You’ve launched your blog.
You’re posting, you’re engaging on social media and you’re networking.
Then it happens . . .
You get an e-mail from a brand inquiring about a potential partnership with your blog.
The brand loves your blog and social pages and offers you a free product/service, with a promo code for your followers to promote on your social media pages. They say, “Hey, you will get 50 percent of earnings from sales generated by your code.” Sounds easy and fair enough, right?! I mean, you’re ecstatic that someone, a brand rather, actually noticed your blog and wants to work with you.
So before you say yes, here are a few things to ask yourself:
Does this brand match with your audience?
Do you even like the products/services?
Can you honestly vouch for the company and back them 100 percent with no worries?
Don’t be afraid to ask the brand questions. If they are annoyed or unresponsive, run, as this is never a good sign. Find out how they are tracking sales: Do you get a monthly report? How are funds deposited and how often? How long will the partnership last? Ask all the questions you have until you feel comfortable (or realize that you are not comfortable) with the situation. If you feel comfortable then you are ready to move forward.
To help you out with this potential endeavor, I’ve asked Kyla Nicole for some legal tips on partnering with brands as a blogger start-up.
Kyla:
As Missy stated, you must ask the hard questions. Is this a good fit for your brand? Do you like the products/services? And do you really know this company? If that’s a NO, then there’s no need to go forward. If the answer to those questions are yes, then there are a few things to consider. You first need to sign and maybe create a partnership agreement. This document leaves little room for error. It will outline the percentages in terms of sales, what happens when ideas are shared or created, how the breakdown will work financially, and how to go about dissolving things if it doesn’t work out.
Then you need a contract that safeguards you—this will discuss the immediate terms of the agreement, disclosures, and confirm the particular project. If possible, an interview would be a good idea to really iron out the kinks, expectations, desires, and deal breakers. Be sure to discuss monies, too. How will you each get paid and what channel will you use—PayPal, Cash App, Venmo, or cash? This has to be worked out prior to starting the venture.
Perform a mock-up or trial run. Make sure the market is good and that you’ve tested it before signing the necessary documents. It does you no good if you aren’t going to be able to find a strong market to sell to.
Lastly, I think it’s important to consider a confidentiality clause. The worse thing for either party is to feel as though they aren’t 100 percent comfortable with sharing vulnerability. This clause will keep you honest. After all this is done, I think you’re well on your way to having a successful partnership with a brand!