Hi Loves!
Last week I hopped on a brand partnership Zoom call and ended up booking a $1k partnership! Brand calls can be super intimidating, but they’re SO beneficial. You’re so much more likely to book and re-book partnerships if you’ve connected in a face to face meeting. It’s a chance to build relationships, ask questions, and share your expertise as a creator.
However, If the thought of getting on a call with a brand turns your stomach a little (I’ve totally been there), this post is for YOU!
Here are my tips for nailing your next brand call with confidence!
- How to get a brand on a call-
Is the brand responding to your emails? Have you booked a partnership? Do you have an ongoing relationship with a brand?
These are all signs that it’s time to get the brand on the phone! You’ll want to position this in a way that brings value to the brand, so that it’s an easy yes on their end!
Here’s a few prompts you can use:
If you’ve just started chatting- “I’d love to hop on a quick 15- minute zoom call to chat about and better understand your marketing needs! Do you have any time available this week?”
If you’ve booked a partnership- “I’m so excited to be partnering together on this campaign! I’d love to hop on a quick 15-minute zoom call to chat further about your goals for this partnership to ensure it’s a success.”
If you’re working with the brand on a recurring basis -“I’d love to schedule a quick touch base so that we can debrief on the last partnership and set some goals together for the next round of content. Do you have any time available for a quick 15-minute zoom call this week?”
- How to prep for your brand call
We’ve gone over why calls are so beneficial to you as a creator. Here’s what you’ll want to do to prep so that you can go into your calls with confidence.
- Research the brand! Make sure you understand the brand, what they offer, what their products are all about, who their consumer is, and what their mission and goals are.
2. Research how the brand has worked with creators in the past so you can get an idea of past partnerships, content style, what they organically repost to their channels, how the posts performed etc.
3. Make a list of questions that you’ll ask the brand on the call to show your expertise, professionalism, and to learn more about the brand’s needs and expectations.
- What to expect on your brand call
– The brand will likely want to know a little more about you as a creator and who you your audience is. Be ready to share what sets you apart as a creator! For example: I have a 94% female audience, I also mentor creators, and I used to work on the brand side of influencer marketing- these are all things I can mention to set myself apart and build credibility.
– You DON’T need to negotiate OR talk rates on the call. This is THE reason I used to be so hesitant to get on brand calls. I thought I’d have to negotiate in person, which isn’t my strong suit. I’m much more skilled at negotiating via email. That’s a boundary that’s perfectly fine to set! If a brand brings up rates during a call, I typically change the direction of the conversation by letting the brand know I’ll have to crunch numbers offline and will send a follow up email after the call. I then re-direct the convo by asking questions regarding the brand’s needs and expectations. For example, if the brand is looking to drive brand awareness vs sales that tells me that I’d want to focus on posts that I know will drive a ton of reach. This will then help me come up with what placements to offer, and how much to quote for those placements after the call.
-You DON’T need to come ready to pitch a full- campaign idea (unless the brand sets that expectation beforehand.) Instead focus on asking strategy- based questions to help determine what kind of content will work best for this partnership. For example, you could ask what they’ve seen perform well in the past, how they typically like to partner with creators, what kind of content they’re in need of etc.
-Ultimately all you need to do on a call is get to know the faces behind the brand and ask questions regarding content strategy, how the brand measures success, what their marketing needs are etc. Coming armed with questions sets you apart as a creator by showing that you’re invested in the brand, are business savvy, and a true professional!
That’s it! All it takes is a little preparation and you’ll nail your next meeting and impress the brand in the process.
Have questions? Feel free to DM me on Instagram!
Xo,
Skye
