Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

Chapter 66: Chapter 65: Business Collaboration

Probably because he played too hard and got too tired the day before, Li Younan only woke up hazily when the sun came up.

While he was getting up and washing up, Jing Chaoyi was making breakfast.

Jing Chaoyi held a plate of fried eggs and said, ”You’re awake, senior.”

Li Younan yawned and asked with a smile, ”Did you sleep well yesterday?”

Jing Chaoyi replied, ”I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed, and woke up particularly early today.”

After washing up at the public washstand, Li Younan sat down to have breakfast.

As he ate, he took out his phone to browse through those private messages. He hadn’t looked carefully before, but today he realized more than one person was seeking to collaborate commercially with him.

That’s when Li Younan understood why so many influencers put a line on their profile like ”Green Bubble number such and such, add me for business collaborations.”

Honestly, the private messages come in such large numbers every day that it’s impossible to read them all, and before you know it, you might miss out on a sponsor.

Li Younan certainly didn’t mind shooting some ads for people; after all, his travel budget was down to just a few thousand. It’s fine for playing around in the coastal regions of the East, but if he were to head to the Central and Western regions, he wouldn’t even be able to afford the gas, considering the big appetite of the Land Cruiser V8.

Li Younan organized the dozen or so business collaborations that came his way. He felt that half of them were scams, so he ignored those.

He then filtered further and sent messages to two or three that looked reliable, asking them to add him on WeChat. Li Younan had two WeChat accounts to begin with, and after logging into the one he rarely used, it wasn’t long before he started chatting with the merchants wanting him to promote their products.

It’s important to know that whether it’s a travel blogger or any other type of influencer, the core logic or fundamental advantage for earning money is their exposure capability. So whether it’s doing your own business or promoting for others, it’s mainly about selling goods. And once you’re selling things, you need to segment your audience.

The quotes from several merchants seeking collaboration with Li Younan weren’t high, given that his follower count was just under 20,000. But that’s okay; even a small mosquito is still meat, as long as the products are genuine, Li Younan wouldn’t mind.

The first merchant’s request was a bit excessive, and Li Younan rejected it. They required him to do a live stream from the site, which wasn’t very realistic.

The second merchant was quite straightforward; it’s the internationally famous outdoor watch brand, Casio. They didn’t insist on Li Younan shooting videos or advertising; they merely wanted to occupy a display slot, offering him a commission of 5% per sale.

Li Younan checked online and found out that commission rates are all over the place, ranging from 1% to 80%, but it depends on the product price. For some items, like a pack of tissues for 10 yuan, giving you a 50% commission could still be profitable for the merchant. But for these outdoor watches, a single piece could be worth several thousand, so even with a 5% commission, it amounts to three figures.

In fact, Li Younan quite likes this brand; its biggest advantage is its durability. To facilitate promotion, the merchant offered to gift him a Mudmaster watch. Since Li Younan was planning to buy a watch anyway, he wouldn’t refuse such a great offer; he wasn’t one to hold back like Kong Yiji and his long gown.

The advantages of the eastern coastal region shouldn’t go unmentioned. If it were the central or western regions, a courier would take at least several days to get the goods delivered. But here, even if Li Younan is traveling, the merchant assured him there’s a warehouse locally, and the watch would be delivered to him by the afternoon.

Once he confirmed they were from the official store, Li Younan completed all the online processes. He then confidently arranged for the outdoor-specialized watches to fill the display slots.

The second merchant, surprisingly for Li Younan, was an unimaginable choice. Perhaps it was because the previous video shoot locations were in Hengdian; this merchant came from Ningbo, specializing in hardware tools. It might sound absurd: a high-profile, good-looking, flipping-tricks, globe-trotting blogger being targeted by a hardware tools merchant.

But Li Younan managed to pick this one out from a dozen messages. Zhejiang is renowned for wood carving and woodworking, so promoting hardware tools makes sense.

After chatting for a while with this contact, he discovered the person was even more of a ”rookie” than he was. Though seeking collaboration, they entirely didn’t know where to start.

Finding it amusing, Li Younan came up with an idea, saying, ”How about this: I’m currently in Xiamen, and in a few days, I’ll be back in Ningbo. I’ll drive to your store and shoot a promotional video specifically for you. As for the display slots, let’s temporarily not feature your products. To be honest, my followers who’d buy hardware tools probably won’t be many.”

The owner thought about it and agreed.

Li Younan had his own plans; he always wanted to modify his car thoroughly. With woodworking skills, this task would become much easier, and he already had a preliminary idea in his head about how to modify his car.

He’ll film the process when the time comes, and promote the owner’s hardware tools casually.

Li Younan and Jing Chaoyi rested in the rental apartment for the entire morning, preparing to continue playing at the carnival in the afternoon.

The watch sent by Casio also arrived. When the courier knocked on the rental apartment door to deliver the watch, Jing Chaoyi curiously asked, ”Was it sent by your fans, senior?”

Li Younan calmly explained to Jing Chaoyi about his collaboration with the merchant.

After thinking for a moment, Jing Chaoyi said, ”Senior, I think you’re going to strike it rich soon.”

Slowly putting on the watch, Li Younan grinned and said, ”I hope your words come true then.”

Jing Chaoyi wasn’t joking; she genuinely believed it.

After yesterday’s frolic, Jing Chaoyi was well aware that her senior actually has the potential to become a major influencer. Putting other things aside, even if he only focused on parkour, he would amass a significant number of followers.

And since Li Younan wants to be a travel blogger, his audience is likely to be quite interested in outdoor watches.

Once he put on the watch, Li Younan took a serious look at it.

The Mudmaster looks a bit rugged, but it complements his over six-foot height well. Its waterproof rating is very high, even suitable for diving, and it has solar-powered functions, reportedly lasting for up to a decade without needing a charge or battery replacement. Additionally, it features a compass function, radio-controlled timekeeping, and more, designed for outdoor enthusiasts.

This watch saved Li Younan a considerable amount of money; even without the promotion, he would have bought one for himself later.

Guanyin Beach this afternoon was even more lively than yesterday.

Today’s event was skateboarding, which indeed has a larger audience compared to parkour. They spent the entire afternoon playing, but doing it for two consecutive days inevitably led to a bit of aesthetic fatigue.

By the third day, Li Younan and Jing Chaoyi unanimously felt like trying a ”new flavor.” Li Younan suggested, ”Why don’t we visit Gulangyu Island tomorrow?”

Jing Chaoyi agreed.

It remains to be seen if Gulangyu Island will be fun, but after all, it’s Xiamen’s most famous attraction. Having come all this way, of course, they must go and explore.

Moreover, Li Younan’s next destination pin is indeed Gulangyu Island.