How to Pitch Yourself for Social Takeovers
It’s no secret that taking over a brand’s Instagram account can bring new eyes to your profile. Takeovers are fun, relatively simple to produce on your own, and can be really helpful in growing your following. But how do you pitch brands for Instagram takeovers? How do you get them to notice you out of the dozens — if not hundreds — of other creators who want to produce the same kind of content as you? Here’s a quick and easy step-by-step guide for pitching all your favorite brands, regardless of what niche your content lives in.
Step 1: Actually Like the Brand
I know, this sounds obvious. But as someone who regularly works with brands and publishers, I’ve seen first-hand how thirsty (for lack of a better word) creators approach brands they don’t genuinely love just for the chance to be featured on the brand’s profile. Why would you want to be posted on a brand account if you don’t actually use their products or resonate with their ethos? If you end up taking over their Instagram story, it’ll be clear to their dedicated audience that you’re not a real fan of the brand. Hone in on the brands that you really love, the ones you organically support with your money and platform, and focus on those. Everything else is fluff.
Step 2: Engage With the Brand
Don’t just engage with them on social, but buy the product and support them IRL. The way for brands to see that you love them — without the incentive of social features or gifted product — is for you to actually buy the products, use them, and organically care enough to talk about them. Feature the products in your flatlays, film a review for your YouTube channel, post a try-on haul on TikTok, go to their pop-up in your city… Show the brand that you actually like them and want to establish a relationship with them. (Trust me, the people who run the social accounts take notice, even if they don’t follow you back!)
From there, make sure you’re tagging the brand whenever you use their products, and if you know who the founders are, tag them, too. Though founders don’t typically run the brand accounts, they keep an eye out for talent to pass along to their social team for feature consideration. Comment on their posts, offer feedback when they ask for it, and generally show that you’re a dedicated follower who cares about how the brand progresses. This is especially important when the brand is in its early stages, but you can become a loyal follower at any time.
Step 3: Work for the Repost
Another reason why you should actually like the brands you want to work with is because you’ll have a better idea of their aesthetic. When you create content featuring the brand and its products, try to edit and style it similarly to how they style the photos they normally post on their feed. That will make your content stand out from the others that tag the brand, and they’ll be more likely to repost to their feed or stories — or at the very least, it will grab their attention so they’re more inclined to work with you in the future. After you’ve been reposted a couple times, you’ll develop a relationship with their social media team and can reach out to them with asks to work together in a more official capacity.
Step 4: Ask for the Takeover
Brands don’t always ask creators to take over their stories; rather, the creators ask the brands if they need content created for stories. Many brands create content in-house, but few brands will say no to more content. If they’ve seen your work and know how much you love their products, they can trust that you’ll speak to the benefits of their line in a genuine way and can authentically connect with their audience.
After you have created the content to their specifications and turned it in on time (that part is super important!), other brands will take notice of your work and growing portfolio. I’ve always believed that consistent work breeds opportunity, so once you get your first takeover, there’s no stopping you.
Any questions? Drop them in the comments below!
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