How to Get Invited on PR Trips

Luxury brand trips may seem like an unattainable goal for up-and-coming influencers. Whether it’s a tropical getaway or a party weekend in the city, influencer PR trips are a goldmine for content. Brand trips may seem like a luxury afforded to only the top-of-the-line influencers, but that is not always the case. Brands are constantly looking for fresh faces in interesting niches for their next big PR trips.  Read on to discover how to get invited on PR trips. 

What are PR Trips?

Brand trips have gotten a lot of attention due to their extravagant nature. Additionally, PR trips drum up tons of interesting content. Often, brands will bring groups of influencers on trips to luxurious destinations. Brands will usually jam-pack the schedule with photoshoots, events, and other opportunities for content creation and networking amongst the influencers and the brand.  Although influencers are paid for some PR trips, usually the free trip is payment enough for the influencer-generated content. In exchange, the brand gets good PR and boosts in brand awareness. Brands tend to invite groups of influencer-friends on trips, or influencers in the same niches to cast a wide net across audiences still unified by niche or influencer friend-groups - audiences love to see their favorite influencers interacting.  You may be wondering – what is in it for the brand? Why might a brand pay thousands - if not upwards of a million dollars - to send TikTokers on a free vacation?  The numbers might look big, but they check out. Large brands make billions of dollars in overall revenue, and these brands spend hundreds of thousands of dollars not just on influencer marketing but on paid advertising and other paid campaigns. When working with big-name influencers, the cost can run much higher than sending them on a brand trip. 

Recent PR Trips - Bora Bora and Beyond 

Recent notable PR trips include Tarte sending 30 influencers to Bora Bora on a brand trip called “Trippin’ with Tarte.” The influencers posted videos of everything - sipping champagne on the plane, arriving at a room full of gifts at a luxury hotel, partying by the pool, and more. Tarte’s founder and chief executive, Maureen Kelley, told the New York Times, “We found the investment in these relationships to be more valuable in the long term than spending millions of dollars on one-off media campaigns.” Tarte also sent influencers, including near-celebrity-status Alix Earle, to Dubai in that same year. This business model is working for Tarte, both in sales and overall brand awareness. 

How Do I Get Invited on PR Trips?

There are many ways to get invited on a PR trip. It will be a different journey for every influencer, but with some creativity and tenacity, any creator can find themselves on one of these luxury PR trips. 

Build a Strong, Consistent Personal Brand

Brands are looking to tap into creators who have honed in on their niche. By honing in on a niche, you will therefore boast a strong and loyal audience. Brands want to know that you are reliable and that you can produce quality content during and after the trip. The cleaner and professional your image, the better for the brand. 

Prioritize Quality Content Over Follower Count

Brands want to know that you can deliver on content when the time comes. And because brands are looking to make their brand - and the influencer trip(s) - look as good as possible. Additionally, brands are looking for creators who boast high engagement and return-on-investment (ROI). Often, micro-influencers outperform bigger creators when it comes to ROI, so brands are always looking for quality micro-influencers to send on their next brand trip. 

Tag and Engage With Brands Organically  

When it comes to getting invited on PR trips, brands are searching for influencers who look like a part of their brand. One way to catch a brand’s eye is to organically post about the brand and tag them in your content. Tag them, use their hashtags, and share their products to ensure the brand notices your content and sees you as a quality influencer to include in their future PR campaigns. 

Network With Other Creators and Attend Events 

Influencer marketing is a people industry, which means that as an influencer, you should attend as many events as possible to get to know people in the industry. Knowing the right photographer, publicist, or marketer might get you invited to shoots and other events. Eventually, someone in the industry will see you as the perfect influencer for their next campaign or brand trip. 

Pitch Yourself With a Media Kit 

A polished media kit with your stats, past brand work, and audience demographics is your resume. Reach out to brand reps (or even slide into DMs if done respectfully) and let them know you’d love to be considered for upcoming campaigns or trips. Be specific about how you can bring value to them. Proactivity shows confidence and professionalism

Conclusion

There are many ways to get invited on a PR trip. Even as an up-and-coming influencer, landing a PR trip is closer than you may think.  Brands are always looking for micro-influencers with high ROI and dedicated audiences. Brands love high-quality content created by micro-influencers, and when it comes to campaigns and PR trips, brands can leverage that influencer-generated content. Influencers can make connections with not only other influencers but brand officials and even higher-ups, which can then, in turn, build their network and bring their professional career to the next level.