A brand deal can pay well and bring in new people, or it can quietly cost you the trust you spent years building. The difference is usually decided before you sign, by asking a few plain questions and being willing to say no.
1. Does it fit you and your audience?
Imagine explaining the partnership to your most loyal follower. If you would be comfortable doing that, it probably fits. If you would have to justify it, your audience will notice.
- Would you use or recommend this product if nobody paid you?
- Does it match what your audience follows you for?
- Is the brand's reputation something you are happy to be linked to?
- Does it conflict with a partner you already have?
2. What exactly are you being asked to deliver?
Vague briefs cause most disputes. Get the deliverables in writing before you agree to anything.
- How many pieces, on which platforms, in which formats.
- Who writes the script or copy, and how many rounds of changes are included.
- The deadline for drafts and for going live.
- Whether you must use particular words, hashtags or links.
- How long the content has to stay up.
3. What rights are they asking for?
This is where a modest deal quietly becomes an expensive one. Find out whether the brand can reuse your content in their own ads, for how long, and in which places. Using your face or voice in paid advertising is worth considerably more than a single post, and the price should reflect that. Also check for exclusivity: if you cannot work with competitors for a period, that restriction has a cost to you.
4. Is the money clear, and fair for the work?
- The full fee, the currency, and who pays any taxes or fees on top.
- When you are paid: on signing, on delivery, or weeks after. Be wary of long payment delays.
- What happens if the brand cancels or changes the brief halfway through.
- Whether extra rounds of edits, extra posts or extended usage cost extra.
There is no single right price. A useful way to think about it is the total value of what you are giving: the reach, the trust behind your recommendation, the time it takes to make the content well, and any rights you grant. If the offer only covers one of those, it is probably too low.
5. How will it be disclosed?
Audiences, platforms and regulators expect paid partnerships to be clearly labelled. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission expects a clear disclosure when you have a financial or other material connection to a brand. Use the platform's paid-partnership label where there is one, and say it plainly in your own words. Rules differ between countries, so check what applies to you and, for larger deals, ask someone qualified.
6. What does the brand want, and how will you both know if it worked?
Ask what result they are hoping for: sales, sign-ups, awareness, or content for their own channels. If they want sales or sign-ups, ask for a tracked link or a code so that results are counted, and agree in advance what you will share. Our note on tracked links explains a simple way to do it.
Put it in writing
A short written agreement protects both sides. It should cover the deliverables, dates, fee and payment timing, usage rights, exclusivity, and what happens if either side cancels. For larger partnerships it is worth having someone who understands contracts read it before you sign. If you work with a manager or agency, this is exactly the kind of review they should be doing for you.