How to get collaborations with less followers? Complete guide on how to approach brands for Collab

Over the Taupe

19 Aug 202313:57

Summary

TLDRIn this video, Anamika Singh Rawat shares valuable insights for content creators on securing collaborations and PR packages, even with a small follower count. She explains different types of collaborations, such as barter and paid, and provides tips on creating concise, personalized pitches for brands. Anamika emphasizes the importance of being proactive by reaching out to brands instead of waiting for them to notice you. She also suggests using AI tools to craft pitches and collaborating with influencer marketing agencies to increase opportunities. This video offers practical advice for creators looking to grow their presence and secure collaborations.

Takeaways

💡 Content creators and YouTubers often wonder how to get collaborations and PR packages. This video discusses the process and provides tips on securing them.
📊 The creator manages multiple social media accounts, some with as few as 700 followers, and still receives PR packages and collaborations, debunking the myth that you need a large following.
🤝 Collaborations can be either barter (exchange of services for products) or paid. In barter collaborations, you might need to review a product purchased with your own money before being reimbursed.
💰 Paid collaborations involve brands sending products and payment for creating content, like reviews or videos, on social media platforms.
📝 Having a well-crafted pitch is essential. It should be concise (5-6 lines), professional, and personalized. Avoid long paragraphs or overly brief messages.
🔍 Utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to draft pitch templates, but always add a human touch and personalize each pitch for the specific brand.
🚀 Instead of waiting for brands to approach you, be proactive and send pitches to brands that align with your content. Check out other creators' PR highlights for potential brand leads.
📋 Register with influencer marketing agencies (e.g., Budding Influencers, Hype On, My Collab Story) to access more collaboration opportunities and campaigns.
🙌 Don’t limit yourself based on follower count. Brands may still be interested in collaborating if your content and engagement are strong, even if you have a small audience.
❓ For any unresolved queries or further information, viewers are encouraged to leave comments or suggest additional topics for future videos.

Q & A

What is a collaboration in terms of social media?
-A collaboration in social media is when two or more people, brands, or organizations work together toward a specific goal, often exchanging services or products in return for promotion.
What are the two main types of social media collaborations?
-The two main types of social media collaborations are barter (or 'butter') collaborations and paid collaborations. In barter collaborations, services are exchanged for products without upfront payment, while paid collaborations involve both product delivery and financial compensation for content creation.
How does a barter collaboration work?
-In a barter collaboration, the brand sends the product to the content creator, and in return, the creator offers services like posting a review or creating a video. Some barter collaborations may require upfront payment from the creator, which is later reimbursed after the content is posted.
What is the misconception about collaborations and follower count?
-Many people believe that they need a minimum of 1,000 followers to start getting collaborations, but this is not true. The video creator mentions that they started receiving PR packages and collaborations when they had only 300-400 followers.
What is the importance of preparing a pitch for brand collaborations?
-A well-prepared pitch is crucial when approaching brands for collaborations. It should be concise and professional, around five to six lines, to grab attention quickly without overwhelming the recipient with too much information.
How can AI tools like ChatGPT assist in writing collaboration pitches?
-AI tools like ChatGPT can help content creators draft collaboration pitches by providing sample templates based on the creator's content type. However, it’s important to modify the AI-generated pitch to add a personal touch.
Should content creators wait for brands to approach them for collaborations?
-No, content creators should proactively approach brands for collaborations instead of waiting for brands to notice them. There are too many creators for brands to find everyone, so reaching out increases the chances of securing a collaboration.
How can content creators find brands to collaborate with?
-Creators can find potential brands by looking at their fellow creators’ PR or collaboration highlights on social media, approaching those brands directly. They can also discover new brands that fit their niche and follower count.
What is the role of influencer marketing agencies in securing collaborations?
-Influencer marketing agencies act as intermediaries between brands and content creators, offering both barter and paid collaboration opportunities. Creators can register with these agencies to receive campaigns based on their profile.
What advice does the creator give about approaching larger brands with fewer followers?
-The creator advises not to hesitate in approaching larger brands, even with a smaller following, as some brands may still offer opportunities. The creator shared a personal experience where a large brand responded with a Google form for registration despite having only 700 followers.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Introduction to Collaborations and PR Packages

Anamika Singh Rawat introduces herself and her YouTube channel, welcoming viewers and outlining the topic of the video: how content creators and YouTubers can get collaborations and PR packages. She shares her personal experience and promises to explain the process behind getting free products and collaborations, encouraging viewers to watch the video till the end.

05:01

📱 Social Media Accounts and Early PR Packages

Anamika shares that she manages multiple social media accounts with varying follower counts, from 700 to 4,500 followers. Despite having just 700 followers on her beauty and skincare page, she started receiving PR packages and collaborations. She explains that brands either approach creators or vice versa and that she will go over the full procedure, including tips for those with fewer followers.

10:04

🤝 Understanding Collaborations: Barter vs. Paid

Anamika explains the concept of collaboration, where brands and creators work together for mutual benefit. She discusses two main types of collaborations: barter (where services are exchanged for products) and paid (where creators are compensated). In barter collaborations, creators receive products and give reviews or content in exchange. Sometimes these deals are 'prepaid,' and other times, creators have to pay upfront and get reimbursed later. Paid collaborations involve receiving both products and payment for creating content.

💡 Barter Collaborations in Detail

In barter collaborations, brands send products to creators in exchange for their services (like creating reviews, videos, or reels). Anamika details two types of barter deals: those where payment comes after product reviews and those where products are sent for free without any upfront payment. She highlights that creators with small followings are still eligible for such deals and should not wait until reaching a certain number of followers to pursue collaborations.

✍️ Crafting a Perfect Pitch

Anamika emphasizes the importance of a well-written pitch when approaching brands for collaborations. She advises that the pitch should be concise—around 5-6 lines—and professional, avoiding overly long messages or brief, unprofessional ones. She also mentions that she will provide a sample pitch in the video description. Additionally, Anamika apologizes for background noise in the video and encourages viewers to use headphones and watch at a faster speed.

🤖 Leveraging AI for Pitch Writing

Anamika suggests using AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in creating pitches for brand collaborations. She advises viewers to personalize AI-generated pitches by adding a human touch to avoid sounding robotic. She also stresses the importance of addressing brands by name to make the pitch more personalized and to increase chances of success. Anamika offers further help in the comments if viewers need assistance with AI tools.

📩 Should You Approach Brands or Wait?

Anamika explains that waiting for brands to approach creators is inefficient, especially with so many content creators vying for attention. Instead, she encourages proactively reaching out to brands. She shares a smart tactic of checking other creators' profiles for collaboration highlights, which can reveal approachable brands that collaborate with small influencers. This can help creators gauge which brands may work with their follower count.

📊 Taking a Chance on Bigger Brands

Anamika recounts her experience of reaching out to bigger brands like Colorbar, despite having only 700 followers and knowing her content quality isn't exceptional. Surprisingly, the brand responded with a form to fill out, showing that even smaller creators can get noticed. She advises viewers not to doubt their eligibility and to apply to big brands anyway, as it costs nothing and brands might give them a chance.

🔗 Registering with Influencer Marketing Agencies

Anamika suggests registering with influencer marketing agencies like Budding Influencers and My Collab Story, which help connect brands with creators. These agencies send collaboration opportunities and invites to campaigns via WhatsApp and email. She encourages creators to explore both independent outreach and working through agencies to maximize opportunities, as she personally receives collaborations through both methods.

🎁 Getting Approached by Brands

Anamika talks about how budding and established brands sometimes approach creators directly. As followers increase, the likelihood of being approached by bigger brands grows, but even small creators with as few as 200-300 followers can start receiving collaborations. She emphasizes that the journey to collaboration success requires proactive effort, not just waiting for opportunities to come.

📌 Wrapping Up: Final Tips and Encouragement

Anamika concludes by encouraging viewers to leave comments if they have further questions or if she missed covering any points. She also suggests that she may create a follow-up video if there is enough demand. Finally, she thanks the viewers for joining and bids them goodbye, reminding them to stay safe and healthy.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Collaboration

Collaboration refers to two or more people, brands, or organizations working together towards a specific goal. In the context of the video, it involves a content creator working with brands to promote their products, either in exchange for free products or monetary compensation. The video explains different types of collaborations, such as barter and paid collaborations.

💡PR Packages

PR packages are promotional packages sent by brands to influencers or content creators, often containing products for review. These packages help the brand gain exposure through the creator’s content. The speaker mentions how even with a small following (around 300-400 followers), she started receiving PR packages, which helped her grow her profile.

💡Barter Collaboration

Barter collaboration involves exchanging services without monetary compensation, where content creators offer reviews, posts, or videos in return for free products. In the video, barter collaborations are categorized into prepaid and non-prepaid versions, depending on whether the brand sends the product upfront or requires the creator to purchase it first.

💡Paid Collaboration

A paid collaboration involves both receiving a product and being compensated with money for promoting it. The creator is paid for their content, such as a video or post, after completing the promotional work. In the video, this type of collaboration is presented as a step above barter collaborations, offering creators both products and payment.

💡Pitch

A pitch is a concise, well-structured message that content creators send to brands when seeking collaborations. The video stresses the importance of preparing a concise and personalized pitch, as it should capture the brand's attention without being too long or too short. The speaker shares insights on how to craft an effective pitch using AI tools like ChatGPT.

💡Influencer Marketing Agencies

Influencer marketing agencies act as intermediaries between brands and creators, helping to facilitate collaborations. These agencies help influencers get exposure to brands that might be interested in working with them. In the video, agencies like 'Budding Influencers' and 'My Collab Story' are mentioned as useful platforms for content creators to register with for finding opportunities.

💡Nano and Micro Influencers

Nano and Micro influencers are creators with a smaller following, often between 100 to 10,000 followers. The video dispels the myth that creators need thousands of followers to get collaborations and PR packages, stating that brands often work with smaller influencers due to their high engagement rates. The speaker herself began receiving collaborations with fewer than 1000 followers.

💡Personalized Touch

A personalized touch refers to customizing communication to make it feel specific and thoughtful. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of addressing brands directly by name in pitches, rather than using generic greetings. This humanizes the interaction and increases the chances of getting a positive response from the brand.

💡Content Quality

Content quality refers to the level of effort, creativity, and professionalism in the content produced by the creator. In the video, the speaker acknowledges that although her content quality is still improving, it is an essential factor in securing collaborations, as brands look for creators who can represent their products effectively.

💡Review

A review is a detailed evaluation of a product, usually shared through social media or other platforms. In the video, the speaker discusses how brands often require creators to provide written reviews, videos, or photos of the products they receive. These reviews are crucial for creators to fulfill their part of barter or paid collaborations, showcasing the products in a favorable light.

Highlights

Introduction to the video: The topic of how to get collaborations and PR packages as a content creator.

Anamika mentions handling multiple social media accounts, including one with around 700 followers where she started receiving PR packages.

Explanation of the types of collaborations: barter (exchange of services for products) and paid collaborations.

Barter collaborations can be prepaid (the brand sends products) or non-prepaid (creator purchases the product and is reimbursed after review).

Clarification that even small creators with fewer than 1,000 followers can get PR packages and collaborations.

Importance of preparing a pitch to approach brands: concise, professional, and personalized pitches increase chances of getting collaborations.

Anamika provides advice on using AI tools like ChatGPT to help draft collaboration pitches, but emphasizes adding a personal touch.

Encourages creators to actively approach brands rather than waiting to be discovered.

Suggests checking PR or collaboration highlights of fellow creators to identify approachable brands.

Advice on sending personalized direct messages (DMs) to brands, even large ones, to increase collaboration opportunities.

Sharing an example where a big brand like Colorbar responded with a Google form for collaboration despite low follower count.

Recommends registering with influencer marketing agencies to access more collaboration opportunities.

Examples of influencer marketing agencies: Budding Influencers, Hype, My Collab Story, which connect creators with brands.

Encourages creators to start collaborating with as few as 200-300 followers and scale up as they grow.

Closing remarks: Viewers are invited to ask questions in the comments, with the promise of follow-up content if needed.