I am in the unique position of having first, a brand, and then a blog. cuteheads, from which this blog was borne, is my baby. This blog is a complement to the brand, and it is growing on its own in very cool ways that I didn’t anticipate. I’ve always had a blog embedded within my site using Shopify’s blogging tool, but it has very few  customization options and I knew I’d outgrown it so I switched to WordPress. I mainly started “the cuteness” as a place where I could host my collaborations with brands and bloggers, and it’s already become so much more. I love to write and have always had a passion for it, so this gives me a creative outlet I wouldn’t otherwise have.

A few weeks ago, I read a post by a blogger disappointed in a brand that had reached out to her for collaboration. She talked in detail about what went wrong, and I felt for her. It’s a tricky relationship, the brand/blogger one. It’s a bit like the Wild Wild West out there, there’s no one way to do something, and it’s easy to get taken advantage of (on either side!). I come at it with a bit of a different perspective, because I’ve actually been on both sides, working with brands as a blogger and working with bloggers as a brand. And as a brand, I too have been burned by bloggers who promised things and didn’t deliver. After years of working on these partnerships, I’ve got a formula that seems to work for me, guidelines that I follow, and things I look for when selecting bloggers to work with. Here are seven tips for bloggers when working with brands:

1. Spell the brand name correctly. This seems obvious, but it makes a difference to me when someone writes “cute heads” or “Cute Heads” or “cutie heads” or any other variation on “cuteheads.” I spent a lot of time not only developing the brand, but trademarking it, and it matters to me how it’s written. Anyone can see, perusing cuteheads.com, how it’s spelled, so do a little homework to make sure you’re spelling the brand correctly, as well as the name of the person to whom you’re reaching out.
2. Do your research. Is the product you’re interested in featuring a good fit for your blog? I recently was contacted (multiple times) by a PR firm representing an e-cig company. I finally responded asking if they had even seen what I sell and whether they, in good conscience, could endorse me trying to recommend their products to my customers. They had and could not. 🙂 I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a MUCH bigger brand — a public company, in fact — about teaming up. And although I was flattered, it didn’t seem like a perfect fit for my audience, and I was afraid it wouldn’t ring authentic to my customers. Know yourself and your audience, and be prepared to turn down opportunities that aren’t quite right.
3. Outline, in detail, what your deliverables will be. This is key. Explain in detail what you will be giving the brand through your collaboration. Is it a blog post and 3 social media mentions? No social media mentions? And when do you plan on posting this content? The “when” is very important to me, as my products are seasonal. I’ve been in the sitatuon before when I’ve given out products only to have the blogger post about them months later when they’re already sold out. In one instance, she never posted at all. The boring details of these collaborations is extremely critical to brands, and when you outline your deliverables and the dates you plan to deliver them on, you’ll look much more professional and appealing to the brand.
4. Boost your pitch with a added value propositions. If you’ve got some extra tricks up your sleeve, boost your pitch with them. Offer to send high res images to the brand from your photoshoot. Offer to do a Periscope video for the brand for a behind-the-scenes about your collab. Those little touches go a long way.
5. Post on time. Or provide updates along the way. If for some reason you won’t be delivering on the date you said you would, let the brand know. There’s no shame in being delayed, it happens to all of us. Just be up front with the person you’re working with and let them know so they too can plan. Plus, the more notice you give the brand and the more time and material you give them to prepare, the more likely they’ll promote you too.
6. Follow through. In the end, it’s all about expectations, and what I’ve learned in business and in personal relationships is that disappointment often comes from unmet expectations that were probably never communicated in the first place. Have contracts – or at the very least, verbal contracts or details hammered out in email – so each party knows where they stand and everyone’s expectations are met.

What are some of your tips for working with brands or bloggers to make sure the partnership goes smoothly?