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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?

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Comments

  2. 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

    • 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. 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

    • 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. 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

    • 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. 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

    • 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

      • 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

        • 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

  8. 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

  11. 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. 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

    • 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

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