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Am I hopelessly out of date and this is just how it's done or is she absolutely taking the piss.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?

Jesus Christ. I have more followers than her at 2k and I am in no way an "influencer" in fact I hate influencers and all they stand for. It's just a reason for people to beg freebies in my eyes. Yes some will say its advertising blah blah blah, but it's still a piss take to demand freebies from normally small-medium businesses.

I have 5000 followers and I'm not even a influencer. The cheek of who she thinks she is.

Simply tell her, that if she wants the cookies then she can pay like everyone else.

petapixel.com/2017/02/02/plumber-free-work-exposure/

Watch the plumber video!!! 🤣🤣

500 followers is less than my dog indeed.

Check out choosing beggars on reddit

Lots of these parasites

old.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/search?q=influencer&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all

The basic principle of being an influencer rather than a parasitical arsehole: if you have an IG and people contact you to give you free shit, then you've not done anything wrong, otherwise STFU.

Reply with 'hahaha no' and then name and shame her on the cheeky fucker reddit board

And it's worth shaming these dickheads, pour encourager les autres.

Free publicity for you if you do it publicly on a local FB group.

People love nothing better than entitled arseholes getting their come-uppance.

My dog has 200 followers and has made 54 posts. That's how much of an influencer he is. He would definitely like cookies and would give you an excellent review (I wouldn't bother decorating them tbh)

Influencer = freeloader. That’s all you need to know.

Massive CF, she’s probably pissed off all similar businesses who are closer to her already. And at 500 followers she’s definitely not an influencer!

I don’t follow influencers, but I would be far more likely to take a recommendation from a friend for something like that anyway.

IF you wanted to grow your business through social media you’d probably be better encouraging your customers to share photos of their cookies and tag you, and maybe offer a discount for referring a friend. IF that’s something you wanted to do, which it may not be if you’re happy with keeping it as a hobby, which is fine!

@Megatron did she tell you how she found you? I'm curious actually.

24 cookies- no-one needs 24 cookies

I don't know about that.

Please don't let her make you feel your product isn't worth it, she is a chancer.

You shouldn’t be feeling bad about it OP, she should. She’s a CF for sure.

Does she actually call herself an influencer with 500 followers?

Tell her to come back when she’s added a couple of zeros to that number.

😂😂 well sge wins the Brass Neck Award. 500 followers is no way "influencer" territory - that'd be bare min 10k+ imho but more like 50k+.

She has a tiny following but is CEO of having a brass neck...

My 13yo son has 2k followers (Could he have some cookies?!)

I’d be inclined to ignore completely. Sadly, there are a lot of egomaniacs out there who, when denied something, go all out to slander someone. Just because they were turned down.

She's taking the piss. You'd get better publicity for your business if you were to make her email public.

YANBU, influencers are parasites. Either she pays or she can fuck off.

I was snorting at her cheek and was going to say reply to her stating costs of at least 3x normal. But your reply was politer!

I am a much better employee than "business woman". But for a time had a small MLM business. (Liked the product, didnt like the recruitment.) But the number of CFs locally who would ask me to give this and that for any "charitable" event they were peripherally involved in. I would always politely explain that I would and did donate, from profits, but to get profits I had to make sales. So if they would help with sales - hold a party, support my event at a school, place an order etc. Then great. I would happily donate. Funnily enough - and I think you all know what I am going to say - never heard another word. CFs turn up in all sorts of places! Very occasionally one would reply using the phrase "mutually beneficial working relationship". Indeed that would be nice - the mutual, the relationship.....

Just a casual thought - are these "influencers" always women? (I dont have an Instagram account).

Classic CF. Though I can't be doing with all this 'influencer' crap at the best of times.

Where I live we have loads of one person cake making businesses and going by the posts on their Facebook pages they’ve never been busier than they are now. They’re doing munchie boxes with a selection of about 12 cakes/tray bakes and delivering locally and all sell out daily. I’ve never seen any of them promoted by our local ‘influencers.’

Respond with a link to this tgread

I wonder if her mother knows that her daughter doesn't want to spend any money or effort on her birthday gift.

I think that you should start a cookie instagram account. Don't forget to watermark your photos because there are plenty of cheeky fuckers out there who would copy the photos and claim your work and talent as their own.

Why wait for her to reply? FFS, she'll only try to shame and guilt you and be passive aggressive. She's a total pisstaker. Fuck that. I wouldn't have even answered but just blocked. She's messaged loads of people trying to get shit for free, what a cow.

Don't do anything for her at all. Don't enable people like this.

And yy, my hamster has more followers. A hamster. Influencer, my arse.