Posted by: Erica Santiago
Publication date: December 26, 2023
What is brand collaboration?
Brand collaboration is a partnership between a brand and a content creator where both parties work together to create content that promotes the brand to the creator’s followers.
When should you seek brand collaborations?
I previously thought I needed a certain number of followers or a lot of content before I even considered working with brands.
So, imagine my surprise when I had a YouTube channel with only about 100 followers, but I was already receiving messages from brands and companies asking me if I wanted to promote their products or services.
It seems that it’s not necessary to have a large number of followers or viral content to determine the right time to work with brands as a content creator.
“People can start earning money and collaborating with brands as soon as they have an audience that’s valuable to the brand,” says Scott DeClari from the podcast Success Story.
However, Scott warns of the importance of understanding business practices.
“You need to understand that when you start working with brands, you’re working with people who are building their empires and businesses, and if you don’t have much experience in the business realm, it can be overwhelming,” he says.
Scott explains, “They will ask a lot from you. They will negotiate contracts, they will try to win that deal, and they will aim to get the best possible value for their money with the specific creator.”
Therefore, Scott encourages creators looking for deals and partnerships with brands to prepare themselves for success by understanding the following:
- The value of the content they provide.
- Their own audience and how this audience will respond to the brand they are working with.
- What’s normal in a contract, such as product requirements, reporting schedules, and payment terms.
“So, immerse yourself in a variety of different YouTube videos, resources, or blogs that discuss how to negotiate a good deal and how to best serve the brand,” he says.
He explains, “It’s almost crucial to research and understand the mechanics of how to sell advertising as a service first before you start working with brands.”
Scott says it’s possible to start without prior research and learn while working, “but it will be painful, you won’t get good deals, or you won’t get paid on time.”
How to find brand collaborations
If you feel ready to seek collaborative partners – where do you go?
Lyan Elliott from the podcast Truth, Lies, and Workplace Culture suggests attending in-person events.
“We’ve gotten most of our content partnerships by attending events and representing the podcast and talking with guests and interviewing people,” she explains. “From there, their team members or they themselves reach out to us for collaboration.”
Lyan says it’s important to target events that you know potential partners will attend, and I can testify to that.
A few years ago, I wanted to create a video on my YouTube channel discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the voice acting industry.
I knew I wanted to interview an experienced and professional voice actor for the project, so I attended a local conference and met the voice actors there.
That day, I met actress Anairis Quinones, known for voicing popular anime characters.
I told her about my channel and that I wanted to learn more about her experience in voice acting during the pandemic. Just a week later, we were recording a video for the channel.
Although it wasn’t a collaboration with a brand, the same logic applies.
If
You were creative and found a brand you want to work with – how do you introduce yourself to that brand?
“Don’t do it,” says Al Elliott, co-host of the podcast Truth, Lies, and Workplace Culture. “Don’t introduce yourself; introduce what you will bring to the partner.”
The podcast discusses various aspects of workplace culture, and Al says when he meets potential partners, he doesn’t approach the person by talking about the podcast.
“I do the opposite,” he explains. “I say, ‘I notice you have some content about workplace culture, but not much. I think we can collaborate on something great where you can tell me how you see workplace culture.’”
So let the potential partner know that you want to provide them with an opportunity to discuss their brand, product, or service – and affirm the value of your platform.
Tools for Collaborating with Brands
In-person events are just one of the options for connecting with brands. Scott says there are many tools available to help creators find brands and companies to collaborate with.
For example, if you are a creator with a newsletter looking for partnerships with brands, Scott has some platforms in mind.
“For newsletters, you can use Paved or Who Sponsors Stuff or SponsorLeads or Sponsorgap,” he says. “These are all marketplaces where brands that like to support newsletters look for sponsorship opportunities.”
Scott also suggests subscribing to your favorite newsletters and paying attention to the brands that sponsor them, and reaching out to the marketing heads of those companies.
If you host a podcast, there are also online marketplaces you can search through to find brand partnerships.
“There’s AdvertiseCast and Gumball,” says Scott. “Or you can go to your favorite podcast in the same space you’re working in and see who sponsors their podcast, then reach out to the marketing heads at that specific company.”
Red Flags to Watch For
When looking for new opportunities as a creator, it’s important to be selective about whom you choose to work with. One of the ways to ensure you’re dealing with the right brands and companies is to be aware of the following red flags:
Payment offers based on performance or commission only
One potential red flag (or “gray area,” as Scott describes it) is when it doesn’t seem like the brand values the contribution a content creator brings to the collaboration or partnership.
“This means that if you have a great audience, know who your audience is, and know that the brand will succeed if they work with you, and they are only asking for a pay-per-performance or commission-based deal – I feel this is not an ideal scenario for great content creators,” says Scott.
Performance-based payment means the brand pays the creator based on the results generated by the content, such as click-through rates or engagement on social media.
Commission-based payment is when the creator gets paid after their content directly leads to a consumer purchase of the advertised product or service.
Scott explains, “This is how some people start out, but I think you need to know your worth as a creator, and you can’t pay your bills with potential future revenue.”
Instead, the better option is for creators to have their own rate or negotiate their contracts to ensure a fair and steady income.
Offers of payment in free products or equity in the company
“This is a more significant red flag,” says Scott. “When brands say, ‘We will only give you free products, and we expect several posts.’”
The obvious problem with only receiving free products as payment is that these items won’t be able to pay your bills long-term, no matter how nice they are.
According to
For Scott, compensation in shares from the brand is another method that creators need to be cautious about.
If you are unsure about what compensation in shares means, it is when a brand offers the creator payment in the form of restricted stock or performance shares.
This type of compensation is particularly problematic because there is a significant chance that the shares are not actually worth much and may not lead to any cash payment in the future.
“The shares that the brand gives you may be diluted significantly, and the company’s valuation might be exaggerated to the point where you probably won’t see any money in the end,” warns Scott.
The Brand Has Major Control
Cooperation with a brand is supposed to be a collaborative effort, meaning both parties work together to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.
For that to happen, the brand you choose to work with must respect the integrity of your business and not interfere with your production process.
Not only can a controlling brand significantly impact your experience, but it can also affect your content and damage your audience’s trust.
Liane explains, “We see this a lot regarding YouTube creators and influencers who have faced significant backlash from the media and the YouTube community for promoting products and using scripted lines.”
She says, “You see the same four or five people saying the same things about the same products, and it becomes clear that the scripts were written by that brand.”
She says, “For podcasts, we have to be very careful about our content.”
This is because podcasts are one of the most trusted mediums for getting information, especially among millennials. In fact, 47% of online millennials in the U.S. listen to podcasts monthly.
Furthermore, 64% of millennials in the UK believe podcasts are more credible than other media.
Liane says, “We need to be particularly cautious, as podcast creators, to ensure that the integrity is truly high.” She adds, “Therefore, it’s a red flag for me if someone wants more control or wants to participate more in my content than I feel comfortable with.”
Green Flags to Watch For
You want to work with brands that are transparent and honest about their payment methods and that will enter into a fair and equitable contract with you.
Another good sign that a brand is worth working with is if they have worked with creators in the past and have an understanding of how to collaborate with brands.
Finally, you want to work with brands that will respect you as a creator and trust your ability to convey their vision without heavily interfering with how you communicate the brand to your audience.
Over the years, I have seen many content creators feel excited about the potential of collaborating with brands or partnerships.
However, creators must know what to expect before working with companies; otherwise, there’s a significant chance they’ll end up in a deal that doesn’t yield a high return on investment.
So, do your necessary research, trust yourself as a creator, and ensure you work with brands that take your work seriously and compensate you fairly.
Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-collaborate-with-brands-as-a-content-creator
Leave a Reply