8 things that Help You Approach Brands that Will Further Your End Game

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The new era of money-making is here, and we are currently living in it. YouTubers can make millions a year by creating unique videos of filling houses to the brim with orbeez. A vegan narcissist with a knack for bullying young minecraft gurus (also making millions a year) vlogs all the negative and highly inflammatory content she produces just to shock and horrify viewers. You bet she’s rich. 

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Then you have influencers galore on Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, or bloggers/vloggers who curate, curate, curate. Pictures, words, their bodies, full lips, crisp and fresh hair color, expertly calibrated sentences, and all to get you to believe the product they promote will reshape you into the person you’ve always dreamed of being, which is of course just like them. For years we’ve seen that “curated” equals success on these social media platforms but I’m here to tell you all good things do eventually come to an end, just like the Kardashians’ butt fetish. 

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We had the opportunity to watch 20 seasons of the Kardashians and their bodies, leading to perfecting their brands and becoming billionaires. That’s the dream right? Now we are getting to see them take out their implants and sport a more natural look. Where does this leave us? Wasn’t the formula got noticed, i.e. curateinto a better version of self? This ultimately provides the brand approach of pushing a promotion of branded products and boosts company growth to increase overall sales and net revenue for that business. With the Kardashians taking out their implants, the formula is off. And yes, they do make the rules. Maybe molding into perfection is not the trend anymore. But pay close attention, just because the formula has shifted, doesn’t mean you can’t become the influencer you’ve always dreamed of. 

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The key is in the relationship between the brands you promote and your public imageas a real, human influencer. Approaching the right brands to further your end game is one of the most important pieces, even beyond fronting that image of perfection online. Isn’t that nice? Vling helps influencersconnect with valuable brands that will meet your online voice and branding. You can continue to grow your social media following, and maybe, just maybe, even relax a bit while you do it. So, let’s get started. Here are 8 things that will help you approach the brands you love and further your end game: 

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​This may sound like a no-brainer, but in fact it requires research. You need to look beyond what you like in your small bubble and see what the heavy hitters are doing. For example, if the trends are shifting towards a fat-friendly and body diverse vibe, it will be important to not let that affect your attitude, tone and what you project to companies. As you choose brands to work with, make sure they’re on board with the progressions you align with. 

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I’m not joking. This one is a game changer. For example, The Girl Behind the Hustle has grown her social media account from grass roots to making connections with some of the most influential people of all time (Oprah. I’m saying THE Oprah). She’s now offering her services to coach others on how to become successful in this field. You can book a 1 hour Goalfriend session with her and learn all things social media. Get ready to have your mind blown. You want brands to accept your offers when you reach out? Learn from the best first. @girlbehindthehustle. 

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Here’s where all those years of perfectionist thinking really comes in handy. A media kit is a neat little package about you that you provide the brands you want to work with after you have made the initial connection. It’s a collection of information that, at a glance, tells these brands exactly who you are and who your target audience is. When working with Vling, an influencer will also have access to valuable data and insights they can use to boost their current clientele and really emphasize or showcase new brands that an influencer works with. Forever grow, and forever in the proper direction!

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 It’s easy to keep track of the goal and lose sight of yourself. Remember what it takes to create balance between you as a human and your goals as a social media influencer. Be swept up of course! But just know when you’re doing it and how it’s affecting you. 

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You could do this part on your own, or for a small fee you can pay experts who have already put everyone you need into one area. You see them, they see you. Vuala! You’re suddenly connected with a brand you love just for showing up.

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I know, email sometimes seems like the ancient dinosaur that somehow didn’t go extinct in the asteroid collision. But it has its benefits. Community building is vital to growing social media. Letters are one of the fastest ways to the heart, especially when they are thoughtfully written out vs made by a robot. They curate not perfection but trust. How does this relate to getting the brands you love to work with you? Well brands whether we like it or not, will pick the influencers who are influencing the most people with the most loyal following. Emails help you grow and maintain your personal numbers which in turn affects the likelihood of creating a connection with a brand.

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This is the scary part. Let’s say you are still a micro-influencer and the brands you love haven’t seen you yet even though you tag them and @ them in your reels and posts. It’s important to make that initial connection and one of the most genuine ways is to send an email and a follow-up DM. The key here is to not over sell your image (remember? We are grafting away from perfectionism) but to display knowledge and love for what they do and sell. Trust yourself. You are worthy. When you get stuck, it’s alwaysgrand to have a business like Vlingwho can support your efforts and connect you with valuable brands to add to your client list. Never forget that you aren’t in this alone and an influencer is only as good as their supportive tools to move forward with and grow prosperously! 

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You know the drill. Define and re-define your brand when appropriate, post regularly, stick to the topics your good at, write your skill set in your bio, post more videos than pictures, research your target audience, use specific hashtags vs. vague hashtags and don’t go overboard with the amount you use, include how you can be reached in your bio, etc. All of this makes connecting with a target brand easier and you never know, pretty soon they’ll be coming to you. 

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In the end if you’re still not sure where to start, it’s a great idea to lay out a brand guide for yourself to see a high viewpoint of what you want your brand to be and the top things you can bring to the table for the brands you work with. Check out the examples below, and always know that you can reach out to Vlingfor help guiding your personal brand and to know what will book you for paid work with companies! 

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