Getting Paid For Blog Collaborations


I've seen so many of you asking questions about how to get brand collaborations/partnerships and figured I would share my wisdom with you. I've worked with several dozen brands at this point and will clue you in on some tips & tricks for landing your dream brand deal.

How do I get brands to notice me?
Reach out to them! Find a contact e-mail for the PR/Marketing team and send them a proposal for a blog post, social media post, etc. Share your stats in the first e-mail! How many Instagram followers do you have? How many people read each post on your blog? How many e-mail subscribers do you have? Tell them what you like about their company and why you would make a good fit. There are also sites like BrandBacker, Tapinfluence, Activate, etc. but if you're just starting out, you probably won't make a lot of money that route.

How do I get brands to pay me?
When they respond to your e-mail, ask if they have a budget for working with influencers. Tailor your quote to what they're looking for and what their budget is. If you really like a brand, you can negotiate a trial campaign for slightly less if they agree to a bigger campaign if you reach certain statistics.

How much should I ask for?
This totally depends on what they're asking for. If it's a brand I really love, I'll sometimes offer to post in exchange for just product. In general, for a social media post you should be asking for $10 for every $1000 followers. Social Blue Book is a great resource for figuring out a basic amount for a campaign based on what you're offering the brand and your engagement/following.

A brand offered me a discount or free product, how can I let them know I need to be paid?
Blogging is a lot of work! You have to take and edit high-quality images, write a post, make sure it's seen by your audience, etc. It takes a lot of time and effort! Don't be afraid to let brands know that. A simple "Sorry, but you are asking me to do ____ hours of work for no pay. This is how I pay my bills and though I would love to work with you. This arrangement isn't for me. If you ever have the budget in the future, please keep me in mind." Be polite! PR is a small world!

I was sent a product and I hate it, now what?
Let them know! In your contract make sure that you can back out if you don't like the product. Never promote something you don't believe in!

Do you have any other questions about working with brands you would like answered? Let me know! I'm always here to help out other bloggers!