How to check if a brand deal is right for you as a content creator

For professional content creators, sponsored content deals with brand partners are a great thing to pursue. And as a creator-focused influencer marketing agency, they’re obviously something we have a fair bit of experience in. But our investment in this field doesn’t top out at the business level. Our mission is to bring about the right sponsorship opportunities for content creators, that genuinely help you build your platform and hone your creative voice.

As such, there are a few key considerations we operate by. And they’re questions that we recommend you ask yourself too, whenever a brand deal comes your way. Because sometimes, doing well with sponsored content opportunities is just as much about what you say “No” to, as what you agree to. The following questions should help you work out which should be which.

Will your audience care about the product?

This is the first and most important thing you need to consider. Because while the money from a brand deal is always a nice short-term bonus, the legitimacy and authenticity of your relationship with your audience is what will really sustain you long-term. Don’t damage that. Your audience’s attachment, loyalty, and engagement are the lifeblood of your channel. To maintain them, everything you bring needs to feel genuine and relevant. 

And let’s face it, an ill-fitting brand deal doesn’t actually serve much purpose for anyone. Shoehorn an unsuitable product shout-out into your content, and not only do you risk looking disingenuous, but your audience will at best have little interest (and at worst feel betrayed), and the brand who offered the deal in the first place will get very little for their investment, as their message falls to the stony, stony ground of a disinterested ear. A good brand deal generates value for all parties. It gives you great, relevant content to share with your community, and helps your brand partner get in touch with the right audience with the right messaging. Check that all of that is likely to happen before you move forward. 

Do the brand’s values align with your own? 

Looking beyond the product itself, you should also take the time to investigate whether the respective brand’s values have enough in common with your own. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, you need to protect your own image. You’ll only hurt yourself - again, by hurting your relationship with your audience - if things don’t line up. If, say, your consistent environmental message is tarnished by association with a company whose side-business regularly burns tyres in the Arctic, you’re going to run into problems. 

Secondly, and on a more positive note, finding aligned values allows you to make better, more exciting content with a brand partner. Find common ground, and a cause you can share, and the storytelling opportunities can immediately take your partnership content to the next level. 

Are your voice and established content style being valued?

Does the project brief give you the freedom to speak in your own voice, and discuss the product from your own perspective? Do they seem to get what authentic YouTube content is all about, understand how Twitch works, or at least want to learn and work with you to get it right? It’s all worth considering. Because a brand partner who wants to work with you should want to work with you. They shouldn’t simply be looking to leverage your platform to reach a large number of people. They too should be considering all the aforementioned factors of partnership suitability, authenticity, and content quality. Because they should care about creating the same universal value that matters to you.

Part of that involves collaborating with you to find the right angle, tone, and treatment for the required messaging. Your creativity should be important to a brand partner, not just your audience numbers. Always ponder whether a sponsored activation opportunity is being presented as a real partnership.  

Does this feel like a real content opportunity, or just an advert?  

Ultimately, it all boils down to this. Will a piece of branded, sponsored content actually feel like content on your channel, or simply a paid placement? Because ideally, the former should be what you’re aiming for. Sponsored content, when done right, can be great for you, great for your brand partner, and great for your audience. When executed with the right mindset, in collaboration with an influencer marketing agency with the right priorities, it can open up new creative avenues, forge strong, mutually beneficial relationships for the future, and give your audience something fresh and exciting to enjoy. Sponsored content done wrong… well, it doesn’t do any of that. So keep an eye on what’s really important when you’re considering (and negotiating) the opportunities offered to you. When it all works out as it should, the benefits are just too good to waste.