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What I Learned from Participating in 10 Brand Campaigns on Instagram within a Month

Julia Flaherty
Jun 2
5 min read

What I Learned from Doing 10 Brand Campaigns on Instagram within a Month

Within a month, I participated in 10 brand campaigns on my Instagram and Facebook channels. In this post, I share what I've learned from these experiences and what I would do differently. I hope that by sharing my key learnings from doing 10 brand campaigns on Instagram within a month, I can help other creators master their social media marketing and brand collaboration strategies. It's a process!

Don't be afraid to try new things. Creating content for social media is a trial-and-error process, and I have enjoyed experimenting with different approaches. Through these campaigns, I have gained valuable insights into what resonates with my audience and how to connect with them effectively. I’ve also discovered more about the persona I want to embody and how to refine my niche.

While it's important to have a strategy for creating social media content, it's equally essential to experiment; otherwise, you won't learn anything! In this space, we often learn from our failures—or, in this case, “flopping.”

Additionally, give yourself grace while you're trying. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook change frequently, making keeping up with what’s working challenging. There’s often a mixed bag of feedback on that topic. However, data never lies! Look at your dashboards; they will indicate what's working for you. Pay attention to them, and remember to only compare your work to your own progress.
Don't cast a net too wide: I learned that narrowing down my audience allows me to connect with them more effectively. After participating in ten campaigns, I understood how I want to express my creativity and the type of audience I wish to cultivate on my platforms. I realized that trying to appeal to everyone can result in losing followers instead of building a loyal audience. You can't be everything to everyone. By deciding who you want to be on social media and embracing that identity, you will attract the energy you desire!
Emphasize your niche in your content: Even with a defined focus, it's essential to highlight your niche in various brand partnerships. I always tie my work back to health and wellness. As someone who is pursuing board certification as a health and wellness coach and who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 21 years, these are the areas I want to emphasize. I aim to approach this with an empowering, uplifting, mindful, and silly but serious tone. By applying this philosophy to my brand collaborations, I believe I will achieve greater success, and the brands I work with will also benefit! I partnered with various brands in different industries, from gardening to bath and body to protein-based snacks to prebiotic beverages and more. There's always a connection, but you shouldn't force one. If you force one too hard, it might not be aligned, and partnering could confuse your audience. What I found most important was leading with a strong hook, declaring my relationship to it (tying it back to my niche), and ending with a clear, key takeaway.
Create ad content that feels organic. People are no longer drawn to overly produced content. I realized this before starting these campaigns, but my results and analytics confirmed it. If the content feels too promotional, people are less likely to engage. Instead, focus on the reality of the products, your life, and how they fit together. Avoid being too promotional on your main feeds!
Get to the point: No one enjoys excessively long content when you're just starting out. Once you've built a following, you may be able to explore longer formats, but initially, shorter content is generally more effective at grabbing attention. (Of course, that's different on YouTube. Please apply that advice specifically to Instagram and Facebook Reels for the purpose of this post.) People have short attention spans, so your hooks must encourage them to stay engaged. If you don't capture their interest right away, they are likely to leave within the first few seconds.
Include a mixture of sponsored and non-sponsored content on your channels: Try to space out your brand campaigns as much as possible. No matter how organic you can present it, they're still paid partnerships at the end of the day, and it's important to incorporate content that you're passionate about between campaigns. Find your blend. Social media scheduling tools can help you optimize your approach!
Just because an opportunity presents itself doesn't mean it's the right one: Because these were small brand campaigns and deals, I was able to make time for them, but brand deals that are larger may not allow you to do it all. Select which campaigns you'll be participating in mindfully. This will help you focus on creating the highest-quality content that makes sense for your tone, goals, and passions. It'll work better for you and the brands!
If you don't get the opportunity the first time, don't give up: There were some campaigns I applied to during the past month that I didn't get and was sad about. But instead of sulking, I asked for feedback from the brand manager to understand what they're looking for, how I can improve my pitches, and what types of content I might want to consider integrating to present a stronger case. Use each rejection as redirection. Ask for feedback. Use it to grow and evolve! Never back down from your social media content creation dreams. (Or dreams period.)
Small content creators really help brands thrive: I didn't know if I'd be accepted into the creators portal I use to get brand deals, but they welcomed me with open arms. I was relieved! They help connect me with brands, advocate for, encourage, and connect me with a community where I can gain valuable feedback from my peers on the content creation process, best practices, and ideas. If you're a small content creator who doesn't think they have the following it takes, YOU'RE WRONG. Brands want to work with you! Your local impact makes a difference in sales and awareness.
Utilize social media marketing tools: I use project management and social media scheduling tools to manage my sponsored content in addition to the native platforms, where I can gather valuable data and analytics. Meta Business Suite is an excellent resource for evaluating my performance and checking in on my progress! Utilizing these tools allows me to automate processes where possible, saving me time and providing peace of mind regarding tracking and reporting.

It may sound amusing to discuss social media this way, but as an entrepreneur and content creator, being precise and organized about partnerships is crucial—especially for taxes and future brand agreements. Additionally, I can use this documentation as case studies for brands in the future.

If you’re managing everything on your own, like I am right now, it's essential to have everything organized. (Did that phrase age me? I don't care! Ha!) In the long term, I may consider building a team and hiring freelance support to handle some tasks if I reach a point where that's feasible.
Build your portfolio: Whenever you engage in a brand deal, be sure to add it to the portfolio section of your website. This will give you something to showcase for future brand opportunities. You might also consider creating a private brand reel highlight on your YouTube channel, which you can share exclusively with potential brand partners during pitches. Alternatively, you could create a one-page document that can be easily downloaded and attached to emails. If you have multiple niches, tailor your portfolio to reflect the brands you aspire to collaborate with.