When it comes to Instagram, the number one thing I hear people say is, “How do I get more followers?”. Let me tell you, my friend, growing your followers doesn’t equate to landing brand campaigns. So many Bloggers and Influencers feel the pressure to get their following up, so they use some shady tactics to do it. They participate in loop giveaways (sometimes hidden, so it’s not immediately obvious they’ve participated), purchase followers, or join pods.
Even if this didn’t tank engagement, more than likely, that engagement is mainly from fellow Influencers, or bots, who provide no real value to the brands you’re hoping to work with. You’ve got the numbers but no real substance behind it and this is a quality of quantity business. So, how do I land brand campaigns as a Nano-Influencer (and how can you)?
Start Respecting Your Community
No one likes to be thought of as just another number. Every time the words “I only have xyz followers” comes out of your mouth, you’re completely disrespecting everyone following along in your journey and diminishing their value. Why is this a problem? People buy from people. Those affiliate links won’t be clicked and you’ll have no ROI to show brands why they should invest in you.
Don’t Let Numbers Scare You
Dig into those analytics, look at those demographics, and check out what your community is interested in. When you’re looking to work with brands, it’s important you align. If your audience consists of individuals who like to take hikes, work out, and eat healthily, perhaps seeking out a brand partnership with a fast food restaurant isn’t the way to go. Eat that Taco Bell on your own time.
If your audience lives for the outdoors and would take a camping trip over a AAA Diamond resort any day, you’d be a great match for a brand like REI. I bet they’d be far more impressed with your community of 3k versus one of 10k where the interest in the outdoors is lacking at best.
Create Your Own Opportunity
Have you ever watched the show ‘Nailed It’ on Netflix? Where home cooks try their hand at some fabulous creation the judges presented them with. There’s what they say they can do versus what it actually looks like when it’s done. This is the same concept.
You may pitch a brand with this grand idea but it’s nice to have something to compare it to. Find a brand you’d like to work with, that aligns with your why and your community, figure out what the brand is trying to do at the moment (sales, awareness, etc …) and create your own mock campaign. This doesn’t mean slapping “#sponsored” on your post when that’s not the case (PLEASE don’t.do.this.). It means quality visuals, tracking those analytics, and creating a case study that you can present to the brand later when you reach out to introduce yourself.
Make friends
This just happened to come last but it’s certainly not least – you have to network. Networking is a great idea in any career field but it’s almost vital in this one. You’re working solo, starting something from scratch, and likely have no idea what you’re doing (do any of us really), so getting out and meeting people in the field, whether it be other Bloggers or individuals in the PR field, can really get you farther faster.
No one knows you exist if you don’t put yourself out there and once they know, it’s easier for them to come across a campaign that just may be a fit for you. The blogging community really is becoming more “community over competition” and it’s not unheard of for a Blogger to receive a campaign they aren’t a fit for but still pass your name along to the brand as a great alternative.
If you’re too nervous to just jump out there for an event or conference, start networking online via LinkedIn. Follow and interact with brands you love and would love to work with. Genuinely engage with Bloggers on their social media post when it fits. You’ll find that even though the blogging community is large, it’s not as big as you think and you will start seeing a lot of your favorites in some of the same places.
If you’re a Nano-Influencer, what do you think is stopping you from landing brand campaigns?
