Instagram dosen’t pay the bills
Show the love first
I’m a celebrity babe…
That was the main argument from an influencer for why I should give her free space for a photo shoot.
I was managing a somewhat Instagram-able business at the time. Nothing out of the ordinary, we did Instagram Collabs from time to time: offering free services or products to influencers who aligned with what we did and had audiences that were relevant to us.
But she was not that.
Her profile was only photos of her posing: unhelpful to the business I worked for, as we were looking primarily for influencers with a following of entrepreneurs, coffee enthusiasts and foodies: people who could benefit from knowing about us. She had a few hundred thousand followers, but all her followers and comments seemed to be from eastern Europe.
So, I answered her message with the standard: Hey, thank you for reaching out. We would love to have you! Here are the rates for photoshoot rental.
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To which she answered the now famous: Babe, re-read my message. I’m a celebrity!
Amid a global pandemic where most restaurants were on the verge of bankruptcy, I find it unsettling that some people think that Instagram posts are paying the bills, helping us survive.
You would think that celebrities and big TV shows people could spend a few hundred dollars on a space for a photo shoot, no? (We also got a similar request from the popular Quebec reality TV show where people live in houses hoping to fall in love.)
A collab is only worth it if it benefits both parties.
Unsurprisingly, smaller organizations and people with no followers were always willing to pay for the space and the services they were getting.
Do not get me wrong, you should ask, you should try and negotiate. But dispute if you don’t get your way?
When I love a business and want to help them out, I buy the thing and pay the full price. If you do have influence and can help them bring in more business, give first.
Don’t go asking for discounts because you know the owner. If you are friends with the owner, you want them to succeed, all the more reason to buy the thing, and be a good friend.
Share the love, and spend your money, local brands need it!
