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This report & guide is part of the Business Blueprint Series, by JT Barnett & Stan
Every month we will be sharing a review on a specific creator topic to help all stages, from beginner to advanced.
Please use this to go out into the world and crush it!!!
To follow upcoming parts of the series, go here.
Much love, JT Barnett🙏🏻
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Brand deals are the most typical form of monetizing as a creator. However, brand partnerships aren’t just about grabbing a quick paycheck. They’re about building relationships that align with your values, resonate with your audience, and set you up for long-term success.
When brands approach you for a partnership, what they’re really after is your audience. Your followers represent a potential customer base, and that’s incredibly valuable to a company.
As you grow your audience, start thinking about who else would find this community valuable? So question yourself like “Which companies out there have the same people buying their products as my followers?” Those are the brands that will be interested in paying you to endorse their products.
This concept applies across all platforms—if you’re on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, running a podcast, writing a newsletter, or even have a texting community. Wherever you have an engaged audience, there’s an opportunity for a brand to sponsor you.
Here’s where a lot of creators trip up: they go after the quick money.
They monetize on the first brand deal that comes their way without considering if it’s a good fit for them or their audience. That’s a mistake. Why? Because the relationship you’re building with your audience is far more valuable than any single paycheck.
Your audience trusts you, and that trust is the cornerstone of long-term success.
If you start promoting products purely for the cash, your audience will catch on. They’ll begin to question whether you’re genuinely endorsing something you believe in or if you’re just chasing the money. And once that trust is broken, it’s incredibly difficult to rebuild. Your followers will become less engaged, less likely to act on your recommendations, and over time, brands will take notice. They’ll see that your influence has diminished, and suddenly, those brand deals won’t be as easy to come by.
Thats why you should really focus on working with brands that you really do care about. It will pay off better for you, them, and your audience!