Are you ready to boost your brand and revenue? In today’s episode, I’m continuing my series all about branding and talking with content creator coach Bree Pair. Bree shares her secrets for blogging success, plus how to price yourself for collaborations with brands and driving up revenue from your blog.

On Quianna Marie Weekly, we’re chatting about business growing pains, finding genuine connections, and celebrating wins of all sizes through the lens of a photographer at heart. Sprinkled throughout stories and interviews with past clients, photographers and other business owners this podcast is designed to help you step into your purpose and to truly create a life you’re proud of, a life worth photographing and sharing.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by The Green House, my resource garden for photographers! Let me help you AMPLIFY your heart online and in real life to turn bridesmaids into future brides through templates, workshops, and freebies!

Review The Show Notes: 

Can You Make Money With Your Blog? (2:52)

How To Get Started Making An Income From Your Blog (5:42)

Collaborating With Brands (13:45)

Making The Initial Connection With Brands (19:38)

The Trend Of Niching Down (23:39)

Collaboration Red Flags (32:20)

Pricing For Campaigns (37:05)

Starting Your Blog From Scratch (40:38)

Key Tip From Bree (43:57)

Connect With Bree:

Instagram: instagram.com/breepair

Thrive on Instagram: instagram.com/thrivetogetherblog

Thrive Blogger Podcast: thrivetogether.blog/podcast

All Resources From This Episode: thrivetogether.blog/quianna

Review the Transcript:

Quianna: Are blogs really dead? We’ve covered a ton about blogging on the podcast already, but we’ve really only shared the importance of blogging for your own business, revving up your SEO, and building authority online for your business. So if you have any interest in that, please make sure to scroll back to recent episodes.

But I have to ask you, have you considered the possibility of collaborating with brands and blogging for revenue with sponsorships and income opportunities? Today, I have the honor of introducing you to one of my blogging content and influencer besties, Bree Pair. Bree Pair is a coach for content creators.

Her company Thrive educates and empowers creatives to build their brands so they have financial freedom and the flexibility to live their lives to the fullest. She’s passionate about helping female entrepreneurs live out their dreams and helping them with a strategy to make an impact while making a living doing what they love.

Today we’re going to dive right into the strategies to make more money online through your blog and content creation. Even if you’re not a blogger, or maybe you have a dusty blog with inconsistent posts, Bree is going to help encourage all of us to find alignment with brands for collaborations and revenue driving opportunities.

I ask a ton of questions about niching down, breaking down price points for clubs, using discernment for working with brands to spot red flags and mutually beneficial opportunities. Currently, this entrepreneurship, influencer and content creator business can feel like the Wild West with so much uncertainty.

Bree specializes in helping her community create a framework with confidence to turn an online presence into a full time career. We’re so lucky to have the opportunity to chat with Bree. This legit feels like a coaching call that I can’t wait to have you join, listen, and learn from. Let’s get Bree on the show with a warm hug.

Please welcome Bree. Welcome to Quianna Marie Weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins big or small by dancing in the kitchen, photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at QuiannaMarie.com/podcast.

Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party. Ready? Let’s go.

Hey, hey, hey, welcome to the party, Bree. It is such an honor to have you here today. How are you doing?

Bree: Oh my God, Friend. I’m so good. Thank you for having me. I’m so glad we were able to make this happen.

Quianna: Yes, girl, you know, I’ve been bugging you to get on the podcast. And so it’s here and I’m so grateful. Let’s dive into these questions.

Bree, please let us know. Is it possible to make money with our blogs?

Bree: 100%. You know, blogging is like the OG form of content creation. It’s where everybody got started and like before all the social media platforms. And the great thing about it is it hasn’t gone away. A lot of people will be like, Oh, blogging is dead, blah, blah, blah.

But then I always challenge that. I’m like, okay, but when you search for something on Pinterest or on Google, I’m like, what is that then sending you to? Nine times out of 10. It’s a blog. So it is 100 percent possible. There are so many ways to make money just with a blog, you know, like ad revenue, sponsorships, another place to put affiliate links.

But then it’s also an extension of you. So a place for you to show off your brand, your personality, and really your expertise. So not only can you make money just from the blog itself, but it can also lend as a great generator for everything else that you’re doing.

Quianna: Yes. I love that so much. And that’s my favorite thing.

Anytime someone says, no, blogging is dead, or we even open up that conversation and discuss, well, I don’t even really read blogs anymore. Right? Like that’s sometimes the conversation, but you’re right. Where are that? Like, where are those pieces of content? Where are those recipes? Where are those backyard DIY ideas?

Like where are all the things? And I think sometimes. We get caught up in creatives kind of being those OG millennials searching on Pinterest where we’re right, like we’re looking for recipes and all those things, but everybody else is looking for everything. Like it’s just, it’s, it’s unlimited for the amount of resources that we can provide online.

And someone is literally typing that in, like they’re searching for us. They’re not just scrolling on social media to find us and then maybe get distracted and land on our page. Like they’re searching for us. That’s just so incredible. Absolutely.

Bree: And yes, we get like honed in on our little circle right of like, Oh, I search for the same thing you do recipes DIY is right now I’m searching for holiday decor, right?

But we’re just like the tiniest amount of people searching for things on the internet, right? And there’s so many other niches and so many other things that people can go into. That I feel like sometimes content creation can feel like, Oh, I have to do this specific thing, but really, like, we are such a multifaceted human species that there are so many different things and different niches for people to go into, which is really exciting.

Quianna: Yes. Oh, my gosh. So please help us get started. How can we get started with actually making an income with this? Let’s say we have a dusty blog. We started it some years ago. Maybe since then we’ve pivoted. We’ve started a new niche or maybe we are kind of getting away from our nation. We are now celebrating our own personal brands that have a little bit more fluff and a little bit more personality to it.

Where do we get started with that?

Bree: So it really depends on what your end goal is with the blog, because I always tell people that a blog really is a, it’s a long game. It’s a long term thing. It’s not something where you can go and start a blog and in three to six months, even just have like this overnight success.

It does take a longer time to do. And so that’s why I always encourage people to have one, yes, and start it, but also have supplemental things and other areas that you can have more quick wins, right with your brand. So with the blog, it’s like, what is your goal with it? Is it exposure to your current brand?

Are you wanting income from just the blog itself? And then it’s really looking at, okay, if I am wanting to drive traffic to my blog, right? If that is my goal is I need to get more eyes on my brand, more eyes on my content, then that that’s a great goal, right? Versus if you’re like, well, I just want to have some articles that I can point people to whenever they find me on Instagram.

I want to point them to a mini chat code that points them to my article with more information. Right. It kind of just depends on what the goal is. So if the goal is, okay, I want to start making money from my blog and have supplemental income coming from ads because I have so many page views. Amazing.

What you really are going to have to focus in on is that niche content. Because there are hundreds and thousands and probably at this point, millions of articles and different resources out there, you have to figure out how am I going to stand out? And how am I going to get people to click over to my website over anybody else’s?

So that’s really where Thank you. Take care. You have to kind of look at that niche content. And that’s what if I was starting over, that’s what I would start with is I would do that research and be like, okay, here’s some things that I’m really interested in and things that I can stick with longterm, right?

Since blogging is a longterm thing, you also have to be in it and be, you know, not get tired of talking about that subject for years on end. So really looking at that and then really learning SEO and Pinterest and utilizing those two things. So that way you are able to get traffic outside of like a social media.

Quianna: Yes, I love that so much. And you’re right. The possibilities are endless. I love the idea of creating a hub and creating some resources that you own. This is huge. I love that you mentioned creating those landing pages or those. Articles or any type of web page or just information that you can send people to.

I feel like a lot of us are mini chat happy and we just, we’re, we’re experimenting with that. We’re excited to get these comments and these DMS and these automations created, but having that blog and having that place to send people is so important.

Bree: Right, because you think about it, like I will give I’ll find let’s say I’ll find a recipe on Instagram, right?

And it’s on this reel. And it just goes super fast. Sometimes it’s not even like they put it in the comments. So I can’t even go down there and like screenshot it to like have it next to me while I’m cooking. And so I’m literally having to like Push pause on this real and watch this. I’m making their real views jump up, which is great for them.

But as a user, it’s very challenging, right? And so to me, I would want to like, okay, guess I want more real views, but how much better of a user experience would it be like, okay, here’s the recipe on the real. If you want a version of it that you can, that you don’t have to keep pushing pause a million times, comment recipe, and I’ll send you a link to it.

And then have it in a beautiful, laid out blog post where they can just see it easily without all of the extra stuff. Right. That is taking it that next step further and providing that really good experience for your audience. And when we provide a good experience, they come back, they return, they tell their friends about it.

Right. And you grow that way.

Quianna: I love that. So I am such a visual person. So I’d like to dig a little bit deeper. I feel like I have a good understanding of this, but for someone who is maybe just getting started with blogging, I feel like we need to go a little bit deeper. So let’s say, for example, we have that recipe that we find, right?

We find this TikTok, we find this real, we’re, we’re tired of listening to that sound over and over again. So we get access to the recipe. This is the power of blogging. Then we have the affiliate links in there. So let’s say you have this super cute. I don’t know. I’m just making this up. We’re in this season.

It sounds good. There’s this yummy apple pie recipe, right? So within that, you see the super cute baking dish that this, this creator had. Right. And you’re like, Oh my gosh, this would be a great hostess gift or whatever. Like there’s affiliate links within that. That’s embedded. Oh my gosh. She is wearing this super cute apron that I need to have or whatever the cooking utensils, you name it.

It shouldn’t just go on forever. And then if we like. What we see, like you said, we’re going to dig a little bit deeper. We’re going to find more recipes. We’re going to find more DIY hacks. Like think of the possibilities and the resources that we can create for each of our individual businesses. I mean, not just like, Oh my gosh, it, it can be so overwhelming.

It can.

Bree: But the other thing too, is like, okay, you and I are not recipe and like D like those type of bloggers. So, right. We each have our own thing that we can hone in on and be like, Okay, what could be like the next step to get them to something? And you can even think of it in terms of like, Okay, I want to make money with this.

So how do I work myself backwards? Right? So you can think of it as like, Okay, I’m going to send them to this blog for this recipe. Yes, I’m going to have some affiliate links, but maybe you also are like, you know what? I am at a place where I have a big enough audience. I’m going to go talk to a brand and I’m going to be like, Hey, I would love for you to sponsor this entire series.

So sponsor the blog post, sponsor the real, sponsor all of this. And I’m going to showcase your product in the images and the videos, right? So you’re making money that way. You can also embed opt ins into the blog post, right? So they come to the blog and you’re real for that delicious apple pie recipe.

But now you’re offering them, Hey, if you like, if you’re like a huge fan of apple pie, that you’re probably also going to love these five additional. Hi, recipes, click here and I’ll send them to your email. So you’re collecting their email address. Then you set up a tripwire, be like, cool, you like these, get this ebook for 9.

99, right? Like there’s so many different ways that like you can keep going with it. So I think that’s one thing is like, I do this as well. And it’s because we have a lot going on, but then it’s because somebody is not always challenging us to like, okay, what’s the next step, right? So it’s like, okay, I made this real and it’s great.

And I got views. Amazing. But what’s the next step? Okay. Let’s set up a mini chat code. Cool. What’s the next step? Are you collecting their email address? What’s the next step? Can we set up a trip wire for 499? It makes you some passive income, right? So like wherever you’re at in your journey, that’s what I would challenge people is like, think about what is that next step that you can do that’s going to provide a better experience for your audience.

Thanks. Have you grown your email list or your income? Just keep looking at like, okay, what would the next step to be to take on this?

Quianna: Oh, my gosh. Well, I feel like that needs to be a masterminding session where we just literally map it out. We create this workflow. We create this checklist and this whole client experience, just this journey is so beautiful.

So I feel like you, you mentioned something that I want to go back to when you talked about collaborating with brands. So, where do we get started with that Bree? Where, you know, where do you suggest doing the searches? Are we waiting for brands to come to us? Like, where do you suggest we get started with collaborating with other brands?

Bree: You know, sometimes people will get lucky and brands will come to them, but I have found often with my girls that that’s not happening quite as much anymore. And it has to be you doing the outreach and you reaching out to them. LinkedIn and connecting with people on LinkedIn and brands over there is a huge way to find contacts and start to make connections.

And then it is like, pitching and getting yourself in front of them. And what’s exciting about working with brands is you don’t necessarily have to have like a huge amount of followers or subscribers on any one given platform. Or it doesn’t have to be like, Oh, I have to have this many followers on Instagram before I can start working with brands.

But maybe on the back end, you have a really solid email list, right? Or you have You know, I’ve talked to some girls and then like I dig a little deeper and they’ve got a Facebook group with over 30, 000 people and I’m like, wait, hold on what? Right? So there’s so many opportunities. It’s just a matter of how you position yourself whenever you do talk to brands and you get my, my number one tip is that you always get on the phone with them because it is so easy for you to just shoot off an email and a pitch and be done, right?

But think about how many other things. Thousands of creators are also doing that same thing. So it’s the same type of thing that we were talking about with like, what’s the next step? How do I set myself apart? How do I provide a better experience? Think of the exact same thing when it comes to brands as well.

And you know, what’s exciting about. Working with brands is, you know, like it’s anything I’m looking at this pricing guide that I’ve got, which we’ll make sure you guys have the link to, but it’s like, okay, even if you have under 10, 000 followers on Instagram, you can still make, let’s see, I got to zoom in here because I was way too small.

You can still make up to like 800 a post, right? Same thing, you know, Tik TOK, YouTube, Facebook, right? Like you don’t have to have this massive, massive following, but if you have an engaged audience, So even if you have an email list, let’s say you have an email list of 500 to a thousand subscribers, you’ve got a really good open rate.

You’ve got a good click through rate. When you compare those numbers to, let’s say what you’re getting over on Instagram, I usually find that that reach that people are getting with email Is actually more unless you have a real it just takes off right but we cannot predict that and the other part of that too is on Instagram on social media.

You do have to say in the caption that this is an ad or this is sponsored right which does You Ding the algorithm. That is one that I can confirm. It does happen. But think about it. That doesn’t happen in your inbox, right? Gmail or whatever, like doesn’t be like, Oh, let’s not send this email. No, no, it’s still going to go through and land in people’s inbox.

So that’s when it really comes to like the discussion with brands. You can be like, Hey, I’ve got 3000 solid people on my email list and I get a 40 percent open rate. I get a 2 percent click through rate. That’s huge. Right? Because people aren’t clicking through on social media. So that’s been like having that conversation with them because sometimes brands will just want exposure right where that is like okay a solid real could come in amazing right like you teach how to create beautiful B roll real so like that’s where like something like that could get them amazing exposure.

But if they’re wanting something like, we just really need more eyes on our website. We need people to click this link, be like, cool, I’ve got a solid email list. That’s what we should do. And so you can do something with a dedicated email scent of like 500 if you even have just a thousand people on your email list.

And imagine you just do that twice a month, like that’s adding an extra thousand dollars to your paycheck every single month. And I don’t know about you. I don’t know about your listeners, but for me, that’s amazing, right? Like that’s huge. Yeah, that helps so much. So I think that’s what’s exciting about working with brands is there’s so many opportunities out there.

Plus, if you can just make beautiful content, which I know you’re everybody in your audience can, right? Like you have, I’m assuming you have a lot of photographers that listen, right? You guys know how to create gorgeous, gorgeous content. Brands are looking for they need content right and imagine how much it would cost them to do book out an entire shoot and all these things.

That’s why UGC content is so huge right now because it’s saving them so much money. You can sell your photos to them. Why not sell those images? Do the shoot yourself that you can do in your sleep. And make some extra money on the side that way. You guys already have that portfolio. Yes. Yes. Just put it to work.

Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Sorry, I just like took it off and ran with it. I just get so excited about this part.

Quianna: Yes. No, this is lovely. This is all the information that I want to hear and I want to dig deeper in. Yeah. So when it comes to brands, what is that pitch look like? Does it look like, Hey, like, are you coming at them with, these are all of my, like, these are all the reasons why I’m the best UGC creator or why I’m the best content creator to collaborate with you, or maybe we Kind of have a little bit more of an elaborate pitch where we’re saying, Oh, I’m working on this fun series.

I’d like to include you. Like, here’s my ideas already. Cause you know me, Brie, I am an idea generator. And I can give them a whole marketing plan before they even hire me. So I need to like, be careful. So what advice do you have with that initial connection? Right. Or, or I don’t even know what the etiquette is.

And Could we start potentially posting things and saying, Hey, I just, right, working with a local brand. I just use your coffee mug in this video and you know, I’d love to extend this. Like I don’t even know how that etiquette works. Can you explain a little bit more about that?

Bree: And that’s what’s so fun about this is there is like every single way you just said is a great idea.

Okay. Um, I don’t know that I would necessarily throw them like a whole marketing plan, but like the coffee mug, right? Like if you just did like this cute photo, like send them the phone. I say send the phone, send them a link to the post because I don’t want them to think that they can use it. We don’t want to get into that gray area there, but send them a link to be like, you know, tag them in that, you know, that’s how even if nobody responds or maybe they, you know, one of their interns or somebody will respond to your post.

That’s great. But getting on their radar just a little bit is a good idea. Tagging them and stuff. Showing that you like it and just organically, right? It doesn’t have to be something that you go out of the way and do, but then it’s also like, it could be where if you do have a series and be like, I thought of you because this would really be perfect for my February content, your brand aligns exactly with what I’m doing.

And I think my audience would love you because of X, Y, and Z, right? Like it’s really about showcasing that audiences align. If it’s content that you’re wanting to create that goes out to your own audience. Now it’s different if you’re like, I can really help you guys with your marketing by providing amazing content that you can use across the board.

Right. And so that would be more the UGC. So it’s figuring out, okay, what kind of content do I want to provide? Do I want to provide content that I’m giving them exposure or do I want to provide content where I’m providing them with the photos with the B roll that they can go and use on their own platforms, right?

So it’s figuring out which direction you want to go and you can go in both directions with different brands, right? Because different brands are going to have different needs. And then the biggest tip with this is just to always remember that on the other side of that email, there is somebody just like me and you.

Usually in social media, I find that nine times out of 10, I’m talking to another woman and usually around our age who has her career goal. Hopefully she loves her job. Hopefully she loves her boss, right? Like all of these things that I wish out into the universe for every single woman out there. My goal is that I am able to help her, right?

So I want to help her look really good in front of her boss. I want to help her have a really amazing campaign that she can go and present to them and be like, Look, I found this creator. I worked with them. They provided these amazing results, right? I want her to get a gold star for working with me, right?

That’s always my mindset when I go into this. And so when you go into it with that mindset, I feel like you approach the conversations differently. Even that first initial email is like, how can I help you? What do you guys have coming up with? Where are you guys struggling? Do you need content? Do you need exposure?

Like, I would love to hop out a call and chat with you to see how about how I can help you finish out the year or help you in Q1.

Quianna: Yes, I love that so much. And I feel like that is in so much alignment with even me in my business, right? Helping others shine, helping others step up to the plate and get the credit.

And then at the end of the day, it’s truly a win win for everyone involved. I love that.

Bree: A

Quianna: hundred

Bree: percent. Yeah, because then if you have a great campaign and you’re able to provide those great results, then they probably want to work with you again. And then you’ve just created a recurring revenue stream for yourself.

Quianna: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love this so much. So in your best, I say like the big sister, best business bestie advice. I know we mentioned a little bit about niching down when we first got started, but in your opinion, where, where is the success going today? Is it really niching down and only posting and sharing specific things or are kind of like the content creators truly exceeding?

Expanding and offering a little bit more of a well rounded kind of personal brand that brings in other hobbies and brings in other modalities. Like where do you see that going? And maybe not necessarily trending, but where do you see that being

Bree: sustainable? It’s kind of interesting because I think so much has changed in social media just this.

I’m not sure when this podcast is coming out, but just in 2024 alone 2025. I’m very curious to see what happens. I think we’re going to see a big shift and a lot of things in 2025. It’s kind of, it honestly kind of depends on who your audience is and who you want them to be, right? I think that’s one part where we get tripped up is like, Oh, well, this is my current audience and you have 800 followers.

And it’s like, you have the ability to change that narrative right now. Right? So you get to decide no matter where you’re at. Even if you are successful and you want to start something different, like you get to decide who you want your audience to be. And then it’s your responsibility to create that content that is going to attract them.

So if you are somebody that wants to really hone in on a specific niche, because that is really what you’re passionate about, then that’s going to be successful for you. If you’re somebody that is Extremely creative and has, I feel like this creative way of showcasing a personal brand. It still has to be, no matter which direction you choose, it still has to be, what am I providing in terms of value to the audience?

Right? So, I like watching blogs. I think they’re super fun. I like to turn them on when I am working and feeling a little lonely and just bringing out something I can just kind of zone out on, right? I’ll turn them on on my other screen on my computer. and just kind of follow along with what they’re doing.

Alternatively, before this, I was working on a landing page and I turned on a YouTuber that does crochet and she was working on a crochet project and that was like soothing and cozy and comforting to me right now. So it just depends on what am I passionate about? What can I do long term and how am I going to attract an audience?

I love niching down. But I don’t think it has to be this big scary thing either. I also think There is something to be said about niching down and how it can help you grow. Even if you’re niching down with like, I’m trying to make sure I hit this exact target audience. I’m going to talk about those type of things that I know is going to attract them.

Or if it is something like crochet, and I’m really getting a hone in on it. And I’m going to go in this these three routes because I know it’s going to attract that audience. That’s what it’s really about is like, how can I create that content long term? I think where people have gotten in trouble in the past is especially in the terms of blogging specifically.

I don’t think it’s. as detrimental when you go in on social media, you still have to like determine your target audience. I would say more than necessarily your niche. It’s like who’s my target audience and how am I attracting them is I feel like maybe that’s the turn point that you were talking about.

Maybe that’s the pivot that I’ve seen because in blogging specifically, that one is a little bit harder because you kind of have to be known for something in order to keep people coming to your website. Right. Um, and I feel like that is like, Maybe a niche topic versus just a niche audience because people have to seek out information to find your website versus on social media, you can attract that niche audience.

And I think that is something that we’ve seen the difference in on social media. Is picking that niche audience rather than a specific, how many times can I say the word niche? Um, in that specific topic.

Quianna: Yes. No, this is so good. And I am totally picking up what you’re putting down because I, I truly, I truly believe it’s important for all creators and all small business owners to have that one thing, that one thing that they are known for and that they specialize in.

You know, just, and I’m going to just rattle off some fun things for photographers, right? So let’s say you’re a photographer and you’re excited to start collaborating with brands. I mean, yes, you have your gear, you have, what’s in your bag. You have the shoes you’re wearing, you have the outfits you’re wearing to photograph weddings and photo shoots.

Right. But then you could also like pull out this cute coffee mug that. Any business can relate to that, right? So that’s the fun part, right? It’s like, I mean, even your vehicle, I mean, I used to have my foreigner for years and now I have a RAV4 and I, I personally think a RAV4 is the perfect car for a photographer, right?

And so all those little things like that. I mean, that’s everything from a local artist that creates coffee mugs to something as big as Toyota, right? I mean, like that is just insane to have that type of stretch and To reach out for those type of collaborations. But at the end of the day, I am speaking to my target audience, right?

I’m speaking to people that for me in my business now is like people that need content that need photos like that truly is the heartbeat of it. And then we can get creative with the kind of like the sideliners. But I love that. I love your advice on and I truly don’t think That’s a trend. I think that’s here to stay is having something, yes, having something that you can point people to, like you said, they keep coming back to, but then there’s, there’s room for like, I always say leave room for magic.

Like there’s always some little outliers that you can add. Well, I think

Bree: adding your personality to things is that’s always what makes me stick around. So one girl that I think of on Instagram that I follow, she is a hairstylist. And she does, so she has like her salon, but then she also goes and does weddings and I love following her.

I found her because she was doing outfit of the day like reels and she has this big massive closet and she like wears like these quirky outfits that I would never wear myself but it was so fun and colorful and amazing. That I was hooked and wanted to follow along and then she also takes you along as she’s like, unloading her car with all of her gear to get up to the bridal suite to do their hair, which I’m like, girl, you’re so much extra energy to keep like moving your tripod, but I am addicted.

So thank you. I love watching it. Right. So it doesn’t often have to be. Like for anyone like listening, it doesn’t have to be like, Oh, I have to start this new thing. It’s like, what else can I do to just like add extra, maybe it’s even just adding personality showcasing, like, as I am sitting here, you know, at my computer editing, like showcasing, like maybe a more aesthetic vibe with my coffee and my cat that keeps jumping on my computer, right?

Like those types of things we love. I think of our friends, like, Brett and Brandy, right? Like I freaking love watching their content because they are always showing their cute little puppy they’re showing when they go to Starbucks and get their pumpkin lattes. Right? Like I feel like I am a part of their like whole life and I know kind of like what their routine looks like.

And then I also am like, man, if I’m ever in the same space with them, I think they’d be so much fun to hire to shoot my photos. Right? Like, that’s the power of, like, the personal branding that comes along with all of that. And that’s all B roll content, which you teach everybody how to do. So, like, full circle.

Quianna: Yes. Oh, my God. This is so good. We can totally riff on this. If you ever need content coaching, like, reach out to Bree and I, because we have a million ideas. Clearly, you can see. Oh, my God.

Bree: We should just sell, like, one hour brainstorming sessions with he and Bree. It needs to be a thing. It really does. Yes.

Oh, my God. I love it so

Quianna: much. Yes. Oh, my gosh. Well, let’s, let’s continue chatting a little bit more about these branding opportunities. And I actually would love if you wouldn’t mind sharing some red flags to look for when it comes to collaborate with brands. So let’s say we’re confident in our personal brand and our business and our niche.

And we’re, we’re starting to kind of get our feelers out there. We’re starting to pitch and to build. to really put ourself out there. What are some things we should avoid or, you know, just like kind of have that big sister kind of warning sign for?

Bree: Okay, warning signs that I would tell my little sister is don’t accept anything for free.

Just don’t you deserve to be paid them offering you a 40 50 product in exchange for a video is not payments because you still have to pay taxes on that at the end of the day. So there’s no need for you to accept anything for free. And if you feel like, Oh, I might not get something else. So I should take this.

That is not actually fact, so just get rid of that, be like, thank you so much, but at this time, I, I’m not even saying at this time, never, am I ever, and never should any creative, we do not work for free, sorry, this lovely, 50 camera strap does not keep my lights running, so I cannot put time and energy into something.

You can send it to me, and if I so happen to share it with a friend, I will, but if you want me to showcase that in content, then here’s where my rates start and we can have a conversation. So I would say that’s like the biggest red flag. After that would be looking in your contracts and brands like to get sneaky and they like to add little things in there.

So things you want to make sure that you are never signing on to and also just to empower anybody listening. It’s a contract between the two of you. So if there’s something in it that you don’t like, you have every single right to go back to them and be like, great, I need line X, Y, and Z changed or removed.

If they are trying to do something where they are able to whitelist content or share, have any kind of rights to your content, where they can take it and post on their. Whatever to their millions of followers, then that that costs a lot more money for them to be able to do it right. So it is truly like reading every single line and making sure they’re not trying to get rights to your content or be able to run ads to your content even and you may think, Oh, they’re gonna run ads to my stuff.

That’s exciting. It’s gonna be more traffic. Yes, and also no, because you have to think of, okay, who are they attracting to my content? And is that who I want in my audience? Sometimes it can be. A cool thing. What I would say is that if they’re wanting ads run to your content is for you to charge extra for that and you run the ads yourself.

That’s what I would do, which is kind of a really neat concept. And there’s other creators that have been doing that where they just like, okay, and You know, this costs an extra 100 because I’m going to boost my content. So you’re getting ad money without it costing you anything and hopefully reaching new audience or reaching your entire audience and growing that way.

So that’s what I would almost suggest you kind of pitch to them instead. Just because I have seen creators where brands will post things and boost their content. And promote their own content, right? So from, from your own page and brands go in and throw a bunch of ad dollars behind it, but then they’re getting trolls and they’re getting really mean people leaving comments and all these things, and it’s not fine.

So, you know, just things to kind of really consider and just really read. Line item by line item of what’s going into this contract and then reaching out to somebody. If you have questions, reach out to a fellow content creator, see if they’re doing it, send me a DM and be like, Hey Bree, they threw this in there.

Do you think this is okay? That’s, you know, that’s where community really comes into play. And we have a community on Facebook for content creators where you can throw that stuff in there. But like, it’s so valuable to have people that you could be like, is this so right for me to say yes to, or no.

Quianna: And I love that you mentioned that because community is so important.

I’ve been following a couple of girls on TikTok for example and they’re sharing. Like they just go full raw on their content where they’re explaining how much they’re charging for things. Yes, I love it. Why this is acceptable. Yes! And I feel like, And like you mentioned earlier, too, I mean, within this creator world, it really truly is kind of like the Wild West still like we are still kind of figuring this out and it can be scary when, you know, you have those opportunities or those DMS come in.

Oh, we think you’d be perfect to rep our jewelry or sunglasses. And for someone that’s just starting out, I mean. That sounds exciting. But when you look at those fine lines, wait a second, what are you really providing? So I love that we can use discernment for that and then always lean on each other for information.

So where does it come down to in your best advice to actually pricing out these things? I would love to talk a little bit more numbers. I know it’s so hard on a podcast because we don’t have specific businesses or blogs to reference, but do you have just kind of like some good ballpark numbers for

Bree: us?

Absolutely. So if I’m and I’m referencing my pricing guide, I’m looking over at that screen again too, but just to give you guys like some numbers. So we pulled together a pricing guide, probably been a couple of years now, but just went through and updated it. So any numbers that we have plugged into here have been numbers that I have personally done the research on by talking to other creatives in the industry.

So I have talked to creatives that have under 10, 000 followers all the way up to 500, 000 followers. followers plus and multiple in each section because I’m like, okay, I have a podcast of my own. Fortunately, that’s given me a lot of contacts and people that will talk to me. So I’m like, I’m going to ask what people are charging.

Because that’s the biggest thing is like, there is like this wall up where it’s not easy to just you can’t just Google like, you know, it’s not like the thing for if you’re an engineer, you can be like, go to Glassdoor and no cool engineers in this city typically make between this much and this much, right?

We don’t have that. But you do because you have my pricing guide. So everybody that’s why I’m like, share the pricing guide. And so it You know, let’s say you have 10 followers on Instagram. You can sell a real for anywhere from 800 to 3, 000. And I know that’s a range. And we have a range because it’s like, okay, well, what is the number of followers, right?

10, 000 versus 30, 000. What is your average reels view? Because it’s important to take all of those things into account when you’re pricing yourself, right? So, because if you’re somebody that has. Let’s say 15, 000 followers and you’re getting average real views in the hundreds versus somebody with 30, 000 followers that comes to me and they’re getting average real views in like 2000, right, two to 3000.

It’s going to be a huge price difference, right? Or I may tell you guys both to charge the same thing, right? So don’t think that just because you have lower follower count, you can’t charge enough, right? Because if you have a huge views, then I’m going to say you need to bump up your price and you need to leverage those views, but that’s like, you know, kind of a range for that 10 to 30, 000.

And you know, as you grow, it goes up, but that’s why there’s such a huge range. And, and it depends on like, okay, am I packaging this with anything else? Right. That’s why I always say like, get on a call with them, have a conversation, do some digging because you need to find out what they need. in order to be able to provide them with the best solutions.

Quianna: Oh, this is so good. I love this so much. And I’m so grateful that you threw out some numbers because even just looking at that too, I’m like, Oh my gosh, what a blessing it would be. Like you said earlier to bring in an extra thousand dollars a month on a couple of reels that are aligned with my business and my audience.

I mean, this could be life changing for so many of us.

Bree: Yes, for sure. And that’s like, you know, the biggest thing too, is like when anybody starts. working with brands too is make sure they align. Like don’t go and just choose this random brand where it would feel so random to your audience. Like make sure it’s aligned.

Quianna: Yes. Oh my gosh, this is so good. I love this so much. So I would love to bring this kind of full circle on you. And, and I know you mentioned some like starting from scratch things before, but I really would love to almost create like a little checklist or a little timeline for us. And if we were If we’re starting our blog from scratch, what would you

Bree: prioritize first?

Ooh, that’s a good question. If you’re starting from scratch, The first thing I would do is like, do your research, do so much research and diving into what is out there in that niche or in that area that you’re wanting to go into. And even so far as to like, use an SEO tool, learn how to use an SEO tool, and there’s ones out there that range from 10 a month to hundreds of dollars a month.

So you find something in your budget, but do the keyword research. before you get started and really determine like, okay, what can I rank for? What can I provide content on that is going to be seen? That’s what I would do. That’s first, like, I guess that’s first two steps. It’s like research and SEO, learning how to do SEO.

And then I would say step three is learning how to do Pinterest, because if you can really master, like take what you learned about SEO and then apply it to Pinterest and start to get used there. And then Work on growing an email list, because an email list, you can create landing pages for, you can get those ranking on SEO, you can get those ranking on Pinterest.

And I would feel like those are kind of like the four things in terms of a blog. Those are the four steps that I would do.

Quianna: Yes, these are so helpful. And I truly love that you’re equipping us to take charge of our business. I feel like sometimes with social media platforms. I mean, we feel like, Oh, you got to do this.

The gurus say this and post this at this time. Don’t do this. Or it’s

Bree: so exhausting.

Quianna: Yes, it’s exhausting. But when we use your strategies of blogging and branding partnerships and all of these really awesome connections, even collaborations with other creators, I mean, we didn’t even tap into that game.

Like that’s a whole other can of worms, like so many. So many opportunities there and I love that we are taking control of our income. We’re taking control of the possibilities of our revenue and, and I’m making a list for myself. I’m going back through my entire client journey and I just want to have a little note that as a little, like a little birdie in my ear, like you Bree, right?

It’s like, Hey, what’s next? What’s next? After they watch this reel, what’s next? After they look inside into your DMs for that either automation through many chat or they’re, right, like, what’s next? Then they’re on your list. Then you are selling them in little tripwires. And a tripwire, if you’re unfamiliar, is just, When you’re looking at either a freebie or something for sale, a digital product, then there’s like an extra little, oh, little bonus by now, right?

That’s what a tripwire is, right? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. People say that and I’m like, I almost need to make a little glossary for the podcast. Like, these are

Bree: the rude

Quianna: people you mentioned. I know. Oh my god,

Bree: you totally should. That’d be so cute on Instagram. Oh

Quianna: my gosh. Yeah. Yes. Oh my gosh, this is all so helpful, Brie.

I am so grateful for you and I feel like this is just scratching the surface, like, oh my Oh, I know. I’m like, we could keep talking for

Bree: hours on all of this.

Quianna: Literally. Really, literally. So one thing I love to ask every single guest, please Brie, share with us your key tip. What is something that you wish you knew sooner or you’d love to share with entrepreneurs today?

Bree: Well, my biggest tip, the biggest thing that was a huge game changer for me in my business was when I learned message mining. So that is when you really dig into what language your audience is using for the problems that you are helping them solve. And that is something where It’s, it’s not super complicated, but it’s having like a set five questions.

And the scary part is for a lot of people is hopping on a quick zoom call with them with three to five people in your audience, hitting record on that and asking them those questions. That’s all you’re doing. You’re not providing coaching to them. You’re not providing anything to them. All you’re doing is digging in and you say, you know, I would love to hop on a quick call with you.

If you’ve got time for just 15 minutes in your day. I want to make sure that I’m providing the best content that is going to help you. And then you ask them these questions, you record it, and then you have it transcribed. And then you take all of that information and you go through, okay, what were all the pain points that they said?

How did they say they want to feel if this problem was solved for them? How would that make them feel? And then you have so much content. That you get to then use for your emails, for your landing pages, for your digital products, for your reels, everything. When I finally had a coach teach me that, when I did that, that was when I had like the biggest change in my business.

And I swear that’s what has enabled me to be where I am today.

Quianna: Wow. Oh my gosh. That is another mic drop moment. Holy smokes. I feel like that is something that is so simple. Like you, like you mentioned, like this is actually an easy thing to do, but holy smokes, I can just. See all of the possibilities that are going to be stripped from that because you’re right.

I feel like sometimes we’re so close to our business that we have our own. Yeah, we have our own language or we think we are saying something one way. And yet someone who may be a beginner or is at that next level getting ready to advance and we have the coaching tools or we have just the answers to their prayers really in the.

Bree: Right. Results they have. We’re so close to it and I think that’s where people even talk themselves out of it, out of doing this. It’s like, Oh, I already know what my audience needs. I already know what they’re saying. I’m telling you when you do this, game changer.

Quianna: Just kind of flipping that script on.

Speaking the language of our audience is so important.

Bree: Yes, a

Quianna: hundred percent. So good. So Brie, you are a wealth of knowledge. How can we connect with you? How can we continue learning from you and extending the invitation to be your BFF? Oh my gosh. Well, if you want to be my

Bree: BFF, come follow me over on Instagram at Brie Pear.

Otherwise I’ve made a special link for you guys to go check out everything that we talked about, including freebies for you guys, like the pricing guide or a guide if you want to start a blog. Want to listen to my own podcast, the thrive podcast for content creators. So I made all a link for you guys thrive together.

blogslash Kiana. So you guys can just head over there and check everything out.

Quianna: Amazing. Oh my gosh. I’m so grateful for that. And I’m so grateful for your time and your expertise. Like I said, you all, this is just. The scratching the surface here, like Bree, you go deep, you have these mind blowing techniques and strategies and really fun ways to scale.

Let’s go make some money, honey. Yes, a hundred

Bree: percent. Thank you so much for having me.

Quianna: Wow, wasn’t that episode incredible? It’s already making me want to revisit my blog and reach out to brands today. Please be sure to follow along with Bree at Bree Pair, that’s B R E E P A I R, as well as her Thrive Community at Thrive Together Blog on Instagram.

If you love this conversation, make sure to check out her podcast to add thrive, a blogger podcast to your playlist, to learn even more about blogging, influencing, and building a thriving online presence for revenue. If you found this episode helpful, please share with a friend. We’re so grateful to share these lessons, tips, and education with you.

Spreading the word helps us all thrive. Thanks so much for joining the party. This Branding Series has been epic. Hope you’re having an amazing day. Okay. Love you. Bye!

That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie Weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at QuiannaMarie.com/podcast.

I’d be honored if you’d show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app until next time, keep on dancing.

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