A couple of controversial things happened this week in the scene and there's been plenty of conversations around certain topics and specific names, so let me just make this really short blog straightforward:
INFLUENCERS - Don't bash brands if they approach you directly and you feel that what they're offering in exchange is peanuts. Remember you can always say no politely or simply ignore. No need to badmouth or talk about them negatively in your social media channels when they actually did no harm to you at all. This is waste of precious energy. Not all brands actually understand the value of influencers at this point; we have to be patient with them too, we have different learning curves. We shall all get to a point where there shall be standards for compensation, but until then, we have to be patient, kind, and come with a heart of service.
BRANDS - Understand that content creation is work, and as such, has to be compensated. Content creators take time to think, prepare, write, shoot, edit, etc. Many of them are in the business full-time. They have also invested precious time, money, effort, and skill to grow their assets -- just like a business. Gone are the days when bloggers, influencers, and content creators will actually be OK with ex-deal all the way, just like how you will need to buy fruits and vegetables even if you can technically just grow them in your backyard. You pay for fruits and vegetables because they take time to grow, they need precious nourishment and care, and they are of good quality. Influencers are like that too -- growing their audience took some time, earning the trust and affinity of their followers entails so much effort, and the content that they produce is actually helpful and valuable for you. Like most of the things in life, you get what you pay for.
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Also, we had a David and Goliath moment this week -- a competitor (albeit indirect) of ours actually needed us for an influencer campaign that they had to execute for a brand. Of course we didn't know this until their "pawn" (who they sent to consult with us AND actually get a quote) actually told us. What can I say though; you know you're doing (really, really) well when competitors seek your help.
That's all, folks. Happy weekend! Blogamomma out. 😎