This post in on how to get paid for your content. What content, you ask? Your blog content. Your social media content. If a brand doesn’t value you as an influencer you shouldn’t want to work with them anyways.
Let me back up a minute. The other day I received a comment from Target’s account on my post.
One word. Love! Can we share your #TargetStyle? Reply w/ #ShareMyTargetStyle if you created this image, are the person in the image, have permission from anyone else in the image, are the legal guardian of any minor in the image, and give us consent to use it in our paid, digital & social advertising, for internal and external communications and in accordance with our terms: tgt.biz/UGC. Replying confirms you agree to these requirements.
While I was thrilled that they wanted to share my content, I was taken aback when reading the last part of this statement that included a link to their terms. I went on to read Target’s Terms & Conditions about User Content. And in the middle of the huge chunk of legalities, I read this:
For any User Content you submit, you grant to Target a non-exclusive, sub-licensable, fully paid-up, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable right and license to use, display, perform, transmit, copy, modify, delete, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, sell and distribute such User Content and to incorporate the User Content into any form, medium, or technology, now known or hereafter developed, throughout the world, all without compensation to you.
All without compensation to you.
It’s amazing what a simple hashtag reply can agree to. If I replied #ShareMyTargetStyle, then I would irrevocably lose my rights to my content.
I’ve been working with Dallas Social Influencers, or DSI, for about a year and a half now. They’ve ingrained it in me that it’s important that brands to pay for their work with influencers. And if you’re questioning this, then check out Rhonda Jenkins’ article about if you should be doing unpaid collabs at TheSkinnyArm.com.
Your time is valuable. Just think of all the time that goes into content creation:
- Writing blog posts.
- Writing and editing eBooks or online courses.
- Taking and editing photos.
- Answer emails.
- Writing pitches to brands.
- Engage on social media.
While I don’t think I’ll ever consider myself to be an influencer, I enjoy writing articles and sharing content! I don’t ever want to consider this to be “work” because then I’ll never get it done, haha!
If you’re an influencer, you’re likely to get approached by brands who would want to collaborate for free. But should you? The following are some simple steps on how to get paid for your content.
How to Get Paid for Your Content
Set Your Rates: As a number one rule, you have to know your worth. You need to take the time to assess everything you do before you can have a conversation with brands. If it takes you an hour to edit the photos and 30 minutes to research, write and edit the copy for an Instagram post, then you need to set a value on what your time is worth.
Perfect Your Pitch:
Join an Influencer Marketing Platform: I joined DSI which is a group that helps find brand partnerships. They teach you the fundamentals of working with brands. While that on is local to me, there are a ton of collab platforms out there that you can join:
Go Local: Reach out to shops in your community! Do you have a local coffee shop that you visit once a week or maybe there’s a little boutique in your neighborhood that you frequent. Reach out to these business owners with your pitch. You never know if you don’t ask!
Takeaways
You can’t pay your bills in exposure. Your time is valuable! If you are creating content and a community that follows and trusts your opinions, then brands should be paying your for that exposure. I hope this post on how to get paid for your content was helpful for you. If not, let me know in the comments below how I can make it better! Read more posts on influencer marketing.
What are some of your tips for getting paid?
15 Responses
There are so many brands who do this it absolutely amazes me and so many people just pop on the # and think it will bring them a bit of exposure at least when really they have just handed over all rights.
Good points and the longer you are an influencer the more you should ask for your time. Great post.
I like the idea of staying local and promoting the businesses where you live. This is a good post for all of us who care about our businesses of blogging.
You have to read the fine print. To think that a simple hastag could do all that.
Thank you for this. I have let Target and other share my post before. I don’t think I will again! I don’t want to lose rights for free. Pay me to share first!
Really great ideas. And nearby businesses is a good topic. We have to explore our own place before the others, absolutely.
Great tips but I was struck by that clause in the agreement. I mean, most of us rarely read the fine print so it’s really a good practice to do so.
It’s always nice to be able to get paid for content. You’ve got some great advice here. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to charge too.
I agree that you need to establish your worth before contacting brands.
Many bloggers accept products, services etc without payment as in many cases the companies aren’t interested otherwise. It’s even harder for those starting off. There is paid work though where we make the effort to look. Hashtags are very helpful.
It makes me mad that rich corporations take advantage of people who buy their products like this!
This is such a good point! It really is a lot of work, and a REAL job, to be an influencer and create content.
This is so true. I think it is important to know exactly what to do > Most people do years of trial and error when the blueprint has already been created.
Thank you for these tips and I just signed up for Fohr to give that platform a try as I had not heard of it 😉 Very cool and informative post and I have bookmarked it to come back 😉
Very informative posts indeed! I work for influencers and bloggers helping get the exposure that they need on their posts!