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A few years ago a pr agency sent me the pitch for a project rather than the press release intended. I opened the document, started reading and very quickly realised I had been sent the wrong attachment. I kept quiet about it as I figured it would be really (thread)
Embarrassing for the pr. Also my name had been in the document as a key influencer they were planning on working with as well as 5 other influencers and the fee they would be charging the brand. I was secretly rubbing my hands together as I could do the math and I was in for a
Hefty payday! I waited a few weeks and low and behold the email came in! A friendly toned email casually asking me if they could send me some products and if I could mention it on my blog and Instagram she would be ‘super grateful babe!’
I politely went back and told her what my fee would be and if she was happy with it, I would love to go ahead. She came back saying I was ‘misunderstood babe’ there was no budget. She just wanted to send me some product because she ‘thought I would like it’.
That’s kind and all but considering her agency we’re being paid a HUGE amount, like tens of thousands of pounds (according to the pitch she had sent me a few weeks before) I politely said I loved the brand but I’m so sorry, I can’t work for free.
Anyway, my point is, sometimes brands come to you with a full on brief and deadlines and sometimes it’s a little more casual and we have to be aware that whilst organic content is awesome - I do a lot of it! Don’t be caught out with sneaky tactics like this!
Some times there really is no budget and other times they are just getting what they can for free and scooping up a huge pay day for themselves. I would never ever have known if she hadn’t sent me the brief in error but it was a huge eye opener and I just wanted to
Share it with you today! I’m not saying influencers need to be paid for everything and I’m not saying don’t take press samples, I’m just saying... be careful. Make content YOU want to make and if you feel like you should be paid, ask for budget even if it’s a
Super casual email ‘babe’. I don’t know about you guys, but I have a mortgage to pay and dog food to buy and I whilst I love creating organic content, I don’t want to miss out on money which I deserve for my work and nor do you! 
