For a consumer beverage brand like PopSips, I find Instagram and TikTok the most effective. TikTok is great for discovery and viral reach, especially with short-form video where drink content, taste tests, and lifestyle moments perform really well with younger audiences. Instagram is strong for both outreach and relationship-building, since DMs are a natural way to connect with creators, and the mix of Reels, Stories, and feed posts gives flexibility in how a partnership shows up. I also pay attention to where a brand's specific audience is most active rather than treating every platform the same. For longer-form or review-style content, YouTube (including Shorts) can be valuable, and I'd use LinkedIn or email when reaching out to larger creators and their managers, who often handle partnerships more formally. Ultimately I prioritize the platforms where the target audience already engages and where the content format fits the product best.

I start by defining the brand's core audience: who actually drinks PopSips, their age range, interests, lifestyle, and the platforms where they spend time. From there, I look for influencers whose own audience demographics overlap with that profile, rather than just chasing follower counts. I pay close attention to engagement quality, such as comments, saves, and shares, since a smaller creator with a genuinely engaged, on-target community usually drives better results than a large account with passive followers. I also check that the influencer's content style, values, and existing brand partnerships align naturally with the product, so a collaboration feels authentic instead of forced. Finally, I review past sponsored posts to see how their audience responds to promoted content, which helps me gauge whether they can actually convert interest into action for the brand.

I love creating natural, relatable content and Out There feels like a brand I'd genuinely use and talk about. The clean ingredients and the Walmart accessibility make it easy to connect with my audience in an authentic, non-salesy way.