The Brief: Why I Turned Down a Luxury Trip to Taiwan

This is a topic I’m incredibly passionate about.

Unpaid Partnerships are tricky to navigate because they’re nuanced. After all, we invest so much time on our content in the hopes of landing a partnership.

Recently, I turned down an all-expense-paid luxury trip to Taiwan worth over $6,000+. As tempting as that was, I knew I had to say no. It wasn’t just because it didn’t offer payment for my time and expertise aside from trip expenses. But because it was a part of a group trip, which meant it had less flexibility when it came to curating an itinerary.

This is really important to me because I take great care in curating travel experiences, hidden gems, accommodations, and recommendations to align completely with what my audience values and craves.

And having the flexibility to explore and examine what checks all of my audience’s wishes is a non-negotiable for me.

This was a decision that was right for me at this point of my career. But if you’re brand new to working with brands…

👉 How do you know when to say “yes” to unpaid partnerships?

That’s exactly what I’ll walk you through today.

Key Takeaways ⬇️

• 3 reasons to accept unpaid partnerships
• No strings attached partnerships
• Collaborating with non-profits
• Careful consideration of value

4 Reasons to Accept Unpaid Partnerships

When it comes to accepting unpaid partnerships, it really depends on where you’re at in your creator journey.

For me, declining that partnership was the right move because of my brand values, audience alignment, and fair pay. So I politely turned it down while still leaving the door open should future opportunities align.

But if that same opportunity was offered to you, there are good reasons to accept it, even if it’s unpaid.

To determine if an unpaid partnership is right for you, run the opportunity through the following litmus test.👇

💭 Is the opportunity an all-expenses-paid press trip? If yes, then…

1️⃣ Does the trip fit your brand? For example, if you’re a budget traveler but an opportunity is an all-expenses-paid luxury trip, you’ll most likely turn it down since the trip wouldn’t fit your audience’s wants.

2️⃣ Is it a unique experience? Is the opportunity something special that both you and your audience will find value in?

3️⃣ Is there a heavy list of deliverables? Will the amount of work you’re tasked with exceed the cost of the trip? Or are you being tasked with more than the value of the trip?

💭 Is the brand offering you products with no strings attached?

If there is no agreement and no required deliverables, and the product is something you genuinely are excited to try, then there’s no problem in accepting the partnership. Since you’re not required to share it with your audience, you can try out the product and make sure it’s worth sharing with your audience before you post about it.

💭 Is this opportunity in support of a non-profit?

If so, then this is a great way to use your influence for good. Just make sure that the non-profit aligns with you and your values. In fact, I recommend doing this regularly as a great way to give back to your community.

💭 Is the value of the product/opportunity greater than your rates?

For example, if you’re a solo female traveler with under 1000 followers, and one of your content pillars is making friends on the road, this Taiwan opportunity that I turned down might be something you say yes to.

Or if you’re a luxury fashion content creator and a brand offers you a designer bag, you might consider accepting the partnership if the cost of the bag exceeds your rates for the deliverables outlined.

🚨 A Word of Caution

Accepting unpaid partnerships can pigeonhole you into the “will work for free” group of content creators. This makes it difficult for you to increase your rates and break out into partnerships that are worth your time and value.

Every creator working with a brand, no matter how small, should get paid for their work.

But exceptions can be made carefully without hurting your chances of paid opportunities in the future.

Just use the guidelines I’ve outlined above to make a decision you can feel confident in.

Chase those dreams,

Catarina