In addition to being an influencer and blogger myself, I talk to a lot of other incredible boss babes throughout my day. There is one huge mistake that always stands out to me in those conversations. One thing that always makes me shake my head. Something that most influencers might not even realize that they’re doing, but it’s actually stopping them from being as successful as they dream of becoming… They are undervaluing themselves!
And I’m not talking about charging slightly less than they are worth, I’m talking about accepting any amount (or just product vs. cash), regardless of how insulting it is, because it’s an opportunity and they don’t want to turn down any opportunity, period.
Are You Making the Same Mistake?
Listen, there are so many reasons that you shouldn’t do this and I’m here to remind you of just some of those reasons. So bookmark this and when you get one of those emails and you’re torn about whether or not you should take 5% of your current rate because that $20 makeup kit is super cute, read this again and again and again. And then, use that confidence to counter-offer to an amount that makes you both happy. Remember, you are providing a service, not volunteering your time to make others rich!
You deserve to be paid for your time.
If you were an employee of a company, they would pay you a set rate, correct? Because they know how much your job is worth to them. So why, when we begin working for ourselves, do we feel that it’s ok to work for practically nothing, as long as some money is coming in? Listen, I get it. We have bills to pay and we think we need to work our butts off to hit that magic number, but… what if we didn’t HAVE TO work our butts off to reach that goal? If you are spending hours working for practically nothing, you might as well spend that time doing something you love, like hanging out with your family or laying on the beach or reading a good book. Those things are far more rewarding and you don’t have to put in hours to work for them.
Work smarter, not harder.
My Grandpa always said this to me and I never understood what he was talking about until I became self-employed. Think about this way… you can take on 1 campaign that pays $500 or 10 campaigns that pay $50 and you are still making the same amount of money, you are just working MUCH harder and longer with one of those scenarios! It’s ok to turn down the little gigs and focus on the ones who are willing to pay your rate. You will have so much more free time, but you’ll still have the money you need. Don’t be afraid to say no! If a company really wants to work with you, they will find the budget and if they can’t, then don’t be afraid to thank them but graciously decline!
Quantity is not always better.
I’ve spoken to a couple of influencers who think that they need to have sponsored ads every single day in order to stay relevant in the industry, so they say yes to every single thing that is offered to them. The truth is, that could be hurting them. Companies don’t want to see that. They want to get to know you. They want to see what messages you WANT to share on your blog and social media channels! They want to see how you and your audience interact with one another. If you are constantly posting sponsored ads, they are less likely to pay you a premium rate to get lost in a sea of products. So focus on sharing products that you really love, only as a part of your overall feed vs. sharing something that means something to you personally when you don’t have any sponsored ads to post.
You know what you’re worth, so stop settling for less!
You know how much work you put into each of those campaigns. You know how much time it takes to get the perfect shot, to edit, to write and to engage, engage, engage on social media. So, are you making enough on each campaign to justify that amount of time? Are you saying yes to a company that’s offering you a free item just because it’s cute (I’ve done it before, I know!)? If you REALLY want it, would it make more sense to just buy that item and not have to spend hours promoting it? You should take everything into consideration when you get an offer. Retail cost PLUS money offered DIVIDED BY hours needed. Could I work at a minimum wage job and make more? Then I’ll pass.
Maybe it’s a mistake you’re making because you just don’t know what you should be charging! Make sure to check out my suggestions on how to set your rate. I share a helpful tool that I’ve been using since January of 2019!
Now, let me hear from you guys… do you think you are earning enough for the amount of work you do as an influencer/blogger? What promises will you make to yourself to change that in the new year?!
18 COMMENTS
Marta
4 years agoI’m finding the more reach I attain, the less brands are willing to compensate me. It’s so weird.
Heather Castillo
4 years ago AUTHORHi Marta! That is weird. Let me ask you… is your engagement increasing as your reach grows?
Liz Mays
4 years agoI’m really going to have to keep these things in mind as we move into 2020. It will be good to reassess what kinds of offers I accept and decline.
Stacie
4 years agoI love these points! You don’t have to say yes to everything. In fact, you shouldn’t. You should only say yes to companies that are willing to recognize your value and if they don’t conflict with your core values.
Heather Castillo
4 years ago AUTHORI couldn’t agree with you more Stacie!
Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome
4 years agoWow the first tip really spoke to me.
Anne M
4 years agoYour comment about working smarter is so true. I evaluate opportunities that come my way on several factors, but time spent and the compensation for it are very important.
Shannon Graham
4 years agoI use that phrase, “Work smarter, not harder,” quite often. It’s so true! Also, getting paid for your work is a MUST!
Marcie W.
4 years agoGreat points! I don’t mind turning down an opportunity, especially if it does not pique my interest or fall within my asking rate. One goal I have for next year is to share more personal content.
Kathy
4 years agoI completely agree with you as well. I think these are some of the most common mistakes. Luckily I have learned from a lot of my own mistakes.
Bella
4 years agoJust so true! I see others doing these things all the time. I put a lot of effort into my content and I like to work with brands that value that.
Bella
https://xoxoBella.com
Katrina kroeplin
4 years agoThis is so true! We need to value ourselves!!!
Sherry
4 years agoI can definitely see how sharing more sponsored content can hurt. Taking every opportunity that comes your way can have you promoting outside of your niche too.
Lisa Joy Thompson
4 years agoThis makes so much sense! I’ve turned down a lot of offers this year because they didn’t pay a lot or they weren’t things I really wanted to talk about. I’ve realized that I can easily do a post for a company I’m passionate about, but it takes longer to come up with a post for a company that I’m not as passionate about.
Jennifer
4 years agoI’m learning to not settle for less and it’s hard because for the last few years I’ve always just took whatever somebody offered. But I’m learning I’m more than that! Thanks for these tips
Emily
4 years agoI find that I have a hard time actually determining how much I am worth. I think after you have been low balled for so long it is hard.
Amber S Battishill
4 years agoTotally agree and I know that I’ve been guilty of it in the past! I’ve been sticking to my rates and countering and have easily doubled my income this year! So important to know your worth!
Carrie Marrie
4 years agoYes!! Thank you!! I got 10 offers this week for product only and turned them all away. I think it’s so rude that they expect us to work for free. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t do their job for free product!