How Brands And Bloggers Can Make The Most Of Working Together

*This is a collaborative post, but all thoughts on how brands and bloggers can work together are my own

There are so many ways brands and bloggers can work together. But sometimes I find unless you know a lot about the outreach or blogger industries and ways of working relationships can be tough. I’ve been blogging for around 6-7 years now, and have also done outreach both freelance and within full-time roles. So I can see both sides of the industry- although I have way more experience as a blogger.

The relationship between brands and bloggers can be truly great if you’re both on the same wavelength and communicate well. I have a selection of brands that I work with often and I genuinely enjoy speaking to them and coming up with content ideas. But I also appreciate them as people as well. Here are some tips on how to work together and how to make the best out of collaborations.

Tips on how brands can work with lifestyle bloggers

If you’re a brand and want to work with lifestyle bloggers there are quite a few things to take into consideration. Remember that bloggers firstly write because they’re passionate about writing or telling a story. But also remember that most of them do it as a business. And if you want to work with a professional and get good results you need to pay for it. Content creators still need to pay their bills and put food on the table.

Here are some of my top tips for brands:

• Give as much information about a collaboration upfront so bloggers can make a decision if it’s right for them
• Be straight about your budget (or lack of) so you don’t waste either of yours time
• Be responsive after work is completed. Regularly I’ll see bloggers complain that a brand were super responsive before the work is done but after it’s complete it’s radio silent. Make sure you respond even if it’s just with a thanks. Then give them information on how/ when payment will be made.
• Remember bloggers are as busy as you. A lot of bloggers also work full-time, or they’re a parent, or they also do other freelance work. While it’s okay to chase an email don’t do it after a single day.

How brands and bloggers can get the best out of collaborations

There are loads of ways brands and bloggers can get the best out of working together and Get Blogged blogger outreach can help. They have a marketplace where you can instantly put out a request and be put in contact with bloggers from all around the world to help with your campaign. You can be very specific with your needs for DA requirements, niches and so much more. And looking for very specific bloggers can mean the content is super relevant to their audience, but also your requirements as a brand.

I’ve worked with Get Blogged a number of times as a blogger (including on this post) and you always know what you’re getting. The expectations are clearly marked out, the budget is always given upfront and the process is smooth. So I’d expect the same from a brands perspective too.

Top tips for bloggers looking to work with brands

Thankfully when I’ve done outreach I’ve generally had a very good experience with bloggers, but you get a few which can sadly give the industry a bad name. Here are some tips for bloggers on how to work better with brands:

• Only apply if you meet the criteria required. If a brand wants a specific DA or niche don’t apply if you don’t fit that even if you’re close. These requirements aren usually there for a reason.
• Check your DA before applying. We all know how quickly Moz can update DA’s so do a quick check before applying for things. The number of people I’d get apply with old DA’s and when I questioned it they’d say “Yeah it dropped recently, but it was that not long ago”. The past doesn’t matter, it’s how your blog is seen now that matters.
• Be responsive with brands. Much like brands, bloggers also need to be responsive. We’re all busy and know some emails can’t be responded to within 24 hours, but make sure you reply within 3-4 days where you can.
• Check if you’ve worked with the PR before and if you have call it out. Some PR’s or brands will work with bloggers again, but many will only work with a blogger once on a campaign. So be upfront if you know you’ve worked together before, or check if you have beforehand.

Some of my favourite lifestyle bloggers

There are loads of bloggers around now and many of them have been part of the scene for a long time. Some of my favourites include:

• The Anna Edit- Anna covers a whole range of stuff. But I am a huge fan of her home, interiors and organising content
• Zoe London- I’ve been following Zoe for years and years. I’m a fan of her home/decorating content (can you spot a theme here?!) but also her music and festival content.
• Vix Meldrew- Over the recent years Vix has done a lot more blogger/ creator content and I love it.
• Zoey Olivia- I love Zoey’s honesty and how she shares some pretty tough topics such as her endometriosis, and IVF treatment. Plus I went to primary school with Zoey so it feels a bit closer to home reading her content.
• A Beautiful Mess- I love seeing all their projects and DIY’s. It always inspires me to try and do more things myself at home.

Do you have any tips for brands and bloggers to work together?

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