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Before you go full-time on YouTube, it’s wise to learn how to get brand deals and become a paid influencer. These partnerships are the secret sauce fueling the creator economy. As you make videos, you get to advertise products in exchange for cash on social media.
But pitching brands is hard work. Before you do anything, you need a media kit for branded content. You’ll also spend lots of time crafting emails, figuring out your rates, and avoiding sponsorship scams. Meanwhile, you still have YouTube videos to film and edit.
Read More: Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube - 10 Terrible Mistakes to Avoid
Sometimes it’s easier to go in the opposite direction. Instead of looking for companies that sponsor YouTubers, find companies that match creators to brand campaigns. Then you can earn money via product reviews, affiliate marketing deals, and more. All of this is possible with one social media profile.
Are you ready to make money in the influencer economy? Here are 11 companies that connect creators and brands for awesome collaborations.
Air Media-Tech is a comprehensive growth service for creators. Go to the website, and you’ll find different “plans” for building a YouTube career, including services for creating, distributing, and monetizing content. The company will even resolve YouTube strikes for you.
Even with all those perks, we’re most excited about income services at Air Media-Tech. This department barters brand deals for creators, making the YouTube journey a million times easier.
Semaphore specializes in brand integrations, matching brands with digital entrepreneurs. The company has a long list of brand partners, including Disney, Audible, and Nintendo. Submit a talent inquiry here to see if your channel is a match for Semaphore's services.
Makrwatch helps creators earn a reliable income through brand sponsorships. According to the website, Makrwatch connects “hundreds of YouTube creators with brands looking to sponsor content.” And that’s every single month. You also can review sponsorship offers and track your earnings with a free Makrwatch account.
Want to forge lasting relationships with brands in your niche?
Grapevine Village helps creators do that in two ways:
Before you sign up, you’ll need to connect your YouTube channel and verify your identity. You also need 10,000 subscribers, but the website encourages micro-influencers to apply.
TapInfluence is for creators who make food, fashion, beauty, or lifestyle content. You’ll partner with brands in those specific niches, making it easier to find authentic sponsorships.
Here’s the entire process:
Channel Pages is a directory for brands looking to partner with creators. It’s mostly for marketers who want to run tons of searches and find channels for specific campaigns.
That might sound tedious, but Channel Pages has many search filters. Anyone can search by niche, channel size, target audience, monthly viewership, subscribers, and more.
Don’t leave any cash behind; make sure your channel is listed in this popular directory for brand campaigns.
Are you tired of looking for brands that will sponsor you? Give Trending Family a try. This company connects video creators with brands that endorse family content. Imagine a Cheerios ad that features a mom, dad, and two siblings, and you’ve got the right idea.
While the website targets clients (aka brands), Trending Family does have a “creator group” it uses for campaigns.
The website states:
“Trending Family-Approved creators have all been rigorously vetted against our ever-evolving standards for content quality, digital presence, and influencer fraud. And it should go without saying that our influencers only share content that parents can feel good about co-viewing with their kids.”
We recommend reaching out to Trending Family to learn more.
The website also mentions micro-influencers, so do check it out if you’re seeking brand deals for small YouTubers. That could be a game changer for small channels and nano-influencers.
Spacestation has a cosmic aesthetic, but it’s not a cheesy gimmick. The company genuinely wants to lift creators to new heights via paid sponsorships.
Take a look at the featured collaborations on this page. Spacestation has helped creators like Peter McKinnon and Julie Nolke partner with brands like Polar and Skillshare, respectively. When you’re ready, scroll down a bit farther to submit an inquiry to Spacestation.
Did you know there’s a marketplace just for creators? This digital job board – built by Aspire – is a place for searching and applying to active campaigns. Click here to join Aspire’s Creator Marketplace.
Izea connects brands to influencers, and it’s free to sign up and create your profile. Like TapInfluence, Izea specializes in food, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
Izea also has Shake, a marketplace for creators of all types. When you sign up as a seller, you can create “Shakes” – ads that showcase your skills and digital services. From there, buyers can view your Shakes and (fingers crossed) purchase your services.
The last company on our list is YouTube itself. The platform has a monetization service called YouTube BrandConnect, which pairs video creators with brands and their campaigns. The only downside is that you need an invite from YouTube. That’s going to change in the future, though, so keep an eye out for updates.
In the meantime, make sure you meet the entry-level requirements for this program:
Additionally, you must be over 18 and live in Canada, the U.S., or the United Kingdom.
These 11 companies will help you get paid brand deals with common YouTube sponsors like Skillshare, Audible, and Blue Apron. But that’s just a tiny sample. 80% of marketers believe in influencer marketing, so more companies will embrace YouTube sponsorships.
Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
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