Your girl got two of her biggest PAID collabs this month, one in the $$$$ range!!

Are you interested in getting paid collaborations as a microinfluencer? Or starting blogging as a side hustle? If these apply to you, keep on reading!

I get asked this question a lot: “Can I get paid collaborations with a small following?”

From personal experience, I know a lot of people are not openly honest regarding paid collaborations. Lack of transparency makes it hard for influencers, especially microinfluencers like myself. It makes it hard to know how much to charge for a post. Please leave me a comment below if you are interested in a blog post regarding how much to charge for a post.

A lot of brands request post, reel, story or blog post. These are all extremely time consuming! In my opinion, if a brand reaches out to you and does not attempt to negotiate your pay rate, they are not valuing your time. I have brands that decline to pay but offer “exposure”. Every brand can offer exposure… at this point of my blogging journey, I prioritize only PAID collaborations rather than just gifted. However, there is an exception, I only accept gifted items when it’s a brand I genuinely love and love their products.

DOES FOLLOWER COUNT MATTER?

From my experience, follower count is only one part of the entire package regarding your influence as a blogger. I am still considered a microinfluencer -with only 19k followers… however, I have landed a handful of paid collaborations that all have been in the triple digit range in the last few months.

This month, I landed collaborations in the four-digit range $$$$. Like I previously mentioned…this just shows that following count is ONLY ONE part of your total package!

HOW DO I ASK FOR A PAID COLLABORATION AS A MICROINFLUENCER?

Okay, circling back to how to finally ask for a paid collaboration. Approaching a brand about their budget can be intimidating. However, if they reached out to you, that is half the battle! If the brand is one you resonate with, I recommend to first ask what their budget is for that campaign

1.IF THE BRAND IS OFFERING A GIFTED ITEM BUT DOES NOT MENTION PAY

“While I appreciate the gifted item and opportunity, can you please share the budget for this campaign?”

2.BRAND STATES THERE IS NO BUDGET

“Here are some examples of my previous work with other brands. Please be assured that your brand will receive exposure. (I then state my insights to the brand) I hope to negotiate an amount beneficial to BRAND NAME and YOUR BRAND NAME” (i.e. your blog name, your handle)

3. BRAND OFFERS PAID COLLABORATION LOWER THAN YOU EXPECTED

I am very excited to work with your brand! May I know if the budget can be improved? Typically, I charge $$$ for campaigns.

Oftentimes, brands approach bloggers for collaborations and do not mention payment. This is because brands also want to save as much money as possible. Most companies understand the value and influence of social media. Know your worth and just ask! All they can do is say no.

Alternatively, if there are brands that do not align with your niche, click here on how to politely say no.