How To Get Sponsored By Brands [2024] How To Get Brand Deals • Touchdown Money

We’re reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I signed multiple $100,000+ brand deals for an influencer I worked for.

Yup, I cold messaged brands, set up my sales presentations, and brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for this influencer.

Nope, he didn’t have millions of followers. Had about 100,000 YouTube subscribers and a good website.

I’ll reveal my insider tips for how to get sponsored by brands.

Don’t miss out on new ways to monetize your audience. Get my free email newsletter:

This article is about how to get brand deals yourself. But if you’re interested in me doing the work for you, email me: [email protected]. Not saying I’ll take you on, but I’ll listen.

Table of Contents

How To Get Sponsored By Brands

There are 2 billion people on Instagram ¹, and 33% of American adults use TikTok ². And even my 72-year-old mom uses YouTube. The point is, brands need you to reach consumers.

Here’s how to get brand deals in 5 steps.

1 – Be an Expert on a Subject or Be Hugely Insanely Popular

Most of you reading this don’t and won’t get to 10 million followers. And that’s OK!

The key is to be a trusted expert in your subject.

The more specific your subject, the better. You can always add more topics later.

I’ve helped make millions of dollars for experts in the subjects of travel credit cards, side hustles, and more.

Extra Point: You will make A LOT more money if your expertise matches up with brands who are willing to pay a lot to be introduced to your audience. That means the areas of financial advice, health, beauty, dating, business, and technology will likely pay you more than, say, sports, couponing, and video gaming. However, there ARE exceptions, especially if you have like 10 million followers.

If you have 10 million followers, you can make lots of sponsorship money doing mass appeal entertainment like comedy or lifestyle influencing or showing videos of cute wombats scratching their fuzzy butts on trees.

This isn’t an article about how to get popular on social media or YouTube, so I’ll keep this part brief:

Consider your:

Niche. Are you all about skateboarding? Skincare? Traveling with a pug who skateboards? It’s best to choose something relatively narrow. That way, you can appeal to a specific audience and set yourself apart from the gazillion other people who want to be influencers.
Tone. Are you a jokester, always out for a laugh? Or are you a sober thought leader, helping people better themselves?
Aesthetics. Think of any famous brand, and a color or logo will probably come to mind. You should try to give your own social accounts a similar sense of visual branding.
Story. Don’t pretend you’ve dropped into Instagram straight from outer space. You have a personal story – and telling it will help you connect with audience members and brands.

And most importantly, ask yourself, would a brand TRUST you to promote them?

If you’re bad-mouthing companies, cursing a lot, or being highly controversial, this makes it tougher for a marketing person to tell their boss, “Yeah, this lunatic on YouTube who hails Satan and spits on baby turtles would make a great spokesperson for our car insurance.”

Yes, there are exceptions to this rule and every rule. But you’d better be irreplaceable if you want to do it that way.

2 – Make It EASY For Brands to Contact You

If your name is Taylor Swift or Lionel Messi, brands will work really hard to get in touch. But if you’re Joe Blow – aspiring influencer in the male hair-styling niche – then you can’t make companies jump through hoops just to reach you!

Luckily, making yourself accessible to brands is pretty simple. Follow my advice:

Put your damn email address at the top! Display your contact info on your social channels. You can use a different email address for partnership inquiries if you’re afraid of spam. Tell brands you’re interested in and open to deals.

Extra Point: If you’re really serious, create a Media Kit or Advertising PDF. Basically, this is where you list your credentials, your audience stats, and anything else that shows how you can help brands reach new customers through you. This is one of the first steps I take when helping content creators and influencers make money online.

3 – Research Potential Brands For Sponsorships

There’s an easy answer to the question of how to get sponsored by brands: Reach out to brands and give them the opportunity to reach your audience.

Extra Point: It’s a vibe. You’re not taking. You’re giving. Brands NEED more customers. Can you persuade your audience to try their brand? Then you’re giving. They need you. They already have an ad budget to spend. It’ll be with you or with someone else.

Find companies that align with your audience.

Here are characteristics to look for in brands:

Works with other influencers in your niche. See who your competitors are already representing, and then reach out to the brands. These brands are proven to believe in this method of advertising.
Active on social media. The more a brand leans into social media marketing, the greater the chance that they’ll offer brand deals for influencers. It also shows they have a budget (a.k.a. money) to spend in the space (cha-ching!).
Size. Some massive companies will work with new, low-profile influencers – so don’t ignore the big cats. But don’t overlook smaller brands, either. Getting sponsored by an up-and-coming company is a great way to get your foot in the influencer door.

Personally, I emailed people at companies with job titles like Director of Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Head of Growth, PR Director, etc.

Some brands list their employees on their Meet Our Team page or Contact Us page on their website. LinkedIn is also a terrific resource for finding people in these positions.

If you contact people on LinkedIn, be sure your LinkedIn is set up professionally. This puts you ahead of most influencers who might not be using LinkedIn seriously.

Aw yeah, now we’re separating those of you thinking of this as hobbies to make money versus making a real business that can pay all your bills and elevate your lifestyle with enough money to donate to charitable causes like after-school boxing for kangaroos.

Extra Point: It was easier to partner with companies / brands who were already familiar with us.

So you want to get famous within your industry. How? Comment and reply to their social media posts. Make thought leadership content about your industry. Get quoted and interviewed by news sites that cover your niche.

I’ve been quoted over 100 times in media like Forbes, Inc., US News, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, Nasdaq, Newsweek, and more.

Influencers for whom I’ve brought in sponsorships would react to news in their niche. When there was a new development in their field, reporters wanted their opinion.

Brands see this. They see you influencing popular opinion. They think, “How can this person now influence opinions about our products?”

Another method I used was to first be an affiliate. Once we sold a lot of products for a company through our link, believe me, they noticed. So when you want to talk about guaranteed upfront money – they’ll listen.

4 – Pitch Brands

When someone asks how to get brand deals, I like to remind them that you have to be proactive. Making a list of dream brands is just the start. You also have to reach out and contact them.

Or you can hire someone to do this. But it needs to be done.

Ways to pitch brands:

Email. This is the more formal option, and it allows you to put all your cards on the table in a detailed message. Just make sure you’re emailing the right person at the company.
DMs (direct messaging through a social media profile). DMing might be weird for a normal job, but it’s completely appropriate in the influencer space. Keep in mind that your message could get lost among a million other messages. That’s why this is a better strategy when contacting smaller brands.
LinkedIn. You’re trying to partner with a corporation. Meet them in their arena and message those employees in marketing who are at least at the level of director or VP.

So, what should you say in your pitch to a brand? Every pitch should include:

Who you are
What you post (your niche)
What makes you an expert
Your audience statistics – including data such as follower counts and average engagement rate
Why you’re a good match for the brand – including how this potential partnership would benefit their business (this could be things like you could get them in front of a new audience, you already use and love their product/services, etc.)

Keep it short. Get to the point. The person you are emailing is at work. They don’t have time to read your life’s story.

The idea is: you’re trying to help them do their job.

The VP of Marketing has a job to do. They have to get more leads for their sales team or reach more potential customers. Show them that partnering with you is a new way to accomplish this goal.

You can copy and paste most of your pitch, but not that last part about why you and the specific brand were made for each other. Make sure you include brand-specific details in your argument, such as, “You sell a lot of X, which is great for my audience because XYZ.”

To really show that you’re serious, you could also create a portfolio that showcases your work.

This could include previous content you’ve created for partnerships.

Or, if you’re new in the space, you could come up with mock-ups to give them an idea of what you’re capable of.

Either way, this is your chance to show off your work! And make sure to include your portfolio in all of your pitches.

5 – The Fortune is in the Follow Up

My rule is if you don’t follow up at least 2 or 3 times, you didn’t really contact the person at all.

Sure, if they say “Not Interested,” then move on. But if they don’t reply, follow up once a week until they say No or Yes to learning more.

I once earned a $75,000 sponsorship package after following up 3 times. Turns out the person was on vacation but didn’t have an out-of-office (OOO) message. They thanked me for following up.

There are places in life where persistence is frowned upon (“Are you sure you won’t go to prom with me?”), but in business, ya gotta be a bulldog.

Are bulldogs persistent? I dunno, but they’ve got courage and cuddles.

When a brand ignores or rejects you, it isn’t a permanent “no.” It’s often just a “not now.”

A lot could change over time. For example:

The brand could decide to create a larger budget for influencer marketing.
Your audience could shift to align more closely with the brand’s targeted customers.
The brand’s strategies could shift.
Your audience could grow – making you suddenly a hot commodity.

A month or so after a rejection, try reaching out to the brand again. Don’t pester them. Give them NEW information about what’s NEW with your audience.

Example: I have started a YouTube channel and my videos get millions of views.

How To Get Brand Deals on Instagram

Instagram (IG) is the epicenter of the influencer economy, and it’s an excellent place to make money with your personal brand.

Here’s how to get sponsored by brands on Instagram:

Join Instagram’s Creator Marketplace.
Build a Creator Portfolio that brands will be able to access.
Watch your Partnership Messaging inbox for messages from brands.
Browse through the available projects on the Instagram Creator Marketplace and tap “I’m Interested” when you find one you like.

But even if you follow those steps perfectly, you might not get the deals you’re hoping for. Remember, the influencer economy is competitive, especially on IG.

To give yourself a leg up, follow these tips:

Pitch brands directly through DMs (while also sending them emails). Instagram has a built-in feature for messaging other users, including brands. Take advantage of it!
Diversify your posts. When brands look at your feed, they should see a wide variety of content – not a million versions of the same selfie.
Stick to a single preset. In the Instagram world, a preset refers to a fixed group of photo editing settings. Keep those settings consistent, and you’ll subtly create a brand-specific “look” on your Instagram profile.
Play the hashtag game. Think of what hashtags brands are likely to be watching, and then use them as much as you can. This is how to get brand deals without having to send any pitches.

Instagram is an awesome social media platform for building an audience and getting sponsored by brands.

How To Get Brand Deals on TikTok

Getting brand deals on TikTok involves the same basic process as getting deals on any other platform. You need to create killer content, attract an audience, and then pitch your profile to brands.

But TikTok also offers influencers a few special programs, including:

The TikTok Creator Marketplace. Brands use this program to connect with popular influencers.
TikTok Shop Creators. You can partner with brands that sell products directly through TikTok’s online shop. And as an affiliate, you’ll earn a percentage of the sales that come from your videos.

So, if you’re wondering how to get sponsored by brands on TikTok, don’t overthink it. Record incredible videos and then try to become a “Shop Creator” or an affiliate!

TikTok has special programs to help creators get sponsorship deals from brands.

How To Get Brand Deals on YouTube

Getting brand deals on YouTube requires more than incredible content (although that’s important, too – your standard cat video won’t cut it anymore!)

What you really need is a smart, YouTube-specific strategy.

Check out my breakdown of how to get sponsored by brands as a YouTuber:

Start with product reviews. Reach out to companies and see if they’ll send you free products so you can record reviews. This isn’t exactly lucrative (all you’ll get is free stuff), but it’s a great way to build a relationship with brands and attract a following.

Get affiliate sponsorships. Ask brands to let you become an affiliate. If they say yes, you’ll get affiliate links that you can post with your videos. When people click those links and buy something, you’ll get a share of the profit.

Aim for exclusive brand deals. This is the holy grail of YouTube sponsorship – where companies pay you a flat fee to promote their products on your channel.

You can get sponsored on YouTube through product reviews, affiliate programs, and exclusive deals.

YouTube is one of my favorite ways how to make money online for beginners.

YouTube is also an especially good way for how to make money as an attractive female or how to make money as an attractive male. Really ugly people can be successful, too, but they’ll probably need like a good personality or something.

Commonly Asked Questions About How To Get Sponsored By Brands

How To Get Brand Deals as an Influencer / Influencer Sponsorships

Here’s how to get sponsored by brands as an influencer:

Define your personal brand (by choosing a niche and building your audience).
Include your contact information (email and website) in all your social profiles so that you’re 100% accessible.
Research brands and make a list of potential sponsors.
Pitch brands through email and/or DMs.
Send a follow-up message to the brands that don’t respond.

I’ve helped a podcaster get brand deals. One way I did it was to give them commercials read by the host, PLUS they got to send one of their important employees on the podcast to be a guest.

Here’s my article about selecting excellent podcast hosting.

How To Get Brand Deals as a Small Influencer

You can get brand deals as a smaller influencer – but you might have to work harder at it. Start by making sure you have a clearly defined personal brand. Your audience might be small, but it should be dedicated and centered around an obvious niche.

And as a smaller influencer, you can’t wait for brands to come to you. Create a stunning portfolio to showcase your work, and then pitch brands directly by messaging them.

Another smart place for small influencers to start is with referral bonus apps. Recommend these apps to your audience to earn 20 dollars per referral or more.

How Do I Find Brands To Sponsor Me?

To find brands that could sponsor you, start by looking at the pages of fellow influencers in your niche. Check out who’s sponsoring them, and then send the companies a message to see if they’ll sponsor you, too.

One way I’ve done to get brand sponsorships is to start by being an affiliate.

So first, the brand only pays you when someone clicks your link and buys their products. But over time, they’ll see that you make them money. So, they’re more likely to trust you with a flat-fee sponsorship where they pay you upfront.

Check out my affiliate program reviews:

How Many Followers Do You Need To Get a Sponsor?

There’s no set number of followers you need to get a sponsor as an influencer. That said, sponsorship is pretty unlikely if you have less than 1,000 followers. Usually, the more followers – the better.

If you don’t have many followers, but those followers are willing and able to buy expensive products, that’s also a good way how to get brand deals.

How Do You Reach Out To Brands To Sponsor You?

1 – Find brands that already sponsor content creators who are similar to you

2 – On their website or LinkedIn, look up employees with job titles such as Director of Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Head of Growth, PR Director, etc.

3 – Message those people, telling them how many people you reach and how you can help them sell their products.

Being an influencer is a great business to start with 10k and a proven way how to turn 10k into 100k.

How To Get Companies To Sponsor You?

Companies sponsor content creators / influencers who will help them sell their products.

Can you do that? Then contact those companies!

1 – Look for brands who already sponsor content creators who are similar to you

2 – On the company’s website or LinkedIn, look up employees with job titles such as Director of Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Head of Growth, PR Director, etc.

3 – Message those people, telling them how many people you reach and how you can help them sell their products.

Being a content creator is one of the best low-cost business ideas with high profit and one of the most profitable online businesses.

It’s also one of the best business ideas for women.

How to Get Sponsored By Brands Online?

1 – See which brands already sponsor creators who are similar to you

2 – Go to the brand’s website and LinkedIn. Find employees with job titles such as Director of Marketing, Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, and Head of Growth.

3 – Message those employees, telling them how many people you reach and how you can help sell their products.

Brand sponsorships are a legit way:

Related:

Sources:

1 – https://www.electronicshub.org/instagram-statistics/

2 – https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/03/6-facts-about-americans-and-tiktok/