When should you accept unpaid, product-exchange collaborations as a Travel Content Creator?
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Oooookay so gifted and product exchange collaborations VS paid is a hot button topic among creators and coaches alike. This topic and how to navigate it tends to get people fired up LOL so let's talk about it!
It's no secret that the Creator Economy has evolved significantly over the last few years, but one thing that seems to be ever present is the infamous "product exchange" or "gifted" collaborations that brands offer content creators.
First things first: What's the difference between “Product exchange” and “gifted”?
"Gifted" collaborations typically involve a brand sending a content creator a complimentary product, however with "gifted" collaborations, there is no exchange of services. This means that the content creator is under no obligation or responsibility to post about the product they received, and is simply a "gift" for the content creator to try.
"Product Exchange" collaborations, however, DO involve an exchange of services. The product will still be complimentary and there will be agreed upon "deliverables" that the content creator needs to deliver to the brand in exchange for the product they received. This can be a set of Instagram stories, an in-feed post, a reel, or some other type of digital content.
So now that we know the difference, the big question is IF and WHEN should you say "YES" to Product Exchange collaboration offers.
💅🏻 Let me paint ya a picture...
You've put it off for LONG ENOUGH and you finally send your pitch to a brand you love and have had on your "Brands to Partner With" list for what seems like forever (start making this list asap, it's soooo helpful to have). You send a stellar pitch and a few follow-ups because let's be honest: no brand replies after the first email lol. You finally get a reply and they're interested in working with you!! YAAAAY! 🎉
So you open their email reply, ready to get to work on your collab, only to read the words "We'd love to collaborate with you and would be happy to offer you "x product" in exchange for "x,y,z deliverables"!
...Now take a deep breath because I KNOW you just tensed up LOL. The visceral reaction to those words we all feel is so valid.
Once you've taken a moment to gather your thoughts and calm your rage, you decide to write them back with a clear and polite
"Thanks for getting back in touch. I'd love to find a way to work together! For the deliverables you mentioned, I typically charge a fee of "x". Is there a budget allocated for this campaign?".
You sit back, you roll your neck and shoulders to shake off the imposter syndrome for asking to be PAID for your work, and they later respond with:
"We're only able to offer product in exchange for content at this time".
Now you have a decision to make...
You can certainly continue to negotiate, though in most cases, once they've stated that they have no budget for the campaign, they won't likely come up with a budget for you no matter how much effort you put in to convince them that you deserve it (even though you absolutely do!).
So you have two options:
You can decide to go forward with the collaboration, making sure that you're okay with the deliverables they're asking of you and that it's worth it for you (more on that later).
You firmly and politely decline to move forward with the collaboration and move onto the next brand on your "Brands to Partner With" list.
The choice is always yours to make, but there are certain important things to consider when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept a product exchange [read: unpaid] collaboration:
Do you actually like this brand and will use the product long-term?
Any unpaid collaborations you take on have to be worth it for you long-term. Taking on unpaid collaborations for products that you don't or won't use doesn't serve you. You want to have a connection to every brand that you work with (both paid and unpaid), especially if you're going to be posting content on your channels for your community. Consider this: would you have bought this product on your own to try anyways?
Are you still building up a portfolio of brand-centred work?
If you’re just starting your content creation journey, you’re going to want to create a portfolio (of sorts) showcasing your work that you can reference when pitching your services to brands. You can always integrate brand-centred content into your regular content and present that in your media kit, but having formal collaborations to reference is a great way to show brands what they can expect by partnering with you.
Sometimes taking on unpaid collaborations can be a benefit to you (and less pressure!) as you build your portfolio, as long as they are asking for reasonable deliverables and the partnership feels aligned. As a frame of reference, having at least 3 partnerships under your belt is a great place to start, so don’t continue accepting unpaid partnerships for the sole purpose of “building your portfolio” if you already have a few under your belt!
Are they asking for reasonable deliverables?
Ah the age old question: “is this a fair exchange?” 🫣. Here’s the thing: “reasonable” is relative and is going to vary from creator to creator. Essentially you want to make sure that the product you’re receiving is worth the deliverables that the brand is asking for. A lot of smaller creators will opt for a “one post” or a story set agreement for unpaid collaborations, as it’s little time and effort and isn’t taking up a ton of real estate on your feed. The goal is to ensure that you’re not underselling yourself and that you’re not setting precedent for the brand to take advantage of other creators by agreeing to too many deliverables. Oh, and if they ask you for use of the content you create, you should absolutely be paid for that!!! Don’t give away the rights to your content bestie 😘!!
So what does an “worthwhile” unpaid collab look like in real life? Let me give ya an example (or two because…wordy gal over here 😂):
I'm part of the Knix Ambassador Program and the Get Your Guide Creator Affiliate Program. Both of these programs are unpaid, and I count them to be valuable to me. Here's why (and pls keep in mind this is true for ME and doesn’t mean you should necessarily feel or agree to the same!):
Knix: I absolutely LOVE the products and use them literally all the time. They're my favourite period products and are a bit pricy by my standards (so monetarily it makes it worth it for me). This also gives me the opportunity to work on product centred content (as opposed to travel content or creator tips) without the pressure of the post performing “well” (paid collabs can be STRESSFUL), so creatively it feels worth it. The program also gives you the opportunity to track any sales or clicks that come through from your links, meaning that I can use those stats for other collaboration pitches to other brands!
Get Your Guide: She's a travel girly forever and always, so I love having the excuse to book a new experience and push myself out of my comfort zone! I know GYG doesn't typically pay their creators unless they meet certain requirements, but GYG is a great brand to have on your media kit and as part of your portfolio. Their also offers the use of affiliate links, which I can track and use for other brand collab pitches to prove that I can convert my audience to potential customers for the brand (not to mention make a small $ off of those links!)
The caveat: I do find the "budget" they allow to cover an experience isn't amazing, but it's something I really enjoy and it fits in with my regular travel content really well!
Now don’t get me wrong, the gifted vs paid collab argument is SUPER nuanced and will be something creators and coaches go head to head about forever lol. The way I see it, if it feels icky or like you’re being taken advantage of, don't be afraid to politely decline and look elsewhere. If it feels worth it to you for whatever reason you deem valid, go for it! Just please try to turn it into a paid collab before agreeing to it being unpaid, okay? 😜