How to build relationships with brands

As your blog gains momentum it’s only natural to become keen to work with brands.  Whether they're new brands you're just discovering, or big brands you've loved and admired.

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while but I've been a bit hesitant because I don't want it to be perceived as a way to get free stuff, because that’s not what it is, it’s a guide on how to build genuine relationships with brands that will hopefully stretch for the life of your blog.

Social media

Start interacting with the brands on social media (Twitter/Facebook/Google+), make sure you follow them on all those platforms too.  If you see tweets you like, favourite them or even RT them if you want to make sure your followers see it too.  Add them to your circles on Google+ and +1 their posts, even comment on them :)

Reviews

Write honest reviews on the products of theirs you love, don’t be afraid to put negative comments in about a product too, every brand will expect a balanced point of view picking out both positives and negatives and positioning it on how it’s worked for you, and your skin type.

Email

Drop them an email to say Hi – Don't email them saying ‘Hi I'm a blogger and I want free stuff’ as that'll get you nowhere other than the Deleted Items folder.  But don't be scared to email them to introduce yourself and your blog, and ask to be added to their mailing list ready for when they send out PR’s for new products.  On the back of that, when they do send out a press release to you for a new product, consider publishing one of them on your blog from time to time to help create awareness – just make sure it’s something that genuinely interests you.  Don’t feel you'd have to copy & paste it either, perhaps take points from it, dates, times, product details and write your own post about it.

In the email you send to them, make sure you are yourself, and keep in touch with them regularly. Over the last 1-2 years I've built up some great relationships with brands just by being my normal chatty self with them on email (like Ginvera – that’s an easy one though, Jan is so lovely!).

Keep in touch

At the time, the relationship may just be you saying 'Hi' every now and then, and them sending you a press release on a new product that’s coming out, but somewhere down the line you never know what opportunities that could bring.  So always be yourself, be nice and always polite.

This isn't about getting free stuff, that should never be the goal. It’s about networking and building up genuine relationships with PRs and brands.  If you have a strong enough rapport with the person on the other end of the email, they may even contact you when the move on to new brands and roles, and in some cases, you might make a friend out of it too :)

So don't be afraid to be the one to contact them, they're people just like you and me, and some are even bloggers, just don't go asking for things.  If they think you're a good fit for their brand, they'll approach you when the time is right :)

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Jess from Coffee Cosmetics

 

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