Wondering how to pitch a brand collaboration proposal with confidence?

If so, then you're in luck, as that is exactly what we'll be covering in this episode of The Profitable Travel Blogger Podcast.

Specifically, you'll learn:

• The biggest mistake to avoid when sending a brand proposal
• How to collaborate with brands on Instagram, your blog, and even offline
• The most important part of your pre-pitch homework when it comes to blogger brand collaborations
• How to pitch a brand collaboration proposal in a way that gets a positive response
• A powerful brand pitch email template
• And more!

How To Pitch A Brand Collaboration Proposal With Confidence - Podcast Episode Audio

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To help you start getting paid to travel, I'm sharing my free How To Successfully Pitch Brands As A Blogger Workbook.

Along with helping you flesh out a strategy for working with brands, the workbook also includes some of my best pitch templates.

This workbook featured plug-and-play pitch templates to make sending partnership proposals easier.

Along with the templates, there are workbook questions to help you gain clarity and confidence when it comes to sending your pitches.

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How To Make Money Working With Brands [Video]

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How To Pitch A Brand Collaboration Proposal With Confidence - Episode 20 Transcript

I want to jump right into this episode on how to collaborate with brands on Instagram, your blog, and beyond by talking about confidence.

I talk to many bloggers in my community who want to know exactly what to say when pitching a brand — or even another creator — to work together. And while I do offer a working with brands workbook that includes free pitch templates, the truth is those are really just to inspire you and guide you; to offer you a base to work with and make your own.

Because here is the thing:

Many bloggers view pitching as this big scary audition, but really it’s a conversation.

Think about a time you were at a meetup, happy hour, or conference — and, by the way, blogger conferences are great for meeting brands.

Anyway, maybe you started chatting with someone you got along great with. Maybe they mentioned that they have a podcast where they interview solo female travelers, and you told them that you have a solo female travel blog. Thus, the perfect collaboration was born.

I find it helpful to think of your brand pitch as the same thing. You want to reach out to brands and collaborators who you think you could have a conversation like that with because your missions, audiences, and values align.

And by the way:

Once this alignment becomes clear to you it’ll be much easier to send a pitch email because the synergy will be clear to you. If it’s clear to you, it’ll be easier to confidently express that clarity to a potential partner.

In my opinion, if you’re in a place where you believe you’ll fail even before you’ve hit send on your pitch proposal, I would suggest working on your mindset first.

Actually, there is a past episode on How To Improve Your Mindset For Success In 3 Steps that would be a great starting point.

Now before I go any further I want to direct your attention to the show notes where I’ve linked my How To Successfully Pitch Brands As A Blogger Workbook. This workbook features a brand pitch example and plug-and-play pitch templates to make sending partnership proposals easier.

[socialpug_tweet tweet="Not sure what to say when #PitchingBrands? This episode of #TPTBPodcast includes a free workbook with pitch template that can help! " display_tweet="Not sure what to say when #PitchingBrands? This episode of #TPTBPodcast includes a free workbook with pitch template that can help! "]

Bonus:

Along with the templates, there are workbook questions to help you gain clarity and confidence when it comes to sending your pitches.

Feel free to pause this episode to go grab that.

You back?

Okay, let’s dive into the strategy.

Wondering how to pitch a brand collaboration proposal, or think it's confusing? Remember that you pitch every day!

For instance, maybe you pitched your partner to order dinner from your favorite takeout place.

Or maybe you pitched a friend to go see a show you were excited about.

In instances like these, you’re probably not nervous because you believe in your idea. You want to transfer that confidence now to pitching brands and potential collaborators.

But first, you need clarity on why the brand blogger collaboration works.

I think the easiest way to do that is by getting clear on why the partnership would be beneficial to both parties.

If you’re sending a pitch and it’s only clear how you’d benefit, then you should really consider whether the collaboration you wanted to pursue is one you should be pitching.

Avoiding a big mistake when pitching brands

Moving along, I want to talk for a moment about the most common pitching mistake I see.

As a blogger, I see many pitches written by students in online travel blogging courses.

Additionally, on the brand side of things, I own a tour company called NYC Photo Journeys, and I receive pitches from bloggers and influencers regularly.

[socialpug_tweet tweet="Are you making this big mistake when #PitchingBrands? Listen to this episode of #TPTBPodcast to find out!" display_tweet="Are you making this big mistake when #PitchingBrands? Listen to this episode of #TPTBPodcast to find out!"]

The biggest mistake I see is bloggers and influencers writing pitches that are all about them.

Not sure if you fit into this category?

Pause this episode and go grab the last pitch email you sent.

Note how many times you say words like “me” and “I” vs the word “you”. This is important because when you write a pitch email you really want to come from a place of service and genuinely wanting to support their mission.

To help make this idea easier, I want to now share a brand pitch email template with you that I think makes for a nice flow.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #1: The Introduction

Share who you are and let the brand know you’re a fan.

Be genuine here, too.

While there is nothing wrong with simply saying “I love your work,” consider how much more impactful it would be to share a more specific compliment.

For instance, you might tell them that you were moved by their recent Facebook Live because it covered a topic you feel passionately about.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #2: Share Your Blog's Mission

Here you’ll let them know who you help and how, while really trying to make the alignment clear.

[socialpug_tweet tweet="This episode of #TPTBPodcast shares a helpful 5-part template for #PitchingBrands! " display_tweet="This episode of #TPTBPodcast shares a helpful 5-part template for #PitchingBrands! "]

If the brand’s target market is young unmarried men, and your blog aims to help moms, well, this partnership may not make sense, at least not if the collaboration is focused on you promoting them on your channels.

However, if you target wellness travelers and so do they, this will be a good place to make that clear.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #3: Note What Sets You Apart

If someone asked you what your specialty was, what would you say?

Is it your unique approach to writing?

Your outlook?

Maybe it’s a specific style of video or photography creation?

Possibly you cover a very specific topic?

Really think about this because including the answer can help set your brand pitch email apart from others.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #4: Share An Impressive Stat Or Piece Of Content

Once the alignment is clear and your potential collaborator understands what your forte is, give them an idea of what they can expect.

For instance:

If you’re pitching them to create a YouTube video on travel wellness, you might link a travel wellness video you created in the past that did really well.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #5: Inquire How You Can Be Of Service

Instead of telling them what you’ll offer — for instance, three Instagram posts in exchange for $1200 — ask them how you can be of service.

Or, if you have an idea, share it and ask if you would be helpful.

[socialpug_tweet tweet="Part 5 of this #BrandPitch template is something many bloggers don't include, but it can really transform your proposal! #TPTBPodcast" display_tweet="Part 5 of this #BrandPitch template is something many bloggers don't include, but it can really transform your proposal! #TPTBPodcast"]

The goal here:

To start a collaborative discussion where you’re truly meeting their needs in a way that is also on-brand for you.

Brand Pitch Emilate Template Section #6: Proofread For Humanity

You want to end this entire thing by proofreading your pitch so that it feels like a human wrote it, not a robot.

Be conversational and genuine.

You might even read it aloud to see if it sounds natural.

Alright, now I hope you found this episode helpful.

If you want to dive deeper into what a powerful pitch might look like, make sure to grab my free How To Successfully Pitch Brands As A Blogger Workbook, which shares some of my most successful pitches in a plug-and-play format so you can enter your own info, re-read it to make adjustments, and send with confidence.

Finally, make sure you subscribe so you get notified when future episodes publish.

Happy blogging!

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