The popularity of influencer marketing has been astonishingly impactful both in online and offline society in multiple ways. The one that excites us the most is the boost of job possibilities for creative individuals who do not wish to confide just within the four walls doing 9 to 5 jobs. Not many had believed before that being famous on social media can become a money-minting profession soon. Well, it’s not just about being famous, but you get the point, right? 

While this situation is tempting for most people, it could also be intimidating for some, like micro-influencers. Deciding to be a micro-influencer in this competitive digital world might feel like throwing yourself in the pool without knowing how to swim and with no floaters. But you will survive and get better if you are prepared. However, being a micro-influencer is more like a phase than a category of influencers. Moving ahead you will upgrade yourself as a macro-influencer and then a mega influencer. 

Often micro-influencers find themselves caught with the most crucial question of how to pitch the brands? The wonderment can be exhausting and if you don’t have the right guidance you can even get lost and start questioning everything that you want to do. But, that’d not going to happen from now because we have somethings that can help you. 

Before that, let’s talk about some things that might be concerning you and help you bust some myths. 

1. It’s too competitive out there

Yes, it is very competitive. But it will always be. It is competitive being an influencer only because it is also successful. The best part about influencer marketing is coexisting for influencers is pretty easy because you will come across influencers who not only do their job just fine but also uplift each other and support their content. It’s only a matter of time till you too become one of them and master the mechanism. 

2. It gets easier when you become successful

Not entirely. Of course, you easily get partnerships and collaborations and you even get to collaborate with big brands. But the responsibility rises too and you also have to keep up with professionalism. You will have a lot of people that will be waiting for your content, your updates, your collaborations, and your opinions. So be prepared for that. 

3. There are way too many influencers already

There are! But you do not have to worry about that because new businesses that emerge every day on social media will balance that out for you. It is honestly as simple as that. This is how the ecosystem of influencer marketing works.

4. Brands only want famous people

No, they do not. This could have been the case before but not anymore. A lot of brands, both big and small are now working with small influencers for many reasons like budget, reach, niche, and engagement. 

Staying true to your job will never let you be affected by any of these. There are certain things that you do before you pitch to brands. But let’s clear some ground rules first. 

How to introduce yourself?

Try to make a golden first impression. Give them answers that they have not asked but are seeking from a micro-influencer that they should partner with. First and foremost, approach the brands only through mails and not through DMs or even calls. Find the right person to approach by looking up on their website, social media, and do not forget to check them out on LinkedIn.  Be on the lookout for any requirements posted by them. 

Communicate the mutual benefits that you and the brand can achieve through this partnership. Focus on telling them about the value that you can bring to their brand. Talk about who you are, a little bit about your personal background, your past work experience, and your aspirations. Give them an insight into your life. 

You can do some research and find companies that already work and have increased sales with micro-influencers. If you have used their product in the past, then let them know your experience. It could be a great conversation starter. 

Here are some tips to help you present your best self. 

1. Test your influence

It is important for you yourself to know how good you are before any brand that you want to pitch to knows. Know where you stand with respect to your content, your audience, your followers, and the engagement that you receive from them. These are the things that a brand looks for in the influencers that they wish to collaborate with. Do a thorough self-assessment. Know your niche, your preferences, and the kind of brands that you want to work with. 

Do not take up any job thinking it will help you get started if it is not related to your niche. That attitude can cause trouble in the future when you really want to work with a brand and your previous record looks a bit hasty. 

2. Keep your personal content in check

To become a micro-influencer, you need three things- content, followers, and brands that can validate your position as an influencer. If you look at this objectively, you will understand that your content will attract followers and both combined will help you get work. So, it is important to stick to what you started with. Your personal content should be prioritized as much as the collaborations you do. 

3. Know your worth

In the beginning, it could be hard for you. You might get paid less or not get paid at all. But to understand what you are worthy of, you have to know where you stand, what you are capable of, and how dedicated you are to work with these brands. A little help can also be drawn from other influencers in the industry. You can also hit them up and honestly, they will not refrain from helping you. There are multiple workshops conducted by influencers to help you understand this. Attend those as they are also great for networking. 

4. Pick the brands

Now comes the part where you do your research and find the brands that you want to work with. Do not shy away from sending tons of cold emails. But the criteria you use to pick the brands, matter the most. One thing that you can never compromise on is the niche of the brand. Do not expect to work with big brands as soon as you start out. There is a possibility that can happen but do not live by it. Keep an open mind and carefully examine the brand, its products, its vision and mission, and core values. 

5. Register on influencer marketing platforms 

These influencer marketing platforms are great to receive gigs. All you have to do is sign up and wait for brands to put their requirements on it. The moment you see a brand or a campaign that you wish to work for, send them your details. This is a real time-saver, for you as well as the brands. 

6. Get creative

Creativity is the driving force of the marketing business. It’s where the secret lies. If you are creative enough, consider half your job then. You might hear that it’s something that you are just born with. It’s not entirely true. Extend your knowledge, read, learn, study and you too will be able to exceed your own expectations with creativity. 

7. Get local

This is a great opportunity for you to do some quality work. Local businesses are small businesses and sometimes geographically restricted too. Approach them and offer to work with them. It’s a win-win situation for both and it cannot get any better than this. Working with local businesses gives you a lot of space for experiments, the communication is tighter and the level of enthusiasm is equally high. And don’t you stress about finding local and small businesses to work with. At WORD Marketplace you get an opportunity to choose campaign briefs from multiple businesses and also choose who you want to work with. You not only get a chance to work with a variety of brands but you also never run out of work. Just pick a business whose campaign you like or aligns with your goal, send them your content, get it approved and get paid immediately. You can even track your earnings on the dashboard. 

8. Consider your audience’s preference

When you approach a brand, you have to think about your audience too. The fact that the product you wish to endorse is something that your audience might or might not want to pursue has to be considered at all times. If you go through the collaboration without considering this, you might not get good results and will also be held accountable for it by the brand. So don’t let that happen. Stay connected with your audience at all times and listen to them. Keep taking their suggestions, do surveys, talk to them in DMs, comments, stories, anywhere that’s possible. 

It is a rough patch. Yes, you will not have a big team to help you. You will be the only one you can rely on for most things. But it has its own fun. An additional tip that we would like to add is, if you are someone who is having a career shift, we recommend you do this part-time first. Finances are necessary and you must always have a backup ready. 

To know how to pitch brands as a micro-influencer is not the hard part. What’s harder is to stick to the promises and deliver the results. Take your time and do some experiments by yourself on your page to understand yourself and your work better.