3 Things Bloggers are Looking for from Brands

Brand collaborations and partnerships are all part and parcel of being a committed blogger - but there's no reason why blogger outreach should be scary or confusing.

Instead, blogger outreach provides a valuable service for brands, bloggers, and consumers alike, providing a relevant and relatable promotional platform for a wide range of products, services, and organisations. However, as every brand collaboration is different, it can be difficult to know where to start.

There are plenty of resources and tools out there to help budding bloggers and brands just starting to branch out into blogger outreach and influencer marketing, but I've compiled my own experiences to outline three things that many bloggers will be looking for from a brand partnership.

1. Efficiency

Efficiency is key in the world of business - and this is no different in the blogosphere. Nowadays, the top bloggers use their platforms as a full-time job and a primary source of income, so if you are a brand looking to work with these influencers, you should be prepared to consider outreach a business transaction. However, even the smaller hobbyist bloggers deserve a timely response and a courteous manner - it's only fair, after all. Make sure that you're quick to reply and speedy at paying invoices and bloggers are sure to thank you!

2. Fairness

Nobody wants to see their hard work go to waste. When a blogger has spent countless hours and plenty of blood, sweat and tears painstakingly building up their blog and their personal brand, the last thing they want is to be insulted or ghosted by a brand for asking for a fair price for their work. Flexibility is important and you should never expect a blogger or influencer to work for free. This is a big problem prevalent in blogger outreach that really needs to be addressed in order to ensure that partnerships remain beneficial to everyone involved. Note to brands: discounts off your products or services are NOT fair compensation for bloggers to promote your business!

3. Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness and flexibility are important attributes in the world of business, yet when it comes to blogger outreach, they are essential. Most bloggers are creative individuals who enjoy finding fun new ways to promote products, services, and brands that matter to them - and as such, creativity is important for ensuring that blogger outreach remains fresh. Similarly, one blogger's idea of the perfect brand collaboration may not necessarily fit with another blogger's creative ideas. Every blogger is different, and brands should be welcoming this diversity and creative freedom as an untapped pool of marketing talent.

Of course, every blogger is different and we all have different relationships with brands. For that reason, other bloggers might have an alternative set of criteria to tick off when they are looking to start a partnership with a brand. These are simply three of the most important factors that I value in the brands I work with.

Are you a blogger? What do you look for when working with a brand? Share your thoughts in the comments below!