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Am I hopelessly out of date and this is just how it's done or is she absolutely taking the piss.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

Nice try 😝😝😁😁 But No!! I might consider it if she had about 20k plus followers and was properly known for being an influencer but this is ridiculous. No money, no cookies.

I also thought of the white moose cafe and Elle Darby , their Facebook page is hilarious for putting down these CFs
OP she is an absolute cheeky fucker there seems to be lots of these beggars around , ignore xx

I feel sorry for her mother! Can't be great to get presents that have been begged for.

I can hear her voice in my head. Vocal fry... Hiiiiiiii. I'm an influencorrrrr? I'm on Insta? I like your cookies?

I think a member of the ‘Made in Chelsea’ cast tried something like this with a restaurant last year ... sent them an email stating she’d just joined the cast and was a fan of their food, so would they ‘like to invite’ her to their restaurant for a free meal? In return she’d tag them in an Instagram post. They told her if she’s such a fan then she should support them by paying for her meal.

I would do this. They would be decorated with the following lovely messages...
I am a CF.

I have 500 followers and delusions of grandeur.
I am an arsehole.
I beg free gifts for my family.

500 followers is not an influencer they are taking the piss surely.

There are entire reddit groups dedicated to things like this. Choosing beggars.

She isn’t a social media influencer at 500 followers. I would say she’d need at least 10k followers (with high engagement/real followers) if she’s just starting out. If she’s been around for a while then 10k followers are nothing, I’d wonder why the influencer wasn’t able to continue growing their brand.

This is why brands offering sponsorships can now do it via the platform itself. Eg Instagram will allow the brand to access the analytics of the influencer’s post so they can better judge how well it was received, eg engagement/clicks/purchases instead of likes+followers alone.

She'll be in the running for CF of 2020

If I were you I would screenshot it and post it to your stories. What a CF!

She will have contacted loads of businesses, hoping that a few bite. Just ignore it, but keep the message just in case you need it in the future. I doubt she is going to badmouth those that do not agree to her proposal, but you never know…

This is how a business can win with the free stuff for influence game.

I do wonder though if before this article came out Pippa had pretended that she'd actually 'bought' the necklace for Kate!

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mums-cunning-plan-kate-middleton-21939438

Even if she had 50,000 followers, there's no guarantee any of them would live anywhere near you.

500 followers 🤣
My DIL has a sideline from her day job which has an Instagram following approaching 10000. It's quite new and already suppliers are contacting her about giving her freebies. At no point has she had to ask for any. For the record she hasn't taken any of said freebies yet.
I say CF. Hilariously so!

How many followers do you have? Maybe in return suggest if she buys your cookies (full price) you will put it on your page and it might get her some more followers

No way. I’ve got about 500 followers. I would never think to ask for anything for free. I doubt 9 tenths of my followers even look at my page once a year. Smart influencers know its not just followers it’s engagement rate. And she’s not even local. You know as well as I a lot of people use local businesses for things like cakes and cookies. If she lived near you I may say try and make a deal (eg she pays, if she gets you 10 customers as a result of her post you’ll give her money back or a freebie) but in this day and age 500 is nothing. She should pay like everyone else.

I’m not a fan of influencers.

Tell her to piss off.

I have a hobby (think baking but not an actual commercial business) and just over 25,000 followers on Instagram.

No way would I ever expect anyone to hand me stuff for free, let alone in the middle of a pandemic where everyone is scrambling for business in the food industry. She’s a cheeky mare for asking.

I do get a lot of companies/providers asking to send me product and I usually say no to that too (unless it’s something that I genuinely think is interesting and my followers would like to know about but then clearly marked it as #gifted and give honest feedback).

The amount of companies who contact me and then lose interest when I say I’ll accept a product under those terms is really telling. I’ve had several come back to me to say they just want positive feedback. Then I’ll see loads of other people posting about the same product, giving nothing but rave reviews, and no indication at all that they got it for free. It’s awful.

I think the difference is that lots of these people try to make a job out of being an “influencer” so are desperate for any freebies. Whereas I have an actual job, and my hobby is just that.

I take everything on Instagram with a big pinch of salt.

She can fuck off and all.

@JingsMahBucket it must have been Facebook or word of mouth, she didn't say. Though DD tells me that FB is for 'oldies like you', so I'm guessing really.

2020canfuckoff

You should look at reddit choosey beggars. It's full of this exact shite!

Do not do it!!! You make sure you're with that

The whole "influencer thing has had its day anyway. People aren't stupid, they've worked out that when an influencer recommends something it's totally meaningless, because they'll recommend any old shite if they're paid of get a freebie. So the reality is that they influence very little indeed.

Maybe if people stopped 'following' these self-appointed 'influencers' they would take their vacuous selves away. If someone is stupid enough to be 'influenced' by a nonentity irrespective of their 'followers' they deserve all they get.

Fucking cheek. But don't think it devalues your beautiful cookies, it really is the opposite. It's a compliment. These sorts try to get everything free. It doesn't reflect on you.