When first starting out, I made a few mistakes when partnering with brands! I wanted to share them with you so you can learn from me and create healthy, successful brand partnerships that work for you and the brands you collaborate with! Learn from my mistakes and get that $$$ through different brand collaboration opportunities that suit your needs.
Would you be surprised if I told you I turn down about 80% of the brand collaboration opportunities that come my way? There are a few ways I vet the brands that I plan to work with. I ask myself the below questions before agreeing to any type of brand partnership.
Did the brand address you by name?
If the brand does not address you by name or if they use your IG handle (ex. Hi @helloemilyerin), delete their email or DM! You take the time to create awesome content for brands, they should at least send you a personalized message to get the ball rolling. Not addressing you directly shows that they have not done their research on you, which means they are incredibly unlikely to pay you.
Is the brand legit?
Any time I work with a brand, I make sure to vet them and their products. I read reviews and ensure the brand is real and that there is no sort of scam involved with their products. I want to make sure my content is ALWAYS relevant to my community. Taking the extra step to research gives me confidence to know I am promoting a REAL brand.
P.S. If a brand comments on your post “dm @blankaccount” to collab, it’s not legit.
Do you have to pay anything to “collaborate” with that brand?
If you have to pay for ANYTHING to partner with a brand, do NOT take on the collaboration. Brands should NOT be charging you to do their marketing! I see a lot of boutiques doing this – ex. “We can offer you 25% off our product in exchange for photos and a try-on.” Another common one is “We can provide free product, just pay $15 for shipping!” NOPE. If they value your content, they will understand your worth!
Are they only willing to communicate over DM?
If a company reaches out over DM, try to move over to email! This helps me gather a strong understanding of the deliverables I’ve been asked to create in a place where I can refer back to easily. With this, also know that negotiating with brands is a heck of a lot easier over email!
Are their requirements unreasonable?
Before jumping in to a collaboration, I like to check out the requirements of the collaboration and the requested deliverables. I ask for as much info up front as I can to ensure I am providing the most accurate quote for my work. Each collaboration is different and should be priced accordingly. Ask them what the required exclusivity, usage, timeline, and campaign expectations look like. Make sure you are not getting in over your head when you agree to partner with a brand.
Something I always look out for is when the brand requests usage in perpetuity. It is incredibly difficult to price out usage in perpetuity because that literally means they can use your content for ANYTHING, FOREVER. I never agree to usage in perpetuity. This is one point to avoid, especially if you are not being compensated properly!
Will the brand provide a contract?
When I work on brand collaborations, I need to ensure that I have everything in writing. I want to make sure I can reference the contract throughout the duration. When agreeing to a brand collaboration, you need to make sure you read the contract proposed by the brand carefully. You also need to make sure that both parties sign, meaning you and the brand, before you create any content. I save all of my contracts to a folder on my desktop that allows me to easily access them throughout the partnership. I frequently reference these contracts to ensure I am turning in my content on time, meeting all requirements, and getting paid on time.
Note that just because the brand creates the contract doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate the terms. I frequently review my contracts and request changes prior to signing. Interested in a few tips about reading contracts? Check out my post for a few key things to look out for in brand contracts.
Does the brand align with your audience’s interests?
Part of the vetting process when considering a partnership with a brand is reviewing the brand to ensure their products and branding align with your audience. I also do a deep dive on the brand’s values to ensure they align with my own. I do this with the products I purchase as a consumer, so it is important to me that the products I promote come from upstanding companies.
Bottom line: I would not promote a product if I did not agree with the brand’s values. I also would not promote a product that I can’t stand behind. I test everything before creating content to ensure I actually would use and enjoy the product before accepting any brand collaboration opportunities.
I hope these tips help you! What is something you’ve learned the hard way when working with brands?
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