Blogging Better: How To Function Alongside Brands

Welcome to my Blogging Better series! Each calendar week I hope to come upwards up alongside relevant in addition to fun topics to assist you lot go yesteryear away a amend blogger. I originally started this serial in my weekly newsletter but I thought it would live on to a greater extent than fun to opened upwards it upwards to all spider web log readers.

Today's topic is going to live on super long but (hopefully) really helpful: How to Work alongside Brands! After a couplet of years nether my belt in addition to a ton of collaborations, I intend I direct maintain some adept advice in addition to tips to portion on the subject. I hope you lot enjoy!!

One of the neat things that has come upwards from my blogging experience (and i I’ll facial expression dorsum on fondly) is the powerfulness to run alongside brands I love. It’s then crazy how much the landscape has changed alongside blogging in addition to social media coming into the moving painting because earlier whatever of this, you lot had to really live on famous to run alongside brands. So it’s really cool we’re all able to create this for a living now! 
 
I’ve made some closed friends yesteryear collaborating alongside dissimilar brands. It’s awesome to direct maintain that sort of connecter alongside companies you lot really attention about! But alongside all that existence said, I didn’t start working alongside brands for a spell after I started blogging.
 
In all honesty, at that spot are brands I would dearest to run alongside but am non large plenty for. I'm withal told "no" occasionally! I tell girls this all the time, but don’t start a spider web log alongside the intentions of working alongside brands in addition to getting complimentary stuff. That's non how it industrial plant in addition to it’s a lot of difficult run to teach to that point. 
 
So when working alongside brands, at that spot are ii ways for it to hap that I’ll speak over inwards item below: reaching out to brands proactively or having brands accomplish out to you lot (directly or via networks). Let’s speak nigh it.
 
 Each calendar week I hope to come upwards up alongside relevant in addition to fun topics to assist you lot go yesteryear away a amend spider web log Blogging Better: How to Work alongside Brands
Collaboration alongside Henri Bendel 
 
 
You Contact Them: This is patently the to a greater extent than taboo of the ii but I don't empathize why to a greater extent than bloggers don't create this. I accomplish out to brands all the fourth dimension to run together. I volition live on shopping in addition to come upwards across a cook I really like. Once I create a piddling to a greater extent than inquiry to run into if it's something my readers volition like, I'll accomplish out.
 
Just similar at that spot are a lot of brands you lot mightiness non know about, at that spot are also a lot of bloggers brands don't know about. It's mutually beneficial in addition to a neat way to cook a human relationship alongside a brand. I can't tell you lot how many brands I originally reached out to that are at nowadays some of my closest partners. 
 
How to Go About Reaching Out: I'd similar to intend I've mastered the science of reaching out to brands since I create it a lot. Start alongside finding a direct e-mail or contact. These are commonly nether their "contact" or "press" pages on their site. Finding the correct mortal to mutual frigidity e-mail volition assist cutting downwardly the procedure time. I ever effort in addition to e-mail someone straight rather than filling out forms, non certain why but I only intend it's to a greater extent than personal this way!
 
Once you lot direct maintain an e-mail address, it's fourth dimension to draft an email. There are some real of import steps inwards crating an e-mail similar this then read below!
 
1. Introduce yourself (who you lot are in addition to what you lot do): most emails go, "I'm Krista from Covering the Bases, a fashion in addition to move spider web log based inwards New York City." Straight in addition to to the indicate then they're aware of who I am, what my spider web log is, what it covers in addition to where I live.
 
2. State your argue for emailing: "I'm reaching out today because....." or "I'm reaching out inwards hopes to...." are commonly adept places to start. You want to live on direct in addition to to the indicate every bit non waste product their time. But of course of educational activity direct doesn't hateful rude. Make certain your linguistic communication is ever real opened upwards in addition to inviting. 
 
3. Tell them why you lot similar their cook in addition to why you lot intend it's a adept fit: This is where you lot demand to live on detailed in addition to personal. Tell them what you lot dearest nigh their dresses or how your followers react when you lot characteristic them. Mention the offset fourth dimension buying from the cook or adept memories you lot direct maintain alongside them. Make it personal! Convey to them that you lot attention in addition to demonstrate them that you're a loyal cook representative.
 
4. Send them examples: When working alongside a cook I genuinely love, I ever cook certain to ship over former spider web log links to posts where I characteristic their clothing. It shows that I genuinely am a fan of their brand, collaborations or not.

5. Tell them what you lot tin create for them: Here is where I tell a cook what I tin offering inwards central for collaborating in addition to nigh my blogging skills. For example, when working alongside hotels I tin hope them a spider web log post/review, Instagram photos alongside the geo-location on and @mention inwards the caption. Here is where you lot demand to evaluate, intend strategically but don't oversell. Maybe they are pushing for to a greater extent than Instagram followers in addition to you lot tin offering them a takeover; things along those lines!
 
6. Share social in addition to spider web log numbers: For bigger or to a greater extent than established brands, I commonly ship over my media kit for them to review when deciding when to run alongside me or not. It tells them a piddling to a greater extent than nigh me, my spider web log in addition to my reach/influence. It also references former partnerships for them to review in addition to facial expression over my work. For brands I don't ship my media kit to correct away, I ever put, "If you'd similar to a greater extent than data on my blog, I'd live on happy to ship over my media kit alongside spider web log in addition to social statistics for you lot to review!" That way if they're interested but want to know more, they can!
 
7. Wrap it up: Thank them for their time, tell them you lot facial expression frontward to talking to a greater extent than soon, direct maintain a neat day, etc. And go out your data at the bottom (I direct maintain direct links to my blog, my TW in addition to my IG every bit my signature).
 
 
What's Next: Waiting game. Some brands volition teach dorsum to you lot correct away, some volition accept a calendar week or two, some you lot demand to follow upwards with, others volition never teach dorsum to you lot in addition to at that spot are some who volition say no. All of these are OK! Because if nada else, you're on their radar now.
 
 Each calendar week I hope to come upwards up alongside relevant in addition to fun topics to assist you lot go yesteryear away a amend spider web log Blogging Better: How to Work alongside Brands
Collaboration alongside HauteLook
 
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Funny story nigh i of my biggest running cook collaborations (that should hopefully cook you lot experience better). I had been dying to run alongside this i cook that I loved in addition to I hateful loved. It was inwards 2013 in addition to the spider web log was much smaller but I knew my readers had a potent want for this brand. I thought of a neat serial collaboration thought alongside me in addition to a boyfriend blogger in addition to wrote out this whole large pitch to them. It was good thought out, detailed in addition to didn't inquire for much. I had the correct e-mail in addition to I was feeling super confident.
 
That was until I got an e-mail dorsum inside the sixty minutes alongside a real sort "no." I was sad, but non devastated because they were a large cook in addition to I understood (my dearest was unconditional). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few months subsequently I was at a random cook press preview inwards Flatiron. I was having a neat conversation alongside a PR contact in addition to nosotros were talking nigh his other clients. He mentioned casually that this i cook (THE cook I had reached out to) was really hosting their press preview at the same fourth dimension i flooring upstairs.
 
Trying to comprise my excitement, I asked if they could innovate me in addition to halt yesteryear the showroom. Which they did in addition to I was inwards heaven. I loved it in addition to I was offset introduced to the real mortal who told me "no" only a few months before. We started talking in addition to I mentioned that they really re-pinned a couplet of my spider web log photos wearing their items in addition to she was inwards stupor it was me. I intend she loved me correct away. We started talking to a greater extent than nigh what I create in addition to how her fellowship is a sponsor for baseball.
 
The conversation went on in addition to it exclusively got better. I fifty-fifty felt comfortable plenty to tell her it was me who sent that e-mail non also long ago. She remembered correct away in addition to said it was a neat thought in addition to how she loved my e-mail but has a strict policy to non gift these especial items because they can't go yesteryear away along them on the shelf every bit it is. It totally made sense in addition to it really made me experience a lot better. It made me realize she wasn't really proverb no to me.
 
Long story made longer, nosotros run into each other every fourth dimension she's inwards the city, in addition to nosotros run together closely almost every month. I fifty-fifty follow her on all social platforms. They are withal to this 24-hour interval my favorite cook in addition to I'm thankful everyday I'm able to run alongside them! 
Moral of this story existence that fifty-fifty when a cook says no, it's non a forever thing. Things tend to run out the way they're supposed to in addition to without sending this e-mail in addition to taking a boundary of faith, nosotros may never direct maintain had the direct chances to run together similar nosotros create now. Emailing brands tin exclusively assist your spider web log in addition to your business!
 
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Whew! So that's pretty much the gist of how you lot accomplish out to brands in addition to how to run alongside them inwards that sense. Next comes the other terminate of the spectrum on what happens if they contact YOU. Of course of educational activity the things below also (very much so) demand to live on applied to when you lot accomplish out first. 
 
 Each calendar week I hope to come upwards up alongside relevant in addition to fun topics to assist you lot go yesteryear away a amend spider web log Blogging Better: How to Work alongside Brands
Collaboration alongside Absolut
 
 
They Contact You: It's ever super flattering when a cook (or PR agency) reaches out to you. That's how you lot know they've researched in addition to selected YOU to run alongside in addition to stand upwards for their brand. It's an exciting feeling but i also that needs to live on taken seriously in addition to inwards a proper way! Sharing my tips below of what to create when a bran reaches out!
 
1. Read the email: Might appear lightheaded but a lot of times people only skim it over in addition to are non genuinely aware of what they want or what they're holler for for. This is an of import offset step!
 
2. Research/review the brand: If it's someone you've heard of before, great! If they're new, cook certain to inquiry them, explore their website, cheque out their social, etc. You want to teach a adept experience for the cook because you lot want to...
 
3. Make certain it's a correct check for your blog: Readers tin run into correct through your posts when they know it's off cook for you. Like if I were to spider web log nigh babe items, it would appear a piddling weird. Stay truthful to yourself. If it's non a fit, say no!
 
4. Review the details of the collaboration: You want to cook certain you're going nigh this the correct way. If they want a YouTube video in addition to you lot haven't lay i upwards inwards 5 years, it mightiness non live on the best fit. Here is where you lot tin offering alternatives or amend ideas for them to maximize their goals spell going nigh it inwards a to a greater extent than natural way. You also want to cook certain it's mutually beneficial, that you're existence compensated appropriately in addition to that it's doable.  
 
5. Manage expectations: With traveling in addition to run consuming a lot of my fourth dimension in addition to weekends, it's adept to develop expectations upwards front. Let brands know if you'll live on out of town or that you lot direct maintain content booked until whatever date. The to a greater extent than they know the amend because if you're upwards front end nigh it at nowadays they'll empathize when a post may live on going alive subsequently than proposed.
 
6. Reply inwards a timely manner: This goes for only nigh whatever email, but brands are to a greater extent than than probable working on other collaborations. Responding inwards a timely way exclusively helps their labor go yesteryear away easier. When it's easier, it's to a greater extent than fun in addition to when it's to a greater extent than fun they similar you lot better! It's a win win. 
 
7. Be polite: (duh) This is a difficult in addition to fast dominion ever in addition to forever. Be polite! It's slow to create in addition to it volition cook people similar you lot better. Even if you're proverb no or direct maintain to go yesteryear on an opportunity, existence polite helps things terminate amicably. 
How to Say No: I teach a lot of sales in addition to promotional pitches throughout the 24-hour interval in addition to nigh 80% of them don't check my cook for i argue or another. So I've gotten pretty adept at proverb no (even when at that spot is coin involved). It's difficult to say no sometimes, but it volition teach easier! When proverb no to a brand, I ever cook certain to give thank you lot them for thinking of me in addition to tell them that it's only non the correct check for me at that time.
 
There's also the yes-but-not-right-now reply every bit well. I recall I had some brands accomplish out to me inwards Jan nigh summertime clothes in addition to alongside no major warm weather condition trips coming upwards I told them I would dearest to but can't at the 2d because I legitimately couldn't. Brands volition empathize (trust me) in addition to appreciate you lot existence honest. This goes dorsum to in i lawsuit again managing expectations in addition to existence polite! 


After You've Said Yes: Saying yep is the slow part! Now it's fourth dimension to stick to your word, follow through in addition to demonstrate them why working alongside you lot is non exclusively slow in addition to fun but also that you lot value the human relationship in addition to hope for it to go yesteryear away along progressing inwards the future.

1. Follow upwards in addition to go yesteryear away along them informed: Brands dearest to live on informed then go yesteryear away along them inwards the loop. Let them know when you've received the product, when you're planning on shooting, what 24-hour interval you lot volition launch, when social advertisement volition follow ... everything! Follow upwards alongside links in addition to updates. It volition cook their life a lot easier in addition to cook you lot appear super professional. 
 
2. Stick to deadlines: We all develop deadlines for a reason, then stick to them. When discussing deadlines also live on certain to cook certain it industrial plant for you. Don't hope something on a Th that you lot can't fifty-fifty shoot until Saturday. 
 
3. Go inwards a higher house in addition to beyond: Just similar inwards normal 9-5 run places, going inwards a higher house in addition to beyond inwards your labor volition teach you lot to a greater extent than places. It shows you're ambitious, shows you lot attention in addition to that you lot value your collaboration.
 
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I *think* that's nigh it. WHEW that was then long! But I really hope it's helpful. I want someone had told me all nigh this when I started. If you lot want to know to a greater extent than or direct maintain whatever follow upwards questions, I'll live on answering them below!
Check out the other posts inwards the blogging amend serial HERE!



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