The Secrets to Getting PR From Brands

So, now we must say one thing—there are no random acts of PR.

There are reasons why some content creators get lots of PR while others only refresh their inbox. The reason can be found in the position of these people in their sphere. People who get more PR from different brands must know a few facts about why and what exactly they are doing.

After understanding how exactly does public relations for influencers work, one can get a totally different view of the situation.

PR Actually Equals Marketing but More Skillfully Done

PR for influencers takes up its niche among all the content creation practices, and this practice is special in its essence. Public relation isn't charity and it isn't money spent for the content creator, but it's an investment into image of the brand.

The main characteristic of any PR is its influence on trust. Advertising tells you how you should perceive the product. An influencer demonstrates where exactly the product has its place in your life.

This is how PR works, and why even smaller content creators may get an opportunity to make PR.

Not All “Free Product” Is the Same

But most content creators forget the biggest difference between the two.

In PR, you are not under any obligation to produce content. You can choose either to post about it or not. But when it comes to gifted collaborations, you enter an agreement where you trade posts for products. Brands understand that when they send you gifts.

Do Not Confuse PR and Collaboration

Do not confuse these two, since there is a difference. It is quite obvious actually, since PR and collaboration have different meanings. While the former is all about prolonged exposure, the latter is based on a business deal.

Content is Your Application (Even If You Don’t Realize It)

All of them are under the assumption that they must complete an application. Yet in reality, when they post, they apply.

It’s not enough for brands to see just your stats. They want more than that. Do visitors get an impression of who you are and what you do as soon as they land on your page?

It's right here that many people mess up. Now, aesthetic matters, but clarity and consistency matter more. A creator who understands his niche well and stays consistent with their messaging will always beat another who only posts aesthetically appealing content without staying consistent with their messaging.

How Do Creators Get On PR Lists?

There are only two ways to do this; one is to be discovered or the other is to be the first to reach out.

Now, you might have thought that discovery was a passive way to go about doing business, but it really isn't. As soon as you begin engaging with certain hashtags, keywords, and creating niche-based content, you will be increasing your chances of being discovered as you train the algorithm and the brands on how to classify you.

Discovering you however, takes time.

Contacting the brands is much faster, although it is the hardest part for many creators. This is either because they make their message too complex or because they just plain make the whole process wrong.

For those thinking that sending out messages such as "Hey I would love to collaborate" to brands works, you won't see the light of day before the brand gets rid of you.

Timing Isn’t What You Think

There’s a common perception that people can only expect to be approached by brands once they have built up a sizable following. This thinking is outdated.

What really matters is consistency. That you are consistent and have a distinct style makes it easy for you to connect or get discovered.

Brands increasingly favor micro-influencers because of the engagement rate and the sense of trust among their audiences. There are cases where a small group of followers can outperform a large group in terms of efficiency.

The question you need not ask yourself is “Am I big enough?”

Rather, you should think, “Am I clear enough?”

Visibility is a Skill

PR depends a lot on accessibility.

Failing to provide your e-mail address in your profile does not make life easy for anyone. Failing to attend to your message request inbox could cost you. If you fail to explicitly describe yourself through your captions and content, then you aren’t even classified.

This is where the small details make all the difference.

Tagging relevant brands when applicable, tagging in a way that matches your content category, and staying consistent all play an integral part in increasing visibility in the long run. None of them are complex processes, yet they do require effort.

The Creators Who Win Play Long-Term

One common misconception about getting PR is thinking that PR itself should be the end point.

It isn’t.

Creators who regularly get PR and make money off it treat it merely as a stepping stone on the journey to success. This is not about accepting products for free. Instead, it is about cultivating a network and refining their content strategy to land lucrative collaborations.

Creators who succeed through PR aren’t always saying “yes” to anything that comes along their way. Even though it feels productive to accept everything offered by a brand, in reality, it only undermines your positioning and content value.

Final Take

Being able to get PR from the companies does not involve timing and the proper connection, but building an environment that is relevant for them to connect with.

With clarity, consistency, and alignment, you are no longer pursuing opportunities, but a desirable partner to work with.

And the major shift happens here:

As it turns out, once you stop chasing PR and start creating an environment, you automatically attract it.

At Advanced Creative Media, our Influencer Incubation Program equips emerging creators with the skills, structure, and professional habits needed to build and sustain a career as a social media influencer. Click here to sign up.