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HOW TO PITCH YOURSELF

by mariann.yip@gmail.com
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*Outfit Details with affiliate links: Jumpsuit (Dezzal) | Sunglasses (Urban Outfitters) | Mini Bag (Zac Posen) | Shoes (Alexandre Birman)

I majored in Public Relations when I was in college and can proudly say that I know how to pitch after learning and practicing in all my classes and working with real clients. With that being said, I have used my background and knowledge as a blogger to pitch myself to brands. I wanted to share some tips because I think it’s important to master the basics if you want to land a partnership and work on campaigns/ sponsored content.

The first key is to switch your mindset from being a blogger to being a brand/ company. You have to see the campaign from their perspective so take into consideration of sales goals, key messaging, targeted audiences, etc. Instead of thinking what you can gain from working with them, you have to think what they can gain from working with you. A lot of bloggers fail to do this simple switch and focus too much on themselves. Once you make it about the brand, the pitch becomes easier.

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Before I share my tips, I just wanted to share my love for this jumpsuit from Dezzal. I have been on the hunt for a nice chic and comfortable jumpsuit that I can wear to meetings and events. I love the style and fit of this suit and the best part is that the top and bottoms are actually detachable. There’s a zipper that allows you to put both pieces on separately but once you zip it, it becomes a jumpsuit. I think this feature is perfect because I find that some jumpsuits fit me a little too tight and this one gives me just enough room to move around.

I have condensed my tips below and hope that they are helpful in landing you more campaigns.

  • Have a mediakit: If you don’t already have a media kit, you better make one now! A media kit is essentially your resume for all of your social media platforms. There isn’t a right or wrong way to go about creating a media kit but I think it should include the important information including a bio of your blog and who you are, your social channels and following, your audience statistics and background, and maybe some past partners. I would stray away from writing your rates on the media kit but I know some bloggers have it, so do what feels right for you.
  • Pitch an idea: The mistake that many bloggers do when it comes to pitching is writing a generic email introducing themselves, throwing numbers at the brand and expect these companies to email back with the hopes of a partnership or collaboration. As I said previously, it’s not about you and you need to think about what they want. A recommendation is to be up to date with their new launches or what’s happening with their company. Utilize that and pitch an idea because brands want to see your creativity.
  • Give them all the details: Brands receive tons of emails daily. We, as bloggers need to make their lives easier. A tip is to have all of the details from your first exchange of emails so this will cut the back and forth about the campaign/ project. This also relates back to pitching an idea, but you don’t just want to say you want to create 5 beauty looks from their new palette. You want to go in depth, describing what type of looks, which eyeshadow you will use, how you will film, etc. That is just one basic example, but the important takeaway is to lay everything in front of them so all they have to do is say yes.
  • Keep building on relationships: I have pitched countless times to brands and trust me, I don’t always get the response or the green light on a project that I have in mind. Some won’t respond, some aren’t interested or some don’t have the budget. You can’t take any of this personally and just keep in contact with the brands because the exchange of email is already a first step in building your relationship. And if you’re lucky to land a partnership through your pitch and you do a good job, chances are the brand will likely work with you again.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Ever since I quit my job to blog full time, I have put more effort and time to solidifying myself as a brand. You need to build your following and make sure you know exactly what your brand stands for so you can align with other brands that have the same values. Do you have any other tips on pitching yourself? Let me know!

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26 comments

Jo July 20, 2017 - 20:04

Thanks so much for this list of really insightful tips! I especially love #2. Pitching a specific idea/concept is a really great way of standing out from the crowd and showing off your creativity.

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:21

I love that part too because it’s actually fun for me to pitch and come up with creative ideas.

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Christine Kong July 20, 2017 - 22:19

What a fab blog post topic! All of these tips are so useful and true and I definitely think giving specific examples of what you will deliver is important. It also gets you on the same page early on so that you can agree on what the directive is. This jumpsuit is amazing. I love that it is chic and classy and that it is detachable! Versatile pieces like this make my day! xoxo, Christine
http://dailykongfidence.com/

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:21

You would like so great in this jumpsuit! I can totally see you pulling it off with a pair of heels 🙂 And I’m glad you can relate to these tips and use them yourself!

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Thomas Falkenstedt July 21, 2017 - 00:43

Babe, you’re just like me! I worked with PR for 12 (yes, I’m that old) years before I decided to quit my day job to become a blogger and now as it seems a whole bunch of other things too on full time and I know what it’s like “on the other side”. Brands don’t care about generic emails or your numbers. They want to see that you’re genuinely interested in working with them and why (also how). These tips are a great reminder of how to actually get that campaign you dream of and will be helpful to a lot of people!
Good luck pitching!
Thomas xx

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:20

Thank you Thomas! It’s no wonder why you’re great at what you’re doing. I haven’t met you but I know that you have a strong sense of who you are and it’s refreshing to see that your PR background helped you out 🙂

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Candace July 21, 2017 - 03:09

I’ve only recently gotten better at pitching, as I’ve been getting more positive responses from brands. My pitch at first, was too cut and dry and had no details. I now include more details about my following and what I can offer the brand. Great tips shared here!

http://www.thebeautybeau.com

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:19

It’s all about practice and I don’t always get the response I want from brands, but I love reflecting and improving my pitches.

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Oroma July 21, 2017 - 06:05

Great tips!

/ ORRBLOG

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:18

Thank you!

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Sharon Wu July 21, 2017 - 16:09

Having a media kit and building relationships is definitely important to success! Love your pointers here babe and your photos look amazing xo, sharon

http://www.stylelullaby.com/beauty/new-hair-care-routine-burgatis-keratin-argan-oil-professional-series/

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:18

Thank you Sharon!

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Samantha Mariko July 21, 2017 - 18:12

This was an extremely helpful post! I’m glad you explained the importance of a media kit, and also to think about the brand you are pitching to so a possible collaboration will be a win-win situation for both parties. Brilliant!
http://www.samanthamariko.com

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:17

Thank you Samantha! I plan on doing more posts like these 🙂

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Jessi Malay July 21, 2017 - 20:23

great post babe! i really enjoyed this and the tips were amazing!

XO, Jessi

http://www.mywhitet.com/nordstrom-anniversary-sale-picks/

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:17

Glad you liked them love!

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Bernice July 22, 2017 - 06:14

Definitely agree with all of these! I wrote my first blogger media kit when I was also studying PR in university haha I do try my hardest to keep good relationships with the brands, and agencies that I work with, or want to work with. It really is about who you know nowadays, and how you can mutually benefit from working together. There has been some cringy influencer choices by some brands that I wonder if they’ve even taken a look at that person as a brand, or just a person with a following.

https://www.bunnybernice.com/single-post/2017/07/22/Newly-Spotted-Australian-Brands

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:17

I think the more you do it, the more comfortable you are with yourself as a brand and know your worth so it shows when you’re pitching to brands. I can also tell that you have experience doing this and I admire your confidence in who you are as a blogger!

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Jordan Chapman July 24, 2017 - 00:58

Being able to send a good pitch is something most people struggle with, but these are great tips! I love to send brand pitches because I find that they’re more successful than waiting around for people to approach me! I loved these tips and I’m glad you shared them all with us!
Jordan xx
http://thehatlogic.com

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 24, 2017 - 21:16

I’m glad you found these tips helpful and I honestly have fun pitching to brands as well. I don’t take it too seriously and it’s a great learning process 🙂

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marcy July 25, 2017 - 11:24

Such a great post babe!! Something many bloggers are not willing to share. Sometimes I struggle in how to pitch so this is very helpful. Great tips and definitely a media kit is a must. I’m always seeing how to improve mine.

xoxo
Marcy

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 25, 2017 - 13:50

I definitely agree that people wouldn’t want to share these tips but I think they’re helpful 🙂

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Jenn Hanft July 25, 2017 - 19:16

Thanks so much for this post! These tips are certainly helpful and I strive to learn and get better at pitching myself. I used to be afraid of reaching out but learned the worst they could say is no!

With love, Jenn
https://www.jubilantdose.com

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 25, 2017 - 23:20

It’s natural to be afraid of what brands might think or say but I think there are more benefits in putting yourself out there than not doing so due to fear.

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Jessie July 26, 2017 - 15:05

Great tips. I guess pitching for campaigns can very from city to city. In Asia, most of the jobs are landed through networking, whether it’s a banking deal for an IPO or a market campaign for bloggers. I personally think networking and maintaining the relationships are one of the most important key to pitching =)

xx, Jessie
http://4evajessie.com/less-is-more-with-grana/

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mariann.yip@gmail.com July 26, 2017 - 15:41

It’s very interesting to see how other bloggers pitch in different countries. I actually would love to network in Asia and build an audience there!

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