Once upon a time, well actually three months ago but who’s counting, I walked you through how to professionally DM someone you’d like to connect with. Now, here’s the long-awaited part two where we’ll dive into what to say when reaching out to a company or brand.
How to pitch yourself to a brand
If you or a company wants to pitch another brand to be featured as an influencer on their socials or have their product sold on the brand’s website, this is for you. Not only do you have to have your business fleshed out, but you’ll need a media kit, a killer email template, and more. Best piece of advice I could give is to tell them why you should be featured or included. Include important numbers, stores your product is in, how many followers you have, etc. Content Creator/Influencer Haley Iver has a step-by-step guide on how to pitch yourself to a brand that focuses on influencer pitching but can be altered to fit a company or brand.
How to pitch yourself to a publication
You wouldn’t DM Vogue asking to be on their cover, would you? I don’t know how many times I’ve been on PATTERN’s Instagram DMs and have read messages like “How can I be on the cover of your magazine?” or “How can I get a write up done on me?” I’m going to let you in on a little industry secret on how we choose our cover. Sometimes we choose the subject and then build a shoot around them, sometimes we come up with a concept and choose a photographer to shoot it (they then book their own talent), and sometimes we select an image from an already submitted shoot for the cover. If you want to be on the cover, you need to hone in on your craft. Practice your modeling poses/makeup skills/hair styles/photography skills, whatever you bring to the table. See who has done work for that publication before and reach out to them if you can shadow them on a project or have a shoot with them and pick their brains about their experience.
Now if you want to be featured in a digital or print publication, you can’t just simply ask “How can I be featured?” Tell them your name, your business or what you bring to the table. I know it sounds crazy, but tell them WHY you want to be featured. I personally would never DM someone asking to be featured. I would find an email (crazy, I know!). Check on their Instagram bio for an email or their website. If you simply can’t find an editor or content manager’s email, then DM the company or writer with a short pitch and ask them for an email.
*Pro Tip: If you know the name of an editor and where they work but don’t know their email, Google “(company) email format” and click on a website called rocketreach.co. Ed2010 also has a great publication email format resource.
Not every direct message has to be perfectly crafted, but remember social media is another form of networking and a potential portfolio for a future boss. When interacting with brands and industry professionals, keep is simple, compliment them, and email when necessary.
