Here are three important things every creator should know about brand deals.

1. Setting your own rates will set you up for success.

Imagine you were selling a car. You’ve never sold a car before, but you want to make some money. Would you be more likely to set an asking price or ask potential buyers to make an offer? Most people would make the smarter decision to set the car’s price themselves. You can easily find out how much the car is worth by looking at similar listings in your area.

Setting your own rates for sponsored content works in a very similar way to establishing an asking price for a car. Your time and effort have intrinsic value, so you shouldn’t put yourself in the position to take less than what you’re worth.

How much you should charge for sponsored content depends on the size of your audience. 

2. No deal at all is better than a bad deal.

Going back to the example about the car, imagine you found a buyer, but they wanted you to pay for it to be towed to their house. Maybe they said they’d only buy the car if you also paid for repairs and took it to the shop yourself. Then they might ask to keep the car under your insurance as well. If you did everything they asked just so they’d buy the car, your profit margin would quickly shrink, and you’d be liable for way more than you should be.

At that rate, it would be better to pull out of the deal and find another buyer for your car. Similarly, not having a brand deal is better than having one that puts you at a disadvantage. If the company you’re working with tries to short-change you or take away too much creative control, you might have to walk away. The luster of a brand deal isn’t worth risking things like your viewers’ loyalty or your own creative integrity.

3. You can reach out to brands with your own proposals.

Returning to the car example one last time, maybe you heard from a friend that her sister is looking to buy a car. You might ask your friend for her sister’s contact details so you can send her information about the car you’re selling. You’d send her the make and model of the car, its accident history, and your asking price.

Likewise, you can reach out to potential sponsors with proposals for brand deals. Draft up a synopsis of your video idea and a simple contract outline. Include rates as well as how your audience matches up with that brand’s target demographic.

In order to land the best brand deals, you need to be prepared as well as proactive. Do your research and negotiate to make sure you’re treated fairly.

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Landing your first sponsorship is exciting for any content creator. However, you shouldn’t go into any brand deal naively, especially when there’s money involved. There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you’re creating sponsored content.

Here are the basics every creator needs to know about getting a sponsorship

There are two ways to get a brand deal — accepting offers or sending pitches.

The first and most common way to acquire a brand deal is to wait for sponsors to send you offers. To let brands know you’re open to creating sponsored content, make your business email address easily accessible. You can put it in your Instagram bio and your video descriptions. If you have a personal website, add a contact form that redirects messages to your inbox.

Alternatively, you can reach out to companies you’d like to work with yourself. Research what kind of influencer marketing the brand has done before to see if you’d be a good fit. Then, draft a pitch email with your reasons for reaching out, what you envision the brand deal would look like, and what rate you’d charge. If you have a contact at that company, send your email to them. Otherwise, find out who works on their marketing or PR team and message them.

Never take a deal without a contract.

Basically, a contract exists to protect both parties involved in a sponsorship. It should outline all of the important details. On the brand’s side, it should cover their precise expectations and deadlines. On your side, it should cover your responsibilities and compensation.

Make sure your contract is specific on both sides. For example, if the sponsor wants to see a final draft of your video before it goes live, your contract should state how many revisions they’re allowed to request. You should also include plans for promoting the video and what rights the brand has to use your content in their own marketing campaigns.

Set your rates and know your value.

As an influencer, you’ll probably encounter potential sponsors who want to compensate you with free/discounted products or “exposure” instead of money. You should be careful to avoid this kind of sponsorship because these companies aren’t compensating creators fairly. If you’re interested in working with the brand, you can reply with your own rates for sponsored content.

Your rates will vary based on your subscriber count as well as your audience engagement level. For example, if you have ten thousand subscribers but your sponsored video generates a thousand sales, you can use that data as leverage to increase your rates the next time around. Additionally, your rates should vary based on the kind of content the brand wants you to create. A ten-minute sponsored video should cost more than a sponsored Instagram story post.

After you’ve agreed on a rate and signed the contract, it’s vital that you keep up your end of the bargain. If a question or issue arises, address it with your sponsor instead of ghosting them. Always be professional; you never know what opportunities one brand deal could open up.

The post How to get brand deals – The basics of Getting Sponsorship first appeared on YTBUYVIEWS.COM.