Every creator gets to the point in their social career that they want to start monetizing by working with brands. If that sounds like you then congratulations on getting to this part! I definitely understand that this is both an exciting but very confusing time. So how do you start? How do you reach out to brands?

How do I start the conversation with my favorite brand?

You will need to do some groundwork before you send that first message. If your intention is to work with brands that you believe in, then you will need to prove that. For starters, you should be following them. That support is the least you could do.

I usually will spend at least a week to a month being an active follower. That means interacting with their stories, commenting on their posts, etc. But maybe you are a mega fan and have been following them already for a while. In which case, you are ahead of the game! Brands love it when creators are real fans of theirs. Not to mention, you should really be mega fans of brands you are reaching out to regardless.

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Where do I find a brand’s contact information?

The best way to find the information needed to get in contact with a brand’s marketing department is to simply ask. Instagram DMs were meant for this! I normally send a short message introducing myself, expressing my interest to work with them, and then asking if there is an email that I can send my inquiry to. More often than not, they will either give you the email address, respond by saying that discussing via DM is fine, or may even give you a link to their application form.

If you don’t receive a response via DM, it’s time to look on their website. Since the influencer game is growing quickly, many brands have now placed sections on their website just for creators with pertinent information. I usually look on the Contact Us or the FAQs page as they normally have a contact specifically for these sorts of inquiries.

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What do I include in my message to them?

Now that you have the correct contact information or the person via DM is willing to chat through Instagram, what do you include? First, you should include 1-2 sentences about you and your content. Next include any relevant information about your experience with the brand. If you have purchased from them before, let them know! Next you should mention any information that would be of interest to the brand (ie. your engagement rate, your audience demographics that relate to the brand, etc). Lastly, the email should end on your excitement at the prospect of working with the brand and a thanks to them for taking the time to read your email.

You should stay clear of sending your email with attachments or links in it. The brand doesn’t need your life long content history. However, the other big reason to not include attachments or links in your first email to the brand is because this could lead to your email going straight to spam. Don’t cut yourself off like that!

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