Your Brand Partnership Doesn’t Need to Flop Just Because the Reel Did
Content Creators and influencers, take note!
Your Brand Partnership Doesn’t Need to Flop Just Because the Reel Did
Let’s talk about something every content creator and small business runs into:
You finally land a dream brand partnership, you spend hours scripting and filming a Reel…
…and it tanks.
Low views. No saves. Crickets in the comments.
Now you’re stressed because you’re thinking:
“Did I just waste their money?”
First of all: no. You didn’t.
Because smart creators—and especially creators who want repeat brand deals—know that a single piece of content isn’t the whole story. You’re allowed (and encouraged!) to create more than one touchpoint.
What to Do When a Sponsored Reel Flops
If your sponsored content didn’t get the reach you expected, don’t panic. Here’s what to do instead to make sure your brand partner still gets value (and wants to work with you again):
1. Create More Content (Without Asking for Permission)
Your contract might say “one Reel,” but nothing is stopping you from overdelivering. In fact, smart creators know that extra effort = longer partnerships.
You could: 👉 Film a quick behind-the-scenes Story showing how you used the product
👉 Record a casual “Here’s what surprised me about this” video
👉 Turn the brand into a “favorites” or “roundup” moment later in the week
Most brands won’t ask for more—but they notice when you keep the conversation going.
2. Add Stories to Reinforce the Message
Reels might get you views, but Stories build trust and connection—which ultimately drives more action.
Even if your Reel underperformed, Stories can boost engagement and warm your audience up for the next post.
Try this:
Share a poll or quiz related to the product
Add a “swipe up” (or link sticker!) to drive clicks
Talk to the camera about why you love the brand
Tag the brand and disclose it’s a partnership, always'
Pro tip: make that be the only story of the day and post it after all your other Stories have expired. You will get better results that way!
3. Send an Email to Your List
Yes, email. Even if it’s small. Especially if it’s small and mighty.
This is where most creators are sleeping on massive value—email marketing gives you control over how and when your audience hears from you.
“Creators are seriously sleeping on email marketing! 🤩
My email list is 1/3 the size of my IG, but just one email brought in 9x more clicks than a Reel with a ManyChat automation. 🤯”
That’s not theory—that’s from my actual results.
Which is why I kept emailing even when my list was teeny tiny. And yes—it was already bringing results even back then.
You don’t have to send a long email. A quick recap of your collab, a link to the product, and a personal take is more than enough.
Why Brands Love Creators Who Think Like Marketers
Here’s a little secret from someone who’s worked on both sides of the brand-creator table:
👉 Brands remember the creators who actually drive results—not just big follower numbers.
👉 They love creators who think strategically and keep showing up after the initial post.
👉 And they’re more likely to renew deals with someone who proactively followed up with email, Stories, or bonus content than someone who hit publish once and ghosted.
When you expand the life of a brand collab through multiple touchpoints—especially email—you show brands that you care about their ROI.
And honestly? You make yourself stand out in a sea of “one and done” creators.
How to Stay Consistent With Email (Even When You’re Busy)
If you’re thinking, “Okay cool, but I don’t have time to write weekly emails and create content,” I get it.
That’s exactly why I created Your Inbox Team.
It’s a weekly email template membership designed to help creators and small biz owners:
Send consistent emails in under 15 minutes/week
Use proven strategies (without writing from scratch)
Stay top of mind with your audience and brand partners
And yes—the templates are written by me.
Not to brag, but I’m pretty good at writing emails that convert. 🙌
👉 Check out the membership here.
Email Marketing > Instagram Reach? Real Numbers Say Yes.
This isn’t theory. Let’s look at one of my actual brand collaborations where I tracked every single click across platforms.
📊 Campaign Example:
This campaign promoted a high-value, time-sensitive lead magnet on behalf of a brand partner. I shared it three ways:
One dedicated email to my list
One Instagram Reel with a ManyChat link flow
One Instagram Story with a direct link sticker
Here’s how it played out:
📨 Email: 594 clicks
🎞️ Reel: 127 link requests
📱 Story: 62 link clicks
👉 Total clicks: 783
💥 Of those, 549 came from just one email
Yes, my email list is only 1/3 the size of my Instagram following.
Yes, that one email still drove so many more clicks than my Reel—even with ManyChat automations in place.
Let that sink in.
“This is why I don’t care if my Reels flop. 300% more clicks from one single email.”
— Me, every time a Reel doesn’t perform
This is why email is my not-so-secret weapon when it comes to delivering for brand collabs—and why I encourage creators to build their list even if it’s small. Small lists convert. Small lists buy. Small lists click.
You don’t need 10k Instagram followers when you’ve got a few hundred subscribers who actually open your emails.
So while everyone is asking themselves “how do I grow my Instagram to 10K followers?” be the one who is growing your email list!
What Should You Say in That Email?
If you want to boost your brand collab with email (which you should), here’s a simple framework for what to send:
Subject line: Something short personal and curiosity-driven
→ Example: “This change how I do [this thing]”
Intro (1–2 sentences):
Share why you’re excited about the brand, how it fits into your life or biz, and why your audience should care.
Middle (2–3 sentences):
Highlight the benefit. Include a bold CTA (like a button or linked text) that leads directly to the product or offer.
Close (1 sentence):
Offer a final nudge: “I think you’ll really love this too. Let me know if you try it!”
Example call to action:
→ “Here’s the product I’ve been obsessed with—this is the exact one I used in my last Reel.”
You can write that in under 10 minutes. Or, even better, let us write it for you 👇
Stay Consistent with Email (Even When You’re Drowning in Content Creation)
If you're thinking, “Okay this sounds great but I don't have time to write a new email every time a Reel flops,” I see you.
That’s why I created Your Inbox Team—a weekly email template membership that helps you:
Save time with done-for-you, fill-in-the-blank copy
A custom ChatGPT Assistant, that we already trained for you, so you just follow its lead and it will customize the email templates for you, in your own style and with your own business details and offers
Stay consistent (even when life gets chaotic)
Create emails that actually convert (like the one I mentioned above 👆)
The best part? It works whether your list is 50 or 5,000.
You just need to send.
TL;DR: You Have More Power Than You Think
A “flopped” Reel, TikTok or social media post doesn’t mean your brand deal failed.
Add value by creating follow-up content, posting Stories, and—please—sending an email to your list - even if you have a small email list, trust me on this one!
Email marketing = direct access to your most loyal audience (and brands love that).
Even a tiny list can drive big clicks if you show up consistently.
✨ Don’t let one post define the success of your partnership. You’re in this for the long game—and this is how you play it like a pro.
Want to grow your Business Beyond Social Media Marketing?
We want you to stop chasing algorithms, and really connect with your audience through email marketing!
Download our FREE guide teaching you exactly how to start and grow your email list for your business!
Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, which helps small entrepreneurs grow their business through content marketing, especially email and Instagram.
In 2021 Manu launched Your Template Club, one of the first Canva Template for Instagram subscriptions in the world to provide social media managers and small business owners with content templates designed for engagement.
Manu has also more recebtly started the first Instagram Reels Award Show, The Reelies Awards and an email marketing membership, Your Inbox Team.
Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy.