If you’ve been creating content for a little bit then you may feel like you’re ready for the next step in your journey which is working with brands. Whether big or small, collaborating with a company is a pretty big deal. While you’re on the hunt to work with your fave brands, I wanted to provide you with 3 things you should avoid when working with one. Being on the Curlfluence team where we work directly with brands and influencers, I’m exposed to the perspective of both. Avoiding what I’m chatting about below will help keep you on the right path towards awesome collaborations!

1. Mismanagement of Time

If you’re ready to work with brands, you need to understand the importance of time management. These collaborations 9 times out of 10 will have deadlines which need to be met promptly. I’ve seen countless aspiring influencers who say they really want to work with brands but when provided with the opportunity, they completely miss the mark. While I understand that life happens and things come up, it’s important to remember that brands have their own deadlines too. The collaboration isn’t simply just sending over products to you. There are marketing points that need to be met, promotions that need content, etc. My top recommendation to anyone who wants to work with a brand is to schedule these deadlines in your calendar as you would for your job or personal life. Schedule out enough time for you to create the content and share it. In the event that a brand doesn’t give you an exact deadline be sure to ask them when they would like the content by.

Pro Tip: If you are given a deadline when discussing the collaboration with the brand and you don’t believe you’ll be able to make it, let the brand know immediately. Nothing is worse then agreeing to do something and not following through.

2. Not Paying Attention to Details

Ever been called a different name? Ever went above and beyond to provide detailed information to someone and they did something completely different? If you have, then you’ve faced the frustration that some brand owners may have had experienced. When working with a company, it’s important to ensure that you understand exactly what they expect when working with you. Whether it’s including certain information that they ask or something as small as spelling their name correctly, it’s best to make sure you cover your bases. If you’ve read my 3 Thing You Need Before Working with a Brand blog post, then you know how important it is to have your community together. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to confuse your community with incorrect information right? Before sharing content be sure to triple check to make sure everything you’ve written is correct. Also, reread documentation provided to make sure you create the correct content in the first place. Following directions makes everything so much easier!

3. Not Taking Smaller Brands Seriously

Regardless of size, I think not taking an up and coming brand seriously should be avoided at all costs.   I understand that everyone is talking about the ‘big’ brands and you may want to seem on trend, but missing out on an awesome company because everyone on your feed isn’t talking about them isn’t cool. If you’re still building your brand you should extend the same grace that you would expect to these companies as well. Now I’m not saying you should work with every company that reaches out to you (doing your research is important and the brand should always fall in line with your core values). But instead take advantage of these opportunities and use that time to perfect your content. Trust me when I say companies will love to work with someone multiple times if they love the content they create.

I hope these tips will help you on your pursuit! If you’re a woman of color looking to work with brands be sure to visit Curlfluence.com for a chance to work with awesome brands!