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Jun 9, 2022
If you're a frequent social media user, you've probably heard of Bretman Rock and seen some of his entertaining content.
He’s famous for many things and is probably one of the most popular faces in the online beauty community, but his portfolio extends beyond that realm.
By his own description, Bretman Rock is a...
“singer, songwriter, actor, actress, athlete, activist, a scientist on the muthaf****n side, the STAR of crystal of the dayayayyayaayy, and a coconut water connoisseur.”
And as a result of this relatively long yet humorous portfolio that Bretman has built through the constant use of social media, brands have been clamoring to collaborate with him.
So, how does an influencer like Bretman leverage his platform to secure these brand collaborations? And where do you even begin when pitching to brands?
All of this and more will be discussed by our West Palm Beach SEO experts.
Bretman Rock Scayanan is a 23-year-old Filipino-American social media personality with over 18 million Instagram followers and nearly nine million YouTube subscribers.
His unusual name is due to his pro wrestling fan father.
"My father was obsessed with wrestlers, and he liked Bret Hart and The Rock, so that's how he got Bretman Rock," Rock explained to KITV.
The beauty vlogger is known for his makeup tutorials and his often-witty take on life.
Some people take years to achieve success. Others never make it at all. A very lucky few, like Bretman, go viral so quickly that they break the internet.
Okay, he didn't break the entire thing. But his account became extremely popular after his "How To Contour" video went so viral that Instagram had to close it down.
According to KITV, Rock's account was shut down because so many new people were adding him (roughly 100,000 per week) that it "broke the system." His fans were outraged, and the hashtag #bringbretmanback began trending on Twitter.
"I believe that video was extremely successful because contouring was still a relatively new concept at the time," Rock told Paper Magazine.
"People liked it because I wasn't your typical beauty guru teaching you how to contour with a sweet voice that sounded like a robot. No, I was a teen with colorful language and makeup," he added.
After that, Bretman's account was restored, but it took him some time to adjust to his newfound celebrity status. He was initially convinced that his internet fame was a passing fad.
"I don't plan my future on social media because I know one day I'll flop and no one will find me funny," he said.
Of course, as we now know, people continue to find him amusing, and Bretman is still going strong.
It's never easy to start a collaboration with brands. Bretman, though, possesses a quality that brands adore: relatability.
In February 2018, Bretman got his first-ever brand collaboration. He worked with Morphe, the famous makeup brand, on a highlighter palette and custom fan brushed known as MORPHE X BRETMAN "Babe In Paradise."
He was included in the Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list a month later, confirming his status as a rising celebrity. This recognition would pave the way for him to work with more brands.
Bretman's next collaboration was with ColourPop's BRETMAN X COLOURPOP "Are you Wet or Lit?" collection.
Nike's #GoMoreGetMore campaign came after.
Bretman remained the top choice of brands to collaborate with despite the global pandemic.
In the first quarter of 2020, Bretman launched "Jungle Rock," marking Wet n Wild's first collaboration with a social media influencer.
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He also made his first foray into fashion that year, launching an eyewear collection and campaign with DIME Optics. The BRETMAN X DIME Optics collection includes six styles with polarized and blue-light lenses for $30 each.
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In 2021, the social media megastar collaborated with Crocs to release his one-of-a-kind pair of Jibbitz, complete with iconic Bretman mementos. One of which is his well-known "Baddest" catchphrase in a Bratz-like font and a crystal and pearl chain.
That same year, the social media star collaborated with Curology on his first-ever skincare line.
This year, Bretman's most recent brand collaboration made the internet go crazy after getting all dolled up for a Balmain x Barbie photoshoot.
Here are some of his most recent brand collaborators:
...and the list goes on.
You might be wondering: I'm not Bretman, so where do I even start when pitching to brands? How do I find their email address? What should I say?
It may appear intimidating at first, but you can rely on our SEO experts in West Palm Beach to guide you through the process. You'll soon be landing those dream collaborations you've always wanted!
Everyone has to start somewhere. You can begin by creating stuff that you can show off and share with an audience. Do it even if you're just doing it for yourself!
If you're a blogger, start by regularly publishing compelling content and promoting it on Pinterest so that brands can find you. If you're an influencer, focus on expanding your audience. Although there is no set minimum, most brands prefer to work with people who have at least a few thousand followers.
Bretman had 200k Instagram followers when he was 17 years old before brands began collaborating with him. However, there are also some brands that work with micro-influencers with as few as 10,000 followers.
RELATED: How to Find the Best Micro-Influencers for Your Business
You can also use products from brands you'd like to work with in your posts—this is excellent practice for you and shows brands your fantastic ability to create content. Instagram is a great place to show off your work and what you can do.
If you want to make all this a reality, make a schedule for yourself that allows you to have consistent progress.
Finally, make sure your website is always up to date. An outdated website can make you look flaky, or like you’ve moved on to other projects.
When your portfolio is in tip-top shape, it's time to start looking for those awesome brands!
Some people prefer to build their portfolios and then wait for brands to approach them. However, our West Palm Beach SEO experts advise taking a more proactive approach.
Make a list of your ideal collaborations (think BIG brands!) that you'd like to contact someday. Then, break down those brand niches and look for some smaller brands with which you'd like to collaborate.
One of our favorite ways to find great brands to work with is to browse Instagram.
Visit the Instagram page of a brand you admire. Click the drop-down arrow in the top right corner of their profile to access the "Suggestions for You" section. Browse those profiles to discover new brands that may interest you!
It is best if you begin with smaller brands first. This lets you get a feel for the pitching process and build your portfolio so that you can perfect your pitch for a big brand later on.
List your ideal collaborations to help shape your brand's future direction and look for brands that fit your niche and share your values. We understand that this may seem obvious but if you want to collaborate with brands successfully, you must also be a good fit.
The best part about reaching out to brands is that you can be as picky as you want! You must discover, research, and learn everything you can about them.
If you've already decided on a brand with which to collaborate, the next step is to locate their email addresses.
Generally, you should avoid sending emails to generic email addresses such as info@brandswebsite.com. This doesn't appear very careful on your part, and that specific email is almost certainly flooded with messages every day.
Do your research to find the right person to contact.
It can be useful to conduct a simple Google search. Use keywords like "PR [company]" or "social media manager [company]" to find the person you're looking for.
RELATED: Using the Long-Tail Approach to Keywords
In most cases, you'll end up being directed to their LinkedIn profile. If that happens, send the company a quick email politely requesting contact information.
Here's another great way to find an email address. If you find the contact name you're looking for, try searching for other emails on the company's website. This will give you a good idea of how they set up their email addresses, which will help you put together the email address for your specific contact.
For example, some people may set up their email addresses as "daphne.smith@website.com" or "d.smith@website.com." Find out what that pattern is and match it to your contact's name. This can take some time, but if you take the time to find the correct name and address, you will be well ahead of everyone else.
Tell them what sets you apart from the competition but don’t brag about it. What is something you've done recently? Why are you a good match? These are the questions brands have about you so address them immediately.
Try to summarize it in one or two sentences. PR professionals are always busy, so the more concise you can be about yourself, the better.
Your following few sentences should propose a solution based on their products. This demonstrates that you've taken the time to learn about their brand and that you've come up with ideas to help promote it.
A good email should include the following points:
If you're pitching to brands, here's an email template from seasoned business coach Kathy Haan that you might find useful:
The more effectively you word your message, the more likely it is that they will read it.
Send your email after double-checking it for errors. If you don’t hear anything in a week, check in with them again to make sure your message was received. It's possible that your email got caught up in their spam folder.
If they don’t respond to either email, it’s probably a good idea to move on.
If they say no, don't get discouraged.
Every company's marketing strategy is at a different stage, and they may not have the resources to accept your proposal even if they want to. Make sure to thank them for their time and let them know that you'd like to work with them again soon.
If they respond and say yes, then CONGRATULATIONS! You should be proud of yourself for completing such a difficult task.
If you're having a difficult time growing your business with brand collaborations, then why not consider collaborating with Digital Resource? Learn more about our digital marketing services and contact us today for a free consultation!
Think you've got what it takes to hang with the pros at Digital Resource? Check out our Careers page to browse current job openings!
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