Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am
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Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am
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Last week I had a brand reach out to me on social media. They asked if I would test and review a product.
It was a basic we’ll give you a free product in exchange for your Amazon review.
hey want a free product just review it here.
Many brands that sell via Amazon are always looking for people to review their products. That’s nothing new. I did this for a few years until I was banned by Amazon claiming my account violated Terms of Service.
These are very common but many brands only want to give you the product and not payment.
The brand ghosted me
Since I was blocked from posting reviews on Amazon I notified the brand of this. The brand rep asked If I could do a social media post. I stated I could but I would be requesting a free product along with some form of payment.
They replied quickly asking what my fee was. I stated that it varied by post type and gave them a price range.
The rep promptly stated they would ask their team.
I haven’t heard anything back and it’s been roughly a week.
I fully understand why I was Ghosted
I fully understand why I was ghosted by the brand. They probably thought my price point was too high or they only wanted to give free products away.
I get that some small sellers don’t have a marketing budget. They may also want to boost sales as well. That’s all fine and dandy but again you can’t pay bills with free stuff.
I was also surprised that they didn’t ask for content just a review. Since they weren’t specific I gave them the price range.
I also think it’s interesting that I haven’t heard back from them. By that lack of communication, I figured they moved on to someone who would do the post essentially for free.
The lack of follow-up speaks volumes
I know some brands figure people will create tons of content for a free product. I get that but at least reach back out and give a simple comment of “Thank you but unfortunately we can’t pay you due to our lack of marketing budget.” Sor something similar.
The lack of follow-up just shows that they aren’t interested in working with someone who requests payment aside from a free product. It can also seem unprofessional. If they reached out to me they could at least decline politely.
As a content creator, you are allowed to make requests for brands. I didn’t do it for so long. I liked getting the free stuff. But some brands took advantage and expected certain content such as a short video and wanted to pay me $10.
I never got paid once but I have a feeling my video ended up on a website somewhere. If I recall correctly this was also another brand that sold via Amazon. They were located in Asia.
I’m not mad at the brand
I’m not mad at the brand. I didn’t even know who they were until they contacted me. But I thought I’d bring this to everyones attention.
If you feel you need to ask for payment aside from a free product do it. The brands don’t always care about the reviews (unless they are low ratings.) They may care more about the sales boost and promotional material you provide them.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
