Whether you are trying to impress clothing sponsors that you have already landed, or are trying to woo them for the very first time, there are certain things you can do to make them want to work with you.
Pictures
Take good pictures. While you don’t have to be a pro, try to have an eye not only for what looks good in a photo, but what makes clothing look good and flattering in a photo. Clothing companies are more likely to work with you if they see outfit pictures on your blog that make the articles of clothing look amazing. A close-up of detailed stitching, fancy buttons or other little details is always nice too. A lot of times, it’s those little things that are what make a clothing company stand out, so they like to see that you have an eye for the details.
Communication
No matter if you are doing the pitching or you are being pitched, open communication from the very first email is important. Do you expect payment in addition to free items? Say so up front. Do you want an extra item to give away to your readers? Be open about it! It will eliminate awkward emails in the future. Don’t assume that one clothing company will give you $100 and an item to give away just because the company that you worked with last week did that. All companies are different, so treat each opportunity as a unique situation. Cover all necessary details early. This will help cover your back and will make you sound like you know what the heck you are doing. Companies are more inclined to work with someone who comes off as confident in what they want and what they can offer.
Links
When used correctly, links can be beneficial to all parties. They can help the business, because you are pointing readers to the business’ store page, or the page of a particular item of clothing. They help you because you are making your sponsor happy, which is always a good thing. They help your readers because if they love the item that you’re blogging about, they don’t have to go searching for more info or for a place to buy it because you have linked it right in your post! Clothing companies like to see a link to their main store page as well as specific links to the items that you were sent, are giving away, or are posting about. Again, this is a delicate area, as you have to do all of this without seeming “spammy” at all. It is completely doable though.
Remember to use the ‘no follow’ property on all paid links and sponsored post links.
Results
The truth of the matter is, clothing companies want to work with bloggers because they have an agenda. Just like bloggers have an agenda when it comes to working with clothing companies. Bloggers might want money, free clothes or more readers due to a giveaway and brands want flattering photos of people in their clothes, links to their shop or their name on social media among other things. If you promise something, you’d better deliver. If you give stats, they should be accurate. Most good companies know what to expect from certain numbers, so give them the right ones, not the sugar coated ones. Stretching your numbers and disappointing a sponsor just to get a freebie is a good way to reduce the number of opportunities you get in the future and will give you a reputation of having a blog that is not worth advertising on. That is the polar opposite of your goal. I hope.
So there ya go! The big takeaway here should be honesty. You really can’t go wrong if you’re honest and upfront about your expectations and about what you can offer. Now get out there and impress some companies!
What companies have you worked with? I always love to hear about blogger-friendly businesses.
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