TIP TUESDAY: SAYING “NO” TO PARTNERSHIPS
Full transparency: As a full-time content creator, I reject at least 50% of the potential partnerships that come through my inbox or DM’s. Sound crazy? Well, imagine over half of your job offers reading “we don’t currently have a budget to hire you, but we’re happy to pay you in sweaters.” Now, we all love a good sweater moment, but I don’t know many banks that will accept sweaters as a form of payment when your mortgage payment is due. Today I’m sharing a little insight on when to negotiate, how to decide if it’s a good fit or when to politely decline on partnership opportunities.
reasons to reject partnerships
- AUTHENTICITY: If you’re questioning how your audience will respond to content, decline. We spend years upon years building an audience on social media. Trust me, they know when your partnerships aren’t genuine. Never ever compromise the trust of your audience for a payout!
- BUDGETS: If a brand is reaching out, they clearly see the value in your content! Don’t diminish your worth by taking on unpaid or insultingly low compensation. Your time is money and your content is worth more than a “free” item. BUT WAIT. There are a handful of times I might opt to break this rule.
- Product I was already planning to purchase and show in content: I consider taking on unpaid work for these instances based on what the brand is asking of me. Was I already going to create the requested content based on this purchase? Can I make commissions when linking it? If so, taking on an unpaid partnership isn’t off limits.
- Travel or experiences: If I’m reaching out to a hotel or travel partner, there’s a good chance I was already heading to this destination. If that’s the case, I’d pay out of pocket for my stay. I would already be creating content there, so adding their tag, hashtag or partnership label is worth the savings!
- TRUST YOUR GUT: Does the partnership seem too good to be true? Feeling scammy? If you do a little digging, you can usually get to the bottom of these concerns. Resources like LinkedIn, a quick Google search and even reaching out to other content creators that have worked with the brand typically get you all the information you’ll need for situations like this.
*BONUS TIP* Last but probably most important: kindness gets you leaps and bounds ahead. There are many times I reject a partnership only to have the brand reach out at a later date with budgets available. Declining doesn’t have to be crass. Declining can be as simple as saying “I am unable to take on gifted partnerships, but I would love to chat if your marketing budget expands in the future!” This leaves the door open to potential partnerships once the brand expands their budget for the ever-growing world of content creators.
Okay friends, I know I’ve just scaled the tip of the iceberg on this topic. Many are more experienced in this area and I’m just sharing from my personal experiences. Fellow content creators, what am I forgetting?! Drop your tips in the comments below!!
