Today we’ll discuss the different ways of getting a gig from a big brand as an influencer. The good news is that there is no lower limit to start getting gigs as an influencer. Brands will make deals with influencers, not only based on their number of followers but the type of content and other key metrics.
There is of course a general rule: the bigger the account you have, the easier it will be to negotiate and gets more gigs. With TikTok, 100K followers is a good starting point to get a great gig with well-known companies.
There are actually 3 options here… Let’s dive right in and discuss the process.
Options to get gigs
- Direct messaging
- Using a platform
- Using an agency or an agent
1. Direct message
This is pretty self-explanatory. You DM companies that you know (or have tested their products) and tell them you can promote their services or brand on your channel.
As a best practice, please note that when you contact the company you shouldn’t just cold message them. Don’t just say you want to collaborate and then leave it to that. Instead, be creative, try to hook them with an angle. Tell them more about the type of content you make, and how it benefits them (and will help them reach more clients). The key takeaway here is to explain why you want to work with a particular company. Let them know you are using their product and enjoying it, and you can promote it as a power user.
To conclude, focus on this when you are reaching out to companies:
- The why
- The how
And if you want to take it a step further why not even create a video in advance!
This is not a sure-fire recipe but it will definitely improve the odds of getting the gig.
2. Using a platform
There are a plethora of influencers platforms out there. If you do a quick Google search for “influencer platform” you’ll get at least 10 big ones.
Tribe is a platform that you need to get your head around. It has a TikTok dedicated section and it’s a little bit different from the others in this space. After creating an account you can see which brands need help and you can create a clip and send it for approval. Of course, other influencers will also send their clips, so it’s an auction. The companies see all of the submitted clips and choose one that they like best.
Other platforms to register to:
- Upfluence Inc.
- SugarFree
- Viral Nation
- Obviously
- Socially Powerful
Remember that this is a numbers game, so it’s best practice to register to as many platforms as possible. Start accounts with all of the large ones and get busy creating content. It may take a while to get noticed but after you land a couple of gigs, you gain traction and start earning big money.
One perk of being an influencer and creating promotional clips is that you get a ton of free stuff! From hotel stays to beverages, electronics… I’ve seen it all!
3. Using an agency
This is a good fit only for the big influencers! Agencies will take a big cut of the profits of course, but they also do a large chunk of the effort (needed to land the gigs in the first place).
So it’s really worth it to have someone deal with the payment and negotiations… This gives you extra time to focus on creating better content! Agents usually charge anywhere between 10% to 25% of the profit.
To get started you can try Fanbytes – it’s the world’s largest TikTok influencer platform. It’s really popular, and they can get you in touch with Warner, Atlantic, Universal, and the likes.
To conclude
So there you go – you now know how to get gigs as an influencer.
You know how to approach brands via DM and also what platforms to use to reach out to companies that run promotional campaigns on TikTok.
The next step?
Start prospecting!
