Ultimate Guide to Creator Brand Deals: Monetization, Affiliate, and Pitfalls to Avoid with AppSumo Head of Marketing, Nick Christensen

Welcome to our third edition of "Uploading" Podcast, where we go behind the scenes with creators to learn about content strategy, creation, production, distribution, growth, platforms, tools, and more.

Each week, we'll shoot over 2 valuable ideas and 1 key learning from our weekly podcast that might just change the way you see your content game.

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Your Uploading co-hosts
Blaine Bolus & Ramon Berrios

THIS WEEK’S EPISODE

Wondering how to turn your content into money making opportunities?

We chat with Nick Christensen, Head of Marketing at AppSumo who's paving the way for small creators to start monetizing with step by step instructions on how to close your first deal with a big brand, without having a huge following.

In this episode of 'Uploading...', we unpack:

• How influencers can set their rates based on….

• An untapped way of closing deals with big brands without having a big audience.

• How brand creators with sub 100k followers are making six figures a year. 

• Negotiation for influencer marketing during peak sales times

So grab your notebook, and let's get ready to learn from one of the best in the business!

2 IDEAS FROM THE PODCAST

IDEA #1: Building Long-term Brand Partnerships

Maximize the potential of a brand partnership by focusing on long-term relationships with them.

1. Fee Structures: Include a mix of flat fees and commissions during sales-heavy periods in your negotiating. This aligns interests, as creators are incentivized to drive sales while brands benefit from elevated performance (e.g., a creator increased earnings through commission alignment rather than taking a flat fee).

2. Prioritize Authentic Engagement: Genuine interaction over sheer follower numbers. As Nick would say, having 100 followers with 80 views and 20 comments is a lot more valuable than having 500k followers with fake comments and low views. 

3. Strategic Outreach: Be proactive with brands through personalized outreach and providing value upfront is encouraged. By showcasing how they can represent a product or service, creators demonstrate commitment and potential for a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship. 

IDEA #2: Inbound vs. Outbound

There seems to be this idea that doing outbound as a content creator looking for sponsorship deals might look desperate. Not necessarily…

1. When Should Creators Do Outbound?: A lot of creators wait too long to start the outbound process thinking that their content is just going to be so good that the deals are going to be flowing to them or they might have this internal belief that they think that because they're doing outbound that they might seem desperate, but being proactive will most likely close more deals, you'd be surprised at how many responses you can get.

2. Mistakes to Avoid: It's crucial to avoid coming across as overly aggressive or solely transactional. Instead of bombarding potential partners with insane rates and impersonal pitches, try to understand the other party's objectives and propose tailored solutions.

3. Brand Synergy & Showcasing Value: Aim to collaborate with brands that align with your content style and audience preferences - it’s better for the long term and will ensure authenticity and higher performance. Also providing demonstrable examples of content close to what the brand needs is a huge plus when it comes to getting a deal done.

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We just bought 20 copies of the book to give them away.

Winners will be announced Wednesday, February 14th.

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