EXPERT TIP
The most common mistake influencers make that could easily be avoided is not answering their emails.
—Beca Alexander (@becaalexander), president and founder at Socialyte
I don’t know about you, but I am certainly not in a position to turn down $5,000 for eight hours of work and one Instagram post. And yet, this happens all the time. Did the $5,000 shock you? Now make that number $25,000. Make it $50,000. Hell, let’s get crazy and make it $100,000. These girls have more money sitting in their inboxes than some people will see all year and yet here they are, too busy arranging croissants on a plate to answer a simple email.
Even if you’re traveling or otherwise unavailable, there is no excuse for not responding. This is the age of modern technology. You don’t have to yell your food order into a phone, hail a taxi, or stand in line to buy groceries. You can do all these things with an app. So, I find it a little hard to believe that these girls can’t just turn on an out-of-office message that says, “Hi there. Thanks for emailing. I’m traveling at the moment but will respond to your message as soon as I can. If this is a time-sensitive opportunity, please forward your email to urgent@nameofblog. com or call/text me at 555.555.5555.”
So simple, and yet . . .
DON’T BE THAT GIRL
Every time I send an offer letter and the influencer doesn’t respond, it always makes me a little sad, and not because she is missing a great opportunity. I mean she definitely is, but this is business and the show must go on. My heart breaks a little because without fail, each and every time, she’ll write back three days too late freaking out and asking me if the opportunity is still available. I really want to send her a meme of Scrooge McDuck diving into a pile of money that says, “This Could Be You, but You Playin’,” but I’m a nice person, so I just reply to her panicked email with the following:
Hey there!
Thank you so much for getting back to me. Unfortunately, we’ve already selected an influencer for this campaign, but we’ll definitely keep you in mind for future opportunities.
Brittany
Now if we’re being completely honest, which we are, I’m probably never going to pitch her again. Sometimes I need to find and secure an influencer in 48 hours, and I absolutely do not have time for people who take days to respond to an email. All it tells me is that this is a hobby for them. If I wanted to find hobbyists, I could go to an arts and crafts store. We are here to work, people.
Okay, so you get an email offering you a campaign, and you’re totally going to answer it because I just explained what happens if you don’t, and it has a specific budget in it. How do you know if it’s fair or not? It’s time to talk money. You need to learn what your work is worth and how much you should charge. This is actually one of the most difficult parts of being an influencer. Ask for a fee that’s too high and you’ll risk pricing yourself out. Too low and you’ll undersell yourself and people might doubt your worth. Either way you may come off as someone who is new to the game and easy to take advantage of. If you can command high fees because your content is that professional, great, but be realistic and have patience. It may take you a while to find your sweet spot, but once you do, you’ll be on your way to becoming a full-time influencer.
THE FIVE FEE FACTORS
Since you’re following the 70/30 rule from Chapter 2, you have limited space for branded content, but if you decide to take on a particular sponsored project, you need to figure out what your involvement should be worth to the brand.
Now you might say, “Brittany, if my favorite brand wanted to work with me I would do it for free. I might even offer to pay them.” If you’re so ecstatic about a campaign that you would participate even if they weren’t paying you, that’s great! But it costs money to create great branded content, so you’re going to need a budget to work with.
You might also say, “Brittany, I don’t like talking about money.” And you would not be alone. Most people, women in particular, are intimidated by negotiations. That’s why it is so important to figure out how much you are worth and be confident in that number. It will help you stay strong when negotiating and help you realize when a campaign is not worth the time/ effort and you should just walk away. There may be times when you might lower your fee because you want to meet the brand in the middle, but remember, clothing, trips, and beauty products cannot pay your rent or your student loans.
Negotiating is less frightening once you’ve figured out the numbers. Whether it’s a blog post, Instagram post, or YouTube video, the formula for what to charge is simple:
Distribution Fee + Talent Fee = What You Should Charge
Let’s start by understanding the difference between your distribution fee and your talent fee.
Your distribution fee is how much it costs to be featured on your channel/blog. Keep in mind this price can vary greatly based on five factors:
1. Follower Count. This is simply how many followers you have.
2. Engagement. Of all your followers, what percentage of people liked/commented on your content in the past month? How do you know you’ve made it? When your engagement on branded content posts is as high, or even higher, than your organic content. If this is true for you, like it is for @effortlyss, shout it from the hilltops. This tells me you are making wise decisions with the money brands give you, investing in production quality (e.g., renting a unique space for the backdrop, hiring a professional videographer, etc.) to make sure the content performs. These are the sorts of things that make me happy, and when I am happy I give you more money!
3. Quality of Content. If brands are contacting you, your content is good, but how good is it? I’ve worked on campaigns where the content was so good, it was dropped right onto a billboard, into a magazine, or turned into a television commercial. This is your goal, not only because it solidifies your status as a true content creator, but also because that kind of usage is premium and you can make more money!
4. Name/Facial Recognition/Skills. More often than not, brands will share your content on their social channels, and it’s usually received very well by their audience. But if the influencer has a recognizable name/face, when the brands share, the comments turn from “great shot” to “OMG I LOOOOOVE XYZ INFLUENCER.” That’s a win for them and a BIG win for you. Similarly, if you’re an amazing dancer, or make the best-looking cakes, they’re also paying for access to your skills—which you have probably spent years honing—to make this piece of content really stand out. Skills = Time, and Time = Money.
5. Demographics. This is when it definitely pays to have a niche. If a brand is looking for college students who live in a particular city and would die to have their new eye palette, and that’s your audience, you’re instantly much more valuable to a brand than another influencer who only speaks to one of those target demos.
Your talent fee is how much it actually costs you to create the content. This number includes all costs associated with the campaign and your hourly rate. To figure out a basic minimum budget, calculate the cost of:
• Your photographer/photo editor
• The space where you’ll be shooting (hotel room, Airbnb, etc.)
• Any props you’ll need to purchase (food, candles, flowers, balloons)
• Any clothing you’ll need to buy (Sometimes a campaign will cause you to shoot off-season—a winter fashion spread in the summer—and you’ll need to buy new clothes so the content looks fresh when you post it months later.)
Then you need to factor in your hourly rate. Whether you’re writing a blog post, self-producing a photo/video shoot, or working on set, those things take time and time is money. If you’re just beginning, you might start at $25 an hour and increase your hourly rate as you have more experience and campaigns under your belt. Activities under this hourly rate will differ depending on the campaign, but should include:
• Negotiating with the casting agent (1 hour)
• Reading the brief and researching the advertiser (2 hours)<
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• Scouting and securing a location (2 hours)
• Creating a mood board of the shoot (2 hours)
• Shooting the content (up to 10 hours)
You add these two together, and that is how much you should charge. You can take a look at this handy, dandy chart that will provide you with a healthy range for each tier.
NEGOTIATING YOUR COMPENSATION
Let’s say you have 100,000 followers (look at you!) and the brand wants you to do a one-day shoot and an Instagram post. You could ask for $4,000 and it would be within reason. Now, within reason doesn’t mean that’s the minimum or the maximum, because, like I said, your actual fee will change depending on the five fee factors, but it means no one will roll their eyes at you for requesting that amount of money. And really, in this game, keeping people from rolling their eyes at you is half the battle.
If the letter you received from the casting agent is close to what you think you’re worth, then go ahead and let them know you’d like to receive more details. Your email should look something like this:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. I am free on that date, and that budget is in line with my fee for a one-day shoot and one Instagram post.
Would you be able to send along full details or a contract for review? I would love to see the terms and usage before formally accepting.
Thank you,
Influencer
But what do you do if the original email offered you free products or services in exchange for your work? Well, then you need to ask yourself a few important questions.
IS THIS FOR A CAMPAIGN OR FOR COVERAGE?
When a brand asks you to include certain talking points/ hashtags in your post and have a time frame for when they want the coverage to go live, it’s considered branded content or a campaign. But not every email you receive will be for branded content. Publicists reach out to influencers all the time with the hope that you’ll like their client’s product/service and will share it with your followers. They’re just looking for coverage. If the email you receive doesn’t make it clear what they’re actually looking for, google the person who sent it to you. Check out the person’s website or LinkedIn. Does the person work for the company whose products you were sent, an agency, a publisher, or a public relations firm? If they sent a press release, you can safely assume they’re a publicist looking for coverage. But if all else fails, just ask. Both publicists and casting directors have a desired outcome, and they won’t be shy about letting you know what that is.
If the email is from a publicist, and they’re looking for coverage in exchange for products/services, you can decide if you’d like to do it or not. If it’s for a campaign, then you have to ask yourself the next question.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
Will doing this campaign for free be worth it? You can break that question down into three parts:
1. Is it for your dream company? Maybe you’ve always wanted to work with this specific company, especially if it’s a luxury brand, and this is your first chance.
2. Will you get to travel? Maybe they will send you on an amazing trip where you can kick your content up a notch.
3. Are they going to promote you? Maybe they aren’t willing to pay you, but they will do a profile on their site and share your content with their community.
These are all good reasons to say yes to an unpaid campaign. But if you answered “no” to these three questions, you should probably turn down the gig. Any time you spend on this campaign will be time you aren’t spending on your organic content, the content that will lead you to paid work. You also risk putting a brand on your channels that will alienate competitors and keep them from hiring you. Unless it’s worth it, don’t risk it. You can send them an email that looks like this:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. This sounds like a great opportunity because [XYZ brand is one of my favorites/I’m excited to travel on behalf of XYZ brand/I’m excited to be introduced to the XYZ community].
Since there is no monetary compensation, would XYZ brand be able to feature me on their site and/or share my content on their social channels? [Only include this part if they’re not offering it.]
Would you be able to send along full details or a contract for review? I would love to see the terms and usage before formally accepting.
Thank you,
Influencer
What if they offered you money but it’s less than you think you’re worth? First things first, check your ego. If your friend came to you with the same opportunity, would you tell her to go for it, or to hold out for more money? We’re usually more honest with our friends than we are with ourselves, so this is a great viewpoint to take. If you’ve concluded that it’s unfair, you should send the following email:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. This sounds like a great opportunity because XYZ brand is one of my favorites.
For the scope you requested in your email, my rate is closer to [$$$$]. Is this something you would be able to accommodate?
If so, would you be able to send along full details or a contract for review? I would love to see the terms and usage before formally accepting.
Thank you,
Influencer
This is what is called a counteroffer and puts the ball back in the casting agent’s court. Countering makes a lot of people nervous, but it shouldn’t if you are countering with a fair price and aren’t doing it to be greedy. One of two things will happen: They will accept your counteroffer and send over a contract, or they will deny your counteroffer and ask if you still want to participate. If they deny you, revisit the three questions under “What’s in it for me?” and make your decision. If you decide to go for it, send the below:
Hi Casting Agent,
I’m excited to be on board for this campaign. In addition to [$$$$ compensation], would XYZ brand be able to feature me on their site and/or share my content on their social channels? [Only include this part if they’re not offering it.]
I’ll stand by for the official offer/contract.
Thank you,
Influencer
PASSING ON AN OPPORTUNITY
Sometimes the financial stars do not align, and it’s just not worth it for you to participate in a campaign. This is a problem that happens more and more as you gain followers and popularity and do more campaigns. You see, with each campaign, you’re aligning yourself with a brand and promising you won’t work with any of their competitors no matter what they’re offering. You’re essentially cutting off future revenue streams. So, you need to choose each campaign wisely, and it needs to be worth it.
If you decide to pass, you absolutely must pass with grace or you will be banned and never work in this town again. Okay, that sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s 100 percent true. Ask anyone was has ever worked with me. I keep a running list of influencers who are terrible to work with and will share it with anyone who asks. It’s not that hard to pass politely, so I don’t know why so many people are terrible at doing it.
If they wanted you to participate for free:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. I really appreciate it, but I am not participating in unpaid campaigns at this time.
If there is an increase in your budget, I would be more than happy to revisit this campaign.
Thank you,
Influencer
If they wanted you to participate for less than you were willing:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. I really appreciate it, but I do not think I can deliver the high-quality branded content this campaign deserves with the compensation offered.
If there is an increase in your budget, I would be more than happy to revisit this campaign.
Thank you,
Influencer
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t’s 100 percent okay to pass because an advertiser doesn’t have the budget to pay what you think you’re worth. It happens all the time when people apply for jobs, so it shouldn’t be any different here. Sometimes, a casting agent was playing hardball with you and will accept your counteroffer after you’ve passed. Other times, if they really want you, they will reallocate money from another part of the budget to give it to you. You never really know what’s happening on the other end of the email, which is why it’s crucial to be firm but polite.
What should you do if you’re passing because the campaign was not on brand for you? Unfortunately, this happens because many companies are still new to influencer marketing and have not yet figured out which influencers are on brand or how to approach them. But since you don’t want to work on the campaign, this is the easiest email to write:
Hi Casting Agent,
Thank you so much for thinking of me for XYZ campaign. I know that engagements are probably an important metric for you, but I don’t think the content I would create for this campaign will resonate with my audience. I want to make sure you have a great return on your investment, so I will need to decline your offer. However, please feel free to reach out again with your next campaign.
Influencer Page 9
