• Business + Productivity
  • Creative Projects
  • Recipes
  • Travel
    • Disneyland
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Tauni Everett

Bibbidi Bobbidi Chew

Tauni Everett » Business + Productivity » Blogging » Working with Brands: Saying No Can Be a Good Thing

Working with Brands: Saying No Can Be a Good Thing

Summer, stop!

I can hardly believe that we’re already nearing the end of June. Unfortunately, there is no pause button on life and I need to get ready for the weeks ahead…

Preparing means doing a little deep thinking on working with brands. Next week I will be speaking about working with brands at both Haven Conference in Atlanta, followed by Digital Family Summit in Philadelphia the next weekend. (You can join me by following along on Twitter or Facebook.)

As I work on my presentations, one thing keeps popping into my head over and over…One of the biggest mistakes that I see bloggers make when working with brands is not knowing when to say no.

When it's okay to say no

In the Beginning

It’s understandable really…It’s so flattering to be “noticed” by a brand, right? It’s sort of like being asked on a date by one of the really cute boys in high school. How can you say no?

It’s fun at first. You get lots of free stuff – project supplies, tickets to events and things for the kids. It’s like Christmas every week.

You justify the work, because you like Christmas. You pretend like the free merchandise saves you from some of the spending you would do on your projects (rather than just creating new ones). Plus, someone told you that giveaways are a great way to build traffic and readership.

Have you been there?

In Reality

It’s not long before you’re receiving dozens of offers a week and doing steady work with brands. The problem? All of that free stuff actually comes with a price.

The pressure of working with many brands can be intense. Your blog, in a sense, is not yours anymore. It’s no longer a hobby, it’s a job. You can loose your sense of inspiration and ability to post what you want, when you want to.

You gain “followers” who are really only interested in free stuff and are less than engaged.

And worst of all? Maybe you loose sight of your own brand. You’ve seen this happen right? You absolutely adore a blog. You read daily. First, there’s a review here and there. A giveaway. Suddenly 60 percent of the blog is sponsored content and you’re no longer interested in reading.

The Lesson

The lesson here is learning to pick and choose. It’s important to say yes to things that further your goals, but it’s just as important to say no to things that would take you away from your goals even if the opportunity is highly enticing.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before entering into a relationship with a brand:

  • Consider wether the product or service will be a good fit with your regular content and benefit your readers.
  • Content is king. How many other bloggers is the brand working with? Is your content going to be unique?
  • Is the compensation fair?
  • Do you feel good about it? There’s something to be said about intuition.
For more guidelines, check out 10 Things to Consider Before Working With Brands.
Trust me. Saying no to that giveaway, no matter how fun, might just bring you the account you really wanted.

How to Say No

Saying no is especially hard for those who are empathetic and nurturing…Moms. We want to extend a “helping hand” that helps us be connected to others.

Here are a few ways you can say no that will allow you to maintain a good relationship with brands.

  • Acknowledge that you appreciate the offer
  • Explain why you cannot participate: pay, poor fit, not enough time, etc.
  • Be firm and consistent
  • Let them know if you would like to be contacted again in the future.

Have you caught yourself saying yes to something you shouldn’t? Just remember, every time you say no to something that is not important, you’re saying yes to something that is.

When would you say no to something?

Related Posts

  • 5 Steps to Working with Brands
  • Eight Things to Look for in a Good Web Host
  • How to Pitch a Brand
  • How to Connect with Brands on Twitter
  • Dr. Seuss Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Party
  • Four Benefits of Blogging for Good With Hefty
about me
post summary
Popular Posts


Tauni Everett

Tauni Everett

Creative Director at Tauni Everett
Tauni is a former public relations executive who spent 12+ years handling communications and events for an array of clients, from the NBA and Olympics to numerous high ranking politicians. Today, she handles social media for a local agency and hosts Snap, an annual social media conference for bloggers focused on entertaining, craft and home DIY.











Power Bio Box by Zyra Console



You are here:
Home
Business + Productivity
Blogging
Working with Brands: Saying No Can Be a Good Thing
Title:
Working with Brands: Saying No Can Be a Good Thing

Authors:
  • Tauni Everett
Categories:
  • Blogging
Mentions:
Blogging, Blogging Tips, Branding, Working with Brands

Keywords:
Not Specified

Last Updated:
June 18, 2012

  • How to Get the Most Out of a Blogger Conference
  • How to Connect with Brands on Twitter
  • How to Pitch a Brand
  • How to Manage Multiple Accounts on Instagram
  • How to Pick the Perfect Blog Name
  • Creative Business Card Ideas
  • How to Schedule Facebook Posts
  • How to Check Facebook’s Spam Filter

«
»

Blogging 25

Comments

  1. Kristin @ The O.C.D. Life says

    June 18, 2012 at 7:22 am

    Excellent article for someone like me who is just getting into the blogging world. I appreciate you creating this post. I have learned a lot. ; )

    xoxo,
    Kristin

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:03 pm

      Thanks Kristin! So happy you found it helpful…

      xoxo,Tauni

      Reply
  2. McKenzie Guymon says

    June 18, 2012 at 8:35 am

    That was an awesome article! I have recently said no a few times and then started to second guess my choice, but I am so glad I did now that I am reading this!

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:04 pm

      McKenzie, I really believe in following your heart and listening to your intuition. I think if you do that, you can’t possibly go wrong. Plus when you say no to the right things, the good stuff seems to come easier.

      xoxo, Tauni

      Reply
  3. Jamielyn@iheartnaptime says

    June 18, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Great post Tauni! I definitely found it hard to say no in the beginning. You can’t say yes to everything though. Love your quote… “every time you say no to something that is not important, you’re saying yes to something that is.” Can’t wait to hear you speak at Haven. See you this weekend! 🙂

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:06 pm

      Oh yay Jamielyn! I sort of forgot that I was going to see you this weekend. Makes me even more excited to be there…It’s sooo hard to say no at first. Who doesn’t love getting packages on the door step?

      xoxo, T.

      Reply
  4. Kendra says

    June 18, 2012 at 9:50 am

    I am not very good at saying no, but lately I find I’m having to all of the time. The way I look at it, every sponsored post (unless it is completely relevant and exciting to my readers) devalues my blog. If I agree to post that content, I’m going to have to work hard to post lots more content that is valuable to my readers to regain that value. That means the compensation needs to be worth that extra effort. It’s a little frustrating to keep getting contacted by companies that see my blog as a free billboard. But of course they haven’t invested the blood, sweat, and tears in it that I have. If I don’t value my blog, I can’t expect companies to.

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:08 pm

      Kendra, I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s so hard to keep up with everything…I think initially every blogger enjoys the attention and the extra stuff/spending money. It’s when you’ve really started to blog that you realize it’s not always everything you had thought. It’s SUPER hard work.

      xoxo, T.

      Reply
  5. gail says

    June 18, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Great post Tauni! I found it very informative. Kind of like when one door closes…
    I suppose I need to think about this. I’m going to Haven… I look forward to hearing more!!
    gail

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 18, 2012 at 9:09 pm

      Gail, You’re right on. I think when you say no to the things that aren’t quite the right fit, you really open yourself up to saying yes to something even better!

      I am looking forward to seeing you…

      xoxo, T.

      Reply
      • gail says

        June 25, 2012 at 1:56 pm

        So happy I got to get to know you better at dinner on Friday night! I tried to soak it all in, but my head is spinning! 🙂
        gail

        Reply
        • Tauni says

          June 25, 2012 at 11:05 pm

          Gail, It was so very nice to meet you this past weekend. You’re a delight and I really enjoyed learning more about your site! So fun to sit next to you at dinner too!

          xoxo, T.

          Reply
  6. Kristin says

    June 18, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    Loved this post. It’s perfect for me. I appreciate the reminder.

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 19, 2012 at 12:10 pm

      Kristin, I think we can all use a reminder…It’s so hard to get swept away in the “free stuff” crazy.

      xoxo. T.

      Reply
  7. Ami w/AliLily says

    June 19, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Such great advice, Tauni! I can’t wait to hear all about your trips. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 19, 2012 at 12:07 pm

      Thanks Ami!

      Reply
  8. Desiree says

    June 19, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    Thank you Tauni! This is such a great post. I wish I could go to Haven perhaps next year… I am sure you are going to rock!

    I’ll be sharing this on my FB page.
    Have fun this weekend!

    Reply
  9. Erin @ How to Nest for Less says

    June 19, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Great advice Tauni!! I can’t wait to hear more from you at Haven!!

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 19, 2012 at 11:54 pm

      Erin, I look forward to seeing you this week. Make sure you say hi! xoxo, T.

      Reply
  10. Natalie @ A Turtle's Life for Me says

    June 19, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Fantastic advice! I’ll be at Haven as well and can’t wait for this session!

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      June 19, 2012 at 11:53 pm

      Natalie, I look forward to meeting you! Hope you’ll introduce yourself!
      xoxo, T.

      Reply
  11. Michelel {Fun On a Dime} says

    June 26, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Just what I needed to hear today! I hate saying no, but I simply do not have the time to take away from my family. Not sure if it is the right way to go about it, but a friend encouraged me to start asking for compensation for reviews or giveaways. It has definitely scared off some pr who want free advertising! =)

    Reply
  12. Marty Walden says

    August 6, 2013 at 6:58 pm

    Tauni, your posts are like gold. I’m finding I’m at this point. I’ve gotten free stuff and now some sponsored posts and I can tell when I should have said no and I see more opportunities coming in the future. I definitely see the time commitment as a reason to say no. I learned so much at Haven that excites me!

    Reply
    • Tauni says

      August 6, 2013 at 8:34 pm

      Marty, Thank for the lovely words…Keep ’em coming LOL. It’s so hard to say no, right? Who doesn’t want totally awesome free stuff? I am excited to hear about your future adventures. Will you stay in touch and let me know how they go? xoxo Tauni

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Featured Posts

12 CLASSIC DISNEYLAND TREATS 1

12 Classic Disneyland Treats You Can Get All Year Round

Disneyland Snacks that Will Not Wreck Your Diet Bengal Outback Skewer

10 Disneyland Snacks That Will Not Wreck Your Diet

Petersen Automotive Museum Exterior 3

Petersen Automotive Museum Review: 10 Tips to Enjoying A Trip to One of the Largest Car Museums

Castle Inn and Suites Best Independently Owned and Operated Hotel Close to Disneyland

Castle Inn and Suites Review: Best Locally Owned and Operated Hotel Close to Disneyland

WordPress Hosting by House of Ideas

Copyright © 2023 SNAP! Creativity · Design by: Key Lime Digital Designs· Darling Theme