Month: September 2023

Whether you’re a seasoned creator or just getting started, partnering with brands is an important step in monetizing your brand. Whether you’re aiming to utilize strategies like product gifting, paid product collaboration, press trips, or giveaways (if you’re not familiar with these, this is a blog for another time), we can help you navigate the negotiation process with brands. 

First, let’s try to cut out a key component of what could be stopping many of us. Human beings are emotional beings. However, emotion has no place in business (unless of course it aids the sale) and certainly not in negotiations. Knowing this, it’s easy to see why both sides at the negotiating table really need instruction. We’re not claiming you’ll be an expert negotiator after this blog (although you may be), but we’ll give a quick rundown on the basics so you can start getting paid for your hard work! 

Here are 8 tips for negotiating brand deal contracts as a creator, because at the end of the day, a solid contract is the roadmap to a lucrative relationship. 

1. Learn the Value of Your Platform

You’re putting yourself at a disadvantage if you begin negotiating without knowing your platform’s value. Analyze your metrics––likes, comments, shares, views, etc. This includes the demographics and size of your audience. Why do you need to know this? Because it’s the first thing the brand you’re negotiating with is going to research. It’s how they will determine what to offer you. You might as well be ahead of them in the game. However, the numbers alone are not the value of your brand. Your unique perspective and voice is an asset that only you bring to the table. Brands are eager to take risks when they see someone interesting. Never be shy about pointing out these qualities when it comes to discussing potential partnerships. 

2. Incorporate Other Platforms

This is simple. The more platforms, the more audience you can reach, the larger the collaboration, the higher the ROI, the higher rate you can ask. For example, if in addition to YouTube and IG you also have a blog, add the blog post to the campaign, as that content will stick around for years, adding long-term value to the brand. 

3. Research Market Rates

It’s a known practice for brands to undercut in offers. But if you don’t know the market rates, how are you supposed to know if you’re getting a fair deal? Familiarize yourself with market rates for creators. Check out the latest posted rates per platform here. This information is key for you to use as a benchmark in your negotiations. 

Note these calculations depend on a few factors:

• Engagement rate: The higher your engagement rate, the higher you can raise your rates!
• Exclusivity: Let’s say you partner with a T-shirt brand and they say you cannot work with other T-shirt brands for 6 months (exclusivity). This could be a loss of income for you, which means you can charge the brand more for exclusivity terms.
• Rights to content: If brands are going to use your content in the campaign and not give you credit for it, make sure it’s in the contract that you are to be compensated extra for that! 

Remember that rates are never set in stone. If you feel strongly that your audience and content are valuable to a brand, it’s perfectly fine to ask for more than the average rate. You know your value. Stay true to that. 

4. Ask for Compensation if it’s not Offered

Just because a brand doesn’t mention compensation when they reach out to you to be part of their marketing campaign, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a budget. You have to ask. Most won’t even bring it up, because if you don’t have to pay for something, why would you? A nice way to approach compensation might be, “Thank you so much for reaching out to me. This campaign is a great fit for my audience. Does (brand name) have a budget for this?” Attaching your media kit at this stage (including the value you determined in step 1) is a great move. 

If they say they have no budget, it’s up to you if you want to continue with a collaboration. Based on the time it takes to create content (a lot), you must decide if it’s worth it. 

5. Clearly Define the Scope of Work & Deliverables 

Clear communication is the key to everything in life. It really is. What does this brand expect from you? What do you expect from them? Deals fall apart every day because of misunderstandings or miscommunication. Define the scope of your work. Outline the deliverables (this means specifics––Instagram stories, YouTube videos, sponsored posts, etc.). But go even further. Are there content usage rights or exclusivity clauses? Are there any additional requirements from either party’s perspective? When you and the brand both have a clear understanding of what’s expected from the partnership, there is a solid foundation for a working relationship.. 

6. Negotiation is Not to be Feared

People fear this stage. When you switch your attitude and look forward to this stage, you’re ahead of the game. Don’t accept the first offer. Negotiation is not only a part of the process, but most brands expect you to counter. Be professional and respectful. Use clear communication in your reasoning behind your counteroffer. Be open to compromising on a middle number that satisfies both you and them. Negotiating is not just about money. You can negotiate content usage rights, the duration of the partnership, the scope of the work, the list is endless. Just know that negotiation is normal. 

7. Aim for the Long Play

Sometimes we want the big money score, but sometimes it’s good to look at growth opportunities and/or long-term partnerships. Before negotiating, look past the monetary gain and consider the potential of the partnership long-term. Does this brand present opportunities for increased exposure, long-term perks, or ongoing collaborations? In other words, can it result in much higher revenue-stream down the road? If so, you may want to consider a lower rate initially. However, you must clearly communicate your intention of establishing a long-term partnership and mutual growth opportunities before the deal. They must understand you’re accepting the lower rate due to the potential. Being clear about this not only opens the door to a great relationship, but to more lucrative opportunities and a stronger and more diverse portfolio of partnerships in the long run. 

And there you have it. We’re all human. When it comes to negotiating, remember which aspects of humanity to employ and which ones to leave at the door. And as a final reminder, always ensure the brands you’re working with align with your niche & values. Nothing is more human than that. 

Now that you’ve selected your fall products and designed and launched your merch, it’s time to promote your seasonal collection! 

How you promote your fall products and apparel can determine how much traffic you bring to your store and how many sales you make.

We’ve gone ahead and outlined the best strategies our top performing creators use when promoting their fall merch. Implement these tactics to make this your most profitable season yet!

1. Share on social

This step seems self-evident, but it’s more involved than just adding a link to a post. Some extra steps to consider before we go deeper:

• Run a fall promotion on best-selling products
• Use fall hashtags to attract holiday lovers
• Boost engagement with interactive posts
• Hold a fall-themed event to showcase your products
• Have a fall giveaway (especially for Halloween & Thanksgiving, or both)

Social Media is a powerful tool. So it’s worth an even deeper dive. Let’s get into the weeds with some additional tips on how to use your socials to your advantage. 

Provide stellar customer support.

Selling merch to fans brings you profit, sure, but also creates responsibility. When customers spend their money, they expect customer service. To keep them happy, you’ll need to deliver. So how does your customer support help you promote? It happens in the comments for all to see. This is both good and bad. How you react to it is what can make it good. Customers will usually come to you to:

• Get more info
• Inquire about products
• Give feedback
• Interact with you or engage with your content
• Give perspective on what they want

Here’s where you get to show off your gold as a brand and creator. When you respond in a positive way, it creates social proof and that creates a positive reputation for all to see. When these interactions are visible, sales go up because you are displaying to your public that you know how to handle complaints and that there’s integrity behind your products. 

Start social listening.

Wouldn’t you find it helpful if you knew who was talking about you and your brand outside of the comments? That’s exactly what social listening is. On social media, all of that data is available to you. This “Social Listening” offers insights, including:

• Which products customers love the most
• Problems or issues that occur
• The overall feeling about your brand 

This is pretty invaluable information. Armed with this data, you can pivot your message to meet their needs/wants, address issues, and jump on opportunities. If you’re interested in social listening tools, here’s a list of some free ones.

Collaborate with others.

A few of the most effective social e-commerce marketing tactics are social proofing products, expanding your reach, and winning new followers. BUT…collaboration has become equally important. Partner with brands and/or other creators who have similar audiences. When you partner, some tactics include promos or high-value giveaways to your respective followers, which will validate your services & products, and multiply sales to a larger social media audience. 

Couple more key tips on collaborating with others:

• Find influencers that align with your brand and values to collaborate with. 
• Send them samples to show to their audience. This can amplify your reach and make your merch more relatable and authentic. 

Use videos!

Video is the way of the internet now, making it a very effective promotional tool as it’s how most customers decide what to buy. Consequently, Instagram and TikTok are two of the biggest platforms where paid and organic video content is the best way to engage users. Your video need not be pricey. Don’t go for the special effects or that Hollywood production value. Just speak to your audience, show your personality, and the value of your merch. And bonus points for heading out into nature to enjoy autumn with your fall-inspired merch! 

Use samples in photos and videos.

Order samples and take fans through the purchase process. First, demonstrate unboxing your merch and give your initial thoughts. Second, start wearing or using your merch so fans can see it come alive outside of a boring product image. For example, creator Indeimaus launches a Halloween store called Shocktober every fall and orders samples to show off on social media. Last year, he drove $225,450 GMV From October 2022 – November 2022!

Post user-generated content.

One simple way to promote your merch on your socials is to repost user-generated content. Examples include fans discussing the items they purchased and giving user reviews as well as unboxing your products. Give your fans as much opportunity to share your merch photos and videos on social media as you can. Cultivate it. Encourage it. Ask them to tag you.

One fun example on how to showcase UGC would be to ask fans to snap a pic of themselves wearing your fall merch and “tag me for a chance to win XX”. Reshare their post to your own profile, which means now your content has been social-proofed! This will also show your fans you hear and value them, and make them feel more connected with your brand. 

Be strategic about when you post and do it often.

You want to be prolific when it comes to promoting on social media. It helps you build that following, gain the traction you’re going for, and learn what works. Create a consistent posting schedule (Hint: early morning weekdays are typically best for most platforms).

2. Use email marketing 

Fall is a good reason to try to convert store traffic to sales. There is a great tool to help you do this—Spring’s Boosted Network—a service that helps boost sales by as much as 15% through enhanced promotional efforts, like email marketing. We’ll help keep on top of traffic to your store by sending out product recommendation and cart abandonment emails to past purchasers. To learn more about our Boosted Network click HERE. 

3. Create promo codes

Promo Codes are always a great go-to for any campaign, as they provide incentives for fans to purchase right away or else they’ll lose out on a deal. For a refresher on how to create promo codes, click HERE. 

How do you create FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)?

• Limited time promo codes make fans want to act before the time runs out. This especially works when promoting holidays, like Halloween.

• Limited-edition merch can create an extra sense of urgency. Check out DonMarshall72 and his incredible Lord of the Rings calendar. He lets his fans know he needs to tell his distributor how many calendars to make, so they should join his email list in order to secure one for themselves! (Watch TikTok his video here)

• Free shipping promo codes also do really well! 

4. Create emotional connections through storytelling

Don’t just post your merch on social media with “buy this.” Tell your fans the meaning behind your designs and product choices. Connect with your audience on a personal level through relatable tales. 

Take a look at Spring creator Trafficconesaxman. He created a shirt that his true fans knew the meaning behind. When promoting it on his socials, he just states, “For those of you who have been following me for a long time, then you know what I’m talking about.” (Watch his TikTok video here)

You can also use fall themes to create narratives that resonate with your audience. For example, explain WHY you created a pumpkin spice latte hoodie – you wanted to capture the warm, delicious feelings you get when you indulge in your favorite fall treat – rather than just posting your design and telling fans to go and buy it. 

5. Use Spring shelf integrations

We could have easily put this one under social media, but it merits its own section. Integrating your digital store with your social media pages nowadays is a must. No other tip on this list will be as important. You want to make it simple for your fans to bounce back and forth between your site and social platforms. And Spring makes it simple for you. 

You can use the Integrations Tab on your Dashboard to activate and customize your products on Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and others. This way, fans will be able to see the items on your merch shelf within the platform. And it’s just one click for them to get to your store to purchase. 

Need a basic refresher on how? Click  HERE, or also HERE. 

And here’s a fun fact: Creators who use the YouTube merch shelf integration earn 20xs more on average than those who don’t. Once you connect your Spring store to YouTube, you can also tag merch directly in your Shorts and Lives to make it easier for fans to shop!

Fall is upon us and we’re here for it! Happy promoting and have a Fall-tastic season!

Many creators dream about quitting their day jobs and being able to earn enough money through their content. But very few actually can.

Only 12% of full-time creators earn more or around $50K a year, while 46% make less than $1K a year.

However, don’t let those numbers discourage you. If you take the time to hone your craft and learn how to get money from your hard work, then you can join the small percent (7%) of creators earning over $100K a year.

From crafting your digital presence to forming collaborations, monetizing your creations, and sealing the deal with brands, our guide has got you covered. But first, let’s cover a few basics. 

Content Creators vs Influencers: What’s the Difference?

So you’ve probably heard the terms “content creator” and “influencer” thrown around a lot, and most confusingly, used interchangeably. Yes. They are similar. But there is a key difference between the two.

A “content creator”, or “creator” is anyone who creates content (digitally or sometimes even physically, like Spring creators). An “influencer” is a personality who influences their audience to purchase the products or services they promote (which also encompasses some Spring creators).

It’s easy to see why there is so much overlap between the two as most influencers and creators have a great blend of content creation, promotion, and personal branding. If you’re a new Spring creator, you can be both as well!

How Much Money Do Influencers and Content Creators Make?

The short answer is it depends on a number of factors, including your niche, experience, and strategy. Plus the creator industry is still somewhat young, so there is no one-size-fits-all rule for pricing––again, influenced by strategy, experience, and niche.

But there is a statistic that might shed some insight for you: According to Creator Rates Report, 44% of creators have earned over $200 USD from a single Instagram Reel so far in 2023.

So, there is money to be made from content you make and promote, and there are numerous ways to earn it. 

Here are 11 ways how: 😉💰

#1: Build Your Social Media Following Across Multiple Channels

If you’re brand new to this, just focus on one social channel. It’s a great way to engage and build your community. Starting with multiple channels spreads your focus too thin. At first! But once you begin to build your community, cutting out the other platforms limits your reach and ability to make more money.

What you want to do at that point is what is called cross-promotion. Let’s say, for example, your main platform is Instagram. Repurpose your Reels for other social platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This is the beginning of building something big across multiple channels and opening yourself to another level of potential ad revenue, brand opportunities, and partnerships. 

#2: Collaborate With Other Creators and Influencers

Learn which creators and influencers are also in your niche. Team up with them. It’s a great way to engage and leverage followers and more importantly, make more $$$. Put out online courses. Launch products. Do Instagram Collabs (which means it shows up on both of your socials). Or host an Instagram giveaway. Or all of the above. Sky’s the limit.

Note: Another benefit to IG collabs: You’ll share likes, comments, views, and communities, which is why it’s important you both belong to the same niche. Because when speaking to the same target audience, you’re increasing exposure and revenue at the same time! 

#3: Sell Products & Merch

We don’t need to tell you how powerful social media is when it comes to putting your products in front of potential customers. It’s not just about selling one product to one person. That one person will showcase your product to others and so on. Hoodies, T-shirts, hats, mugs, totes, phone cases and so on, the opportunities are endless.

If you know your niche and community, your followers will be excited to support you because they love your products and your messaging. Many times your followers become ambassadors!

Make sure you create a mailing list and newsletter––it’s a perfect way to communicate the promotions you’re running as well as restocks, product launches, and so on. 

#4: Put Exclusive Content on Patreon

If you already have an established online community, with a paid Patreon membership your followers can access exclusive content. The key word here is exclusive, meaning they won’t find it anywhere else.

This content can even drive your followers to other places like your Spring store. With reward tiers valued at $10, $5, and $2, some creators make up to $1K a month just from this method alone!

#5: Brand Sponsorships

Influence starts with a social media following. If you build your audience, other brands will come. Yes, brands will pay you well to promote them to your audience. The bigger the audience, the bigger the reward:)

One rule of thumb is that it’s usually about one cent per follower (or for example $100 per 10K followers) when you first start out. 

#6: Platform Creator Funds

Platforms know content creation is a grind. They’ll pay big time for posts that perform the most. Both TikTok and Youtube have creator funds.

Do you already create high-performing content or have a decent following? Then there is a lot of money to be made.

TikTok alone has said they are investing over $1 Billion in their creator fund because they see the value in high-performing content and they know the resources required to create it. If you’d like to learn more about how to make money on TikTok and the creator fund itself, read our blog here. 

#7: Affiliate Marketing

Plug products for others. They’ll pay! Approach companies that you are already plugging or would like to. Promote products that you like, trust, and that will appeal to your audience.

You can earn commission on the sales and traffic you drive on behalf of brands. Be sure to share links or codes to track purchases so that you receive your commission. Use uniquely trackable links (known as affiliate links) or a custom-made promo code to easily trace clicks and purchases.

You may not make money right away, but if you are consistent, then over time you’ll build revenue. 

#8: Instagram Subscriptions

For creators on Instagram, this is similar to Patreon. IG gives you the option to monetize your exclusive content in what’s called Instagram Subscriptions. It provides a different, new way to make money from Reels and feed posts.

Depending on your preference, you can select from price points ranging from $0.99 per month to $99.99 per month.

This is easy extra income! Since you can do this straight from the app, there is no excuse to not dive in for what’s basically free money for something you’re already doing! 

#9: Teach a Course on Kajabi 

Learning online is really what everyone does nowadays. Utilize platforms like our partner Kajabi to teach online courses (even if your niche is something you might think is insignificant).

This can help you reach a different niche of people from your other channels. And it doesn’t hurt that top-earning teachers can make up to $100K a year! 

#10: Become a Coach or Consultant

Some creators don’t have time to do a full-fledged video series or class. A great way to do it in small chunks is by offering private coaching or consultation services.

You can also offer portfolio reviews. Or go one step further by doing one-on-one consulting zooms. Your followers will always appreciate learning from you one-on-one. 

#11: Promote Your Posts with Social Media Ads

Sometimes you gotta spend some money to make more. The key word is more. Social media advertising is a perfect place to begin. Target Facebook and Instagram users who have never heard of you or your brand with Facebook Ads Manager.

Even people who visit your store but don’t make purchases can be targeted. Basically you’re fast-tracking the process of placing your target audience in front of your products in just a few clicks! 

See? Eleven solid ways to expand your reach and watch the money start rollin’ in! Happy selling and promoting.