Partnering With Brands?

Over the past couple of months you may have noticed I have been doing more partnering with brands on Instagram and Twitter posts, giveaways, and YouTube videos. I've had some questions regarding it and I would really love to share it with all of you. So sit right down, get your drinks and popcorn, and enjoy this read if you too are interested.

How did you start getting brand deals, sponsorships, and partnerships with all of these different brands?

This is really how it started for me... The honest to GAWD truth....
A couple of years ago I noticed an influx of people getting PR packages from brands that I liked and purchased from. I saw how brands were using their money to get these people to share their brand kind of like advertisements... And, a light bulb kind of went off in my head. We are all the same, we all have the same abilities to be one of these "reviewers" and I thought it would be a fun challenge to try to become one of those lucky people. 
I started with my trusty friend, Google and asked it a few questions like "How to get PR packages" , "How to become a reviewer", and "What's a brand rep/influencer". Again, this was a few years ago so terms like Influencer were not being used as heavily. Google gave me a good understanding of the job and led me to this one little app that started it all for me, Influenster. (If you are on a computer looking at this blog post then you will see a little grey and mint green Influenster badge on the right hand side of your screen-give it a click and sign up!) Influenster was a hub for people who loved leaving reviews. So, I gave it an honest try. I connected all of my social media and then I left no less than 30 reviews on my first day of using the app. Shortly after signing up, I got an email saying I was in the running to receive my first "VoxBox". "WTF is a VoxBox?!" I thought and immediately hit up that trusty friend, Google. I quickly realized this was the Influenster equivalent to a PR package and the disbelief rushed over me. I had done it, I was becoming a "reviewer"! 

SIGN UP FOR INFLUENSTER!

Well, what happened next?

Next I received my first VoxBox. It was for the YSL The Shock Mascara that had just been released. I was so shocked, SHOOKITH to be exact. I headed over to Influenster, checked in my package, and checked out the tasks I had to complete for an Influenster badge. Typically, Influenster requires things like "Follow the brand", Review the product on Influenster, Post an honest review of the product and disclaim that you got it complimentary from us.... Pretty simple stuff. So, again, it became another game for me. I starting getting packages almost every month from Influenster, it was a great feeling and I was doing what I loved to do in my free time. After a while I headed over to my good ole friend, Google and searched "Apps or Websites like Influenster". At this point, the term Influencer was becoming a bigger thing so more results naturally pulled up in my search. I found Heartbeat and Maverick. Heartbeat has yet to be a successful tool in my journey, but Maverick connected me with Pur Cosmetics, an Atlanta makeup brand that was known for their great products. I was down! Pur sent over three of their glitter eyeshadows for me to review in a YouTube video. At this point, I had a YouTube account and had started doing reviews BUT I wasn't even close to where I am now. I was a little awkward but I gave my honest review and people seemed to like it. But, after that.... Things kind of slowed down... i wasn't getting as many opportunities as I was before, just the occasional VoxBox from Influenster and that was it....
Then a sunglass company contacted me over IG direct messages. They found my Instagram account because I had been consistently been posting and using hashtags. They proposed giving me a discount code for my followers and sending me a couple of free shades of their choosing. I agreed and that's where I started to feel good again. I felt like my work was being noticed. After a week, I received the free sunglasses. THEY WERE SO CUTE. Sunglassup really looked at my feed and found shades that would not only look good on me but, they fit my quirky style. I styled some outfits, took some cute photos, and started promoting that discount code!
Shortly after that I was sent a link to sign up to become a Pura Vida bracelet ambassador. I signed up for the ambassadorship because it seemed cool and the bracelets were cute and almost immediately got accepted. I started promoting my link via them and started not only receiving products to review but started receiving commission off of sales with my discount code, the gig was pretty sweet.
So I started looking for more paid opportunities. I was enjoying this but, some extra coin would be nice. That's when I stumbled upon Ambassadher. Ambassadher is a female driven influencer hub that connects brands and reviewers directly. Also, they pay people to post. Honestly, I've never had a bad experience as far as Ambassadher, they pick great brands for individuals to work with.
From that point, I just started checking my emails and DM's realizing I was getting these opportunities without reaching out. People were valuing my reviews and opinions.I started receiving PR without trying. These brands liked me because I was consistent and posting nice photos along with it, 
That's how this happened. It was no accident, it didn't happen on a whim. I believed in myself, went out, and did/still am doing it.

Have you ever had a bad experience with a brand you were working with?

Yes, early on many brands would contact me with discount codes and things like that and sometimes I would jump on it without thinking. Take it from someone who has been through it, usual these brands are not honest, most of the time they either take your money and don't send you the product or they actually give that coupon out to everyone. Usually brands that are legit will send you the products because they want your review,  so often times they will allocate funds to be able to send products out for free to a select group of influencers. 

What's the biggest brand you've ever worked with?

Over the years I have worked with various calibers of brands. I've worked with brands like YSL, Covergirl, Not Your Mothers Brands, Elizabeth Mott,and  Pixi Beauty to name a couple.

Do you have a favorite brand that you partner with or work with?

Yes, out of all of the brands I work with I really enjoy being a part of the Elizabeth Mott team. They have always been so welcoming and sweet to me and their products have always been great to me. They have reached out to me to comfort me when I was dealing with a death in the family, they have consistently shown me love on social media, and they always send me brand proposals which is great. Through talking with the Elizabeth Mott team, I have had commission opportunities to make more money which I love. (USE CODE MEGZYTTHEOG25OFF FOR $$$ OFF YOUR ORDER AND TO PUT $$$ BACK IN MY POCKET) I never have a problem with them as a brand or their products!!!

Any last words you long winded woman?!

• Manage your time wisely.
• If this is a goal of yours, you can do it. 
• It's okay to be declined from an opportunity! I've been declined from my fair shares of opportunities but, if you want to do it, you can do it.
• Be consistent, be consistent, be consistent! Brands don't want to work with people who don't post for weeks at a time. Honestly some brands don't like working with those who don't post for a couple days at a time. So consistency is really a BIG key with this "job".
• Be kind to yourself. People will always doubt you until you show them otherwise. (Unfortunately)
• Do it at your own pace. Don't overwhelm yourself with the opportunity of opportunities. 
• Tag brands and use hashtags. Most brands have specific hastags that they like their promoters to use. (EX. Elizabeth Mott likes promoting #ElizabethMottandMe)

I know this was a long one BUT thank you for reading. I hope this helped you with your journey. Have a great day!