or Instagram
I’m meeting a creator in Budapest this week.
His name is Máté.
Máté subscribed to my newsletter in April 2021, and we’re meeting in person for the first time:
One thing I didn’t realise is Máté writes on Beehiiv.
I’ve since devoured his content, and he mentioned a creator named Akta in one of his posts:
I loved Akta’s fresh perspectives and calming vibes, so I binged her content too.
Binging led me to her website.
And her website’s simplicity took me by surprise:
I checked out her “contact” page and noticed she has a “bookings” page.
Intrigued, I kept clicking:
And this led me to something I’d never seen before.
A storefront that lets Akta take sponsorship payments for her YouTube channel and newsletter:
This is where things get exciting for creators like us.
Ladies and Gentleman…
Let me introduce you to Passionfroot.
(And no, that’s not a typo.)
Here’s how it works.
Let’s say I’m a brand owner, and I stumble on Akta’s YouTube channel. I like what I see and wonder if she’s open to being sponsored.
My company has built a meditation app. Akta creates “thoughtful content to help people feel less overwhelmed.”
Our goals are aligned.
On her YouTube channel, I notice she is indeed open to sponsorships:
Clicking takes me to her Passionfroot storefront.
I click on the YouTube dropdown, which gives me a bunch of information about her channel:
Tick, tick, tick.
I then click on “Sponsored video” (under Products), which takes me to another page:
The price is to be negotiated, I think. Fair enough.
I click “Collaborate” and see that I can sponsor her YouTube videos.
I choose the slot I want…
… Enter my total budget, campaign goals, and reasons for wanting to collaborate…
… Before entering my contact details.
I then press “Review and send”:
Easy as that!
(If you’re wondering, I didn’t actually waste Akta’s time submitting this enquiry 😆)
So that’s how it looks on the storefront.
But how does it look for creators “behind the scenes”?
There’s currently a waitlist for access, so I haven’t seen this first-hand. However, I found this screenshot in an article about the company:
All sponsorships, collaboration requests, bookings, and payments can be handled in one place.
Just think. Instead of sponsors reaching out via email and having a messy system to invoice clients, collect payments, etc., you’ll have it all under one roof.
“It’s tech for the creators making millions from their media empires but running with an Excel spreadsheet and a personal credit card.” — Jen Phan, CEO of Passionfroot
So if you run a newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, blog, TikTok, or Instagram, that’s potentially hours saved.
You can then reinvest this time into making more content.
More time → more content → more opportunities → more $$$
Or you can spend time with family and friends.
More Reasons to Get Excited
This startup has raised over €3 million through VC funding and is backed by many Angel investors, including Ali Abdaal.
Ali also has a storefront for his various channels.
It’s easy to see why investors are so bullish on this startup. Passionfroot is beautifully designed, and it’s riding the creator economy wave.
Creators also don’t have to pay to use the platform:
“As of this point, Passionfroot adds a 2% fee (excluding Stripe) onto every invoice, which the partner covers. This allows us to pay creators 100% of what they earned.” — Passionfroot FAQs
The cherries on top?
Passionfroot has some fantastic free guides and blogs on its website to help creators get started.
I was blown away by the detail in their newsletter pricing guide:
The Elephant In the Room
*Cough cough* this all sounds great, but don’t you need 1,000s of subscribers/followers to make money through sponsorships?
Yeah, about that…
Passionfroot looks like the real deal if you’ve built an audience and you’re getting bombarded with DMs.
But what if you’re not there yet?
Here’s what I recommend.
Step #1: Reps, Learn, Repeat
Your first 100 pieces of content may suck.
Your first online course may suck.
Your first email may suck.
And that’s okay. You’ll be putting in the hours and improving your skills.
As Jerine Nicole points out, you should give yourself a “buffer time to suck” when starting something new.
Ali Abdaal also preaches consistency. For example, he says you should only think about making money once you’ve posted one video weekly for two years.
Produce, improve, repeat.
Make the first step as easy as possible. For example, write a Tweet or send a future letter to yourself.
Whatever you do, start.
Step #2: Let the Chips Fall as They May
It’s incredible what can happen when you don’t care about money.
When you try things that excite you.
When you do fun stuff.
It’s a recipe I’ve followed religiously for the last two years. I couldn’t have predicted 90% of the opportunities that have come my way since:
- Publishing courses on Udemy led to a collaboration with Zero To Mastery.
- I do freelance writing for clients. Three of my clients found my articles on Medium.
- I partnered with Semrush after one of their managers found my SEO courses.
Most life-changing of all? I met my girlfriend through Medium, and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world!
So let the chips fall as they may.
It’s one of the best decisions you can make.
Takeaways
There are so many opportunities for creators.
Our skills are in demand, and startups like Passionfroot are helping creators capitalise on these opportunities.
Best of all? You haven’t missed the boat.
The boat hasn’t even left the dock.
So start creating, put yourself out there, and build an audience. You can then sign up for Passionfroot’s waitlist and let the sponsorships roll in.
You just never know.
Amazing things could happen :)
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