I apologize in advance for an all text post, thanks for sticking around to read it!
I have said it once before and I will say it again: Instagram Ads get to me. I have been influenced many times to get everything from House of CB dresses (no regrets there) to trending lip tint colors that don't always suit me. When I was first starting out in the creative space with @kasey__creates, I would get comments on my posts, and even DMs, about potential brand ambassadorship. At first I was really excited that hey, maybe I could influence too and relieve some of the pressure I feel to be a huge success in academia. But, I unfortunately discovered in my digging around that these brand ambassadorships are just traditional sales marketing, or even scams, with a new face. Nowadays I am able to exercise a little critical thinking when I am solicited with an ad that reads: "click to apply to be a brand ambassador for ______." I have a crochet & DIY instagram. Why are clothing companies contacting me? Why is a cheap jewelry company seeking out someone who has less than 1k followers?
I was not always good at thinking these things through, because believing you're being noticed in the social media sphere is exciting. The one I remember most vividly was Astoria Activewear and I fell for it. I filled out their online form for their "ambassador program." When I was asked to make an initial purchase to get started, I immediately walked away. That was super tough to do, because they had a chocolate brown activewear set that I wanted really badly. I then noticed that I had "collaboration offers" from similar companies starting to come to my business email inbox. I actually replied to them, even after giving up on Astoria Activewear. I'm looking at you, Slide Jewels.
These "ambassadorships," "partnerships," or "collaborations" always look the same:
- A purchase or payment of shipping is required.
- They are constantly searching for brand ambassadors.
- Headhunters or social media managers will message you more than once.
- It isn't clear if the brand is trustworthy and merchandise will really arrive.
That's not an exhaustive list, but those are a lot of things in common with these companies that have reached out to me, and many others. Let's pivot to talk more in detail about what happened with Slide Jewels and Astoria Activewear. While it's embarrassing for me that I believed them long enough to reply to their messages, I am glad I did. Because now I can warn others about what is going on with this kind of "collaboration" offer.
It starts with them telling you that they really like your feed or photos; that could be in your comments, an email, or your DM's. They ask you to apply, inquire, or reply to "get your spot." This is exactly what happened as the first step with both Slide and Astoria. Slide was soliciting with a "spot" for free watches on a jewelry launch. Astoria was an instagram story ad that I swiped up on. Don't be fooled by this language they use about "spots." They are not time limited, there is not a limited number of them, this is a hard sell technique to get you to hit the checkout button.
After that, you get a reply with codes for discounts or free product. Astoria provided a 30-40% discount, while slide provided a code for 5 free watches. I checked out the product and I liked some of what they had to offer, but the prices are absolutely ridiculous. Even with the discount Astoria offered me I was going to pay $99 for a product that I didn't think was worth the price. Slide's watches were crazy expensive but free, though I still had to pay $5 for shipping. I'm going to tell you right now that it is well known that products for these companies can be found on sites like Ali Express. If you really like the product, check a wholesaler marketplace for the same item. Don't get ripped off.
They promise you after your first purchase that you get your code or affiliate link or whatever it is they offered you. This is not how brand partnerships should work. You should not have to pay for anything regarding a brand sponsorship or ambassadorship, not even the shipping. Nothing. It goes the same for big companies, small businesses, new and old brands. These "become an influencer" forms are truly marketing ploys because you will get a different twist on the abandoned cart email: if you don't complete your purchase, they remind you that you haven't started your "partnership" yet.
I walked away from both of these situations, and it was a difficult choice to make. I am still striving to grow my audience on my instagram account, so being a brand ambassador or having the appearance of being sponsored was incredibly tempting at the time. But I refused to ignore the gut feeling that both of these felt like scams, even if getting "free" watches or a cute chocolate brown active set would be nice. I know these brands are likely old news in the grand scheme of social media, but this needs to be talked about because this kind of bait and switch marketing is still happening on instagram.
Don't fall for it, guys. Keep your money dollars, and work on your social media presence until a legitimate collaboration comes to you. When you have a developed presence, these businesses should be paying you, not the other way around!
-Kasey-
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