April Meetup: How To Work With Brands & Sponsors

Have you reached out to brands or marketing professionals? Maybe you haven’t done so because you are unsure on who, when or how to pitch? The South Florida Bloggers had the pleasure of chatting with PR professionals Maite Velez-Couto and Jose Resendez about the do’s and don’ts of reaching out to a brand, sponsor, PR or marketing specialist. In case you missed it, keep reading for all the highlights from the April meet-up.

Plan

Be prepared. The most important part is to do your homework, research about the brand and what they’re doing, search their website, see who they’ve worked with in the past, look for the keywords they use to describe their brand and speak to their heart, but most importantly explain how your brand connects to their business. Have your updated media kit ready in a way that is organized and easy to read.

Be creative

Always highlight your strongest areas and customize your media kit according to who you’re pitching to. If you are pitching to a beauty brand, make sure to give priority to any beauty campaigns you have done in the past.

When is a good time to pitch?

There is no such thing as a “best time” to pitch, but you can may want to keep in mind holidays or seasons coming up. For example, if you know that Mother’s Day is coming up, try pitching 1-2 months ahead regarding this holiday. For the hospitality industry, they usually start preparing their campaigns at the end of the third quarter, so that would be the best time to pitch to them.

When Pitching

Always remember to keep your emails short and sweet. Take the time to introduce yourself, and talk about what you can provide to their brand or campaign. Don’t be intimidated when reaching out, go ahead and break the ice, because they are looking for you!

Don’t just be a brand, be a business

Numbers are very important, but they are not everything. The more value and reach you can bring to the table, the more calls you’re going to get. Make sure to put yourself out there and fully showcase your skills, strengths and added value.

What is the best platform?

The best platform will depend on the campaign, just make sure to master the platform(s) you’re in.

So, go ahead, don’t be afraid and start reaching out!