10 Reasons Why I Said "No" to Working with You

10 Reasons Why I Said “No” to Working with You

Since I started blogging with my new host, I’ve had a few people asking to work with me whether it is for a collaborative post, a contribution or just straight up telling me to advertise their work/blog/products. So far I have declined more than I have accepted and here are the 10 brutally honest reasons why:

1. There wasn’t enough info. I’ve tried to research what it is you are trying to get me to contribute to/advertise and there was very little to no information – even when asked. If I can’t figure out what it is that you are ultimately trying to sell me through your site/social media biography then how will know if it is the right fit for me and my readers?

2. Your product was too new & had no available statistics. Whilst I appreciate that you may be up-and-coming, again, if there is no information out there then I can’t determine if we will be a good fit.

3. No reach. You have very little reach as do I. We’re probably not going to benefit each other.

4. Little to no engagement. Again; you have no communication with your followers and as my blog is still fairly new, I have very little. If there is no way of getting a response from you then who am I supposed to get in contact with if I have issues with your product or questions?

5. No rewards.  You expected something for free and whilst I’m not one to say “pay me or you get nothing”, I would still like at least some acknowledgment for my part.  

6. Your product/site looked like a scam. If there is barely anything on it and you yourself are not contributing to the site other than creating webpages for the content then it just looks like you are getting other people to do the writing work for you with no credit being given and passing it off as your own.

7. You wanted me to be biased. Sorry, but no can do. If you want me to do a review for you then I have to write truthfully. Morally, I cannot endorse something if you are telling me what to say and I disagree. Also be aware that even if I don’t like the product, unless it is harmful, I will still encourage others to try it out – but only if they want to – so a “bad” review isn’t necessarily a negative thing. I like to be supportive and just because I didn’t have a positive experience with an item it doesn’t mean that other people won’t.

8. You were rude or had an attitude. We live in a world where you can contact virtually anyone online. Therefore; you have to think about what tone you are trying to convey and if you are doing so effectively. Telling me to do something and demanding to get your way will get you nowhere. If you really want to get me on board then you at least have to be polite.

9. You ignored important questions. If I ask you questions; answer them honestly and to the best of your ability. If you fob me off with some excuse as to why (for example) you have very little to show online for this product that you want me to sell then I will assume that you have no idea about why you are selling this in the first place, have no passion for it and are just out to make money.

10. You were caught in a lie. You may have tried to tell me you were “moving hosts” and that that was why there was no available information for what you were trying to get me to contribute to. The link on your social media took me to a clearly unfinished website with no links available to the previous site you claimed to have had. Your social media also gave no clues as to what your site was about and you were rude and defensive when I politely asked for more information. You may even have completely ignored my questions despite asking me if I had any in the first place. This made you seem untrustworthy and I can’t work with someone who was just so outright rude. You may also inspire future passive-aggressive blog posts based on what NOT to do when asking for contributions/a review/advertisement.

Ultimately, if you want to work with me then please be polite, keep it professional and be respectful. It will make any decisions we make together a whole lot easier if I do decide to work with you. No one wants to work with someone who appears to be shady.

So that was my “10 Reasons Why I Said “No” to Working with You”. Part of it may have been inspired by a specific person/experience. What do you think? Is there anything I missed? Is there anything that really gets on your nerves that brands do when asking to work with you?

All this talk about bad experiences with brands and individuals has gotten me worked up so I’m away to cool off. Join me on Friday for another contributor post.

Anxiously,

Me