In this blog, I’ll be covering:

• The 3 steps to get a brand’s attention and make a genuine connection.
• The #1 mistake influencers make when wanting to work with brands.
• How to get brands to notice you and reach out to you for partnerships.

If this is the first time we’re connecting, my name is Gwen Lane. I’m the founder of the travel and lifestyle blog, The LA Girl and Spark Society where I help digital influencers get sponsored by brands EVEN if they don’t have a huge following yet.

So first let’s talk about the SPARK ATTRACTION METHOD - this is my 3 step process that I use to attract brands. I’ve used this process to work with brands like Disney, Facebook, Nike, Target, Starbucks and more, and it’s the same method that my students are using to work with brands and get paid brand deals with less than 1,000 followers.

Do you want to learn these too? Keep reading. 

The 3 steps of the Spark Attraction Method are: IDENTIFICATION,...

 Are you posting to your social media channels, creating great content and want to get to the point of working with brands either through collaborations or fully paid sponsorships? If you answered yes, you are in the right place! 

But wait. There's a process. There's SO much more to it than just reaching out to your dream brands and hoping they will want to work with you. There are steps you have to take BEFORE you even start pitching. Don't make the mistakes that so many influencers make by jumping into pitch emails before doing the other work. 

If you're ready to really prepare to be a paid influencer, check out our 5 step process that will get you on the road to YES! 

Today we're sharing the Spark Pitch Process, a 5 step guide to getting you #Sponsored. Now, the first three tips may feel familiar because its the same as our Spark Attraction Method, but it's because all of this applies when you are getting ready to pitch to your favorite brands. 

Step 1:...

Working with brands as an influencer isn't as easy as posting pretty photos and using the right hashtags.

Every time you choose to share a pic, you are either attracting media buyers and their budget, or you are making them turn away and email someone else.

Want to be the person who gets the deals and makes real money by sharing content online? 

In this post, I will be sharing: 

- The top 3 things brands look for when working with influencers
- WHY your IG bio needs to change if you want brands to reach out to you
- What is an influencer portfolio and why you need one

Let's get started!

Your Instagram Bio Needs to Be Crystal Clear

The first thing you need to think about when you are creating your Instagram profile is your bio! Yes, that little section underneath your name can make or break your chance at a brand deal.

Within five to ten seconds of someone (whether that is a potential follower or a media buyer looking to collaborate) that person should know...

One of the first things that people think about when they hear the title 'digital influencer' is all of the free products you can get when working with brands. And it's true, that is a definite benefit of this career and allows you to create great content while receiving things that you and your audience can enjoy. But before you accept every offer that comes your way, there are some Do's and Don'ts you should think about. 

In this blog and video, I will be sharing when you should and when you shouldn't accept free products from brands. This is great information for anyone just starting their career as an online influencer, and for people who are currently stuck in the 'free product but no paid sponsorship' phase. And let's face it, even if you are already making money from your online influence, there's always more you can learn. 

Let's get started! 

Here are the things you should think about BEFORE you accept free product from a brand: 

Will it Benefit Your...

Are you having trouble growing your Instagram? Are you stuck and wondering what you are doing wrong? Are you getting super close to 10k followers, but can't seem to get there? 

In this blog I'm going to be covering why you're probably stuck and not growing your following right now, the 10 things you can be doing to grow that following. And also I'm going to talk a little bit about when numbers matter and when they don't.  

My name is Gwen lane and I help influencers grow their following and monetize online. 

Here are 10 Steps to Getting 10k followers (or 10k more!) on Instagram: 

1) Content 

Content matters. It's the most important part of growing your brand. And how often you are posting matters too. Are you posting on a regular basis? If not, then we already know where you are going wrong. 

How about the quality of your content? People underestimate quality because they think they have a decent phone, so the pics are fine,  but they...

ARE YOU STUCK AT 555 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM? HERE’S WHY!

 In this video, I’ll be sharing:

• Why your follower number is STUCK on Instagram and it seems like it’s impossible to grow your account no matter what you do

• What you need to do to get UNSTUCK and how to get real, organic Instagram followers that can’t wait to see your next post
• How to get to 10k followers FAST and why this is the number where the magic happens

Here’s what you may be experiencing, let me know if this sounds familiar: You’re posting and scrolling, but your follower count is not going anywhere. It goes up a little then goes down a lot. It can feel like you’re going backwards. You’re using hashtags but you’re not sure if it’s working and you’re lucky if you get a few comments on your post.

Here’s what you want to be experiencing: You’re posting high-quality content consistently and you’re growing your following everyday...

We are fresh off the heels of this year's #sparksummit, and we learned a LOT about the industry! Our industry panel revealed some insider secrets of how they find influencers, what they look for in an Instagram feed, and what happens once they want to work with you.

How brands look for influencers and how to get found

They look through hashtags, locations, and sometimes even Google. Another key to being found: have your e-mail address in your Instagram bio!

The 3 Things Brands Look For in Your Instagram Feed

Authenticity

Brands can tell if you're really passionate about your brand or if you're just in it for the likes.

Aesthetic

Your aesthetic is the general look and feel of your feed.

Audience

Brands may be checking out your page, but they're also looking at your audience. This is ultimately who they will they

WHAT actually happens when they want to work with you

If a brand e-mails you - great! You're halfway there. However, you can't assume you're the only influencer they've...

We are seeing a strong increase in influencer marketing these days. Is it possible to become a full-time influencer and still be able to pay your bills?

What is your product?

As an influencer, your product is your audience.

Brands pay to get in front of your audience - this is why it's so important to be crystal clear on who your audience is. If a brand isn't sure of your audience, why would they waste money promoting to the wrong people?

There are several revenue stream opportunities for influencers: 

Advertising 

This can include branded content sponsored posts on your blog, Instagram, YouTube or other social channels. The benchmark rate is about $100 per 10,000 followers, though this is not set in stone. 

Affiliate Marketing

This is where you promote a brand's product and receive a commission if your audience buys through your personalized link. 

Products

There are two types of products - physical and digital. Physical would include something tangible like...

One of the most-asked questions I get is this:

"How much time does it REALLY take to be an influencer?"

There's a decision to be made here. The most successful influencers are the ones that commit the time and push through. Think of it like a business -because it is!

Maybe you want to try it out for a month and decide to quit - that's fine, but it will be a HOBBY for you instead of a BUSINESS.

How long it took me to work with brands and get my first brand deal

Now if you want to create your business, you will probably not see a return until you've grown your following. I started getting collaborations with brands around 2,000 followers and brand sponsorships around 10,000 followers. These numbers DEFINITELY are not set in stone - members in my Influencer Academy are getting sponsorships with fewer than 10,000 followers - it depends on the brand.

The harsh reality of being an influencer

I recommend spending ONE HOUR per day working on Instagram to my students for consistent growth....

I’ll be honest with you, it’s not an overnight success! It’s something you really have to put time and effort in if you want to do it.

That said, it’s certainly not impossible!

These are the top 5 strategies on getting to your first 10,000 followers:

Strategy #1 Post every day

This is not a secret! Most successful influencers post every single day, some more than once a day. It’s not magic, it’s consistency! It’s about showing up daily for your audience and attracting your target followers. The trick to doing this is to plan ahead so that you’re not always worrying about what to post that day.

My favorite tool to schedule my Instagram content is PLANOLY and you can plan out how your grid will look, it’s a really fun too to use!

Strategy #2 Stay on brand

Make sure you’re not just posting for the sake of posting. Staying on brand means that your content aligns with your brand’s core values and serves a purpose.

Before...