BBP 112: From Pitch to Partnership: Mastering the Value Exchange with Daniella Schoeman
Shownotes:
In this episode of the Blogger Breakthrough Summit podcast, Daniella from Wildly Successful Travelpreneurs, shares four common mistakes travel bloggers make when pitching to brands. Emphasizing the importance of keeping pitches short, delaying negotiations, aligning pitches with brand needs, and waiting for brands to request media kits. Start listening to turn those pitches into successful collaborations!
About Daniella
My travel content has been published in numerous publications such as Culture Trip, DRIFT Travel Magazine, Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, Beau Monde Traveler, and more. To date, I have landed over $100 000 worth of travel sponsorships in the form of hotel/resort accommodation, flights, cruises, spa treatments, restaurant meals, tours, attraction passes, and Tourism Board partnerships. Now, I’m on a mission to teach aspiring travelpreneurs how to get published, earn an income from their travel content and land travel sponsorships!
Synopsis
Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s crucial for travel bloggers aspiring to land those dream sponsorships. With insights from Daniella, we’ll explore the four common mistakes travel bloggers make when pitching to brands. Avoiding these pitfalls can significantly increase your chances of securing those coveted partnerships. So, let’s get started and turn those pitches into successful collaborations!
Mistake #1: Your Pitch is Too Long
How do you feel when you receive a lengthy email? Overwhelmed, right? The same goes for brands. When pitching, think of your email as a captivating blurb, not a novel. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. A few sentences should be enough to grab their attention and leave them wanting more.
Mistake #2: Negotiating Right Away
While enthusiasm is great, discussing fees and deliverables too soon can come across as desperate. Your initial pitch should aim to pique their interest. Save the negotiation for later when the brand is already intrigued and eager to know more about working with you.
Mistake #3: Making It All About You
Yes, you’re awesome, but a pitch focused solely on self-praise won’t resonate with brands. Strike a balance by briefly introducing yourself and then shifting the spotlight to the value you can offer them. Align your pitch with their needs and objectives to create a compelling case for collaboration.
Mistake #4: Attaching a Media Kit
Contrary to popular advice, attaching a media kit to your initial pitch can halt the conversation. Without intrigue, there’s no reason for the brand to respond. Instead, wait for the brand to express interest and request your media kit. This approach fosters genuine dialogue and increases the likelihood of a reply.
The Right Mindset for Pitching
Remember, you’re offering a value exchange, not asking for something free. Approach your pitch with this mindset to avoid being ignored. The goal of your initial pitch is to get a response, not to seal the deal. Make it easy for brands to see the benefits of collaborating with you.
Bottom Line
By avoiding these common pitching mistakes and tailoring your approach to each brand, you’ll increase your chances of landing those coveted sponsorships. Remember, keep your pitches short, sweet, and value-packed. With the right mindset and strategy, you’ll be well on your way to successful collaborations.
Related Content
- BBP 087: How to Find the Right Contact for Sponsor Pitches with Kelan Kline
- BBP 028: How to Get Started with Sponsored Content
Transcript
[00:00:00].00] – Liz Stapleton
Welcome back to the Blogger Breakthrough Summit podcast. I’m your host, Liz Stapleton. And today, with the help of Daniella, we’re diving into the four common mistakes travel bloggers make when pitching. Mistakes that might just be sabotaging your chances of landing those dream sponsorships.
[00:00:20].11] – Daniella
Now, let’s talk about the four common mistakes in pitching that many travel bloggers make. Mistake number one, your pitch is too long. Think about it. How How do you feel if you receive a lengthy email? It feels like reading a novel. It’s overwhelming, right? You lose concentration, your attention begins to waive up. Keep that in mind when you’re writing your pitch, too. The shorter is sweeter when it comes to pitching. Treat your pitch like a captivating blurb, not a 10-page essay. Within just a few sentences, you should be able to grab their attention and leave them wanting to know more. Mistake number two, you start negotiating right away. While enthusiasm is essential, revealing all your cards in your initial pitch may not be the best approach. It usually isn’t. Discussing fees, assets, and deliverables too soon can come across as desperate. Your goal is to pique their interest and create a desire to learn more about working with you. So leave negotiation discussions for a later stage, please. Mistake number three. It’s all about you. I know you’re awesome and you should definitely be proud of your achievements, but a pitch focused solely on self-praise will definitely not resonate with brands.
[00:01:39].11] – Daniella
You need to strike a balance by providing a brief introduction about yourself, but keep the spotlight on conveying the value that you can offer them. So you need to line your pitch with their needs and their objectives. Mistake number four, you attach a media kit. I know that other coaches tend to advise that you attach your media kit, but I don’t suggest that you do that. And here’s why. While media kits are valuable assets, attaching one to your pitch can stop the conversation in its tracks. Think about it. If you give the brand all the information, there’s no intrigue. And in my experience, it prevents brands from replying more often than not. What you should do instead is wait for the brand to express interest and request your media kit. This approach increases the likelihood of a reply and opens up a genuine dialog about potential collaborations. So by avoiding these common pitfalls and tailoring your pitches to each brand, you increase your chances of landing those coveted sponsorship. When it comes to pitching, you really need to approach it from the right mindset. Remember that if you’re doing this correctly, you’re not asking for something free.
[00:02:52].18] – Daniella
Get that out of your head. You are offering a value exchange. Collaboration is beneficial for both parties. When writing a pitch, you don’t ask for something, especially not in the first one. That’s how you make sure that your emails get ignored or deleted, and that’s not what we want. Instead, you’re offering something. It’s easy to ignore a creator that is asking for something right off the bat. It’s much harder to ignore a creator who’s offering something. And that’s why it’s really important that you include the right information in your initial pitch, and that’s what we’re going to get to soon. Finally, I want you to understand that the one and only goal of your initial pitch is to get a response. We’re not negotiating, we’re not signing a deal, we’re not getting the contracts ready. You want the brand to open up your email, read it, and then respond to you.
[00:03:48].05] – Liz Stapleton
All right, folks, that’s a wrap for today’s episode. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to landing those coveted Sponsorships. Thanks for tuning in to the Blogger Breakthrough Summit podcast. Be sure to join us next week to learn about mastering the Pomodoro technique and in the meantime, keep those pitches short, sweet, and value-packed.
