To think that this 'influencer' should pay me for my work, not ask for freebies?

[Megatron]

I'm a bit flummoxed. I have a side business (cookies) which ticks along nicely in normal circumstances, although it's going ok during lockdown, luckily.

I had a message from someone this morning saying that it is her mum's birthday soon and can I make her two dozen cookies and deliver them to her this weekend. She lives about 30 miles away from me and 'as payment' she is willing to 'put photos on my insta page and say how great they are. I have a large following and this would be good business for you'. Now, I don't know how these things work, but I think she's absolutely taking the piss? Her 'large following' is less than 500 people and even aside from that, I don't want to work for free then do a 60 mile round trip to deliver (I normally only deliver within 5 mile radius, it's just a tiny sideline for me). I'm not some big shot looking for tonnes of business, I just like enough for a bit extra. They're also quite detailed cookies and each one takes a while to decorate - she clearly thinks they look ok but not enough to actually pay me for them.

Am I hopelessly out of date and this is just how it's done or is she absolutely taking the piss. What the fuck even is an 'influencer' anyway?

Sorry, clicked YABU by accident.

Thank God for that! I thought someone had actually thought it was a reasonable proposal.

This story (more than 2 years old) is fun.
And there are loads more like this out there.
They are cheeky chancers, that's all, & you really shouldn't feel bad or that your cookies aren't worth anything

White Moose Cafe, Dublin

I follow a woman who is a blogger for our local town. She has 10,000+ followers on Instagram and during lockdown has been gifted takeaways but she's click and collected at many.

This woman is clearly a massive CF and I suspect 99.9% will reject her "offer"

Someone asked me to post my cookies but I won't for the reason that I have friends on here who will definitely know they're mine and may find out some of my deep dark secrets on here. I also don't want anyone to think this post is an advertisement, it really isn't.

She hasn't replied yet so I'm guessing that's the last I'll hear from her. I hope it is anyway, I hate confrontation or bad feeling.

Please don't take it personally about whether she values your hard work. She has probably emailed 5 different cookie companies on the basis that maybe one of them might fall for her CFery which is why she hasn't responded. As soon as she realises you're no fool, she'll be on to the next potential victim.

And you know you need to post some lovely photos of your cookies now right??

My dog has more followers than that

mines too.. lol

Tell her ok. She pays for this set of cookies full price. Tell her to post the influencer ad, the first ten customers get a special treat with their purchase using a promo code, this promo code expires end of July. If you get 20 orders using that code by end of July, you can give her 10% off her next order and would consider future promotional engagements with her. You may have guessed, her 500 followers may not even be in the UK

Ah x posted - no worries. Start an IG account, that's where all the brands are these days!

Say you only engage with influencers with over 50K followers.

I think the best reply was sorry this is a hobby not a business.payment in full or no dough.

Which tight bastard is the 100% who voted YABU? 😂😂

I'm a jeweller and I get this a lot, and they always want the expensive pieces. Like they think I would happily spend £200 of my own money just on materials never mind labour and not charge them for a piece I usually sell at over £1000. No way.

I pay for advertisement. I have paid for endorsements, and I have supplied jewellery for free when the publicity will be undeniably worth it. But all these "influencers" with a few hundred followers arent even on the same planet as the ones who will actually generate sales.

Ah, ExposureBucks.

Tell her that in return for her actually paying for them, you'll share her Instagram with all your loyal customers

Ha I also immediately thought of Elle Darby.

The rise of "influencers" is a scourge of modern times. I always think 'oh go and do something useful!" Cheeky fuckers all of them

That’s ridiculous my young adult dd has over 1600 followers and she isn’t an influencer she is just very into fashion.

She’s taking the absolute piss, tell her to do one. Less than 500 followers? That’s less than me and I post absolute nonsense! She’d want to have upwards of 10k to even dream about getting anything for free.

You always get people like that, in every branch. You did the right thing: stayed businesslike and friendly and stated your terms of business. Sometimes you'll find that they do actually come back later and place a normal order.

Would be a great idea to get your cookies on Instagram by the sound of it. I just randomly put up pictures of pretty things once in a blue moon, and people do notice and follow you. Have you got any pics on Google Maps yet?

Hahahahahahhhaa the absolute gall !!

I would be tempted to reply with "Which is your influencer page by the way, as I can see you must be messaging me from your personal account (due to low follower numbers) "

What a chancer. Don’t feel bad, she needs to be told.

Most influencers are freeloaders in my experience. Only the easily led are easily influenced.

We dabbled with using influencers at work to promote products. It didn’t go well. They are CF’s. About 10 of them were involved on an individual basis. They were ‘gifted’ products and unique sales codes to use with their followers. Even when gifted a £100 product as a ‘let’s see how it goes’ type thing a large percentage of them were pushing and pushing for £2500 worth of product. It was laughable.

This generated, about 4 sales between them. The product sells quite well on its own, this was just another way of trying to generate a new revenue stream. We should not have bothered!
I’m sure if you get the right product and a hugely popular influencer who has a massive engagement rate it might be better.

😂 some people are absolutely mental

@Pleasenodont i think they need the following first...

Do not let her make you feel bad in any way shape or form - you have done absolutely nothing wrong! This is how cheeky fuckers get away with it!

An influencer is a attractive female with half of boots on her face