It’s been about 4 years since I started my blog, Surgery And The City. Even without hundreds of thousands of social followers, I have been able to secure lucrative deals with the brands of my dreams. I’m talking Target, Nordstrom, Brahmin, Lord & Taylor, Vicks & CVS Pharmacy, and so many more. I do not have external representation or anyone helping me broker partnerships. Just me and God. Of that I am so proud. As someone who has a more moderately sized social media following, I am often asked (and I ask myself!) how brands are able to find me. It really does come down to taking steps that make my brand more visible online. There are some strategies I’ve learned over the past few years that have absolutely enhanced my brand visibility and improved the performance of my business. Today I’m sharing them with all of you. Keep reading for a little more insight into my brand marketing strategy.
WEEKLY BRAND PITCHES
This month in particular has been truly amazing. Pretty much all of my partnerships have been incoming as opposed to me having to reach out to brands. That is the most ideal situation and something I do not take for granted as a microinfluencer. Still, I do my due diligence to tell brands about SAC by sending out weekly pitch emails. I use LinkedIn and Google to find correct email contacts (search influencer marketing coordinator for_____) and let them know I would like to collaborate. It usually takes a few emails before I hear back (these brands get so many messages per day), but I am the Queen of following up. Pro-tip: do not send an attachment with your first email. Wait until you get a response. So many in the fashion industry especially do not open emails with attachments for fear of phishing scams. Have all of your social media and webpage info linked in your email and add attachments (media kit, rate sheet) once the conversation continues. Pitching yourself is essential to getting your brand out there. And if you do it enough and produce great work, the brands will start to come to you.
shop.LTK APP
Shameless plug: are you following me there? It’s so important to diversify your content platforms and your streams of income. With this app, I can gain more eyes on my content AND get affiliate commissions anytime someone makes a purchase from my page. Thank you all so SO much for using my links! Helps my business greatly! Through this app, influencers can also interact with brands and be considered for deals and partnerships. Shop.LTK is multifunctional and has definitely helped my business grow. If your brand consists of anything you can find links for and share with your audience (fashion, home furnishings, etc), I highly recommend applying to be a content creator on this app.
TAILWIND
Like I said, diversify your content platforms. I know Instagram is the more popular social media platform at the current time, BUT don’t sleep on Pinterest. So many go to Pinterest for inspiration in all forms. You can create various inspo boards based on whatever ideas you’re looking for. I link my shop.LTK posts there to lead people back to my page and ultimately gain more opportunity for commissions. I link my blog posts there to lead people back to my website so they can read the blog and sign up for my newsletter. Pinterest is an incredible way to gain a new audience and direct them to your webpage and other platforms that impact your streams of income. Adding Tailwind on top of that is a win win! The Tailwind platform allows you to schedule your Pinterest posts in a manner that keeps them cycling. You schedule your pins and Tailwind will post them methodically to get you the most views. There is a free option, but I pay for the subscription that allows 100 scheduled posts per month. This is not a strategy where you directly see and appreciate the results, but know it’s working in the background to gain your business more traction.
ONLINE NEWSLETTER
One word: Flodesk. This platform has changed the game when it comes to email newsletters. Always remember social media platforms can shut down or malfunction at any time. Having another way to maintain contact with your audience is a must. With Flodesk, you can add a pop up subscription form to your website. That way, people viewing your site are prompted to subscribe to your newsletter and further connect with you off social media. Through Flodesk, you can also send out your newsletters. There are so many ways to customize them. As you all know, I send out my newsletter on a monthly basis. The pop up prompt has grown my email list exponentially. Highly recommend.
Y’all, this is a MUST. Again, always have your own. The content you post on social media is completely at the disposal of that platform. It is so important to have a website you own and control. And don’t just let it sit there. Post there consistently. Update it often. I feel completely out of whack if I go more than 2 weeks without a new blog post on Surgery And The City. Pay just as much attention to your own platform as you do to others…if not more. Social media is a wonderful (and free!) way to advertise your brand online and then direct people back to your website with a specific action in mind. My goal is to lead people to my website so they can know more of my personal branding story, ascertain how to tread the non-traditional med student path, gain industry tips for blogging from the perspective of a microinfluencer, AND use my affiliate links. Post on your webpage and post consistently. Do not ghost your audience. They want to hear from you! And when you show you are capable of posting consistently (on social and your website) while maintaining an engaged audience, brands will pay you for it.
I hope this helps, y’all! It has truly been amazing to watch my brand grow with these strategies at play. Building something of your own is so so rewarding and I am incredibly grateful for this space. I have some lofty goals I want to accomplish this year and I am believing I will surpass every one. Believing you will too! I am off to my night shift. Until next time.
xx,
Photos by Sweetie Mensah
Preset by Tina Smith
Congratulations! Continued success!
Author
Yay!! Thanks so much for all your support M!!