Micro-creators are becoming top-of-mind for brands, as they provide an opportunity for intentional targeting given their niched approach to storytelling and how they’ve curated their personal brands. However, because this segment may not have an entire team driving their “business”, it’s critical to sign legal agreements with every partnership, understand the value and know what brands to work with.
To dive deeper, I spoke with industry leaders from corporate marketing agencies and micro-creators via Twitter Spaces about how these creators can secure their bag with the rise of influencer marketing and brand partnerships. Below you can find the common themes from the discussion and how to act upon them.
Setting Yourself up for Success With Brands and Pitches
A common theme delved into how micro-creators could land valuable brand partnerships. Already working with the stigma of not having many followers, there are some brands that are yet to look beyond vanity metrics as the best measurement for conversion. This provides an opportunity to position your work and worth while speaking to the success of the brand you’ve built.
Your social media is an extension of your “digital resume” and usually the first point of contact for brands reaching out for partnerships or where they’ll go after you’ve submitted a pitch. It’s important to ensure all channels are optimized, updated— reflective of your work—and loaded with useful content. You’re also never too “small” as a creator to have a website or digital portfolio—these accredit a degree of professionalism in the eyes of the potential brand partner. Once the basics are covered, then it makes your discovery easier.
When pitching to brands, this is where the micro-creators’ creativity will come into play. It’s important to identify brands relevant for engagement, align them with your values and understand how a partnership would be symbiotic. Feel free to boast about the results you’ve generated from prior projects and what your value proposition is to the brand and their community.
The Fine Print in Getting Paid
Experiencing challenges with receiving payment after completing a job is nothing new to the space. Some of these problems are due to the loose legal framework in which the partnerships are often established, along with insufficient terms and conditions. Now, I am not sending you out to hire a lawyer to get a whole contract done, but suggesting that you simply ask for guidance.
We have a plethora of creatives who work with many different types of brands and have enjoyed a healthy work relationship and on-time payments. Things to always consider before working with a brand are: What do their terms and conditions look like? How do they craft a contract? Is a service agreement enough? It’s critical to find out these details and expand the legality of your agreements beyond an email trail.
Micro-creators and the ownership of work are also at play, so whether the brand is serving you the contract or they’ve asked you to present a service agreement to them, the fine details are crucial. Be very transparent and detailed about how your service will be rendered and the mode of delivery, as well as the expectations from the brand.
Networking Is The Name Of The Game
An underrated skill set for micro-creators is the immense value of networking and collaborating with other creators. Not only does this bring shared experiences and transfer of knowledge, but it takes community building to the next level and fosters the creation of further opportunities for monetary and experiential benefits. The bag, in this case, may be connecting with a senior manager at a brand, which may ultimately mature into a paid gig in the future.
Networking is a cornerstone to building key relationships and building a solid reputation. Once genuinely maintained, this avenue can land micro-creators into boardrooms and meetings for unimaginable possible brand partnerships .
An Opportunity for Micro-Creators
Micro-creators will continue to be a sought-after talent for brands aiming to make the best of their marketing spend. There’s an authentic and genuine connection these creators have with their audience and this facilitates a smoother process to building partner trust.
As Micro-creators continue to define their craft, the process should be treated as an investment and should focus on the “security” of the different engagements pursued.
If you’d like to learn more and be a part of the online community, follow the Twitter hashtag #BeerCreativity where marketers share their views, discuss the challenges micro-creators face on a regular basis, and how they combat these roadblocks.
