5 tips for when a brand says they don’t have a budget for bloggers

AD-Sponsored content

Today I’m back with another discussion around working with brands and that’s the dilemma: what to do when you’re asked to work for free because a brand doesn’t have the budget. This is something I talked about in The Bloglancer podcast a few weeks ago. Chances are you’re probably asked to work for free every single day. Intellifluence’s 2021 Compensation report found that 41% of influencers felt brands didn’t adequately compensate them for their work, which is hardly a surprise. It also usefully outlines rates influencers gave for working with brands on blogs and instagram. However, it just doesn’t work like that sometimes. Despite the power influencers offer for return on investment, some brands just don’t allocate a section of their marketing budget to work with them-especially small and micro-influencers. Let’s take a look at what you can do if you find yourself in this dilemma…

1. Say no!

The first but most obvious answer to this is to turn it down. It’s worth mentioning because you don’t need to accept an opportunity just because a brand has reached it. Sometimes it can be exciting and flattering to receive that email but you also have to be practical about the time it takes you to create content unpaid.

2. Explain your value

Alternatively, if you feel it will be appreciated, you could explain your value to the brand; as some small businesses don’t necessarily understand how influencer marketing works. If you have any evidence-such as previous sponsored content or engagement stats-send it over and spell out the benefits of working for you. The more tangible your examples (for example sending insights into previous sponsored work) the better.

3. Set packages

Another alternative is to offer different packages. Some bloggers may offer certain things ‘for free (such as Instagram story shares in exchange for gifted items) but charge for more time-intensive takes such as feed posts and blog posts. It can be worth offering a sliding scale of your offerings so brands with a smaller budget can still work with you.

4.Stay in touch

If a brand doesn’t have a budget it doesn’t mean the end of your relationship. Simply keep in touch and ask them to get back to you when they do have a budget; that way you will be fresh in their mind when their marketing budget increases.

5. Don’t be offended

A lot of the time a brand saying they have no budget can feel personal. It can feel as if it’s a reflection of your blog or social media; as if it’s not ‘good enough to pay you. However, there can be many reasons a brand doesn’t have a budget. This could include the time of year or the fact they’ve already worked with bloggers and influencers. It’s important not to take it personally and understand this is all part of blogging as a job.

I hope this has given you some ideas for dealing with being asked to work for free. Unfortunately, it’s common practice in blogging to be asked for work for free but it doesn’t mean you have to do it! Know your worth and discuss with brands how you can find an arrangement you’re both happy with.