And I’m not just talking about the sketchy, diet teas, or the brands asking for content for free. There are a lot of legitimate reasons why a brand collab might not be a great fit for you. The best and the worst part about influencer marketing is that its such uncharted territory. The boundaries and possibilities are endless because it’s constantly evolving! There are tips that I learned about blogging when I first started that I would never offer a client now. And contrary to popular belief, influencers don’t accept every brand partnership that clogs their inbox. (If you think differently, it might be time to unfollow the influencer that is taking advantage of your trust, but I digress.)
I’ve seen a lot of bloggers and influencer coaches talk about “How to Negotiate Brand Deals” and “How to Secure The Bag” but there’s a lot more to it than that. “When should you say NO to a collab?” and “How do I even do that?!” are valid questions, too! In fact, I’d argue that understanding how to say no is what can help you get paid even MORE in the future! But more on that later. Here are a few reasons why I’ve said no to working with a brand in the past. *Keep in mind that for a few of these examples below, a premium fee could be applied where I might come back to the table.*
When a brand has the rights to your content in perpetuity, that basically means they own it from the contract date until the end of time. They can resell your content to other companies, use your photos on billboards, commercials, and magazines- and you’ll never see a dime. I’ve seen so many bloggers unwittingly sign away their rights and have seen their photos blown up to be in an advertisement in retail storefronts. These would usually cost the model thousands of dollars but brands were able to sneak them into their contracts and get them for free. If this is non-negotiable, the rate offered should come with a very large dollar amount. If not, then I suggest you politely decline.
In order for me to write a decent blog post from start to finish, I need to have at least 5 days. That includes me receiving and shooting the product, writing out 300-500 words, preparing SEO, adding alt text to my images, and the copy is set up for any social shares that are in relation to the campaign. Ideally, I would like to have at least 10-14 days for a brand campaign. I’m typically juggling multiple projects at once as well as creating non-sponsored content for my audience.
There have been times when the brand would like to meet my rate but would like a timeline that is just not possible if they’re looking for the quality of work that they are hiring me for. In the past, I’ve accepted these collaborations and in the end, I always regret them. It’s stressful for me to submit by such a rushed deadline and can affect the quality of my work. If I’m putting my name on it, I want it to be something I’m proud to keep up on my channels! Write down how long it takes you to develop your top services from start to finish. The next time you negotiate, be sure to reference that timeline before you say yes!
I used to think the “know your worth” slogan was just tied to a dollar amount. If I got a huge check for the collab, then what’s the problem?! Well, I’ve had a couple of offers for campaigns for $10,000. As a young adult working off student loan debt, I’ll admit it’s pretty enticing! But when you start to look into the details of the deliverables they’re asking for, you might notice you’re being underpaid. If there’s a long list of deliverables that would require twice the amount of work, I promise you the $10,000 (or whatever the number is at the time) won’t satisfy you. It just looks nice because it’s a guaranteed large chunk of money. In the end, you’ll be unhappy because the amount of work you’re putting in is seriously undervalued and could be spent strengthening your personal brand somewhere else.
This next one can be a bit controversial. Should you accept a partnership for a product you use but don’t share about on your blog? For example, I was recently approached by a book publisher to promote a line of cookbooks for the holiday season. I love using Chrissy Teigen’s recipes and creating Pinterest menus as much as the next girl, but is that why my audience follows me?
My primary verticals are fashion, skincare, and blogging tips. If it’s not a brand that easily works within those 3, I have to be a lot more careful with my selection process for a few reasons: 1) Is it going to be beneficial to the brand or my followers? Can I really provide the return that they’re looking for with my audience? 2) It can affect my engagement. If my audience isn’t used to my content veering into a bit of left field and talking about cooking, fewer people will engage with my post. Unless it’s a brand I’ve authentically shared in the past with positive feedback, I tend to shy away from them.
Let’s be clear that we’re not talking about accepting a partnership where you say, “how much you love this moisturizer” but haven’t used it a day in your life. Yes, that’s still a horrible approach to running your business as an influencer. However, it’s almost preferable if you’re a beauty blogger vs. randomly working with Autozone just because you use them for your car. Personally, this is something that I’ve had to work on a lot. As someone who creates content in the fashion and lifestyle space, there are a lot of brands and campaigns that can fit into that criteria. At the end of the day, it’s about the respect you’ve earned with your audience. Is the campaign worth jeopardizing that? If it doesn’t fit in those areas, it needs to be something you carefully consider before accepting.
After looking through the contract, negotiating with the brand, and weighing out your options, you’ve decided to not move forward with the campaign. That’s ok! You now have the capacity to take on a collaboration that’s an even better fit. Brands tend to shy away from influencers who look like they accept every single collab and want to work with someone who knows who they’re marketing to. Here’s an example
“Hi X, Thank you for reaching out! I appreciate your willingness to work with me on this. After some consideration, I don’t believe I have space in my current editorial calendar for this particular campaign. Please feel free to keep me in mind for any future partnerships. I would love to work with you and your team at X down the line! Best, Tomi”
“Hi X, I appreciate you reaching out! At this time, I don’t believe I’m the best fit for your brand so I’m going to have to decline this opportunity. Good luck in your search! Thanks, Tomi”
That’s it! Keep it polite, short, and simple so you never burn any bridges. If it’s a brand you’d like to work with again, I’d also mention the exact reasons why it didn’t work this time (rate, deliverables, deadlines, etc.) so they’ll know for the future. Have you said no to a brand for a reason I didn’t share? Let me know in the comments!
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Great post – these are excellent tips! Sometimes it is hard to say no, but I definitely agree that you should opt out if it doesn’t fit your niche.
Jenna ♥
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I’m glad you agree, Jenna!