We all love freebies from a brand we love, who doesn't? There has been a few instances where I've heard some get free products but not doing anything in return for the brand. This in fact can ruin the relationship between you and the brand and possibly with others brands in the industry. Word of mouth travels real quick.
“I've get offered things, but if I'm not feeling the brand's ethos I will happily decline. Do not become one of these blogger/ personal brand who accepts everything. You will loose credibility.”
So, how to get free stuff from brands?. Its simple really. Start by writing down what you can offer to the brand you want to work with. Key word being collaboration which means both parties benefit, not just you. Sketch up a brain storm - what you can offer?
What are you good at?
Creative skills?
Social exposure?
Why should they give you their product and not someone else?
Its not always about how big your following is but how you as a personal brand/ blogger can contribute towards the brands.
How do I get in contact with a brands?
On most if not all websites, there are contact details for the PR team. You really want a direct email address to someone rather than a generic email as its most likely they get a lot of emails including junk mail. If you can't find any contact details on their website, try Instagram its pretty good when responding to DMs. If still no luck, then try LinkedIn - many forget how many professionals use this platform. Here is a an example of what you can send via DM:
Hey,
I hope you well.
My name is ___________ and I am a photographer, creative or etc.
Is it possible to get an email contact to discuss any collaboration opportunities?
Thank you
Your name
Its as simple as that. More than often they will respond. Start making a list of the brands you like along with the contact details you've found. I'd recommend sending an email as its more professional instead of a DM. It shows them you made an effort and you can include more key information/ visuals and so on.
A few things you can offer:
Product testing
Written review
YouTube review
Photo based
Blog writing
Create a spreadsheet so you know if you've already contacted this brand/ company. Then create a clean cut email (template) and think about how can you go about writing a review about their product and so on. You can also create a media kit, which is a bit like a digital CV, now these are dope but they have to be updated every few months which is easy once you've created it. Once you have your template save it as PDF when sending out.
If you have any questions or article suggestions, drop me an email at hello@staremix.com
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