With most work and social interaction moving online, content creatives have an unprecedented opportunity to be heros that help stimulate the economy. Here is a step-by-step guide to pitching brands and taking initiative in the fight against COVID-19.
Brainstorm
Brands. Make a list of brands that match your own personal niche or brand. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Face masks
- At home spa items
- Board games
- Yard work items
- At home workout programs and equipment
- Alcohol brands/products
- Food delivery services
Relevant Content & Messaging. Once you have chosen your top brands, the next step is to brainstorm relevant content and messaging for your pitch. Because we already have our topic for the pitch (COVID-19), go a step further to think about how Coronavirus is affecting your chosen brand specifically. How can you assist the brand in reducing panic and educating people? Can the messaging/content you are proposing be delivered by any brand, or is it unique to your chosen brand?
Think about how the content & messaging can benefit the brand during this economic downturn. Here are some brand messaging topics related to COVID-19:
- Social distancing
- Sanitary practices
- meditation
- Staying indoors
- Working out
- Virtual gatherings
- Working from home
The Pitch
Step 1: Catch the Brand’s Eye
Brands get tons of emails/DMs every single day. Catch the eyes of their representatives by developing a clear and concise subject line, and first sentence.
Subject line. Summarize the content of your pitch in 8-15 words MAX. Anything longer will be overwhelming to the eye or unable to be read in its entirety as a preview in their inbox.
First Sentence. The first sentence of an email serves as preview text for the rest of the body of the pitch. It serves to build on the info in the subject line, and ultimately, get the brand representatives to open your pitch! In the first sentence, you may want to comment/compliment on a brand’s latest product or campaign to let them know you are an authentic advocate and follower of the brand.
Best Practice: Follow the brand on social media for additional visibility before pitching.
Step 2: Pitch Content
Give the brand one brief example of content you want to produce for them. You can focus on ideating content that incorporates a brand’s product or service while staying indoors and practicing social distancing. Here are a few examples:
- At home workouts
- DIY nail routine
- Ways to spend time with family and friends
- Cooking/recipe creation
- Skincare routine
- Mental health exercises
Make sure you briefly describe the content, where it will be featured, and the type of media:
I propose to feature Burt’s Bees newest face wash in a #StayWoke skincare routine, where I remind people to 1) maintain good hygiene and 2) treat your skin kindly. I will do this via 1 static post and 2 Instagram Stories, detailing my step-by-step process with the face wash, while discussing the harsh effects that other cleansers can have on the skin.
Best Practice: Be sure to explain how your content ideation aligns with your lifestyle or community to reinforce to the brand that you are a perfect partnership fit.
Step 3: Sell Yourself
Even if you don’t feel confident about your follower count, you can flaunt your creativity and drop a line about your skills in photography, editing, videography, or copyediting, and position yourself as an industry expert in your field. Refer to your brainstorming sesh, and let the brand know that you have similar audience demographics. Above all, let them know that you care about the COVID-19 initiative you are proposing.
Use the following template to put all three steps together:
Hey Jackbox.tv,
I absolutely adore your Quiplash game, it is one of my favorites to play at home with my friends!
I would love to create some content that features your Quiplash game to exemplify proper social distancing practices while entertaining my audience with the goofy responses of my friends. I would highlight the witty answers and interactive voting features of the game with my 10K+ followers by posting an Instagram live, 1 static post and 2 stories.
I know my audience, which is primarily gamers, will love to see how this game works, and will want to play with their friends while staying healthy and safe! Plus, the light hearted nature of the content will aid in easing anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 virus.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Stanley
Use Your Voice
Anyone can utilize the 3 step guide above, but not everyone has your voice. Your voice is unique to you, and can be leveraged to exemplify your individuality and creativity! Once you have received a response from a brand with the template above, don’t be afraid to step outside of the template, experiment with new brand outreach tactics for future opportunities!