3. Build Relationships Through Email

Influencer platforms are not the only way to get paid on Instagram by a brand. When I first started paying more attention to my Instagram game, getting paid wasn’t really a priority for me: I wanted to get invited to all the events and be one of the cool kids!

As you start building a larger following online, brands and PR will find their way to you naturally. BUT, if you are still a small player, you might want to get in touch with them yourself first.

I started to network more “seriously” last summer about a month before London Fashion Week. Prior to this, I hadn’t really received any emails, nor had I attended any blogger events.

At this point I had around 19k followers and thought it would be a good idea to reach out to brands myself.

I went through quite a few bigger bloggers’ Instagram accounts and looked at who they were following. I typed ‘PR’ into the search bar and just wrote down the name of every single PR company that there was.

I then drafted a generic email asking if they had any clients that would like to work with me along with my media kit that includes relevant statistics.

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Quite a few reached back and ta-da, a relationship was formed! You can use this emailing technique to reach out to brands directly too, if there is someone in particular who you would want to work with.

If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. (*End cheesy quote*)

If you are thinking of using this technique bear in mind that you most probably won’t get paid on Instagram for any opportunities that you get.

I would still encourage everyone to start reaching out to brands and PR if you’re just starting out with sponsorships, because this way they will get to know your work and you start building a reputation.