8 Tips to Help Get Selected by Brands

We're so excited you landed here because it means you want more opportunities to get selected for campaigns. Brands come to Hummingbirds as a way to drive local behavior — and you are a key part of it by experiencing and sharing a brand on your socials.

Having now completed thousands of campaigns, we asked our team and our brands, "What can hummingbirds do to increase their chances of being selected?"

Let's dive in!

Brands are looking for ways to see and feel the impact of working with you. Having an Enhanced Profile allows our platform to automatically pull in things, like reach and engagement, making it easier for them to get a sense of how the content is performing. But it's not just about making it easier to see the impact, it's also a signal to brands you're committed to creating and curating content in a meaningful way.

How do you know if you have an enhanced profile? Go to "My Profile" inside the platform and hit the "Social Networks" button in the top right. You'll see a blue icon next to your social handle if you're enhanced. If you are not and you want to be, we make it easy! Follow these steps to get started.

The easiest step to get noticed by brands is to include a creative and authentic pitch when expressing interest in their campaign.

Try this:

• Share with them why you are excited to try their specific product, service, or experience.

• Highlight any personal connections you have with the brand or its larger category.

• If you have a concept in mind for your post, let them know your vision and how you plan to showcase it!

• Mention any relevant experience or past collaborations that demonstrate your understanding of the category.

Remember, crafting thoughtful and personalized pitches that highlight why you're a good fit for the brand can significantly improve your chances of getting approved for collaborations. Focus on authentic storytelling and how you can naturally integrate the brand into your content.

Having a couple of your own favorite products and services in your feed is a great way to demonstrate to brands how you present and share content. The key is to make these features feel natural and unforced.

To build up your portfolio:

• Consider completing one of our "New Bird" or Community Campaigns. These posts will populate in our platform under your profile, so brands can start to see how you pull content together.

• Vary the formats of these posts. Whether that's a video compilation on Instagram Reels, a thoughtful carousel post, or even the text you add to a picture, this shows intention and curation that's very attractive to our brands.

• Focus on creating high-quality user-generated content with excellent images, videos, and voiceovers to stand out.

• Frame brands as part of your natural story or daily routine rather than making them feel like obvious promotions.

I know that this may seem odd after #3, but hear us out.

We've heard repeatedly from brands that they want to work with our local creators who do more than just Hummingbirds or other influencer campaigns. When your social media feed only looks like sponsored content, it doesn't give brands the opportunity to see what else you do or care about. It's got to be a healthy mix! We recommend a minimum ratio of 2-to-1, or for every sponsored or branded piece of content make sure you include two that are uniquely you.

What other pieces of content can you share from your day to day life? Working at a coffee shop on a Saturday morning? Show us! Did you hit up a farmers market and buy fresh produce or beautiful flowers? Pull it together in a carousel. Did you visit a music festival with your close friends? Share a Reel compilation. Remember to maintain your authentic voice throughout - the goal is to show how brands naturally fit into your lifestyle and daily routine.

A photo can say a thousand words but a video can say a million. Brands love Reels because they showcase your experience with their offer in a personal and impactful way by painting a vivid story that is more engaging and very trendy.

To create compelling Reels, keep them short and sweet (15-30 seconds), incorporate eye-catching visuals, and use popular music or sound effects to enhance engagement. Focus on telling a story that your audience can relate to, and don't forget to include clear calls to action when appropriate.

Birds who highlight Reel content in their profiles or include plans for creating a Reel in their pitch are more likely to stand out and get selected.

Just like people, brands want to surround themselves with people they can trust. Creating Reels when a Reel is requested, adding the correct tags, and completing campaigns you were selected for on time is a surefire way to build a strong profile and completion percentage that will give brands confidence in your selection.

Brands that work with Hummingbirds understand the value everyday people have. It's this authenticity that makes us (and you) different. Instead of looking at how many eyeballs your post got, our brands tend to look more at engagement. While your engagement isn't the end-all-be-all in the selection process, we have seen previous posts' likes and comments serve as tie-breakers in the selection process.

To create engaging content, focus on trying new things, learning best practices, and continuing to post personal and authentic content.

If you're interested in learning how to create compelling, authentic content, make sure you're in The Charm, our digital community for hummingbirds who have completed at least one campaign.

Much like #3, brands love hummingbirds that highlight their ties to the community. Ask yourself:

• Does my feed feel local in any way? Would someone be able to tell I'm a local champion, buyer, event attendee, etc.?

• If a brand wants to move product off the shelves of a grocery store in your city, does my feed provide a brand confidence that my profile has the followers, engagement, and content that could do that?

• If a brand wants to see a very creative Reel promoting their upcoming Moulin Rouge show in your city, would they be inspired by what Reels you've already created locally?

It's important to stress that you don't have to be perfect or have thousands of followers, just that you're showcasing who you are and what your ties to your community look like.

If you're having trouble getting approved for brand collaborations, ensure your profile is complete and up-to-date with accurate information about your audience and engagement metrics.

Be patient and persistent - keep applying to relevant opportunities and refine your approach based on feedback. High competition means not everyone can be chosen for every campaign, but persistence and improving your content quality can increase your chances over time. Keep completing available campaigns to build your portfolio and demonstrate your capabilities to potential brand partners.