Turning Giftings into Paid Partnerships
Turning Giftings into Paid Partnerships
There was a lot of buzz surrounding the last article I wrote where I spoke about the do’s and don’ts of gifting opportunities for influencers. With that buzz came a flurry of DMs asking me:
Idalia, how can I get those gifting brands who I organically post for finally start paying me for those posts?
Seems fair, right? You’re a genuine and authentic influencer. You accepting gifting, and you post about it…. repeatedly. So how do you get a brand to actually start paying you to post?
There are two main things you have to know about this industry before you can move forward and ask for payment:
Some brands don’t pay. They simply don’t. Influencer budget is not part of their marketing plan and so they stick to gifting influencers they love and who love them in return. We see this a lot with high end luxury brands, although I’ve also seen this with commercial/high-street brands as well. When this happens you have two options:
Continue accepting gifting knowing you won’t get paid when you organically post.
Kindly decline on gifting moving forward as you realize that you’re not that big of a fan of the brand, and rather focus your efforts elsewhere.
When brands do pay you have to be very clear about what your rates are, and you need to ensure there is a contract in place when you confirm that job.
If brands can’t pay your rate, or close to it, that’s okay! You have the power to decide if you want to proceed or not.
Because negotiating still feels like the wild wild west in the influencer industry, I created the Seal The Deal Course to guide influencers on how to properly negotiate, confirm, and execute a brand partnership. This is my most sought-after course so if you haven’t gotten around to taking it, do it. I even share personal examples in my career with top tier influencers so that you truly grasp all the information.
So next time you get that gifting email from a brand you love, you now know not only what your options are, but how to do it like a pro so you can start making more money for your business.