Brands are really out here trying to scam influencers and social media users. It’s really disturbing that brands do this. If a brand reaches out to you and sounds sketchy, remember to follow your gut because it’s probably true. If your gut is telling you the deal is sketchy, but you aren’t quite sure, here’s how to determine if a brand deal is a scam.
How to Tell if a Brand Is a Scam?
1. They Address You by Your Username or a Pet Name
If the email starts off with Dear @username, or Dear Sweetheart, or Dear anything other than your first or last name, this is an indicator that the message is from a bot or a scammer. The sender didn’t even take the time to figure out your name, which is a red flag for sure! I usually trash these emails.
2. They Ask You To Pay For Shipping
Some brands will approach you and say “Omg, we love your content. It’s so great! We’d love to send you free products to share on your Instagram. You will just have to pay $15 shipping fees.” The first thought that should come to your mind is, why am I paying YOU for a gift? PASS! (a trustworthy brand will cover the shipping costs).
3. They Offer an Ambassadorship That’s Too Good To Be True
Brands may start with, “We love your content! We will offer you 80% off any order you place with us if you become our ambassador.” If they start with that off the bat, that’s a little strange. Then when you check out their site, 80% off, really makes the item affordable, like closer to $40! So the brand is trying to flatter you by saying, hey we noticed you and are giving you a great deal. But their mark-up is crazy and they are just browsing the web for customers who never even wanted to shop with the brand. Please don’t fall for this!
4. They Ask For Money Upfront
You shouldn’t have to pay a brand for anything ever. If the brand tells you they need credit card info from the start, that’s a huge no-no.
5. Lots of grammatical errors
If there are a lot of grammatical errors, that’s a good sign that the brand is sketchy. If I see 3+ errors, that is a sign that maybe they aren’t legit.
Why Brands Scam?
Brands target influencers of all sizes, but it seems like brands really target nano and micro-influencers, assuming they will fall for the scam. There’s something super flattering about getting noticed on social media, especially if you are a new content creator. Brands realize this and will play up the flattery to turn it into, “Hey we think you’re great. Pay us money!” It’s really weird, but unfortunately, people do fall for it.
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How to Tell If a Brand is Legit?
So not all brand deals are scams obviously. I have a friend who assumes anything that comes to her inbox is sketchy, so she misses some great opportunities. It’s great to be skeptical, but also remember some deals are legit. Here’s how you can tell.
- Do your research – check the brand email and see if it’s legit. For example, someone from target, would probably have an @target.com after their email. Some PR companies may reach out, but you can do a google search to see if the company is trustworthy. If the company is unknown to you, also do a quick google search. I love checking [COMPANY NAME] scam on google. If anything comes up that seems sketchy, that’s your sign to ignore the email.
- Hop on a phone call – ask to hop on a phone call so you can hear directly from the brand rep. It’s easier to tell if someone is legit and professional from a phone call rather than email.
- Ask a friend – if you have other friends who are influencers , reach out to ask if the brand contacted them too. You can find out if they’ve already spoken with the brand or if they’ve worked with the brand in the past. I assume you trust your friends, so if they give you the okay, it’s probably legit
- Trust your gut – if something seems off about a brand, follow your gut. Your gut is giving you warning signs for a reason.
Please please please, do not fall for these scams. If your goal is to make money online as an influencer, your time will come. These brands prey on the fact that newer influencers want to work with brands. Remember, trust your gut, ask around, and look for any scammy signs!
Do you have more ways to tell if a brand collaboration is legit?
