So you have crafted an amazing profile, worked towards being featured on the explore page and have posts that attract engagement. What’s next? Instagram is a gold mine and you can use your account to look for sponsors. By this, I mean that you get people to pay you to post content on your profile. Sounds like a good idea? It is applicable and there are thousands of brands out there looking for people like you. Do not be blinded by Instagram’s popularity and think that this market is flooded.
The following are simple steps on how to search for sponsors
DEFINE YOUR BRAND
What do you want to be associated with? You should have a niche that people can easily identify you with. There are many industries that can work in and you should select one that suits your skills and passion. Do not be one of those who wants to be a jungle of all trades. People should also identify you with how you package your messages. Do you use storytelling, user-generated content or even evoke emotions of your followers. Find a unique path that people can easily associate with. If you have other social profiles such as Facebook and Twitter, ensure that they have the same vibe.
ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE
You must understand the audience well for other people to trust you with posting on their behalf. You have to know simple demographics such as age, gender, buying habits, and their engagement rate. Get the basics such as the type of posts that your followers like, the time of day they engage most any time they take to respond. Such data will be beneficial for you and the sponsors as well. Potential sponsors will want to know the nature of the audience they will reach when they use your platform. Giving numbers, consumer habits and other figures will be better than saying that your posts will reach college students.
INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY POSTS
We cannot insist enough on how important it is to post content that is of high-quality. There are many dimensions when it comes to quality. Some of the things to consider are the message, the quality of the graphics and captions. No sponsor will want to be associated with a brand that sends derogatory messages. Check your spellings before you let your content go live. Ensure that you have a schedule that allows you to post consistently. You have to show your potentials your consistency in posting and engagement levels to win their hearts. No sponsor will want an association with a dormant brand and low engagement level.
TAG POTENTIAL BRANDS ON YOUR POSTS
Once you have defined your brand, analyzed your audience and invested in quality content, now it is time to create rapport with potentials. Do not be in a hurry to get the big brands in your niche. Start small and grow with time because startups have the biggest potential. For instance, if you are in the fashion industry, you can take a picture of yourself in a unique outfit. You can tag the designer in your post which is free marketing. Comment and engage on posts from your target brands. Simple comments like ‘I need one’ and ‘can I get this for my family’? can work wonders. With time, such brands will identify the potential in you as an ideal partner.
CONTACT POTENTIAL SPONSORS
If you fear rejection, then you might not get much when it comes to looking for sponsors. Come up with a list of potential brands that are in your niche. You can start with those that spend money on social media as they already know what a good outreach can do. Check out the nature of the content they post to gauge whether it can conform to your strategies. It is also wise to check the nature of content that influencers in your niche sponsor. You have to understand your worth to avoid overpricing or underpricing your services. You can look for contact information on the potential sponsors’ bio or even send them a DM. Ensure that you highlight how the sponsor is likely to benefit from the partnership.