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The average price for a sponsored post on Instagram is $300. With potential cash-flow like that, it’s not hard to see why Instagram sponsorship is the goal of many a would-be influencer.
As with many marketing endeavors, it can be difficult getting your foot in the door. Particularly with the brands you know and love. But all is not lost! With a clear plan of attack and some savvy marketing strategies, you’ll be well on your way to attracting brands and winning followers.
Without further ado, here is a complete guide to Instagram sponsorship and how you can start partnering with the best brands on the web.
Guide to Getting an Instagram Sponsorship
Branding Is All Important
A brand can be a nebulous thing, particularly if you’re new to marketing. At its core, a brand is a specific perception in the minds of an audience about a person, business, or product. On Instagram, you are your brand.
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If you’re your brand, then your Instagram feed is your method of influencing your audience’s perception of that brand. A cluttered feed with no theme and dingy photos isn’t going to present a positive perception. And without a positive perception, Instagram sponsorship deals aren’t likely to come your way.
If you want to attract sponsors, one of the best things you can do is define your personal brand. What you are and what you aren’t.
Having a clear brand, consistently and artfully conveyed is to sponsors what catnip is to cats.
Post Consistently
Posting content consistently doesn’t just build trust with your followers and help you stay ahead of Instagram’s algorithms. It’s also one of the best ways to prove to sponsors that you’re a reliable investment.
There are all sorts of guides for when one should post across social media. The running rules for Instagram are all much the same. Make sure you’re posting at least once a day – several times or more is better. Just make sure your posts are well-spaced to keep your followers from feeling overwhelmed.
It’s best to post between 8-9am and 2am in your local time zone. Instagram has “insta” in their title for a reason. Your followers are going to clock you having breakfast at 7pm. If you’re using scheduling apps, make sure to keep to a reasonable timetable.
Must Read – 5 Ways to Use Instagram to Promote Your E-Commerce Business
Tag the Brands You Want to Work With
Whether your passion is as wide as travel or as niche as designer shot glasses, it stands to reason you’ll be using or wearing your favorite brands. If you do so while featuring content on your Instagram, make a point of tagging those brands.
By tagging their Instagram page, it catches their attention and puts you on their radar.
If they like your content enough, sometimes they may re-gram your posts. This not only gives you extra exposure, it also forms a relationship between your brand and theirs. Think of it like your crush sending you flowers. It’s the potential beginning of a beautiful partnership.
Make Sure Brands Know You’re Willing to Work With Them
Have a well-engaged few thousand followers? Still, no brands are reaching out for sponsorship opportunities? This might be because they don’t know they can reach out.
You have to make your intentions clear to those brands you want to work with. A great way to catch their attention is tagging them in your posts, but don’t stop there.
Make sure you’ve included information in your bio about where brands can reach you. And be specific that your information is for promotional opportunities.
If you have a blog or website, it’s also a great idea to add a press page. Detail what sorts of partnerships you’re interested in and a clear call to contact.
Also Read – 7 Ways to Tell if Your Instagram Marketing is Successful
Don’t be Afraid to Pitch
Another great way to let brands know you’re interested in working with them is to pitch to them directly. Instagram sponsorship is a booming industry, so it can pay to be proactive.
Look for brands that are investing time, effort, and money into their social media presence. The more they value their Instagram image, the more likely they are to spend money on it.
Brands that post consistently, run ads, and re-gram are great contenders for a partnership pitch.
Also, keep an eye on other influencers in your niche. Take note of which brands are sponsoring their posts. If a brand is already working with influencers, it’s a good sign that they’ll be willing to invest in you.
Start Small
Before you start pitching to the high-roller, dream brands, start with some of the smaller ones.
Although smaller brands usually have smaller budgets, they usually have less influencer competition. They’re also usually more interested in partnerships to get their brand out there.
Start small doesn’t only apply to those brands you’d like to work with. It’s also a good idea to apply to your own brand.
Small but engaging Instagram brands are called Micro Influencers. They don’t have as many followers as the big players but they’re successful in the niches they occupy.
They earned that success through having a small but engaged follower-base.
It’s true that many brands are numbers driven. But a lot are starting to realize the essential role Micro Influencers can play in their marketing strategies.
Micro Influencers often have niche audiences. Those audiences can represent a far more exact match to certain target demographics. The more targeted their marketing efforts, the more successful they are.
Working with Micro Influencers makes more sense from a budgeting standpoint as well.
Instagramers with larger followings often charge higher per post. This makes Micro Influencers a great way to make a brand’s budget go further.
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Instagram Sponsorship Isn’t a Pipe Dream
Partnering with great brands is the Instagram dream and it’s a dream that’s entirely achievable. With some savvy marketing, a good grasp of your own brand, and a willingness to put yourself out there, Instagram sponsorship is well within your grasp.
Looking for other ways to monetize your social media presence? Here are 10 great ways to get you earning money on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more.
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