By: Joshua Finley
LaToya Shambo, a powerhouse and visionary in digital marketing and influencer partnerships, is on a mission to empower creators of color while revolutionizing the influencer marketing landscape. As Influencer Marketing gained prominence, the demand for measurable ROI on creator media investments intensified. Recognizing the limitations of existing approaches, LaToya embarked on a quest for innovation. Her collaboration with Curastory led to the rebirth of Black Girl Digital, a groundbreaking company that ventures into uncharted territory: programmatic influencer marketing. By combining data-driven insights with strategic rebranding, Black Girl Digital enables brands to scale creator ads while achieving smarter return on ad spend (ROAS).
LaToya’s journey began with a simple but powerful question: “Why not?” She noticed the lack of brand partnerships being negotiated for women of color back in 2016 and decided to leverage her knowledge to create opportunities. “I decided that if no one else would do it, I would,” LaToya says. As a pioneer in the game, she initially focused on helping bloggers create a sustainable business model, enabling them to get paid for doing what they love.
Black Girl Digital provides strategic support to creators, regardless of their follower count. “Whether you have 5,000 followers or 500,000, we help you strategize and build a sustainable business,” she explains. The company helps creators understand professional-quality content, production schedules, and how to articulate and execute big ideas. Now, in her collaboration with Curastory, LaToya Shambo empowers creators by offering cutting-edge technology for dynamic content editing. This innovation opens up new revenue streams for content creators.
The Work of Black Girl Digital
Black Girl Digital acts as a vital intermediary between creators and brands. LaToya and her team work tirelessly to ensure that diverse creators get equitable deals and are treated fairly in the advertising industry. Despite some progress, LaToya notes, “There is still a huge gap between black creators, multicultural creators, and the advertising industry.” Creators often feel they are not being paid or treated equitably compared to their white peers.
One of Black Girl Digital’s key initiatives is educating creators on their audience insights and the importance of understanding their market. “You should know your audience better than anyone,” LaToya advises, emphasizing the need for creators to sell themselves effectively to brands.
How to Land Your Dream Brand Deal
Landing a dream brand deal requires a well-thought-out approach. LaToya shares her insights:
1. Think About the Brands You Want
“To attract the attention of brands, you need to have a deep understanding of your audience,” LaToya says. “This includes demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences.” By knowing your audience, you can align your content with the values and objectives of the brands you want to work with. This makes your platform an appealing choice for brands looking to target a similar audience.
Brands have specific goals and objectives when partnering with influencers, such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or improving their brand image. Research the brands you are interested in and understand what they are looking to achieve. This allows you to tailor your pitch and content strategy to align with their goals, demonstrating that you are the perfect fit for their campaigns.
2. Build Bigger Packages
Instead of focusing on one-off posts or short-term collaborations, propose longer-term partnerships that span multiple platforms and content types. “Long-term campaigns allow you to build a deeper relationship with the brand and demonstrate your ongoing value,” LaToya explains. This could include a series of posts, stories, videos, and blog content that collectively tell a compelling brand story.
Highlight the benefits of a long-term collaboration, such as consistent brand messaging, increased trust and loyalty from your audience, and more opportunities for creative storytelling. Provide examples of how you can integrate the brand into your content over time, maintaining authenticity while promoting their products or services.
3. Know All Your Data
Brands want to see measurable results from their partnerships, so it’s crucial to know your key performance indicators (KPIs). This includes metrics like engagement rate, reach, impressions, click-through rate, and conversions. Use analytics tools to track and understand these metrics, and be prepared to share them with brands to demonstrate your effectiveness.
“After each collaboration, ask for feedback from the brands you work with,” LaToya encourages. “This can provide valuable insights into what they liked about working with you and areas where you can improve.” Constructive feedback helps you refine your content strategy and better align with brand expectations in future collaborations.
The Black Girl Digital Awards
Black Girl Digital, founded by LaToya Shambo, is the first and only global creator media agency with an in-house programmatic solution for influencer marketing. Dedicated to bridging the gap between brands and Black creators, the company focuses on amplifying the voices and impact of Black content creators in the digital space. Through strategic creator marketing campaigns, Black Girl Digital connects the right content and creator media placement with brands that align with their values and audience, ensuring authentic and impactful collaborations. The agency also emphasizes the importance of data-driven results backed by technology, providing influencers with valuable insights into their performance and influence. With a mission to create equitable opportunities and celebrate the contributions of Black creators, Black Girl Digital stands at the forefront of diversity and inclusion in the influencer marketing industry.
Learn more about Black Girl Digital by visiting their website.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
