As an influencer strategist I see many influencers believe misconceptions on brand partnership everyday. These misconceptions often come from just one partnership they did or a partnership a different creator did. It’s important to note that every partnership is not the same and most have different agreements from others. Before you go and believe any of these misconceptions let’s dive into where they come from and why influencers tend to believe them.
Influencers believe this when one or a few brands in a row do not offer them a paid collaboration and when they hear that other creators are having the same issue. It’s not hard to get paid by brands. Most brands go into influencer marketing with a budget in mind to spend on each influencer. So if you believe it’s hard to get paid, you’re either not asking for payment or you’re pushing for payment with the wrong brands.
Influencers believe this because they see creators with huge audiences landing post of the brand deals and getting paid. Followers are not everything. It does not matter. What matters is the relationship you have with your followers. Are they highly engaged in your content? Are they leaving meaningful comments on your content? Those are the things brands look for.
Influencers believe this because they see creators with professional content land the big time and high paid brand deals. Yes, professional photography is great and can be an easy way to increase your packages with brands but on social media, statistically mirror photos and more authentic content actually performs better. Unless you’re pitching a content creation package, brands aren’t looking at whether your photos are perfect or not.
Notice the pattern: Influencers believe all these misconceptions based on what they see bigger creators that have been in the game for years do. As someone who has worked on the brand side, I’m telling you the game is a whole lot different now than the way it used to be years ago. It’s all about micro influencers, raw content, and cutting the check for these creators.
If you continue to believe that these misconceptions are true, it will cause your creator business to never pick up off the ground and start achieving the goals you have for it. It’s easy to believe these when you’re starting out but the more you pitch to brands and start working with them you will quickly learn that these are just all misconceptions.
Travel industry expert who helps you secure paid and sponsored partnerships with top-tier hotels, airlines, tour operators, and tourism boards.