We are living the future that we envisioned and spoke about a few years ago. Businesses are now online, and online influencers are a huge part of the modern digital marketing process. Long gone are the days when traditional cold sell adverts run rampant, and in fact, these days, consumers trust in the word of an influencer more than anything. Influencer marketing was limited to celebrities a decade or so, but things have changed.
Social media influencers are increasingly saturating the market, and that is also giving rise to a new trend. Many influencers have been caught up in instances of fraud. It’s become a game of numbers rather than truly connecting with followers who are the target products' consumers. The issue comes when influencers ask for free products or services versus collaborating with a brand or service provider in a mutually beneficial way. Here’s a list of influencers who got caught up in such scandals.
Freebies Run The Digital Space
The reality is that unless you are an influencer with fame or a visibly huge following on your side, no one is about to give you freebies. Even most legit influencers still need to bring something to the table in such an exchange, and it’s typically promoting a brand or service.
In comes this YouTuber who came across a Stream Deck Mini ad and asked for a sample to review on her channel. With only 40 subscribers, this person must have missed the part where you must have a massive following to make such demands from a brand.
You Don’t Need A Manual
Celebrities still lead when it comes to landing endorsement deals, and it’s purely because of their star power. It’s a ticket to easy money for most of them because brands are often clamoring to work with them. That works only if they get the instructions right.
Well, Scott Disick proved that some people need manuals on how to make influencer posts. He had teamed up with a protein shake manufacturer and true to his word, he posted a photo promoting the brand. He went overboard and included details on how he should structure the post in the caption.
Nipping It In The Bud
Different brands are bombarded by an endless stream of collaboration requests from influencers. However, White Banana Beach Club figured that they should nip it in the bud with this effective announcement, which garnered thousands of likes, shares, and comments. They simply didn’t want such requests coming their way anymore.
They expressly tell influencers that they are not interested in collaborations. They continue suggesting that influencers should find other ways to feed themselves and sleep for free. They finish off by recommending working as an actual way to pay for the things that they need.
Influencers Beware
You can spot an Instagram influencer from a mile away. They are the type who will start taking photos right from the moment they enter any establishment, and it doesn’t get any better after their order arrives. The publicity they can drum up isn’t all that bad, but these days, they do more harm than good.
That’s why this establishment warns Instagram influencers that they shouldn’t expect any special treatment. In fact, they stand to pay double if they ceremoniously announce their presence. Influencers should be able to pick up the tab and not rely on freebies all the time.
Hogging The Spotlight
Collaboration has become a buzz word for influencers because that’s essentially what they look for out of any deal. They often float the idea of teaming up with a brand in a win-win type of deal. The problem is that some influencers only see it from their point of view and don’t offer much to the brand.
Take this influencer who reached out to a restaurant offering to promote their burgers. Their idea was to get a free meal for them and a plus one from the establishment in exchange for photos as well as a Zomato review.
Shout Out Payments
It’s time that influencers sat down for a lesson in respect because the theme that seems to run across the board is their blatant disrespect for other people’s input. They want gorgeous photos, services, and products without considering the effort that went into producing them.
This influencer wanted some coding work done and approached a developer who quoted $50 per hour for the job. She felt that the rate was too high, and the developer was nice enough to negotiate the rate only that she felt that Instagram shout-outs would suffice for a job that would take three to six months.
A Lopsided Deal
Social media influencers always seek collaborations to further their interests in the digital space. The problem comes when they want to get products or services at a severely reduced cost or for free. Take this influencer, for instance; she’s looking for a makeup artist and stylist for collaboration.
In their opinion, they’ll trade the content they produce for the stylist and makeup artist to use. They also offer tags, features, and a secondary networking opportunity at the Fashion Week event they are attending. The artists would be providing a valuable service, but might not see any return on investment.
Rent-Free Rental Proposal
We thought we’d heard it all until we came across this influencer who thought that they could buy their way into a rent-free rental agreement based on their social media following. The entitlement level is easily unmatched, and they are even trying to sell their brand power based on other companies they’ve worked with.
Chase McNaru, who finished in second place in the 20th season of the reality show, The Bachelorette, is the culprit in this case. It’s almost poetic justice that all he got out of it was his shameless request blasted online for everyone to see.
Exposure Doesn’t Pay Bills
Influencers seem to think that exposure is valuable. There’s a reason barter trade declined when money became the official form of currency, but when you think about it, the influencer-brand deals follow this model.
What we see now is a modernized version of the barter system, and the aspect that remains unchanged is giving something for something else in return. In the grand scheme of things, even startups don’t benefit much from exposure. Influencers should learn to bargain to get a discount, rather than getting something for free, especially when working with small businesses.
Earn Your Free Stay
It’s always interesting when influencers try to get free stays, whether 5-star hotels or quaint bed and breakfast establishments. They usually come off deluded, thinking that their numbers translate as a gateway to a never-ending supply of free products and services.
This hotel cleared it all up and told this influencer that they had to pay for their stay. They would then get a discount code that they could share with their followers. If at least ten people took up the offer within 30 days, it would accord the influencer a refund on their stay. That sounds fair to us!
A Truly A Memorable Offer
Weddings are occasions to remember, and the couple usually wants to document every second of the day. That means enlisting the services of a professional photographer and videographer for the day. That’s the idea this couple had in mind, only that they thought on account of being influencers, they would escape the tab.
They wanted 1,000 photos, an hour-long documentary, and an hour-long wedding video as part of the deal. The couple offered to promote the business on social media, providing that the business offered the audience a 25% discount on packages. When the business called them out for their outrageous proposal, the couple apparently became abusive and told them that they were unprofessional.
$10 PS4
We want to imagine that social media influencers barely have enough time to spare for things like video games. They always seem engrossed in promoting one brand or the other, and that’s why this request is eyebrow-raising.
They had the audacity to respond to a Craigslist ad and offer $10 for someone’s PS4. When the seller wasn’t having it, they upped their offer to a paltry $20, which we all know is still an insult. They even threw in some abuse when the seller wouldn’t take their deal, and it just shows the hidden ugly side of many influencers.
A Costly Compliment
It’s flattering to have anyone reach out to you and compliment your products. However, when the showers of praise are coming from an influencer, you can bet that there’s a catch. Case in point: this influencer wanted free products to market a brand they seem to like.
The only problem is asking for free products, but the company was nice enough to extend a discount instead. The influencer, who seems full of it, pointed out that it doesn’t work that way, but we think that they are the ones who should get a refresher course about teaming up with brands for a mutually beneficial deal.
Services For Exposure
The concept that seems to evade influencers is the value of appreciating other people’s hard work and talent. It’s even worse when they shamelessly set their eyes on luxury items that go for a pretty penny and expect to pay next to nothing for them.
This automotive designer figured that it’s time to call out influencers who think they can get away with the overt disrespectful trade deals. He posted an Instagram note telling everyone that if they drive vehicles worth $200K or more, they shouldn’t even think about asking for services in return for exposure.
Photo Trade
Naturally, photographers get a lot of collaboration requests from influencers. Take this one, for instance; she wanted her photos taken in a trade type of deal rather than forking out cash. In fact, she didn’t want to pay a dime, and her form of payment would be posting the photos and crediting the photographer.
The photographer provided a reasonable rate for the services charging $175 for the work, but the influencer wasn’t having it. She apparently even ended up asking for payment from the photographer who suggested testing a different camera as well as background for her shoot. It didn’t go anywhere besides this exposé, revealing just how inconsiderate influencers can be.
Respect All Professionals
Influencers seem to have a tier of respect for different professionals, and when it comes to personal trainers, they don’t seem to hold them in high regard. That’s at least in the case of this lifestyle influencer who wanted to get paid for being trained by a professional.
The trainer promptly called her out for the sheer disrespect and reminded her that exposure doesn’t get bills paid or feed families. They finish off with words that every influencer should hear: everyone should pay for the services and products they need. It is also important to respect all professionals.
Influencer Etiquette Classes
It’s high time someone offered an influencer etiquette master class because most, if not all, of them, could use it. Some feel like they can wave the magic wand that is their social media following to get whatever they want.
This influencer took the less-than-polite way to demand clothes from a company. The influencer offered a promotion deal somewhere in there, but who would even take up that offer after the rude approach? Professionalism is also something influencers should learn and the art of communicating with a purpose.
Who Are You Again?
A Google search was necessary on this one, and Desperate Housewives of Cheshire has been airing since 2015. The British version of the popular reality franchise isn’t as popular worldwide, but these two cast members thought that by being on the show, they had some bargaining power.
Three of the show’s stars, Dawn Ward, Perla, and Rachel Lugo, were hoping to score a free meal from an eatery. Even celebrities don’t typically get a free meal, and payment in the form of social media posts isn’t a recognized currency. They ended up being yet another example of influencers who got some exposure, alright, just not the kind they expected.
The Vanity That Is Likes
Social media used to be a place where people would connect with family and friends. These days it’s a place where most people place their value on the number of likes they get on their posts. It seems to have gotten into this influencer’s head who thought they could trade likes for a drawing.
We don’t have to be artists to know that hours go into creating masterpieces, and sometimes it’s even hard to place a value on the creations. Once again, here is an influencer who needed the reminder that likes don’t equate to a currency that can pay bills.
There’s No Such Thing As Meals For Exposure
We are starting to wonder just how influential some of these people are if they can’t dine at an establishment and pay for the meal themselves. We figure that influencers would perhaps aim for the big deals, but most seem to try to get free things based on their popularity online.
In the real world where likes and follower count don’t matter a lot, most influencers are reminded that they have to pay for things just like everyone else. This eatery owner even points out that Katy Perry paid for her meal when she visited the establishment, and so should everyone else.
Taking From The Homeless
We have a soft spot for charitable causes, and it pains us to read these messages from a possibly self-centered influencer. Whether or not they approached the event organizer or vice versa, knowing that 70% of the proceeds were going to the homeless should have guided the conversation.
They didn’t want to pay the entrance fee to the event, and worse still, they wanted to bring a plus one. It gets worse when they thought that dangling the opportunity to promote the event sooner would sway the event organizer to hand them free tickets.
No Publicity Is Worth It
It’s good to hold yourself in high regard, but that doesn’t mean that other people will share the same sentiments about you. Take this up-and-coming Instagram model who moved to the burbs and thought that she would be the next big thing the town had seen.
She sent a message to her local club, tabling a deal that would see her access VIP treatment in exchange for promoting the joint. She wanted a private booth complete with free bottle service and even let the club know that she was offering them a great deal.
Five-Star Ambitions
Most of us rely on online ratings and reviews to make informed decisions about buying products or taking up services from different companies. You can always spot the fake reviews that seem to be written by the company staff, but now we have influencers joining in.
Take this one who provided a five-star rating and proceeded to say that they haven’t used the products in the first place. They were trying to gain favor through their review, which we doubt earned them any of the free products they were hoping to get out of it.
Numbers Still Count
We are also starting to think that reality TV stars might not earn that much because they are among the list of people always reaching out to brands for free stuff. While some use their moment under the spotlight to transform their fortunes, most end up becoming irrelevant soon after their stardom fades.
A former cast member of The Only Way Is Essex reached out to a sportswear store for free stuff. They had to turn him down because he didn’t have the numbers despite claiming that he was a social influencer.
Can’t Take The Hint
Some common conventions are lost on some people, like taking resounding silence as a loud enough form of communication. This influencer reached out to a company that wasn’t willing to respond to his outrageous request, but he couldn’t read in between the lines.
The influencer kept sending an endless list of emails to the company, and their tone grew increasingly abusive. It didn’t matter that he thought he was highly successful and influential; the company just wasn’t willing to work with him. He eventually got a response when they posted snippets of his emails online.
Exploiting Talented YouTubers
Content creators know the painstaking work that goes into making a seconds-long clip. Now imagine someone wanting you to do it all for free under the guise of exposing you to their 100K plus subscribers. Even someone who is just starting out would think twice about taking up such an offer.
This YouTube Rising Star program came about when this channel lost its host due to creative differences. They wanted to get someone on board to wear several hats, all in exchange for exposure on their channel as well as their IGTV account.
More Than Just Grammatical Problems
We are mindful of grammar in the digital space, and when you want to strike a deal with a company, the least you can do is try to string your sentences together properly. Several free tools exist these days to help you out with grammar, and there’s just no excuse for this conversation.
They go into a long math equation that’s completely lost in the spelling mistakes and terrible grammar. The person with the products in question is nice enough to keep the conversation going and even counters with a coupon code for a deal.
Tall Orders
Even multi-million companies that can spare a budget for influencers aren’t always too willing to give out their products without a solid deal in place. It doesn’t hurt to try your luck by reaching out to such businesses, but with only 200 social media followers, this influencer had the odds stacked up against them.
The recurring theme here is influencers resorting to expletives whenever a brand turns them down for their unreasonable offers. Liking a brand is one thing but being able to get them solid leads that convert to sales is entirely different.
Furniture For Exposure
If you thought you’d heard it all, brace yourselves because we were also taken aback by this influencer’s request for free furniture. It doesn’t matter whether they have millions of followers who convert well, we just don’t see how this would work in favor of any company.
Just because they appeared in Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelor as indicated, it doesn’t give them the bargaining power to float such a one-sided deal. Sadly, calling them out won’t prevent many more like them from still reaching out to brands with such outrageous offers.
Unpaid Human Needed
We want to believe that this is one of those Craigslist jokes that crop up now and then, but knowing how the world is wired, this person must have been serious. The title of the listing itself is enough to tell you to skip this one, but you just can’t help but read more.
The person is looking for a human to exploit to the fullest. They want someone who can manage their social media accounts while building their online presence as well. Only that they don’t want to pay for the services. Don’t forget that they are also looking for someone who will love them!
A Recurring Scam
We must be living life the wrong way if any of these influencer requests to restaurants hold any water. This lady here shamelessly let this establishment know that they had been running the same scam at different joints and scoring free meals out of it.
She claims that typically the eateries she visits serve her and a friend free meals in exchange for reviews and Instagram coverage. That’s if her word is to be believed, and the response from the establishment’s owner is simply priceless. It may be crude and offensive, but it gets the point across.
Not The Sweetest Deal
Businesses must surely receive a fair share of eyebrow-raising collaboration deals from influencers. This sponsorship request is for free ice cream offered to a group of influencers over the course of two days in exchange for some exposure.
The ice cream was intended for a bunch of influencers, but even then, there’s no amount of exposure that can justify dispensing such copious amounts of product for free. Joe, the business owner, fired back, saying that he would rather spend some vacation days in North Korea than get into such a deal.
Skimping Out On Your Big Day
You would think that no bride could risk ruining their day by skimping out on some details, but we guess that we are wrong. That’s the message we get from this request from this fashion blogger who was willing to risk it for her big day.
She essentially wanted free outfits for her big day, and from what we gather from the post, it wasn’t the brand’s first time to get such requests. We are all for celebrating love but not at the cost of a business that needs to make ends meet.
Fight Fire With Fire
The best way to respond to outrageous requests from influencers is by countering with an equally ridiculous offer. That’s our takeaway from this conversation, which we are not too sure is a serious one or a sarcastic one.
The photographer and influencer having this conversation each have their set of questionable issues. It’s interesting to see how they are both trying to sway the other to go with their offer, and we don’t see a meeting of the minds happening at this point. On the flip side, if they got to a middle ground, they are a perfect match!
Free Vocals
Artists suffer the most when it comes to receiving offers from people who want to exploit their work without paying for their services. This singer had a pretty great deal at hand, allowing influencers to use a minute of their vocals for $5.
This influencer wanted ten minutes of vocals without paying a dime, and in return, they would promote the artist. Unsurprisingly, the conversation became abusive when the artist refused to take up the offer. The artist posted the conversation to show that there’s always someone looking to squeeze something out of you even when you are already offering an unbelievably great deal.