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When you create content for a brand collaboration, you already know that quality is important — but did you know the way you submit your work matters, too?  

Sending your imagery, blog post copy and social media content in a single, well-organized email is a simple effort that goes a long way toward generating good will with appreciative brands — not to mention faster approvals and more constructive feedback. Sending items piece by piece not only causes delays, but it can also leave room for miscommunication or error. Not a great way to start a relationship with a brand! 

Aside from ensuring that you send one consolidated email (we can’t stress this enough!), here are a few other things you can start doing now to speed up your approvals and earn repeat collaborations from brands: 

1. Start using Dropbox or WeTransfer to send your images. 

Imagine if we emailed you this article paragraph by paragraph. You might find yourself a bit confused! Brands often feel the same way when they receive different pieces of collaborations through several different emails. Free photo transfer services like Dropbox or WeTransfer allow you to send high-res images as links, so you can avoid unwieldy attachments that can get stuck in spam filters and require brands to download large files. Photo transfer services also give you extra security by setting time limits on your files and adding password protection. Have another favorite service? Feel free to share in the comments! 

Note: Some services like WeTransfer allow you to send images right from the platform. Make sure you’re grabbing a link to include in your email so the brand has everything all in one message. 

2. Make sure you include your publish-ready blog post title. 

Including your headline for approval is important for many reasons. Simply put, it matters to brands. Some feel strongly about whether or not their name is included in the title. Some need to ensure a specific promotion is mentioned. Many simply need to see that the headline message is in line with their brand. Including your publish-ready headline goes a long way toward building a good relationship and securing future collaborations.   

3. Include a list of your blog post links. 

Include a list of links even if you have embedded them within your post. Seeing a list of URLs is helpful to brands for two reasons: first, it allows them to easily recognize which products you have featured so they can more easily reuse your content in their newsletters and social posts — scoring you added exposure and potential new followers. Second, it helps brands confirm that you are using the right affiliate links, ensuring you get credit for the traffic you refer. 

Remember, it’s also important to double-check all your affiliate links so you know exactly where they lead. Sometimes applications like Disqus can redirect your links without your even knowing, which makes this a particularly important step. This article shows you how to stop applications from redirecting your links. 

4. Don’t forget your social media copy

If you plan to publish your post to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or another social channel, make sure you include your social media copy in your submission email. Use the copy you plan to publish, including your FTC disclosures like #ad or #sponsored, the brand’s handle, and all hashtags that are part of the campaign. Write your copy for different channels on separate lines. For example:

Instagram copy: 

Instagram Tags

Date/time of post

Facebook copy: 

Facebook Tags

Date/time of post

Twitter copy: 

Twitter tags

Date/time of post

5. Remember your personal information. 

Don’t assume that a brand will immediately know your Instagram handle and official blog post name. Including this information with a note about how you prefer to be mentioned should the brand share your post on their social channels is an important step that many bloggers forget. 

Above all, take your time and remember the most important step of all — submitting your collaboration in a single, consolidated email! Remembering this one important step will ensure timely approval, valuable feedback, and error-free collaborations — not to mention happy brands!

If you have any questions about how to submit your content, send us a note at hello@shoppinglinks.com. We’re always happy to help!