Welcome to this engaging and informative blog post about the art of 'brand flirting'. You're about to learn some unique strategies that can help you attract the attention of brands and build rewarding partnerships.
What is "Flirting with a Brand? Brand flirting is a strategy that allows brands to approach you first, putting you in a position of power. This approach differs significantly from the traditional way of pitching to brands. Let's delve into why it's better for brands to reach out first, how to make them come to you, and the dynamics at play in the industry when it comes to sending pitches.
Why is it Better for Brands to Reach Out? When a brand reaches out to you first, you are in more of a position of power. This is because they are the first to initiate the conversation, which is a fundamental principle of negotiation. A brand approaching you as opposed to you pitching to them creates a different dynamic that can be highly beneficial for you as an influencer.
Did You Know that Brands are Stalking You? Brands use "Social Listening" as a way to find influencers for their campaigns. Social Listening refers to brands monitoring and analyzing what you're saying about them on social media platforms. They are likely to choose creators who genuinely love a product and have shown that. This is where the concept of 'brand flirting' comes into play. By engaging with a brand on social media, using their hashtags, tagging them in posts, and commenting on their posts, you make yourself visible to the brand.
Before You Start Brand Flirting Before you start brand flirting, you need to treat your social media profiles as a digital business card. It needs to be clear what you "sell" and the value you offer. Be clear about the type of brands you promote. You need to keep your social media profile polished and professional to attract clients. Also, you need to let people know how to get in touch with you. Most importantly, your brand crushes need to align with your content. Find brands that make sense for your page and pitch within your niche.
How to Find Your BFF Brand? Firstly, look at advertisements that are already being targeted towards you, such as IG Stories Ads, IG Feed Ads, TikTok Ads, Pinterest Ads, Facebook Ads, etc. Consider what brands are making waves in your industry and the brands you are starting to see more and more people talk about. Lastly, think about the brands you already use and love.
Flirting with Brands Once you have identified the brands you want to work with, start following them and engaging with their content. Support them, cheer them on, and leave thoughtful and genuine comments. Be searchable by using the keywords the brand would search for. Get specific with keywords in your bio and content. Organic tagging can also go a long way. Tag them in stories, use their branded hashtags, and make content that they can see themselves in.
Make the Brand Curious This strategy might seem controversial, but it's worth a try. Think of a product you love and use often, create an eye-catching post or reel about it, but don't tag the brand or even mention their name. After an hour, go back and reply to comments, tagging the brand. This will create buzz around the brand, increase your engagement, and get the brand's attention.
Hopping on a Call Now is the time to ask the person you've been communicating with to hop on a call. Show up early, print out your pitch or write down your ideas, have a pen and paper nearby, be confident and personable, and take notes in advance of any questions you have. This will help you feel more confident during the conversation and ensure you don't forget to mention any important points.
Above All: Professionalism and Positive Attitude Being easy to work with is going to win every time. Being professional and on time will make a brand come back to you much more than back to an influencer with 500K followers that was a pain to work with. Behind most brand campaigns, is someone working for the brand to find you. So make them look good to their bosses! And please be friendly!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
