How To Work With Brands As An Influencer

I’m Lauren - marketing coordinator at Open Door Media.

I’ve been managing influencer campaigns for the past 2.5 years.

I often get asked by aspiring influencers what the steps are for working with brands. I’ve compiled a couple of tips to help you understand what we consider when working with influencers and how you can get started.

Brands choose to work with influencers whose audiences fit their target demographic, and that they feel will positively represent them. There are a few things we will survey when assessing an influencer:

Aesthetic + Voice

Your own brand matters! The best way to develop your unique voice and aesthetic is to be authentic. Have a niche you care about and bring your own perspective to it.

Here are some good tips to get you started.

Quality + Consistency

The best way to grow your audience and engagement is to consistently post high-quality content. Using specific filters, colours and themes can help!

You don’t need to have hundreds of thousands of followers to participate in a campaign (in fact - we work with microinfluencers most of all!), but we do look at engagement rates to see if your followers do actually care about what you post.

Often, brands with dedicated influencer marketing strategies will reach out to creators whose content they like, but moreso, newer influencers have the best chance at collaborating if they are proactive and reach out themselves.

A few tips for connecting:

With Brands

Follow + engage with content from brands that fit your niche! If you’re showing up in their notifications and they recognize your profile, they are more likely to be willing to work with you. 

When reaching out, keep it short + simple. Explain why you love their product and why they would benefit from showcasing it to your audience.

With Agencies

Ask if they are looking to add influencers to their rosters. Give an overview of your interests, the type of content you post and any relevant analytics related to your audience. 

Provide some ideas for content! Chances are they are looking for fresh new ideas for their clients, so telling them what types of posts you could make for them could set you apart from other influencers.

If you have the pleasure of getting selected to work with a brand, it's important to: 

• Review all contract details: Make sure that everything you are being asked for is within your wheelhouse and that you agree with the compensation being offered for your work. 

• Keep a schedule: Know all the dates for when you can expect the product, when you have to post by, and when you can expect to get paid.

• Engage in consistent communication: Confirming all guidelines + approvals is key to ensure that everyone is on the same page at every step of the campaign.

I hope this lesson helped you gain the confidence needed to start influencer marketing! If you are looking to work with brands in the winery + tourism + beauty industries, sign up for our agency’s roster below.