Partnering with brands in a way that genuinely aligns with your personal values is crucial for an influencer’s long-term success and credibility. When you promote products or services that you genuinely believe in, your audience can feel that authenticity, which builds trust and strengthens your community.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to partner with brands and create content that genuinely aligns with your values:
1. Define Your Personal Brand and Core Values
Before you even start looking for partnerships, you need to have a crystal-clear understanding of your own brand identity.
- Identify your core values: What are the principles that you live by? Is it sustainability, community support, health and wellness, creative expression, or something else? List them out.
- Know your audience: Who are your followers? What do they value? What problems are they trying to solve? The best partnerships are those where your values, the brand’s values, and your audience’s values all overlap.
- Establish your niche: What are you known for? Are you a travel blogger who focuses on eco-friendly trips? A lifestyle influencer who promotes mindful living? A tech reviewer who champions ethical companies? Your niche will naturally guide you toward relevant brands.
2. Research and Vetting Potential Brands
Once you know your values, you can begin the search for brands that share them. This process is about being proactive and selective, not just waiting for offers to come in.
- Look for brands you already use: The most authentic partnerships often start with products you already know and love. Think about the products you use in your daily life and consider how you could genuinely incorporate them into your content.
- Conduct thorough research: Go beyond their homepage. Read their “About Us” page, mission statement, and social media feeds. Look at their past campaigns and the influencers they’ve worked with. Do they practice what they preach? Do they have a reputation for ethical practices, or are they known for controversies?
- Use influencer marketplaces: Platforms like Aspire, Upfluence, or Collabstr can help you find brands, but you must still vet them yourself. Don’t just apply to every campaign; look for ones that explicitly state values that match yours.
3. Build a Relationship First
Authentic partnerships are rarely transactional. They are built on mutual respect and shared goals.
- Engage with them on social media: Follow the brands you’re interested in, and consistently like, comment on, and share their content. This shows that you’re a genuine fan and can get you noticed by their marketing team.
- Create “pre-content”: Before you pitch a brand, create a piece of content (a post, a story, a reel) featuring their product simply because you love it. This demonstrates to them that you already understand their brand and can create high-quality, authentic content.
- Send a personalized pitch: When you do reach out, don’t use a generic template. Reference specific products you love, a recent campaign of theirs that you admire, and explain how a partnership would be a perfect fit for both of your audiences. Highlight how you can provide value beyond just a sponsored post.
4. Negotiate for Creative Freedom and Alignment
When a brand is interested in working with you, the negotiation phase is where you ensure the partnership remains true to your values.
- Request a detailed creative brief: Ask for a brief that outlines their goals, key messages, and deliverables. This will help you understand their expectations and identify any potential red flags.
- Be honest about your content style: Explain that your content is most effective when it feels natural to your audience. Advocate for creative freedom to integrate the product into your existing content style rather than following a rigid script.
- Don’t compromise your beliefs: If a brand asks you to promote something that goes against your core values—for example, a non-sustainable product when you’re a sustainability advocate—be prepared to politely decline the opportunity. Remember that one inauthentic partnership can erode the trust you’ve spent years building.
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