Apple is hosting influencers for speaking engagements branded as “Apple Talks”

Those invited to speak are provided an opportunity to align with the brand and are often gifted Apple watches or ipads. But is free product enough? For some…this wasn’t enough…and the following Twitter conversation took place

I agree with @Melissa_Kimble. I have negotiated influencer deals with brands like Nike, Target, Wendy’s, Pottery Barn, and more. It is not always as simple as “charging what you’re worth” especially if its your first brand deal and you don’t know your worth just yet or don’t have a lawyer like me to negotiate for you.

So at what point are you selling yourself out by accepting free products?

Here is a key difference between influencers who get paid and those who just get free product:

The Influencer has an audience the brand NEEDS..

In a situation where an influencer has a relevant and engaged following that the corporate brand needs, the company is really paying for direct reach to its relevant customers. Here an IG post or Twitter status is the equivalent of a radio ad or tv commercial thus justifying payment to the influencer.

Notice …. one cannot exist without the other. Just because you have a lot of followers will not get you paid and just because you have engaged followers it will not get you paid.

You must have a significant amount of ENGAGED followers that are in the company’s RELEVANT customer base.

The likely reason you aren’t getting paid is that your content and your audience is all over the place.

“Follower demographic is key, as I want to ensure that the influencer’s follower demo is either aligned with the business’s demo or is one we want to tap into.” - Emma Grace Moon (Brand Influencer Coordinator) via HuffPost

When I negotiate brand deals for my clients I can clearly communicate my client’s relevance and clearly communicate the value of their audience’s engagement to interested brands. The ability to clearly communicate these value propositions are what turns offers for free products into checks.

When brands look at your profiles they need to clearly be able to identify WHO your audience is and see CONSISTENCY in how you and your audience interact with each other.

If you cannot clearly communicate who your audience is and what they look for from you then neither can a brand. Until a brand can see your value in these ways they will only TEST the waters with you via free products to see how your audience will engage.

When brands are clear on your alignment with their brand AND can clearly see consistent positive audience engagement with your content they will pay…

KEY TAKEAWAY: You can only negotiate your worth when you are first clear on the value you bring to a brand. Clean house. Get consistent. Get Clear…then GET PAID FOR YOUR INFLUENCE.

So circling back to our original tweet convo…Apple does not need you OR your audience. Apple is a cultural influencer by itself and any alignment with you or your brand will only stand to boost your credibility not Apple.

So I say take your watch and keep it pushing…take it as a badge of honor a brand of that magnitude noticed you and utilize the brand association boost to put towards a brand that should pay you.