How to Pitch Longform Brand Deals for Travel Pieces Inspired by The Points Guy List

Stop leaving money on the table: how to turn a "Where to go in 2026" style list into high-CPM, affiliate-rich brand deals

You're great at travel storytelling and points-and-miles expertise—but brands are paying most for packaged, measurable campaigns that move people from discovery to booking. Inspired by The Points Guy's Where to go in 2026 approach, this guide shows travel creators how to bundle longform articles, video, social, and affiliate mechanics into a single sellable product that maximizes CPMs, conversions, and recurring creator revenue.

Why multi-asset, points-driven packages win in 2026

In late 2025–early 2026 advertisers shifted budgets toward fewer, higher-impact creator partnerships. Brands want contextual safety, first-party learnings, and creative assets they can repurpose. Travel audiences are back to planning bigger trips, and content that combines inspiration with practical points-and-miles execution converts at a higher rate than pure aspirational posts.

Bottom line: A longform travel guide aligned to a top-destination list plus actionable points-and-miles instructions creates both premium ad inventory and high-intent affiliate traffic.

What changed recently (and why it matters)

• Advertisers prefer consolidated buys: fewer creators delivering multiple asset types instead of many single-post activations.
• Cookie deprecation accelerated first-party tracking adoption, so publishers that can marry content with signups and email conversions get premium CPMs.
• Card issuers and OTAs expanded creator-friendly affiliate programs in 2024–25; brands are now open to revenue-share structures.
• Short-form platforms still drive discovery, but longform content holds search authority and affiliate conversion — the combination is valuable.

The multi-asset package: what to include (and why)

Think of your pitch as a turnkey campaign. Brands pay to save time, reduce complexity, and get measurable outcomes. A strong package includes:

• Longform flagship article/guide (2,000–3,500 words): SEO-optimized, destination-focused, with embedded points-and-miles how-to sections and native affiliate modules.
• Long-form video (6–12 min): produced or scripted for a brand, hosted on your site/YouTube—great for high CPM pre-roll and mid-roll inventory.
• Short-form social (3–6 posts): Reels, Shorts, TikToks optimized for impressions and conversions; each with distinct CTAs and tracking links.
• Newsletter feature: dedicated send and/or segment-targeted inclusion with tracked links — high conversion and easy attribution.
• Custom landing page or microsite: aggregated offers, booking widgets, credit card callouts, and a lead magnet to capture first-party data.
• Affiliate integration & tracking: pre-approved deep links, coupon codes (where available), pixel/postback setup, and an attribution plan.
• Performance report: weekly/monthly KPIs with insights and optimization recommendations (include screenshots from Looker Studio or similar dashboards; see tools for workflows below).

Why the points-and-miles angle is a multiplier

Brands—especially credit-card issuers, travel booking platforms, and travel insurance providers—prefer inventory that signals high intent. A guide that maps exactly how to redeem miles for a featured destination shows readers a clear path to purchase and card signups. Embed step-by-step redemption examples, sample itineraries, and estimated cash vs. points cost; these details drive affiliate conversions.

Use the TPG-list style: inspire with a destination, then give the tactical roadmap that makes the trip bookable today.

Step-by-step: how to build the deal (pre-pitch to close)

1) Research and position

• Pick 3–5 destinations from curated lists (TPG, industry trend reports, Google Trends 2026 data) that match your audience’s demographics and travel budgets.
• Map brands that benefit: credit cards, OTAs, airlines, hotel groups, tourism boards, experiential booking platforms.
• Collect audience proof: top pages, newsletter open rates, social benchmarks, historic affiliate EPCs (earnings per click) and conversion rates.

2) Prototype assets (fast wins)

Create one sample asset—a short guide or a 90-second Reel—that demonstrates your concept. Use it to validate creative direction and show the brand a low-fidelity example of what they’ll get. If you plan to scale live activations or hybrid experiences, see notes on resilient hybrid pop-ups for packaging in-person elements.

3) Build the media kit & sample campaign brief

• Media kit: traffic, audience demographics, top-performing posts, affiliate performance, CPM/CPV history.
• Campaign brief: objectives, deliverables, timeline, KPIs, reporting cadence, legal/usage terms.

4) Price the bundle (3 components)

1. Base production fee — covers research, writing, filming, editing, and asset delivery.
2. Distribution fee — reflects guaranteed placement (homepage, newsletter send, pinned social) and paid amplification (optional).
3. Performance component — affiliate rev share, cost-per-acquisition (CPA) bonus, or tiered KPI bonuses.

Combine these line items into one proposal so the brand sees total value. Offer a la carte add-ons (extra socials, extended usage rights) for upsells.

5) Present a clear measurement plan

Brands want attribution. Provide UTM conventions, final landing pages, expected conversion windows, and reporting examples (screenshot of a past Looker Studio or spreadsheet summary helps). If you need to harden server-side signals, consider a server-side / edge approach to protect conversions from client-side loss.

Pricing examples & a simple math model

Use this model to justify your ask when you don’t have public CPM history handy.

• Estimate impressions for each asset: article pageviews, video views, short-form views, newsletter opens.
• Assign a conservative CPM per asset (you can present scenarios: conservative, expected, stretch).
• Add a fixed production fee and potential affiliate share. Show total campaign value and expected publisher revenue.

Example (illustrative):

• Longform article: 100,000 pageviews × $15 CPM = $1,500
• Long-form video: 50,000 views × $25 CPM = $1,250
• 3 short-form posts: 600,000 cumulative views × $10 CPM = $6,000
• Newsletter feature + microsite lead gen: flat $2,000
• Production fee: $3,000
• Total guaranteed + production = $13,750 + performance bonuses or affiliate splits

Then propose a bonus structure: e.g., 10% of attributed affiliate revenue above a baseline.

Affiliate strategy that actually converts

Affiliate revenue will be the upside that excites brands. Optimize for it by:

• Using deep links for credit card signups and travel bookings (not generic homepages).
• Positioning card offers contextually inside points redemption examples—readers see the exact benefits for the trip.
• Adding a “Book this sample itinerary” CTA that opens a pre-filled OTA search or affiliate booking widget.
• Segmenting newsletter sends by travel intent (domestic vs. international, length of stay) to improve conversion rates.
• Testing placements: affiliate widgets above the fold in the article vs. end-of-article — track CTR and conversion to optimize future pricing.

Track everything: the technical checklist

• UTMs for every link and asset.
• Server-side postbacks for credit card and OTA partners when available.
• First-party event tracking for email signups and coupon redemptions.
• Looker Studio (Data Studio) dashboard or simple weekly spreadsheet with: impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions, EPC, affiliate revenue, and effective CPM.

Pitch template — short, strategic, and packable

Subject: Package idea — “Top 5 Places to Go in 2026” guide + points-driven conversion funnel

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], a travel creator focused on points-and-miles and longform guides. Inspired by the interest in destination lists for 2026, I’ve built a multi-asset sponsorship idea that drives discovery AND measurable bookings. In one campaign we’ll deliver:

• A 2,500-word SEO flagship guide with embedded points-redemption playbook
• A 6–10 minute YouTube feature + 3 short social posts
• A dedicated newsletter send and a custom landing page with your tracking links
• Weekly performance reporting and optimization recommendations

Based on our audience and past campaigns, I expect strong affiliate performance from targeted card offers and OTA links; I’ll include a recommended revenue-share structure in the full brief. Can we schedule 20 minutes next week to walk through a draft brief and sample creative?

Best,

[Your name] — link to media kit

Contract essentials (don’t skip these)

• Deliverables, deadlines, and approval rounds (number and turnaround time).
• Usage rights: time-limited vs. perpetual reuse; platform-specific rights for paid amplification.
• Exclusivity window: limit it to 30–90 days unless the brand pays a premium.
• Affiliate payout cadence and dispute resolution for tracked conversions.
• FTC disclosure language and branded content requirements (always disclose sponsored/affiliate content succinctly).

Mini case study (anonymized)

We worked with a mid-sized travel card brand on a “Top 7 islands for points redemptions in 2025” guide. The package included a longform guide, video, three Reels, and a newsletter send. The brand paid a flat production fee plus a 12% revenue share on tracked card signups. Result: the guide drove a 1.4% signup rate on deep-linked card CTAs, the micro-site captured 2,400 leads in 60 days, and the creator earned 3× their baseline CPM through the combined guaranteed fee and affiliate revenue.

Advanced strategies to boost CPMs and lifetime value

• First-party audiences: Capture emails and booking intent on your microsite to retarget and feed to the brand for post-campaign nurture. See notes on making your CRM work for ads and lead routing to get the most value from those audiences: Make Your CRM Work for Ads.
• Dynamic offers: Present different affiliate or card offers by geo or audience segment — increases conversion and perceived relevance.
• Co-branded assets: Give brands white-labelable snippets they can use across paid channels—this justifies higher distribution fees. For inspiration on creator-studio partnerships, see this case study.
• AI-assisted personalization: Use lightweight personalization (itinerary options by traveler type) to increase engagement and bookings in 2026; see approaches to AI-powered personalization.

Future predictions: what brands will pay for in late 2026

Expect budgets to favor creators who deliver measurable funnels, own first-party data, and can demonstrate multi-touch attribution. Brands will continue preferring modular campaigns that can be stretched across in-house channels. As platforms evolve, creators who can offer guaranteed conversion outcomes (through affiliate structures and targeted sends) will command the highest CPMs.

Quick checklist before you pitch

• Audience alignment: confirm the brand’s target traveler matches your analytics.
• Proof: include case studies, affiliate EPCs, and one prototype asset.
• Clear deliverables and a simple pricing table (production + distribution + performance).
• Measurement plan with UTMs and reporting cadence.
• Contract terms drafted—usage, exclusivity, payment schedule, and FTC disclosure language.

Final takeaways

The TPG-style destination list is more than an editorial play; it’s a conversion engine when paired with points-and-miles expertise and a smart affiliate setup. Package longform editorial authority with video, social, email, and a tracking-first landing page to unlock premium CPMs and profitable revenue share deals. Be explicit about outcomes, simplify the brand’s buying decision with a turnkey offer, and measure everything.

Ready to pitch? Download the ready-to-send pitch template and campaign brief, or send me your media kit and I’ll give a 10-minute review with three optimizations you can use to win better travel sponsorships in 2026.

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