There are a lot of ways to make a career out of being an influencer. These are the 9 ways influencers can work with brands in 2020.
The fact that being an influencer is a bonafide job title, despite its recent creation over the last decade, shows it’s evolving quickly. We like to say that social media is the Wild Wild West right now, and we can build it to be anything we want. Many content creators desire to create a full-time career on social media. Keep reading to learn the different avenues of how you can approach and work with the companies you love.
That being said, there isn’t one straight path or structure to building a career as an influencer. There are a million different strategies to grow an audience, go ahead – Google it. There are so many different ways to monetize it once you get there, along with different verticals, content types, and social media platforms. Sometimes people see the word influencer and immediately think of a bikini model posing with vitamins on Instagram. That can be an influencer, but it’s only a small percentage of the truly influential people in this world.
From micro to macro, industry leaders to celebrities, and every niche and content type in between – there are so many ways for influencers to work with brands. At Vitamin C, we support the idea that influencers do reach out to brands instead of the other way around. As mentioned in a recent Forbes article, influencer initiated partnerships are much more authentic, as an influencer reaches out to a brand they genuinely already like.
The industry is turning and we think it’s important for influencers to be educated in the space. The list below should help influencers and aspiring influencers to understand the scope and variety of ways they can propose to work with a brand.
The list below details 9 different types of influencer-brand alliances and our favorite #VitaminCApproved examples.
9 Ways for Influencers to work with Brands
1. Independent
You buy and endorse a product on your own accord.
Example: Heather McMahan x Delta
The internet hero we don’t deserve, Heather McMahan. This comedian is brand loyal to companies that don’t sponsor her…. Yet. Her persistence in covering her favorite companies will result in alliances like her recent trip to Old Navy HQ. She’s still waiting on her Delta commercial, but her constant talk about how much she loves Delta and the Delta Sky Club has us influenced and trying to sneak in.
2. In-kind Swap
You receive free products or services in exchange for exposure on your platform.
Example: Leigha Anthony x Banza
This micro foodie influencer received a box full of grain-free Banza and couldn’t wait to cook up something gorgeous and feature them on her feed. In response to the free product, Leigha gladly talked about the brand on her story and grid.
3. Event attendee/association
You attend an event thrown by a brand and get photographed there or post of your at the event.
Example: Revolve
The most lavish example of this would be the brand that rules the influencer marketing space – Revolve. They throw over-the-top influencer trips with all the bells and whistles. This most recent social media coverage is the Fall 2019 Revolve trip in wine country. About 50 lifestyles and fashion influencers spent a weekend in Napa, California. With such an Instagrammable setting and that many content creators, the social media coverage was overwhelming.
4. Sponsored post/Ad
You get money in exchange for agreed-upon deliverables and content on behalf of a brand.
Example: Hannah Bronfman x Listerine
This is the type of partnership most think of when they hear brand partnerships. This is also the type of influencer/brand alliance that’s becoming less and less effective, as it is more of a billboard ad than an authentic partnership. For brand exposure, these paid posts could be the solution, but we believe there are more organic and authentic ways on this list to monetize your platform. Hannah here is working with Listerine, yet really listens to the feedback of her audience to provides a knowledgable recommendation for Listerine Naturals.
5. Long Term Partnership
You agree to work with a brand on a long-term basis with multiple requirements of involvement or exposure.
Example: Jessie Delowe x Perfect Bar
Jessie mentioned a few months ago that she entered a 12-month long partnership with Perfect Bar. So far we’ve seen many recipes, pictures, and giveaways on her platform. Vitamin C applauds this type of merger because long-term, aligned partnerships are the best for all parties involved.
6. Product Collaboration
You and a brand create a product in conjunction with each other.
Claudia Sulewski x Nordstrom
Claudia has blown up recently and it’s been fun to watch her launch a Nordstrom BP clothing line she created with her personal style and audience in mind. We love a full-on collab such as this line because a brand and influencer can bring together their expertise and resources to create something special.
7. Expert for Hire
A brand hires you for a specific skill or offering.
Example: Melissa Wood Health x Tory Burch
Melissa Wood – Tepperberg has recently been working with Tory Sport, the athletic line for Tory Burch. She has been teaching yoga/pilates classes in their stores in NYC.
8. Creatively Consult
A brand pulls you in for creative input because they enjoy your creative eye or your specific content style.
Olivia V Lopez x Rose Inc
We love bringing in a content creator for creative consulting. In this case, Olivia helped Rose Inc. create content and was featured on their media source. The aesthetic eye and talent it takes to create a branded feed with a large following is qualification enough to pull them in on a campaign or project.
9. Expert Opinion Consult
A brand pulls you in because of your expert opinion in a specific area while developing a product, service, or campaign.
Katie Jane Hughes X Glossier
Expert Katie Jane Hughes is brought in for her expertise in makeup development at Glossier. This awesome way of collaborating merges the two audiences and instills trust on both sides. For example, we buy anything that Katie suggests.
These are the 9 ways influencers can work with brands. As influencer careers evolve and brands adapt, we’re sure we’ll see more iterations of collaboration types.
Did we miss any? Let us know below!
All pictures from Instagram are linked. The featured image of this post features Olivia V Lopez’s content and Devin Brugman.
