The Pros and Cons of Working with Brands

Working with brands is one of the most talked-about topics in the blogging community. It's not the be-all-and-end-all but it's becoming a big aspect of being a blogger and there's a lot that goes along with it. From the outside, especially to friends and family, it seems like you're just getting free stuff and there's nothing to complain about. However along with all the amazing things about working with brands there are some downsides, so I thought I'd share those with you too and talk about how to avoid them.

Pros

Trying new products

Of course, this is the biggie; you get to try new products without denting your bank balance. You can be introduced to brands and products you’d never considered before or ones that are a little outside your usual budget or ones that everyone’s talking about so you can finally see if they’re worth all the hype. If you’re feeling a little uninspired with your blog it gives you something new and exciting to write about.

Getting a Sneak Peak

This is kind of linked to the last one but it’s amazing to be one of the first to know about new releases from your favourite brands. Whether that’s getting insider information on what’s in the pipeline or trying out new releases before they’re available to the public. It’s exciting to be a small part of a new launch.

Attending Events

Although I don’t attend as many as I’d like to, local events are an amazing way of meeting like-minded people with shared interests. It’s great to get out there and meet other bloggers in your local area as well as learn more about a brand and put faces to names in terms of PRs you may have been emailing before.

Exposure

Brands sharing your blog or images on social media is an amazing way to reach people who may never have come across you and your blog before. It’s amazing to see your image re-posted with thousands of likes and I’ve also gained lots of new followers even just from brands liking my images. So make sure you tag them when you’re sharing!

Forming Relationships

When you do a good job once, it opens the door for future opportunities with the brand. If they’re represented by an agency, it can also open doors in terms of getting you involved with other brands they may represent. You can end up working with brands you may never have thought you were in the same league as.

Recognition

Particularly when it’s a well-known brand it’s so flattering to be approached to work with them. Somehow in the sea of blogs they saw yours and chose you! It’s a really amazing feeling.

Cons

Unreasonable Demands

Some brands will genuinely send you an entire document of things you have to do, which may be more justified if the post is sponsored or the item is very high-value but less so when it’s a £3 lipgloss… We’ll get onto all that in a minute though! I’ve had brands ask if I’d like to review a product then after they’ve sent it out been like ‘oh and by the way you need to do xyz and the post needs to be up within a week’. Personally, I think this is very unfair as if you had all the information on what was required you may not have accepted the product. 

My top tip would be to ask if they have any particular requirements, even if the information isn’t offered up readily to begin with. I’d say 70% of PRs are very understanding and give you creative control, however you don’t want to get caught out (in all honesty, it is often the client not the PR company making the demands). We’re not machines, besides which how can you review a product properly when you’re being given such limited deadlines? Particularly on blogger networks, I see a lot of unheard-of brands asking for bloggers with 50k+ followers to send out low-value and slightly random products to…

Being Asked to Do a Lot for Little Reward

Sometimes even when you’d love to feature a product, it’s important to know when you can’t fulfil a particular brand’s needs and not to feel like you’re being taken for a ride. When you’re being asked to give up the rights to your photos, give free advertising space indefinitely and so on in return for a £5 lipstick, I would consider if it’s really worth it.

Getting Your Hard Work Pulled at the Last Minute

I didn’t realise this was a thing with non-sponsored posts until it happened to me. I was offered a sample which wasn’t the kind of product I’d usually blog about but we worked out a great way for me to feature it so I went ahead and accepted the sample, tested it fully and put in the hours to create the post. A couple of days before it was scheduled, I was informed I was no longer allowed to post it. Yes, I got to keep the product but that’s not really the point; I’d put in the hours, I was excited to see what people thought of it and I was left without content after having given this product a slot in my schedule. Luckily another blogger stepped in and saved the day with a guest post!

Not Getting Paid on Time

Personally I’ve done very few sponsored posts as I feel they have to be right for my blog and worth my while; I’d rather not have the money than post something I’m not happy with, though I realise that when blogging is your full-time job you may not have that luxury. However one thing I have noted and that a lot of other people have said, regardless of how big or small the brand is, is that you’re rarely paid on time.

Why Not Me?

We bloggers have a real problem when it comes to comparing ourselves unfavourably to others and I think it always seems to come out when it comes to who gets chosen for opportunities. Sometimes it’s obvious; she’s one of the biggest bloggers in the country and they’re a huge brand. However, it’s always a bit more difficult when you’re told numbers are so important but ‘smaller’ or similar bloggers are chosen over you, as then it seems to surely be about the quality of your blog. 

I would say not to over-think it and be grateful for the opportunities that you have, that they may not have been given. Yes, maybe they got this one for whatever reasons but maybe you randomly got contacted by an equally-exciting brand last week and they didn’t, or maybe it’ll be your turn next time.

Didn’t They Like the Post?

So you manage to secure working with a brand you love, get sent the products, test them and take your best pictures and write up a thorough review. You send across the link when it goes live with an open invitation to work with you again to your contact and…*nothing* No ‘thanks’, no further opportunities, no social media acknowledgement. 

It’s hard in these situations not to question if your posts are good enough. Although it’s easier said than done, I would honestly say you should try not to take it personally. Your contact likely deals with hundreds of bloggers and unfortunately one post doesn’t guarantee you a place at the top of that list with the people who will always be involved in opportunities. However, you now have their email address so there’s nothing stopping you reaching out to them and asking if anything has come up that you’d be a good fit for!

What are your best and worst things about working with brands?

 

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