Being a beauty blogger is your opportunity to explore your passion for cosmetics and skincare with an audience of like-minded people across the world. While you might have plenty of opinions of your own to share on the products you have already tried, your audience might start looking to you for recommendations as well as your takes on a host of new products. As such, getting the latest from the beauty brands out there becomes a priority.
Rather than spending your own money, learning how to get free makeup and to get on the PR lists of beauty brands not only gives you the chance to get some freebies, but it’s a rewarding sign that you’ve “made it,” as well.
However, not everyone gets on the PR list. For that reason, we’re going to look at a collection of tips and insights, backed up by some of the top beauty bloggers and influencers around.
Get Your Content Up To Par
You might have all the passion in the world, but if you don’t have a website (or at least a social media account) that shows how seriously you take your work as a beauty influencer, then the PR heads of the big brands aren’t going to take you seriously, either.
“We asked people including some PR contacts what they look for when they visit a blog. The major selling point is a clean look,” writes Eithne of Tea and Nail Polish. “Not too many colours or widgets. Keep menus to useful links. Make sure your contact information and social media links are easily accessible. We all want people to follow us but a major turn-off for people is popups as well as ads.”
Similarly, creating high-quality content is vital for showing brands that you’re someone they might want to work with. Being able to maintain an authentic voice, true to your own voice and tastes, while posting consistently and engaging your audience is vital to successful blogging across the board.
If you’re producing videos (as you likely should be in the beauty niche), then you should invest in good equipment. A high-quality camera, some lighting equipment (such as a ring light) and editing software (even the basic kind) can help you create vibrant and clear photos and videos that grab the attention.
Put Your Feelers Out
A lot of brands are actively searching for bloggers and influencers to work with. In fact, many of them already have set up ways for influencers, specifically, to reach out to them. Looking for these forms and PR email addresses can ensure that your requests are going to the right people.
“There are a lot of forms you can fill out online that are really easy to find,” says Courtney Johnson. “Just search for keywords like influencer/PR gifting application, or creator ambassador. If you play around with these keywords long enough you’re going to find forms to fill out.”
If you’re looking to work with a brand but they don’t seem to have an in-house PR contact, then they’re likely to work with a PR firm outside of the company. Searching the popular PR firms, especially those who work in the beauty industry, will usually lead you to their client lists. You can then get in touch with the PR firm directly to ask about working with said brand.
Show Some Business-Mindedness
For managing professional relationships, brands want to see bloggers and influencers who are likely to understand the realities of business.
Kaya, the creator of lifestyle and natural hair blog Comfycurlgirls, says it the best as follows:
“Make it clear that you’re open for business. This step is all about communicating your availability and readiness to collaborate, positioning yourself as a professional creator. Your bio is the first thing people see when they come to your page, and it is also search engine optimised, so it needs to be set up for your success.”
You can go further than this, too, creating a media kit that outlines everything that PR reps need to know about your blog and online presence. This can include things like your blog’s statistics, social media following stats, demographics of your readership, and previous collaborations you’ve taken part in.
If you can show brands that you’re not just a fan looking for a freebie, but a professional that has something to really offer them, then they are a lot more likely to consider you for campaigns and PR kits.
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Wear Your Fandom On Your Sleeve (Or On Your Face)
While a PR list inclusion is a professional relationship, that doesn’t mean that brands want to work with people who aren’t passionate about the products that they put out. If you’re already reviewing or showcasing products from brands you like, don’t be quiet about it. Tag brands in your posts and include hashtags relevant to them.
Not only might this get you noticed, but if you reach out to a PR rep, they are definitely going to do their research. If they search your social media accounts and blog with their brand as a keyword, having something to show them is going to work in your favour.
However, it’s best to be honest and genuine about which brands you want to work with. These should be the brands that you’re already passionate about, as that authenticity is likely to show through your content regardless.
“I think the best brands that you have potential to pitch and end up on their PR list are brands that you’re already a fan of and brands that you’re already organically sharing about on your own social platforms,” says Austen Tosone.
Everyone’s journey with makeup, skincare, and hair products is personal, so being able to share unique content that tells your specific journey with a product or a brand is likely to stand out a lot more than generic reviews.
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Put Your Pride Away And DM First!
The reality is that most beauty brands are not going to be reaching out to you first. This might change as your audience and profile grows, but even for the bigger creators, reaching out to brands they’re interested in is very much a part of the job. As such, don’t let your ego get in the way of a good opportunity.
The direct approach is almost always the best. If you’re not able to find PR kit forms or rep email addresses for the brands you would like to reach out to, then you are likely to be better off simply DMing that brand on whichever social media platform you are both active on.
It’s tempting to reach out with a generic message looking for a collab, but these are likely to get glossed over.
“Make it specific, or as specific as you can,” says Corina Roman. “So I would normally start off with ‘hey, I love your so-and-so, or if I have a specific product of theirs that I actually love, I would be like ‘hey, I love your cleansing bomb, I use it every day.’ Then I would follow up with ‘I would love to make some really awesome content on my Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok platforms. Who can I reach out to to possibly discuss these opportunities?’”
Research the brand to make sure that you’re able to align your pitch to their values and niche. If you don’t hear back in a couple of weeks, it’s not pushing it too far to reach out in a couple of weeks. Sometimes, messages just get buried beneath others and a gentle reminder can get things moving.
Reach Out To Other Bloggers
Other bloggers and creators can be great to work with. Supporting each other in your growth is one of the best reasons to maintain connections with them. If you’re planning to start reaching out to PR reps, then you should also be building connections with other bloggers.
It’s important to do this naturally and give time for these connections to grow through collabs, social media engagement, and generally keeping in touch with them. Don’t just reach out looking for a connect.
“There is nothing grosser than someone I don’t know messaging me on IG or Twitter asking for a particular contact,” writes Rachelle Young of Makeup Your Mind. “Keep in mind that if a person readily hands out a PR contact, they can run the risk of ruining their relationship with the brand and that is not a risk many people will take on a stranger.”
Putting out a notice to your blogger friends that you would love any tips for how to get PR kits makes them a lot more likely to send you what information they’re comfortable with sending. You might not always get direct links to PR rep emails, but you can get enough information to help you the rest of the way.
Build Bridges In The Industry
Depending on where you’re located, it’s not always easy to do this, but try your best to get out to industry events, trade shows, conferences, launch events, beauty expos, and the like. Aside from the fact that you can make some great content by attending these events, you also increase your chances of rubbing shoulders with PR professionals and other influencers.
Make contacts before and during these events, using social media to follow any contacts you meet. Posting about your attendance to these events as well as your interest in the products they’re showing can demonstrate to brands that you’re likely to be a good partner.
If you do happen to run into or start a conversation with a PR rep from the company, then don’t be shy about asking for their email address or if they’re looking for bloggers for content opportunities. These are the kinds of events where that is most appropriate, after all. Just be polite, professional, eager, and respectful of the time of anyone you talk to.
Try, Try, And Try Again
As with in any business, you’re not likely to succeed on your first try. If you don’t get a response from a PR rep or they say that they’re not currently looking to work with you, it can be a bit of a blow to the ego. However, it’s important you dust yourself off and try again.
Keep approaching brands of all sizes, both small names and big names and fulfil any agreements you make with them. Stay positive even when you don’t get the answer that you’re looking for. You can even reach out to the same brand that you’ve contacted months or even years before.
Sometimes, you might even be lucky enough to get some feedback or advice directly from a professional contact, even if they’re rejecting you. While it’s easy to hear this as “here’s what you did wrong,” they really are giving you the keys to the kingdom. Take their advice to heart.
Deliver On Your Promises
If things go well and you’re persistent and smart with it, the PR kits and opportunities are going to start coming in eventually. Sometimes, it’s a trickle, sometimes, it’s a flood. Either way, you have to make sure that you deliver any promises you make.
Do not make the mistake of agreeing to write some content for a small brand, only to drop them like a stone when you get an opportunity from your favourite big brand. It can blow up in your face. Even if they don’t make any kind of public post about it, you don’t know who that PR rep talks to, or who else they might work with.
Life can get in the way, that much is natural. However, you should make a good faith effort to deliver on any agreements you make and, if you can’t, apologise and be honest with your PR contact.
