The Politics Behind Free Travel Deals

One of the things I’m most proud of is Feature Media’s ability to work with brands outside of the technology space.

But working with those brands is complex.

They have an uphill battle convincing higher-ups that working with creators is more effective than a traditional ad budget. You’re not only competing against other content creators, but you’re competing against the ad industry at large.

Here are some of the secrets behind closing my last travel brand deal with a company outside my niche.

Good Relationship Checklist ✅

As a longtime reader, you know how vital up-keeping relationships with brand reps are.

Obviously, a basic part of keeping those relationships strong is

• 📹 Great Content

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Clear audience-overlap

But the reason I was able to close this deal was because of our workflow.

• 📧 How quickly we respond to emails

• 🗣️ Clear communication for creative briefs on campaigns

• 📅 Sticking to deadlines

• 💬 Sending updates after key shoots

These are the things “artists” don’t want to do, which is why creators either need representation to do this for them or a business-focused mindset.

Utilizing Empathy

You have to remember, brands of all sizes are scared to work with creators.

At an ad agency, brands get their own reps, constant communication, and massive legal teams.

Your advantage is that you can be scrappier and faster than that, but it also means you have to put extra effort into creating confidence in your partners.

It’s not enough to be able to execute a great campaign, you have to tell partners you’re executing a great campaign.

Written by Justin Tse

Edited by Eric Villa