How to Find Sponsored Posts and Brand Partnerships

Sponsored posts have been part of blogging for a long time, but the way bloggers find that work has changed. Years ago, a lot of opportunities seemed to arrive through PR lists, blogger networks and inbox pitches. Those still exist, but if you are waiting for somebody to discover your blog and offer you a campaign, you are leaving far too much of your income up to chance. Looking back at the early Biannual Blogathon Bash sponsors is also a useful reminder of how much the blogger-brand landscape has changed.

I have worked with brands in different ways for years, and one thing I keep coming back to is this: you do not need to wait until you are a huge influencer before you start building brand relationships. You do need to understand what you can offer, which companies actually make sense for your audience, and how to approach them with something more useful than "I would love to collaborate."

This is not about firing off 100 identical emails and hoping somebody says yes. I would rather send a handful of pitches that make sense than spend my day spamming companies I have no real connection to.

It is also not only about sponsored blog posts anymore. A relationship might involve a blog article, photographs, short-form video, social posts, affiliate content, product demonstrations, event coverage, UGC or a combination of several things. That gives bloggers more ways to earn, but it also means we need to be much clearer about what we are offering and what we are agreeing to do.

Table of Contents

First, Decide Whether Sponsored Work Actually Fits Your Blog

Sponsored work can be a good income stream, but it is not automatically the right choice for every blog or every opportunity.

Ask yourself what your readers come to you for. What do they trust you to talk about? Which products and services naturally show up in the life behind your content?

For example, a gardening blogger has a perfectly reasonable reason to talk about garden tools, seeds, soil products, greenhouses, irrigation, work clothes or even equipment used to preserve the harvest. That does not mean the same blogger should suddenly promote something completely unrelated just because somebody offered $100.

The money matters. So does the trust you have spent years building.

I use a simple test: could I create useful content about this even if there were no campaign attached to it? If the answer is yes, I am much more interested. If I have to twist my blog into a pretzel to make the product fit, it is probably not the right partnership.

Start With Brands You Already Know

Before you start searching creator platforms for strangers, look around your own house, office, kitchen, garden, craft room or wherever your content happens.

What do you already use?

Make a working list of brands that genuinely intersect with your content. Include:

products you have purchased and used;
companies you already mention naturally;
affiliate programs you belong to;
brands that have previously sent you products;
companies you met at conferences, trade shows or events;
PR representatives you have worked with before;
and companies whose products solve a real problem your readers have.

This gives you a much stronger starting point than randomly searching for "brands that work with bloggers."

And do not automatically cross a company off your list because you think your audience is too small. Audience size is one piece of a partnership, but it is not the only piece. A niche creator who understands the product and can produce useful content may be far more valuable for a particular campaign than a huge account whose audience does not care.

Go Back Through Your Old Contacts

This was part of the original advice in this article, and I am keeping it because it still works.

If you have been blogging for any length of time, you may already have opportunities buried in your inbox.

Search for people you worked with before. Look for PR contacts, agencies, affiliate managers and brand representatives. Check old sponsored posts and product reviews. Think about companies that were easy to work with and products your readers responded to.

Then reconnect.

You do not need a complicated email:

Hi [Name],

We worked together previously on [project/product], and I wanted to reconnect. I am currently planning content around [relevant topic/season/project], and your brand came to mind because [specific reason]. Are you working on any upcoming creator or sponsored-content campaigns that might be a fit?

That is very different from pretending you remember someone when you do not. If it has been ten years, say so. People change jobs. Agencies change clients. The point is simply to reopen a legitimate relationship instead of treating every pitch like a cold introduction.

Do Not Ignore the PR Pitches Already Coming to You

This one needs a little nuance.

A press release in your inbox is not a sponsored-post offer. A company sending you information does not mean it has offered to pay you, and editorial coverage should not secretly become pay-to-play.

But a relevant PR email can tell you something useful: somebody is actively trying to get that product, company or campaign in front of an audience.

If it truly fits your readers, there is nothing wrong with replying and asking whether the company also has a paid creator campaign, product-review opportunity, affiliate program or sponsored-content budget.

The worst useful answer is "No, this is editorial only." Fine. Now you know.

The better answer may be, "Actually, let me connect you with our creator team."

Pitch an Idea, Not "I Want to Work With You"

This is where a lot of pitches get weak.

"I love your brand and would love to collaborate" tells the company almost nothing. You have just handed the marketing person another job: figure out what to do with you.

Give them an idea.

A useful pitch answers several questions quickly:

Why this brand?
Why your audience?
What content are you proposing?
Why is the timing useful?
What could the brand receive from the partnership?

Suppose you are planning a fall garden cleanup series. Instead of pitching a tool company with "Want to collaborate?", you might propose a practical article and short video showing how you use a specific tool during fall cleanup, supported by photographs and social promotion.

Now there is something to discuss.

You do not have to design their entire campaign for free. Give enough of the concept that they can see the fit.

Make the Pitch Specific Without Writing a Novel

Brand pitches do not need to contain your entire life story.

A solid first pitch can include:

a brief introduction;
one sentence explaining why the company is a fit;
the actual content idea;
the primary deliverables you are proposing;
a relevant audience or performance detail when useful;
a link to your site, media kit or examples;
and a clear question about whether they are interested.

If you have a genuinely relevant result, include it. "My preserving articles consistently attract readers looking for food-storage solutions" is useful context. Dumping twenty unrelated statistics into the email is not.

And please make it easy for them to figure out who you are. Your full name, website and contact information should not require detective work.

If writing these emails makes you freeze, read How To Write Professional Emails. Professional does not have to mean stiff or fake.

Look Beyond a Sponsored Blog Post

This is one of the biggest changes from the early days of sponsored blogging.

Your blog may be the center of your business without being the only thing you can sell.

A company might need:

a sponsored article on your site;
short-form social video;
product or lifestyle photography;
social posts or stories;
a newsletter placement;
a tutorial or demonstration;
UGC the company publishes on its own channels;
event or trade-show coverage;
affiliate content;
or a package that combines several deliverables.

These are not interchangeable. If a company wants access to the audience you built, that is different from hiring you primarily to create content for the company's own use.

If the second situation interests you, read How Bloggers Can Make Money With UGC Before They Have Big Pageviews. It explains why good content skills can create opportunities even when your traffic is not enormous.

Know What You Are Offering Before You Talk Price

One reason sponsorship conversations get confusing is that creators start talking about price before the scope is clear.

"How much for a sponsored post?" is not enough information.

Does the company expect 1,500 words or 500? Original photography? Video? Three social platforms? A newsletter? A link that must stay forever? Two rounds of revisions? Preapproval? Thirty-day exclusivity? Paid advertising rights to your images?

A number that sounded fine at the beginning can become terrible once six additional deliverables appear.

Before you quote, clarify:

exact deliverables;
deadline and publication timing;
revision expectations;
whether the brand must approve content before publication;
social-media requirements;
usage and licensing rights;
exclusivity;
payment amount and payment timing;
and whether you have expenses that are not being covered.

For creator content and UGC in particular, use my UGC Pricing and Usage Rights for Bloggers guide. A creation fee and permission to use your work commercially are not automatically the same thing.

Tired of Hearing "Just Pitch Brands"?

I heard that advice for years too. Find the brands. Send the pitch. Build relationships. Work with companies. Except I was doing those things and still getting far too many offers to work in exchange for product instead of getting PAID.

Knowing that you should pitch brands and knowing how to turn your blog, content, experience and existing assets into better revenue opportunities are two very different things. That is the kind of hands-on business work we do inside Building Better Blogs.

Learn About Building Better Blogs →

Free Product Is Not Automatically Payment

I like products. Most bloggers do. A useful product can absolutely have value.

But a $40 product does not magically pay for several hours of planning, photography, writing, editing, revisions and promotion.

There are times when I may choose to accept a product-only opportunity because I genuinely want the item and I can use the resulting content in my own business. That is a business choice.

It is different from being told that exposure and a sample are generous compensation for professional work.

Look at what the company is asking you to produce. Then decide whether what you receive is worth that work to you.

Do Not Forget Affiliate Income

A sponsorship does not always have to end when the flat fee is paid.

If the company has an affiliate program and the arrangement permits it, an affiliate relationship can give useful evergreen content a longer revenue life. That can be especially valuable when the product is something you expect to keep using and mentioning.

Ask. Do not assume.

And do not let an affiliate commission substitute for a creation fee when the company is specifically hiring you to produce substantial campaign assets unless that is a tradeoff you deliberately want to make.

Where Can Bloggers Find Sponsored Opportunities?

There is no single magic website that supplies a dependable stream of perfect campaigns. I would rather build several paths.

Your Existing Network

Past contacts, companies you already use, affiliate managers, PR representatives and people you meet through your niche are often the warmest opportunities.

Direct Brand Outreach

Find the company's creator, affiliate, partnerships, PR or marketing contact when possible. A targeted email to the right person is much better than blasting the same pitch to every address you can find.

Creator and Influencer Platforms

Platforms can expose you to campaigns you would never find on your own. They can also be crowded, rates vary wildly, and applying does not mean you will be selected. Use them as one lead source rather than building your entire business around them.

Social Media and Professional Networks

Brands, agencies and PR professionals post opportunities publicly. Follow companies and people in your niche, pay attention to creator calls and build real relationships before you need something.

For more ideas, see How Bloggers Can Find Brand and Review Opportunities on Social Media and LinkedIn for Bloggers.

Events, Conferences and Trade Shows

If your niche has industry events, do not overlook the people behind the booths. The goal is not to shove a media kit at every person in the room. Talk to people. Learn what they are launching. Ask who handles creator partnerships. Follow up afterward while the conversation is still recognizable.

Track Your Outreach or You Will Lose Opportunities

I know. Another spreadsheet.

But if you pitch consistently, your inbox becomes a terrible CRM.

At minimum, track:

brand;
contact name and email;
date contacted;
what you pitched;
response;
follow-up date;
campaign status;
agreed compensation;
deliverables;
invoice date;
and whether you were actually paid.

That last part matters. A campaign is not finished because the post went live.

Tracking also teaches you what is working. If personalized pitches to companies you already use consistently get replies while fifty platform applications go nowhere, that is useful information about where your time belongs.

Follow Up Without Becoming a Pest

People miss emails. Campaigns get delayed. Someone goes on vacation. A reasonable follow-up is part of doing business.

If I have a timely pitch and hear nothing, I would rather send one polite follow-up than assume silence means no.

But there is a point where following up becomes chasing.

Send the follow-up. Keep the door open. Then move on to the next opportunity instead of emotionally camping in somebody else's inbox.

Watch for Red Flags Before You Say Yes

Not every opportunity that arrives with the word "brand" attached to it is a good opportunity.

Slow down if:

the deliverables are vague but the company wants an immediate yes;
new requirements keep appearing after you agree;
payment terms are unclear;
the company wants broad perpetual rights for very little compensation;
it expects you to make claims you cannot substantiate;
you are asked to hide that the content is sponsored;
the product is a poor fit for your audience;
or you feel pressured to give account passwords or unsafe access.

You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to negotiate. You are allowed to walk away.

Make Yourself Easier to Hire

If a brand likes your pitch, what happens when it looks you up?

Make sure your site tells people who you are and what you actually do. Keep your contact information current. Have examples of your strongest relevant work. Keep a media kit available if you use one. Make your social profiles recognizable and reasonably current.

You do not need to look like a giant media company. You need to look like a real person who takes the work seriously and can be reached.

It also helps to build relationships throughout the year instead of appearing in someone's inbox only when you need money. How to Build Real Relationships With Influencers and Industry Peers applies to brand work too: people remember useful, professional people.

What If You Pitch and Nobody Says Yes?

This is where I do not want you deciding after five emails that sponsored work "doesn't work."

Look at the evidence.

Are you pitching companies that actually fit? Is there a clear idea in the email? Does your site show what you can create? Are you contacting the right person? Are you proposing something the brand could realistically use? Are your rates and requested deliverables aligned? Are you following up?

Then change one thing and test again.

You may also discover that you hate pitching and would rather focus on affiliate income, advertising, your own products or another revenue stream. That is useful information too. Sponsored work is an income stream. It does not have to become your income stream.

A Better Sponsored-Post Plan for This Week

If you want to move from reading to doing, here is what I would actually do:

Choose five brands that genuinely fit content you already create.
Find the right contact for partnerships, PR, affiliates or creator marketing.
Write one useful idea for each brand. Do not copy and paste the exact same pitch.
Send the pitches. They cannot say yes to an email sitting in your drafts folder.
Record what you sent and set a follow-up date.
Keep creating your own useful content while you wait. Your business does not stop because somebody has not answered yet.

Five thoughtful pitches will teach you more than reading another fifty generic lists of companies that "work with bloggers."

Build Relationships, Not Just a List of One-Off Checks

Of course I want bloggers to get paid. But I also want you to build something sturdier than constantly starting from zero.

Do good work. Meet deadlines. Communicate when something changes. Send the invoice. Track the payment. Share results when appropriate. Stay in touch with the people who were good to work with.

A one-time sponsored post can be useful income. A good professional relationship can turn into another campaign, affiliate income, UGC, event work, referrals or opportunities you cannot predict when you send that first email.

That is why I would rather teach you how to find and evaluate opportunities than hand you a stale list of "50 brands that pay bloggers." The companies will change. The skill of recognizing a good fit, pitching a useful idea and protecting the value of your work will keep serving you.

Want Other Bloggers to Talk This Through With?

Join the free Biannual Blogathon Bash community on Facebook. Bring your questions, share what you are working on and keep building the business side of your blog with people who understand why this stuff can feel like a moving target.

You can also join the email list below for new blogging resources, opportunities and practical help as I publish them.