Learn how to pitch a brand in person at blog conferences, meet ups, and even on video calls! Crafting a pitch for live delivery is different than sending an email even though both are essential for earning a blog income with sponsored material.
Are you terrified to pitch a brand in person? What about via email? Partner pitching is something I learned about a year into my sales career nearly 2 decades ago. It’s crafting an introduction that allows you to clearly identify the best partner.
And that’s a great thing, especially when there are so many bloggers pitching brands. That said, there’s definitely enough to go around, but let’s look how you can improve your pitches.
Why Do You Need A Pitch?
Do you know why they call a short pitch an elevator pitch? An average elevator ride is less than 2 minutes. Well, we don’t really have 2 minutes – you actually only have 20- to 30-seconds to make an impact!
That’s right: 20- to 30-SECONDS.
There are two types of pitches: email/letters and in-person (there are a couple more, but I doubt you’re cold-calling brands). I offer a package for blog conference preparation to help bloggers with how to pitch a brand in person. I have also created a resource for those contacting brands via email or social media. If you’re here for a pitch letter, see the green box below or scroll down to the bottom for the popular Pitching Perfection.
In this article, we’re going to learn how to pitch a brand in person by breaking down sticky pitches. Your goal with your pitch at a conference or meet-up isn’t to pitch, it’s to find the RIGHT conversation.
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How to Pitch a Brand In Person: It’s 99% Preparation
Before we get to crafting your sticky elevator pitch, what is your goal? That’s right – it’s to find the RIGHT conversation. Is there a meet-and-greet with brands or do you have the fun and stress-inducing opportunity, “Speed Pitching?” I know it might be a bit scary, but if you get the opportunity to speed pitch: TAKE IT!
Your goal is to make sure you deliver enough information to find the right match. Repetition helps things sink in… 🙂
Let’s learn how to pitch a brand in person by naming, defining, and closing an introduction.
Name Your Pitch
I know it sounds silly but hear me out: name your pitch. If you have a fashion blog, DON’T SAY, “I have a fashion blog.” No brand cares about that. They care about your audience, so deliver something that defines an attribute of it.
When you do this, you’ll actually accomplish a few things:
- Help you define your branding, potential partners, and a concise pitch.
- Keep your pitch less than about 75 words (this is important)!
- You will clearly communicate your brand, strengths, and audience attributes.
Using the fashion blog as an example, name your pitch like “X Blog, a community for fashionable, frugal moms.” You’re telling someone about your audience in the very first line. If the brand caters to a dual-income, no kids audience, they can quickly spare you from finishing the rest of your pitch and wasting your precious meet-and-greet time.
Define Your Pitch
If you make it past the first line, this next part is critical. Share the three most important aspects of you or your brand – your unique selling position or that which you can offer that others don’t. Using the fashion blog example, we could have:
- a fashion-design degree,
- high-end fashion looks for less, and
- tutorials to make non-sewers into frugal fashionistas.
Close Your Pitch
In the last portion (which you can choose to deliver or wait until the recipient shows interest), you will close the pitch or offer WHY you’d be pitching them in the first place. For instance, you could:
- offer your business card or handout,
- ask for a collaboration or how one would work with the brand, or
- ask for a connection via email or LinkedIn to foster a relationship.
Keep in mind you could close your pitch with an example of what you’ve done working with a brand. Always, always, always sell it from the brand’s perspective. Were you able to generate a 50% click-through rate for the brand? Were you able to direct 200 readers to sign up for a subscription box, yielding $5,000 in sales during a campaign?
Your Final Pitch (an Example)
I’m Sarah and I manage FabFashion, a popular site for frugal, fashionable moms. With my design background and eye for trends, I create high-end looks for less and provide tutorials, detailing exactly how to create the styles. My audience generated more than 400 sales with my last fabric partner and I really think my readers would love your frugal fabric line!
Talking slower than I normally do, that took about 20 seconds. Obviously, you will be watching for cues and ask a question at the end to foster communication, but this is a solid partner pitch. The only thing missing: a bit of personality. Left out on purpose for this example, be sure to include a bit of yourself in your pitch.
Summary
Learning how to pitch a brand in person will pay off when you attend conferences or meet-ups, but will also help you craft pitch letters you send via email. Please share this to Pinterest on your favorite blogging group board! #elevateeveryone
Mentioned above, if you’re seeking how to create a pitch letter to send to brands, I created Pitching Perfection: A Blogger’s Guide to Crafting a Winning Pitch and Earning an Income. It helps you win pitches and streamline communications. It includes:
- Pitch Letter Templates
- Media Kit and Proposal Tips
- Communication Templates (Including Negotiating Rates)
- Reporting Guidelines (and bonuses like How to Report On An Underperforming Campaign)!
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