Negotiating A 5-Figure Brand Deal

In 2021 when I started all this, I intended to develop multiple income streams, and brand deals were one of those avenues.

When I first started, brand deals were impossible to get because I didn’t have a following and hadn’t developed a strong enough authority.

Things were also really different.

Now, it’s a lot easier for newbie creators to facilitate those opportunities, and to find alternative ways to create relationships with big brands because brands are recognizing the power of smaller audiences.

Over the 3 years I’ve been in business, I’ve generated a combined $40,395 from brand deals alone.

I didn’t do brand deals for all of 2023 because I was focusing on strengthening the freelance part of my business and building out my Quitter programs and products (still in progress).

Also, relying solely on brand deals can be VERY volatile and I wanted some security + recurring revenue as a foundational component of my business.

After doing this for 3 years, it’s becoming obvious to me what I enjoy, what I’m good at, what I’m known for, what performs well, and why people and brands contract with me.

So, I’m using that to my advantage.

HOW I’M NEGOTIATING A 5-FIGURE BRAND DEAL

This has nothing to do with followers, actually.

I used to think that brand deals were only a result of how many followers someone has or the kind of reach they can get.

It’s not - it’s about getting the people who DO listen to you to take action…

And, it’s about relationships.

When I first started doing brand deals, I saw them as a one-off cash injection kind of thing.

Now, I see them as legit partnerships where it’s like I’m charging a ‘retainer fee’ at a higher rate and I go to bat for them.

I wholeheartedly (and genuinely) show up for them, their team, and their mission in everything I do, not just in a singular post I make.

And I also focus on the humans behind the business (they run it after all).

This shift alone has helped me not only make more money but solidify more long-term relationships which led to additional brand work and referrals for freelance work too.

More on the tangible things I did to foster this, and many other, relationships in the sections below ⬇️

Why Brands Enter Partnerships

I know you’re eager to start rolling in the dough… but before you begin pursuing brands, you need to understand WHY brands even engage in partnerships in the first place.

This will help you have a higher close rate because you’re going the extra mile to understand THEIR NEEDS.

SPOILER

Always taking the extra time to understand the needs, wants, and desires of the brands, people, or audience you’re trying to cultivate will help you go further (versus making it all about you).

Play the long game, and you’ll not only earn respect in your new industry but get everything you want (even if it takes a bit longer).

FIRSTLY, WHAT ARE BRAND DEALS?

A “brand deal” is a partnership between individuals and brands, and is sometimes referred to as a “brand sponsorship” too.

“Brand integrations” are a type of branded content where a creator finds a way to seamlessly feature a product or service in their videos.

UGC, or User Generated Content, also falls under this category.

WHY BRANDS CONTRACT WITH CREATORS

Everyone wants to get brand deals… but brands aren’t just dishing out money for no reason (especially in this economy).

There needs to be value.

Value can look like many things, not just money.

Most people perceive value as a return on their investment (increased sales/revenue), but value can also look like:

increased brand recognition - meaning more people see their brand, thus making them more recognizable, and psychologically plant seeds to purchase in the future when the time is right for that customer.

Or, increased credibility by association - meaning they’re increasing their perceived value through reputation building by way of associating themselves with someone/a platform that holds similar values, etc.

There are MANY other reasons why brands contract with creators, influencers, or freelancers, but these are a few to keep in mind when you’re on the hunt or cosmically conspiring to create an opportunity in the future.

Now, let’s get into the tangibles: how you can actually create those brand relationships ⏬

3 Ways I Approach Brand Deals

Every person has their own approach to doing brand deals, and what they’re willing to do and not do.

Some people have a very tangible strategy, and others rely solely on energetic work - I like to use a combination of both.

3 WAYS I APPROACH BRAND DEALS

1️⃣ POSTING TO GET THEIR ATTENTION

This is how I land a lot of my brand deals BUT it always comes from a genuine place.

I never post with the intention of trying to get a brand’s attention as a manipulation tactic, it’s more of a by-product of sharing something I love.

Just like you can sniff bullshit a mile away, so can a brand (they’re run by humans after all).

I want to show a brand what I can do ahead of time and to have my name fresh on their mind OR at the top of their DM’s if I can.

Also, I don’t plot or plan when I’m going to post something - I post when I feel called to (intuitive girlie over here).

THIS is a post I wrote that I randomly and it ended up going viral on LinkedIn and got the attention of every decision-maker at this company, including their CEO.

A month later, I signed a brand contract with them.

2️⃣ TRADITIONAL PITCHING

I honestly hate pitching. I think it’s a gross and outdated way of doing business, but sometimes you gotta advocate for yourself.

I personally don’t appreciate it when a random cold connection reaches out to me (especially if they didn’t do their research and it shows), but I can appreciate the hustle.

Sometimes you have to poke people enough to get their attention.

There are a ton of people selling templates online on how to pitch yourself, but save yourself the trouble and use ChatGPT to come up with custom pitches for brands.

PROMPT TO TRY:

Someone who does a great job of this is my colleague Chloe. Her background is in sales, so you can imagine she has a TON of knowledge on how to tangibly tackle brand deals:

Episode 65: Multi-Six Figure Influencer with Chloe Homan

Also - not every brand will have the budget to work with creators. See if you can work with them in other ways like affiliate marketing or side project work.

For example, I pitched an AI copywriting tool about a paid brand campaign, and they said no, but then I asked if they needed freelance help and they turned into a client ($3,000 opportunity).

3️⃣ GIFTED CAMPAIGNS

When I first started my business I was cash-poor, so I was only fixated on doing paid campaigns.

In theory, I shouldn’t have boxed myself in like that because I needed the experience (but you live and you learn).

Now, I’m willing to do gifted campaigns (meaning the product is given in exchange for a deliverable) if it’s something I actually want, and feel confident I can SHOW THEM that a paid relationship is worth pursuing.

If I can get that video to perform well, then I can email or message someone on their marketing team to try to get a separate paid campaign OR at the least get paid for usage rights.

✨ BONUS ✨ 

Of all the brand deals I’ve done, 90% of them were inbound, meaning, I didn’t directly pitch them via email.

Over the years, I’ve flexed my manifestation muscle to create media opportunities, clients, and brand deals - and you can do the same.

There is no one-size-fits-all, and I don’t believe there is a good or bad way when it comes to manifesting or creating opportunities.

But above all, clarity is what will get you the furthest.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What brands would I LOVE to work with?

• What would I say to decision-makers if I was able to?

• What makes me different from others?

• What are my campaign ideas? What would I create?

• What could I do to help them achieve their goals?

Now that you know what brand deals are and how you can get them, let’s dive into why you might be getting rejected ⏬

What You Might Be Doing Wrong

Though I’ve had a ton of success with brands, and overall as a creator, I’ve made a TON of mistakes.

Here are some you should be cognizant of when piecing together your multi-stream model:

1️⃣ DON’T MAKE BRAND DEALS YOUR ENTIRE INCOME

This was a rookie mistake I made that almost cost me my livelihood and ultimately forced me to take my 401k out early to give myself more runway (more on this in THIS episode).

There’s definitely something to be said about putting all your energy into something (energy flows where focus goes) but putting your eggs all in one basket can be dicey, especially since brand deals put you BACK into the corporate system where you have to play puppet sometimes (unless you work with a great brand that gives you full creative control).

Thankfully I’m super scrappy and still kicking, but you never want to 100% give your power away.

This can also lead to burnout in the creation process, because if you’re not posting = not making money.

2️⃣ ONLY FOCUSING ON ONE CHANNEL

Omnichannel is a customer-centric approach in which all channels (ex: podcast, newsletter, social media) are integrated so the customer has a unified and consistent experience.

In basic terms, it’s spreading your marketing campaign to more than one place so more people can see it AND psychologically reinforce it (on average it takes 7-8 times to show a product or program to get someone to buy).

Giving brands the option to be in more places is always a good thing.

Plus, it allows you to charge more versus less.

I’m all about being firm on my prices but adding to give more value versus decreasing my price point and subconsciously teaching that brand (and myself) that I’m not worth what I asked for.

3️⃣ PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

This sounds f*cking dumb, especially if you haven’t gotten a brand deal, but you need to practice first.

If you haven’t created a single piece of content, how do you expect a brand to feel confident in using their limited marketing dollars on you?

Remember, it’s not about you and your needs. It’s about theirs.

Practice showing up in the world through different mediums (writing, video, audio, etc), find out what you like and what you’re good at, and THEN you can start turning up that pitch and manifestation work.

You can also practice with UGC content - advocating for brands that you already know and love - and see if they respond (or how you feel about creating content in general).

Also, consider creating a media kit (most brands will ask for this, so better to be prepared).

Strategies For Standing Out

Yes, the market is indeed saturated - there’s no denying that - but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to stand out (especially when it comes to working with brands).

You just have to find out what makes you stand out.

A few weeks ago I interviewed Julie Turkel, a seasoned brand licensing agent and strategy consultant, who dropped a TON of gold nuggets when it comes to defining your unique selling point.

Though she predominantly works with artists and brokers in art licensing deals, this conversation helped me tremendously when thinking about myself and how my brand, Corporate Quitter, is similar yet SO different from many others who have similar opinions, experiences, and missions.

Whether you’re still in Corporate trying to be a Quitter or are in the beginning stages of your Quitter journey, this interview is one you don’t want to miss.

Episode 144: Licensing Your Art & Strategies for Standing Out with Julie Turkel