The biggest hurdle I see with most influencers, is getting paid brand deals. A lot of it has to do with self worth, or confidence. Sometimes it's confusing because there are tons of online master classes that promise to give you a proven method. I'm not promising anything. What I am going to do is share with you 3 rules I follow which help me get brand deals.
Rule #1 Stalk like a boss. I learned that you kind of have to politely stalk people. I joke and say I'm going to write a book called, The Art Of Stalking. Ok, so a lot of people are uncomfortable with this part, and I'm going to tell you that you have to get uncomfortable if you want to make money. period. You have to be persistent without being annoying- It's an art I swear. If they say no- don't say OK. Try to work it out. I ask what they are looking for and always reach back out a month or two later if they REALLY aren't working with influencers at the moment.
Rule #2 After every no is a yes that is so much better. Prime example- I pitched a hotel (major chain) and asked to have an overnight and told them what I would deliver in return. They said no, they did not have budget for influencers. So of course, I thought to myself- I guess I'm not good enough/don't have enough followers/Waaaaaah Nobody Loves Me. Well guess what? A month later a different (and better) hotel chain reached out to me and pitched me!!! So I want you to remember, just because one brand says no doesn't mean a similar brand will do the same. Every company has different marketing ideas, budgets, and plans that we know nothing about and we can't automatically think it's us. It's like dating lol. It's not you it's me.
Rule #3 Do not go lower than what you are worth. You are worth it all. This is a very important rule guys. Don't let these companies think a $20 lotion is worth your time. It's not fair and it happens waaaaaay too often. Content creation, video making, blog posts...it's work, and you should be paid for it. I play hardball and I say no, more than I say yes, especially when they say they don't have budget but I see other influencers posting with #ad in their feed. No, you're not gonna play me like that, but thanks. It's OK TO SAY NO. There are so many companies that pay and treat you well and with respect, YOU ARE WORTH IT.
Trust me when I say that it is a grind, you gotta be at it 24/7 (especially in the beginning) and any master class or course out there that tells you otherwise is bullshit and just trying to sell you something. It's a job. A fun job, that can (and has for me) paid off. There are tons of perks, and I love what I do, but you gotta set boundaries and push for yourself everyday to be the best you!
xo,
elena
