As a creator, you have so many opportunities to partner with brands for collaborations and campaigns… but how do you choose the right one?
One of the best ways is to align with brands based on your unique influencer style. Are you a Lifestylist? A Thought Leader? An Expert?
Once you know your unique influencer style, it actually makes it easier to filter opportunities – as well as approach the perfect partnership for your brand.
What’s Your Influencer Style?
While there are many different categories of creators, there are a few overarching themes that tend to arise as you develop and refine your own brand.
Influencer Type #1: The Thought Leader
Is there a particular niche or area in which you leverage your ideas to attract followers? Do you get asked for interviews, to speak at events, or be a podcast guest? Are you top ranked for idea-related hashtags? These are all signs you might be a Thought Leader type influencer.
You use your platforms to share knowledge on a topic, cause, or issue you’re passionate about. You may have years of experience or consider yourself to be up-and-coming with a unique approach.
Thought Leaders are typically well-respected and sought after because they offer authority on a subject and their content builds trust. These are two of the most important goals brands are looking for when they seek out influencers for marketing partnerships.
Thought leader influencers are natural partners for mission-based brands. You may not have your own products, but it would be easy for you to partner with a brand that has products with which you relate or align. For example, let’s say you are known for sustainability content. You love upcycling, reducing your environmental impact, and offering eco-friendly alternatives to everyday products. Partnering with brands like Rothys, Thinx, or Beyond Meat would be a natural fit for you. They all have missions deeply embedded into their brand DNA – and once you become clear on what your core values as a brand are, it becomes so much easier to approach companies of the same mind.
Influencer Type #2: The Expert
According to a Medium article, one of the largest categories of creators is Experts. They’ve “built recognition through learning, research, continual self-development, and creating tutorials for others.“
If you’re into beauty, skincare, or makeup, as examples, chances are you’re an Expert. The great news about this is, you have a plethora of brands to choose from. So how do you stand out? By making great content and offering value to your community.
The main thing brands are looking for is authenticity and relatability. While numbers are part of the decision, savvy companies value quality over quantity. This means that you can be a nano-influencer (with under 10,000 followers) and still be highly desirable to brands. Research has shown that influencers are among the most trusted sources of online information – particularly for millennials and Gen Z.
Don’t be afraid to shoot your shot with brands you might think are out of reach for you because you don’t have a million followers just yet. You could, in fact, be just what they’re looking for.
Influencer Type #3: The Lifestylist
If your content centers around your style and personal taste, you’re likely a Lifestylist. This is another popular category of creator. You’re not locked into a particular niche, industry, or topic. You actually have quite a bit of freedom in what content you produce… so long as it fits your unique lifestyle.
Lifestyle influencers are ideal for brands that carry multiple product lines that serve a specific kind of customer. Think Macy’s, AutoZone, or Bed Bath & Beyond. You may not realize brands of this size use influencers – but they do!
How to Get in Front of Your Perfect Brand Partner
There are many ways to get connected with companies you want to create for. Traditional routes include sending the brand account a direct message, working with an agency, or being referred in by another creator. These approaches have been known to work… but also can take quite a long time to come through. You also have to do much of the heavy lifting to make it happen.
Instead, try the latest approach: an online marketplace – like the one offered to creators on Creatable. Top brands are using this platform to look for new influencers daily – of all sizes and interests. Whatever your unique influencer style is, chances are there’s a brand on the Creatable marketplace looking for you.
There are only two requirements to be an influencer on Creatable:
- An active social media presence.
- A desire to grow your income.
Everything about Creatable makes it easy to earn an income as an influencer. There’s a simple-to-use creator app where you create content natively and upload it to your own custom storefront. You can publish your content to your platforms from the app – and see real time data of how it’s performing from both an engagement and sales conversion perspective. Client reviews and approvals are seamless too, happening directly within the platform itself. No more reaching out via email, text, or Slack to get what you need. And best of all, you’ll be paid directly from the platform, which is ideal for both brands and influencers.
Getting started is quite easy. Simply enter your email and your influencer category – and you’ll receive a follow up quickly. Creatable will guide you every step of the way to match with your dream brand and develop your career as an authentic influencer. If you’re looking for a fresh way to expand your brand partnerships and align with companies that suit your creator type, Creatable is your go-to partner.
