Tips on contacting brands

Many people who are in the influencer or content creator sector would love to be sent free PR boxes or test out sample products. But there is a right way to go about it. I’ve had a few people who have reached out to me in the past and they’ve gone about it the wrong way. I’ll share more about that later.

First off you need to be respectful to the brands you will be contacting. You can’t come off as being greedy or unprofessional.

I’ve even created some downloads that you all can use when contacting brands. they are basic and you can customize them to fit your needs.

Here’s an example of what not to do

I’ve had a few people contact me via Instagram in the past asking if I could give tem free samples or products. I always remind folks that I don’t have any physical products to share. I try my best to be polite. But here’s an example of what not to do.

to put this comment into context the person did say hello prior to jumping right into this request.

I let the person know I didn’t have any products to share or giveaway.

They then followed up asking if we could collab so they could promote products.

Why was this a no-no

Here’s the thing if you are going to cold DM or contact a brand or in my case a person make sure you have an idea of what you will say.

Try to strike up a conversation first just don’t jump in and say Hi can we collab or do you have free stuff.

As someone who’s been blindsided by these types of very random requests in the past, you are left a bit confused.

Also, make sure that the person or brand you contact is even offering products or open to collaborations.

Another thing if the person or brand declines your request be understanding. if the person or brand has tried to direct you to the correct source or other info also respect that response.

The person that contacted masked me a few follow-up questions. I did my best to point them in the right direction.

Tips you can use when contacting brands

If you are interested in contacting or reaching out to brands there are a few things you can do.

If you are reaching out to brands you know check their website for contact information. some sites have this either under their contact us page or may have a link at the bottom of the page.

Also, some websites may have a direct email for PR or social media promotions.

Always be polite and courteous to the brands you contact. Also, don’t bombard them with messages either. Submit your request via the website and that’s it. Don’t hound them via social media too.

when contacting brands

When contacting brands or companies you’d like to work with always start off on the right foot. Try to contact the department you want to work with. If they don’t offer a separate social or PR email use the contact us page.

Most contact us pages have a drop-down subject list if the options are available try to select Other (if listed)

Try to keep things short and to the point. You can add anything you like about the brand or if you are a long-time user of the products.

I usually ask if the brand works with bloggers or content creators and if so what their terms are.

Depending on the brand you may have a reply back or you may never hear back. Some brands may just send a reply back stating that they will forward your info to their PR or social media person.

It’s okay to negotiate

So let’s pretend a brand is willing to work with you. it’s okay to share your rates prior to agreeing to any posts.

Don’t get me wrong I love free stuff but I’d also like to be paid for my efforts. Also, you can’t pay bills with free products.

That part I will leave up to you but I did create a demo rate chart you can customize to fit your needs.

Many brands may try to find a way to meet you halfway if they are serious about working with you. If they aren’t you know they may not be worth your time.

if a brand contacts you

If a brand contacts or reaches out to you it’s okay for you to reply back with your own terms. If you don’t agree to jump through hoops for a free product you can also share your reason.

I created a simple reply that you can customize to fit your needs.

It’s okay to say no

When I first started product reviewing I would say yes to everything. Not only is that a bad way to start. At times you end up with duplicate products you don’t need or might not even use.

So if a brand reaches out to you it’s okay to say no. You can list reasons why or just not accept their terms.

Here are some replies you can customize to fit your needs.

Again be kind and courteous.

will this pay off

To be honest I may for some folks. All you can do is try. At least this gives you an idea of what you can say or how to reach out to brands.

It’s also a place to start for those who aren’t sure about contacting brands.

I hope you found this post helpful. Feel free to share some of your tips below.