Episode #73 - Nycole Hampton Teaches Pitching Brands for Influencer Marketing

In this episode, marketing guru Nycole Hampton shares insider tips on everything from identifying potential brand partners to crafting compelling outreach emails. Discover strategies for standing out in a crowded market and building lasting relationships that turn opportunities into deals.

Whether you're a seasoned influencer or just starting out, Nycole's insights will empower you to succeed in the ever-evolving world of influencer marketing!
Nycole Hampton is a marketing expert with 19 years of experience in the industry and 13 years of leadership experience. She has worked on brand teams for global agencies, focusing on influencer marketing and social media. She is also an adjunct professor who teaches influencer and social media marketing. In this episode, Nycole answers listener questions about influencer marketing and shares practical tips for success. The episode covers topics like:

● How to identify potential brand partners: Nycole advises creating two lists - a "realistic list" of brands you already use and a "dream list" of brands you aspire to work with.

● How to write effective outreach emails: She emphasizes the importance of personalization, highlighting your relationship with the brand, and offering creative ideas for potential campaigns.

● How to follow up with brands: Nycole suggests using seasonal moments as opportunities to re-engage and recommends offering value by sharing your recent successes or asking for feedback.

● How to price your services in a changing market: She encourages influencers to understand their value and build a case for their pricing, considering additional deliverables or collaborative approaches to address potential engagement concerns.
Nycole is a seasoned brand marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience in marketing and brand strategy, including thirteen years in leadership roles. Throughout her career, Nycole has cultivated a broad range of marketing expertise, overseeing brand marketing initiatives, including social media, influencer marketing, content production, integrated marketing and community engagement.
At her core, Nycole is a builder—of brands, in-house teams, global agency practices, marketing philosophies, content engines for owned, paid, and earned channels, full-funnel integrated campaigns, and more. Her passion is driven by identifying opportunities to evolve, collaborate, challenge the status quo, and drive meaningful impact. Nycole specializes in leveraging brand and growth marketing tactics and content strategies to meet customers where they are in their nonlinear journey.
Throughout her career, Nycole has worked with clients and strategic partners such as ALDI, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Auntie Anne's, Barefoot Wines, Chicago White Sox, Impossible Foods, Kimpton Hotels, Microsoft, Milk PEP, New Zealand All Blacks, NFL, Rite Aid, Samsung, So Delicious, and USA Rugby.
With her extensive background in brand and integrated marketing and early entry into both social media and influencer marketing, Nycole is excited to continue navigating the ever-changing marketing landscape. She enjoys leveraging her experience to educate and inspire the next generation of marketers, serving as an active mentor and speaking at industry events.
Nycole received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology from Bowling Green State University.
Nycole and her dog ChaCha call Los Angeles, CA home. You can find her on LinkedIn and Threads.

[1:45-3:50] Identifying Potential Brand Partners & Crafting Outreach Emails

[3:50 - 6:40] Standing Out from the Crowd and Viewing Ideas as Opportunities

[6:40-9:35] Following Up with Brands and Offering Value Beyond Initial Pitches

[9:35-11:10] Pricing Strategies and Demonstrating Your Value to Brands

[12:45-17:25] Bonus Conversation: The Pressure to Appear "Professional" in Video Content

Enjoy the episode!