On the Scene
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Blush and Sparkle Presents
Breaking Barriers
The Robey Hotel
April 6th, 2019
Chicago, IL
Story & Photos by Ksenia Poulber
Set in the beautiful Robey Hotel, the Blush and Sparkle event brought together Influencers and brands under one roof to foster the connection between the two. The event was hosted by Parmita Katkar, photographer and host of Youtube channel “Blush With Me,” and Marii Lang, the founder and CCO of the handcrafted makeup brush cleanser Swirl and Sparkle.
The space in which the Influencer exists is a relatively new phenomenon. The rise of the Influencer as the new marketing professional has changed the marketing process entirely but the rules are still unclear; both brands and Influencers are working out the process as they go along. Parmita, who has grown her Youtube following to an impressive 650,000 people over the period of two years, says at first she really struggled when it came to working with brands and had to figure it out by trial and error. She organized this event to share what she has learned over the years. Blush and Sparkle brought together a small but mighty panel of other women to shine a light on the mysterious process of the Brand-Influencer collaboration.
Key takeaways from the panel:
1. Find the right email. Denise Kokinis, curvy fashion and style blogger with an Instagram following of 191K, says for her, LinkedIn has been one of the best platforms to find marketing contacts for a brand -- but she does not shy away from Facebook and other social platforms to “stalk” the brand to find the right email.
2. Send an engaging email. When it comes to sending an email, the subject line is one of the most important parts of the puzzle because it determines whether or not your email will be opened. All panelists agreed that you should never start your email with “Hey.” Instead, start your email with “Good Afternoon” or “Happy (insert day of the week here).” The email should only be 2-3 paragraphs long and should focus on the things you can do for the brand.
Use a Media Kit to talk about yourself. What you, as an Influencer, have done so far is pretty awesome, but the best place to talk about yourself is not in the body of the email. Parmita says a Media Kit has done wonders for her. A Media Kit is a separate document that is both creative and informative that you can attach to your email. It allows the brand to see all of your stats and achievements in one place without taking up precious space in the body of the email.
Follow up. Follow up until you get an answer. Keep in mind that the person you are trying to reach may have hundreds of emails flowing into their mailbox daily. If you didn’t get a response the first time, don’t take it personally. It may feel uncomfortable to keep writing back, but this is what actually makes you stand out from the other Influencers. Be persistent.
Ask for more. When negotiating a price for your collaboration, ask for more than you may feel comfortable with. More often than not, the brand will want to negotiate the price of your services. If you start with a higher price, you will have room to come down, and will end up with the rate you wanted initially.
start your email with “Hey.” Instead, start your email with “Good Afternoon” or “Happy (insert day of the week here).” The email should only be 2-3 paragraphs long and should focus on the things you can do for the brand.
3. Use a Media Kit to talk about yourself. What you, as an Influencer, have done so far is pretty awesome, but the best place to talk about yourself is not in the body of the email. Parmita says a Media Kit has done wonders for her. A Media Kit is a separate document that is both creative and informative that you can attach to your email. It allows the brand to see all of your stats and achievements in one place without taking up precious space in the body of the email.
4. Follow up. Follow up until you get an answer. Keep in mind that the person you are trying to reach may have hundreds of emails flowing into their mailbox daily. If you didn’t get a response the first time, don’t take it personally. It may feel uncomfortable to keep writing back, but this is what actually makes you stand out from the other Influencers. Be persistent.
5. Ask for more. When negotiating a price for your collaboration, ask for more than you may feel comfortable with. More often than not, the brand will want to negotiate the price of your services. If you start with a higher price, you will have room to come down, and will end up with the rate you wanted initially.