PR AGENCY DIARIES: RED FLAGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN WORKING WITH BRANDS AS AN INFLUENCER
Influencing seems like a pretty sweet gig. Getting paid and raking in free stuff in exchange for simply sharing on the ‘gram? Sounds like a good deal. But with the glitz and the glamour enticing so many people, comes the opportunity for shady characters to take advantage with scams, spam and swindling aplenty – even if you’re playing by the rules.
Usually preying on budding influencers, these con artists swoop in with fake offers of gifts, money and ambassadorship. To a newbie, it can seem like your hard work is paying off – finally, a brand has noticed you! But before you accept the deal and get to ‘gramming, it’s a good idea to take off those rose-tinted glasses and check for red flags.
Your DM or comment has come from a spam account
Using bots and spam accounts is a common way for these scammers to operate. They send out hundreds, if not thousands, of automated DMs every day to people indiscriminately which is what we call a “spray and pray” – sending the message far and wide, and hoping to get a bite. It’s not expensive to do, and if a small percentage fall for it, that’s where they make their money.
Sometimes spam accounts are pretty easy to spot. If your DM or comment comes from someone whose bio says they’re Samantha F but their username is magdalenajohnson72562386, or if they don’t have a profile pic, you’ll pretty instinctively know that something is awry. Likewise, if they comment on your post asking you to DM the brand, that’s a red flag. Legitimate brands will normally reach out to you directly and only comment if they’re having trouble getting in touch (don’t forget to check your message requests). However, they can be a little sneakier than that.
If the username has the brand name in it but the bio says something like ‘ambassador scout’, proceed with caution. Scope the brand out, and if you need to, get in touch with the brand directly to validate the person who’s reached out to you.
They haven’t used your name
If you get an email or DM and it starts with ‘Hi @yourusernamehere’, flag as spam and move on with your day. Especially if your name is in your bio. No self-respecting PR pro would do this ‘cause it feels silly and unprofessional. If you’re a private person and keep your real name offline (although if you’re wanting to work with brands, we don’t recommend this) the person contacting you would have gone to great pains to try and find your name, and will only use your username as a last resort – and they’ll never use the @.
The spelling and grammar are questionable
When someone reaches out to you on behalf of a brand, it’s a professional transaction. Normally, they’ll have had someone look over their outreach and they’ll be well trained in using the brand’s tone of voice. So, if their message looks like something out of amateur hour or like it was written on a 2008 Nokia, you’d be right to be suspicious.
They’ve asked you for money
A really simple rule of thumb is to never, ever pay for a product unless there is a contract in place to reimburse you. It should never cost to collab. Whether they’re offering you a free product and you just pay shipping, or if they’re just giving you a discount code and calling it a sponsorship, you’re not an influencer to them. You’re a customer.
Your email contains a fishy link
If you get an email from a brand and it asks you to click a link, always hover your mouse over it to be sure the link is going to take you where it says it’s taking you. If you click a link and it starts asking you for your password or any other information, pump the brakes.
While third party software is commonly used to pull data from accounts automatically (saving you and the brand time in reporting), they should explain this to you. The software also needs to check out – google it, make sure the link they’ve provided you matches the official URL of the software, and only then should you proceed.
You’ve never heard of the brand before
Up and coming brands often use influencers to spread the word so it doesn’t automatically rule them out – but this is where you need to do your due diligence and scope them out. Audit their Instagram account and look out for poor quality pictures, clone products that every other drop-shipper is selling, fake followers or influencers not being tagged in their pictures are all cause for concern.
Trust your gut
If it seems too good to be true, it often is. Emails from people claiming they work for luxury brands and want to fly you, all expenses paid, to New York Fashion Week are pretty suss when you’re a Kiwi with 2000 followers. If you think something is amiss, you are absolutely within your rights to question it and legitimate opportunities will always have the answers. If they don’t? Time to walk away.
If you’re looking to get your foot in the door as an influencer, skip the scams and consider pitching yourself directly to brands – we have a handy guide you can read here.
