How to Build Long-Term Brand Relationships as a Blogger or Long-Form Content Creator

Working with brands in your industry to create sponsored content is a popular way to monetize your content as a pet blogger or content creator. However, the process of identifying potential collaboration opportunities, contacting and pitching new brands, and securing paid work can be overwhelming.  Do we have to stay on this hamster wheel to be successful?

One great way to leverage this revenue stream while cutting back on the repetitive cold pitches and countless denials (there will be a lot – that’s normal) is to build strong ongoing relationships with brands you love.

This post will explore the importance of establishing long-term brand relationships. Plus, I will provide you with 7 actionable tips to help you establish meaningful partnerships with brands that will benefit you and your content creation business today and for the foreseeable future. 

Why Work with Brands as a Pet Blogger or Content Creator? 

If you are newer to the world of content creation or just starting to explore monetization opportunities, you may be wondering why working with brands is such a popular option. The truth is that no single form of monetization is “best.”

In fact, here at BlogPaws, we firmly believe that every blogger or content creator should be diversifying their monetization to protect themselves against uncertainties in the future.

Blogger partnerships are an excellent opportunity to make money while creating content that benefits your community. You can make a solid paycheck through a single collaboration without making further sales or asking your audience for money. This can be appealing for those of us who aren’t necessarily in love with the sales process involved with affiliate marketing or selling our own products.

Furthermore, a blog collaboration with an established brand may connect you with experts who can bring further knowledge and expertise to your content (Google E-E-A-T, anyone?).

For example, pet food, treat, and supplement brands work closely with scientists and veterinarians, often employing their own expert team to guide product formulations and other key decisions. If you collaborate with one of these brands, you can often connect with these experts, obtaining quotes or data that will offer even more value for your audience.  

Long-Term Brand Relationships vs One-Off Blogger Collaborations

As the title of this article suggests, I’m here to talk to you about more than just landing a one-off blog collaboration with a brand. Instead, we want to help you find brands you connect with and build long-term relationships that will continue to be mutually beneficial for weeks, months, or even years to come.

These relationships start with an initial connection, such as the first collaboration or a networking event bringing you together. However, rather than seeing this as a single event in your business, completing the agreed terms of your contract together, and moving on, we encourage you to view these connections differently. How can you continue to connect, support, interact with (to stay at the top of one another’s minds), and benefit each other in the future?

Instead of a single collaboration (and a single paycheck), this can lead to repeat work, as it makes sense for both you and the brand. It can also involve expanding your relationship to include other partnership opportunities – such as affiliate agreements, ambassadorship, UGC contracts, and more. 

Long-term brand relationships can also benefit you as a creator outside of just a paycheck. As you continue working closely with a brand, your audience (and the brand’s audience) will notice this connection. This can help build brand recognition, solidify what you stand for (assuming you have chosen to work with brands that align with you and your content morally), and help build trust for both parties.

Remember: One important point we keep hitting on is that it is MUTUALLY beneficial. 

7 Tips for Creating Lasting Brand Relationships and Ongoing Partnership Opportunities

Now that we’ve established the value of long-term brand relationships for bloggers and content creators let’s dig into some actionable advice. How can you strengthen your new or existing relationships and turn them into mutually beneficial, long-lasting connections? 

Always Bring Value

Ensure you bring value to the table whenever you’re working with a brand, especially if you hope they will want to work with you again. Pour your heart into your content, meet the agreed deliverables, and show them how working with you can benefit their business. If they feel like the first project with you was disappointing or fell short of what they were hoping for, they are far less likely to want to work together again.

Let Your Personality Shine

Adding value doesn’t stop with just creating high-quality pictures, videos, and written content. You want your content to be original. Don’t copy the same ideas that other creators have already published. Come up with new, exciting, entertaining, or educational ideas no one has seen before. Add your own personal twist. Let your personality shine.

When you’re doing a blogger/brand collaboration, the idea is that you are introducing that brand to your audience. These are people who know you, follow you, engage with you, and trust you. Notice the common denominator – YOU.

Ensure All Dates/Requirements of Collaborations Are Met

Of course, you want to ensure you don’t drop the ball during that initial collaboration. If you are challenging to work with, fail to meet the agreed terms, or make the brand marketing team or PR connection work harder, they aren’t likely to want to work with you again in the future. You want to be someone who adds positivity to their work life, not stress. 

Be Open and Responsive to Feedback

Sometimes, you will make a suggestion or submit a draft that isn’t quite what the other party had in mind. This is part of having a professional working relationship. If you receive feedback or requests for changes, it isn’t a personal attack or a reflection of you having done bad work. The best blogger/brand collaborations require you both to be on the same page.

When you receive feedback, don’t brush it aside. Listen to what they say, be open to making changes, engage in conversations, and work together.

If the feedback you receive pushes you outside your comfort zone a little, that isn’t always a bad thing. It could be that their suggestion will help you grow as a content creator. Be willing to try new things, entertain ideas, and find ways to work together while ensuring the opinions of both parties are heard. 

Engage Genuinely Outside of Sponsored Work

The first 4 suggestions focused heavily on collaborating while showcasing yourself as someone a brand will want to work with again. However, even the best collaboration experiences don’t always lead to future work. Why? There is more to building a lasting relationship than just showing up and performing once.

When identifying a brand you want to connect and build a long-term relationship with, the goal is to find one you know and love. A brand you can stand behind. A product (or products) that you use and love personally.

If you love the brand that much, there is a good chance that you already follow them on social media. That’s the first step. Now, make a point of engaging with their content (genuinely) moving forward. This doesn’t mean you have to comment on every post – but when something catches your eye, say so! When the brand receives the notification that you commented, it shows your interest and ensures you’re always at the front of their minds. 

Pitch New Collaboration Ideas

If you hope to collaborate with a brand again, don’t just sit back and wait for the next collaboration to fall into your lap. Instead, try putting on your thinking cap and pitching new collaboration ideas. Be creative and focus on finding ideas that bring value. Watch for opportunities to collaborate. For example, did the brand recently release a new product that fits your niche? Do you have something exciting coming up?

You will likely still get rejections at one time or another, even with brands who know you, love you, and genuinely want to work with you again. This can happen for many reasons, such as budget restrictions or your idea not fitting their current marketing plan. Don’t give up or take it personally. Brush yourself off and try again next time. 

Maintain Ongoing Communication

Don’t forget: Not every communication needs to be about a collaboration. There are situations where just “touching base” is a great way to stay front of mind. This could include sending an email to congratulate the brand after big news or stopping by to say hello while attending a trade show or networking event. By ensuring they are thinking about you, you increase the likelihood that you’ll come to mind if an opportunity that fits you and your content comes up in the future. 

Final Thoughts: Long-Term Brand Relationships

Building long-term brand relationships is an invaluable asset for pet bloggers and content creators. By following the tips above, you can establish yourself as a trusted partner, attract repeat collaborations, and set yourself up for ongoing growth and success.

Value, authenticity, and genuine engagement are the cornerstones of these connections. They are not just buzzwords but the key to building and maintaining successful brand relationships.

By building long-term brand relationships, you’re not just securing future collaborations but also positioning yourself as a valuable asset in the pet content creation industry. So, what are you waiting for? Start building those brand relationships today and watch your content creation journey grow and thrive!

About the Author: Britt Kascjak, BlogPaws Director of Content & SEO, is an award winning freelance writer whose background in digital and social media marketing spans 15+ years. She’s been a content creator in the pet industry for 9+ years with her own blogs: Shed Happens and The Kas Pack, where she shares her outdoor adventures with her 2 dogs and 2 cats. Read more…