The post you see on your feed, perfect picture, collaborations with brands, the effortless life. What you don’t see is the Excel spreadsheet created at 11pm mapping out quarterly tax estimates due on the 15th or the hours spent on researching each contract phrase that might as well be in another language.
Being an influencer is taking the pictures and videos. Being an influencer is running a successful company as the product, marketing department and CEO rolled into one.
When a Brand Reaches Out, There’s No Contract Situation
Let’s talk about when a brand reaches out. They send over a contract. A contract between five and twenty pages. A contract with terms about the exclusivity window (how long I can’t work with other brands in that vertical category), usage of content (determining whether it’s mine or theirs once I submit it), ownership of content (will I ever see the content again?), and waivers of liability (if someone gets hurt during my content creation, who’s at fault?).
The average creator reads each page, confused but eager, signs it, or spends seven hours googling what “perpetual usage rights” means.
Because one bad contract can haunt you for years. You sign it away to use your own content as a portfolio example because you think you’re working with great people. You allow exclusivity so you won’t have to pay a competitor because they’re offering much better than your metrics should get. Or, even worse, there’s an indemnification clause where you end up on the hook personally.
This is where creators seek professional help. Professional teams that specialize in influencer management handle these negotiations regularly and know exactly which terms are standard and which ones are trying to take advantage of inexperienced creators. They’ve seen every version of these contracts and know what’s worth pushing back on.
But knowing you need help, although true, doesn’t help when you have a 48-hour response time with the initial contract in your inbox.
You Never Think You’ll Have Tax Problems
Taxes, as an influencer, is an entirely different situation. First of all, we’re self-employed and responsible for quarterly estimated tax payments. If one misses that, there are significant fees involved. Then tracking every brand payment, every gifted piece over $100, every affiliate commission, for what could be considered write-offs.
Can I write off that ring light? Probably. That outfit I bought for one post? Unlikely, but possibly If there’s enough personal beauty content that justifies it. My coffee while filming at that cafe? Maybe but depends on tracking how it’s conveyed.
Many creators find out, too late, that they paid too many taxes when a season comes around that takes away about 25% of what they amassed all year through collaborations. Others limp along with basic spreadsheets until they realize they’re spending 10-15 hours a month figuring it out.
Brand Negotiation Isn’t As Easy As It Looks
A brand wants to collaborate; Fantastic! They offer $500 for three posts and one story. Is that good? Bad? Should I counter?
The average creator has no idea what they’re supposed to charge. They scour the internet for influencer pricing sheets, but none consider engagement rates, demographics of followers or any other possible content usage parameters.
Some creators charge too little because they just want the opportunity. Others price themselves out because they’re valuable but don’t have the historical support to justify their ask yet.
Then the negotiation comes through. “That’s out of budget,” “Other creators are charging less.” How do you respond without sounding desperate or challenging? What are you willing to compromise on and what will be a deal-breaker?
It gets even worse with longer partnerships or campaigns with multiple deliverables. The scope creeps at deadlines change.
The Admin Work You Didn’t Expect
There’s an entire level of admin work that doesn’t feel like work until it consumes you. Answering brand emails and DM requests asking to collaborate. Assessing response times in different time zones to set up a call. Sending invoices and responding to delays in payment (happens often) and tracking per performance who got what and when.
One creator could have five active brand partnerships simultaneously, requiring various needs from deadlines to points of contact, before even assessing their personal calendar creation for content creation across multiple platforms and engagement responses.
Most successful creators spend 40%-50% of their time doing business tasks unrelated to content creation. But that’s not sustainable; that’s too much time away from posting consistently for the audience that grew in the first place.
When It’s Time To Get Legal Help
Copyright claims, disclosure requirements, defamation, these aren’t hypothetical ideas.
An influencer posts a review they don’t like; suddenly, it’s a cease-and-desist. Someone uses a trending song without realizing commercial applicability. A brand falls through because both parties disagree on who will pay whom.
FTC rules surrounding disclosures change every other year, and cross borders if someone has international viewers. If something goes wrong, litigation can ensue.
Most creators aren’t well versed in legalese. They need access to lawyers who support influencer marketing specifically, not just business law in general, but finding one, especially on a tight budget when their income isn’t consistent yet, is no easy task.
There Comes A Time When You Can’t DIY It Anymore
There comes a point, the straw that broke the camel’s back, when it all becomes too much for a creator.
Maybe they missed out on an exciting opportunity because they spent too long working through mundane contract requests; maybe they opted out of something that could have leveled them up because they didn’t understand their own worth; or maybe they’re just mentally exhausted from 70-hour workweeks where only half the time was spent on worthwhile efforts.
Those who find success as creators often recognize when help is needed from specialized experts on board. Whether hiring accountants, template lawyers for contracts or someone managing their side to allocation and business development.
The Fee Seems High To Start
The problem is that this help costs money, and it’s money that’s not guaranteed before it’s earned in the future.
But failing to provide this development means missing expenses, burning out or making bigger mistakes along the way.
It’s What Helps Build Sustainability
Five years from now, it’s not necessarily the creators who’ve amassed the most followers who have great lives as it’s those who’ve set up business infrastructure to create sustainable growth and protection from the get-go, they turned it into what it is, a business, with solid accounting assets and tangible legal protections with specific help where it’s needed most.
It’s not to say it won’t still feel like creative work; it’s not to say it won’t still yield authentic purposes; but if it’s behind-the-scenes ordered enough, then the creator can focus on what they’re good at, their audience’s sensibilities and production connected therewith.
Because being sexy is part of being an influencer; brand trips; creative projects; community endeavors, all present; however, it’s only sustainable when the unattractive side is dealt with, and for most creators, it eventually means acknowledging they’re not experts in everything and inviting those who are experts to come along for the ride.
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