Next in this series: affiliate programs you should sign up for that get you paid!
Read More6 TIPS FOR TAKING SCROLL STOPPING PHOTOS FOR CONTENT CREATORS
6 STRATEGIC TIPS TO GROW YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
Through documenting, strategically sharing my travels, and creating passive income streams over the years, I’ve gained first hand experience about the business side of content creation. It is through my own journey that I have been able to create a roadmap to help ask the right questions, grow my brand and business, and continuously create value for my audience. This focus has helped me leverage my platform, thereby attracting brand collaborations and sponsorships I never in my wildest dreams would have expected. So after receiving countless messages and emails from others who want to do the same, I’ve decided to start sharing more strategic resources for you: an aspiring content creator at the beginning level of your journey, who is ready to take a leap of faith and build a business that is rooted in passion and purpose.
Next in this series: detailed tips on how to strategically grow your social media!
Know your demographics. Knowing who your audience is, what they like, what time they are on social media, and what some of their habits are will make a huge difference in how engaged they will be with the content you put out. You can get details on these analytics by using a business account on Instagram or adding Google Analytics into your website.
Create shareable content. Once you know who you are creating for, lean into this. Be sure to create content that captures their attention immediately and inspires them to share it with their own audiences. In my own work, I’ve focused on using color, unique locations, and culture to captivate audiences. I’ve also focused on creating within underrepresented niches so that my content stands out and puts me in a position of being a leader in the categories I choose to create in.
Pay attention to algorithms. Speaking of algorithms, it’s important to stay up to date on current algorithm trends. Social media algorithms are a way of sorting posts in a users’ feed based on relevancy instead of published time, so they will prioritize which content a user sees in their feed first by the likelihood that they’ll actually want to see it. Because these platforms are designed to keep users on for as long as possible, it’s important that you pay attention to how the algorithm rewards users. This doesn’t mean you should try to “game” the system, because it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to decode it. Instead, the key is finding a balance between what an algorithm wants and creating compelling content for your audience.
Collaborate with others. This one seems pretty simple, but is one of the most effective. The easiest way to get exposure is by your content being shared by another creator. This doesn’t mean you should go out and clout chase for likes, but I would encourage you to find other creators you admire and develop friendships that allow you all to grow and support each other.
Be Consistent. Can the content you create be easily identified as yours? Can your audience expect to see something new from you at a specific time daily/weekly? The more consistent you are in both the quality of your content and the times that you post, your audience and social media algorithms will keep rewarding you.
Evolve to keep your followers. People always ask how to get followers, but no one seems to ask how to keep them. While it’s important to be consistent, if you only create in a specific way and post the exact same kind of content for years, people will get bored and unfollow you. Try new things, experiment with new categories, and don’t forget to be yourself. You should strive for better, outdo your previous work, and show your growth and evolution. This will keep people interested and invested in your platform.
Like my content creator tips? Sign up below to get a FREE preview of my detailed guidebook that covers everything you need to know about the business of being an influencer below! I share actionable tips on how to start your content platform, write emails that secure brand partnerships, negotiate better rates, and much more!
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HOW TO FIND YOUR NICHE AS A CONTENT CREATOR
Through documenting, strategically sharing my travels, and creating passive income streams over the years, I’ve gained first hand experience about the business side of content creation. It is through my own journey that I have been able to create a roadmap to help ask the right questions, grow my brand and business, and continuously create value for my audience. This focus has helped me leverage my platform, thereby attracting brand collaborations and sponsorships I never in my wildest dreams would have expected. So after receiving countless messages and emails from others who want to do the same, I’ve decided to start sharing more strategic resources for you: an aspiring content creator at the beginning level of your journey, who is ready to take a leap of faith and build a business that is rooted in passion and purpose.
Next in this series: a detailed breakdown on how to identify your niche as a content creator!
How can you use your unique perspective, skills, and life experience to approach different subjects, services, or products? As the saying goes, it’s not what you do but how you do it. What makes you special? What separates you from those around you? I don’t believe you have to be the loudest or most dramatic person in the room (I’m certainly not), but tap into what sparks people’s curiosity and draws them in to you. I identified that I have a unique way of telling visual stories (particularly in the travel space). I also love adventure, take risks, and live an unconventional life. I’m a natural problem solver, I travel to places most people can’t identify on a map, I do things most people would find too daring, and I’m not scared of trying new things. Most importantly, I know how to fail forward and pivot quickly.
By identifying and assessing these characteristics about myself, I've been able to cultivate them to help differentiate me as a content creator:
I focus on traveling to unique destinations off the beaten path.
I inform others how to experience the best of the destinations I visit.
I style myself in a way that helps others want to purchase products I like.
I capture people, places, products, and moments in ways that are aspirational, approachable, and inspiring.
I am constantly taking risks and trying new things along the way, so I have built up a unique skill set and level of experience others can benefit from.
The key is to really self-assess.
Your personal style, personality, sense of humor, natural talent and artistry will all play a role. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t start off knowing what your sweet spot is; as it will become evident in time. What’s most important is that you begin to do the work to identify it, and then cultivate and develop it once you do. Step one for you is to just start. Done is better than perfect, so focus on taking the first step and becoming comfortable being uncomfortable.
Everyone starts as a beginner, so the sooner you begin the sooner you’ll develop the skills and community that will propel your business forward. Finally, set a date on the calendar (it can be as early as tomorrow to as far out as years from now) and focus on taking daily steps to get there.
Like my content creator tips? Sign up below to get a FREE preview of my detailed guidebook covering all the details of the business of being an influencer below! I share actionable tips on how to start your content platform, write emails that secure brand partnerships, negotiate better rates, and much more!
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HOW TO WRITE A STELLAR COLD PITCH THAT SECURES BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Through documenting, strategically sharing my travels, and creating passive income streams over the years, I’ve gained first hand experience about the business side of content creation. It is through my own journey that I have been able to create a roadmap to help ask the right questions, grow my brand and business, and continuously create value for my audience. This focus has helped me leverage my platform, thereby attracting brand collaborations and sponsorships I never in my wildest dreams would have expected. So after receiving countless messages and emails from others who want to do the same, I’ve decided to start sharing more strategic resources for you: an aspiring content creator at the beginning level of your journey, who is ready to take a leap of faith and build a business that is rooted in passion and purpose.
Second in this series: how to write a stellar cold pitch that secures partnerships!
The goal of your email pitch should be to introduce yourself, get on the brand’s radar, and impress them with the work you’ve already done so that they agree to work with you. You don’t want to send a super long email (no one will read it), list every statistic/achievement you’ve received from your last five clients, link all the press you’ve ever gotten, or go on endlessly about how fantastic you are. Instead focus on introducing yourself, communicating why you are a great fit for their brand, and what value they stand to gain from working with you in a concise way.
It should be short, to the point, and position you as an expert. Here’s a checklist of what to include:
Your name, the name of your blog and a quick description of what it’s about.
Why you’re interested in working with them specifically & possibly examples of content where you’ve featured their brand in the past (so they know it’s an authentic fit).
A specific idea (or ideas) of how you’d like to work with them. This could be a sponsored blog/vlog post, sponsored social posts, an event — whatever it is, be clear on your idea and offer specific content themes as well.
A media kit that includes basic information about your following, demographic, and other metrics (number of monthly page views & unique visitors your blog receives as well as your social following, other recognizable/relevant brands you’ve worked with, notable press or features you’ve received, etc).
In terms of budget, wait until they respond to your initial email before sending your rates. Just be sure you use the word “sponsored” in your initial email to imply that you require compensation.
Provide links (to your social, website, etc) within your email they can easily refer to.
For reference, here is one of the exact email templates I sent out when pitching (and ultimately securing) a few luxury hotel partnerships ahead of a recent trip.
Sample Cold Pitch Email:
Hello _____
My name is Lee and I'm the blogger and content creator behind Spirited Pursuit, where I focus on travel and lifestyle for adventurous travelers seeking rich experiences.
I'm currently traveling long-term and planning a trip to (CITY/COUNTRY) in (MONTH), so I wanted to reach out and introduce myself as I would love to partner with (NAME OF BRAND) on sponsored blog and social media posts. I work with brands, hotels, publishers, and tourism boards in a creative capacity and offer exceptional content creation, high social media engagement, blog posts with links to each featured piece, and high-res imagery as collateral.
To get a better understanding of the kind of content I create, I invite you to view my media kit here (LINKED). I would love to continue the conversation on how we can work together, would you be interested?
Warm Regards,
Lee
Other Key Things to Remember:
Use an appropriate subject line. Be sure to pair the email with subject line that won’t be ignored. Something like “Content Partnership: Spirited Pursuit x BRAND NAME” has always gotten me great results.
Be professional. This should go without saying, but make sure to remember that you’re not sending a casual/personal text or DM to a friend. Be yourself, use your tone and voice but always keep it professional. Correct grammar, spelling, minimal slang. I would avoid things like: emojis, xo at the end of emails, acronyms and abbreviations. Remember this is a business even if you are discussing social media.
Follow up. There’s a great Google extension called Streak you can use to monitor when people open your email, if at all. If no one has opened it yet, send a follow up email after 7 days saying something like, “Hey There! I wanted to follow up and bring this to the top of your inbox. Looking forward to hearing from you.” If they have opened it, send a follow up 3 days after they open and send a more detailed vision of what kind of campaign you would like to work together on and ask what they think. Anyone who has an onslaught of emails or just uses their inbox as their to-do list (*raises hand*) knows that it can make your life so much easier when people follow up and are proactive to keep you on top of things. I’ve let important emails fall through the cracks in the past and would have missed out on great opportunities if my contact didn’t follow up. You’re not being annoying, you’re making sure that your voice is being heard.
Like my content creator tips? Sign up below to get a FREE preview of my detailed guidebook covering all the details of the business of being an influencer below! I share actionable tips on how to start your content platform, write emails that secure brand partnerships, negotiate better rates, and much more!
