Blogger Guide to Brand Rejection: Dealing With Denial

Today, I received my 1,000th ‘no.’ Well, maybe not exactly. Perhaps I’ve had more. The point is, as a travel content creator, I hear more no’s than yes’s. After all of this, I decided it was time to write a blogger guide to brand rejection for when a business says no.

When done in the right way, travel bloggers can offer great value to businesses: increased awareness, sales, organic content, backlinks, photography, honest reviews, positive feedback, and more. Unfortunately, not all brands see this, or they have a different marketing strategy. Sadly, those who fail to provide value tarnish the industry’s reputation, which also negatively impacts our chances, and this is something we cannot control.

Sometimes I get heartless rejections from business owners, and it hurts. Eighty per cent of my pitches are no’s. A few come with the tone that my own blog is not legitimate. From all of these, I’ve learned a few things. So now I have a checklist of different things to do when a brand says no.

Blogger Guide to Brand Rejection: Understanding Why Brands Say No

Rejection can feel personal, but often, it’s simply a business decision. Understanding why brands reject collaboration proposals can help you improve your pitch and increase your chances next time. Here are some common reasons:

Audience Mismatch

Brands often look for creators whose audience aligns closely with their target demographic and competitive market strategies. Even if your content is high-quality, the brand may pass if your followers aren’t potential customers.

Lack of Metrics

Brands want to see concrete numbers — engagement rates, follower counts, and previous campaign successes. If your influencer media kit lacks these details, it might hurt your chances.

Budget Constraints

Sometimes, brands have limited budgets or have already allocated their resources to other influencers.

Previous Campaign Failures

If the brand has previously collaborated with similar profiles and didn’t see positive results, they might be hesitant to try again.

Blogger Guide to Brand Rejection: Strategies to Improve Your Next Brand Pitch

Learn to develop thick skin

Rejection hurts! I get mad that they don’t see the value. I get down on myself because I’m not good enough. But at the end of the day, specific industries involve more self-promotion and therefore more rejection. Just remember it’s all about timing, luck, and value (hint: value is 1/3 of the equation).

Research the Brand Thoroughly

A better understanding of the current brand campaign, target audience, and industry insights is one of the most effective ways to win a brand partnership. It’s a good idea to align your proposal with their vision, as it plays a crucial role in positive outcomes.

Make sure what you have provides value

In the beginning, I spent more time pitching than I should have. I got a few “bites,” but later I realized I would have been much more successful if I had waited until I could provide more value before exploring new opportunities. Over the past year, my photography has improved, and I now have some of my best work in my portfolio to prove my worth. I have also grown my audience across all social media platforms. As I continue to grow, I anticipate receiving more “yeses.” Are some people missing out on my value now? Perhaps, but each person is running their own business practices and has to make strategic decisions.

Count Your Yeses

They will be smaller, but it’s good to remember all the great things that travel writing has provided you. I have found that gratefulness is always an excellent cure for hard rejection.

Diversify your income

Sponsored posts and free products cannot be relied upon to give you complete creative freedom, as some places will always say no. Below are a few different ways to fund what you want to write about to win a brand collaboration from your dream clients.

Affiliate programs

Want to write about a hotel? Many booking sites offer affiliate programs. It will take time, but if you write a good review, people can use it and will book the hotel through your link because of your review. Want to write about products you love? Programs like RewardStyle have beauty, fashion, and home products. You must invest your own money in these, but it’s good to invest in yourself if you expect others to invest in you.

Sell courses

Do you know the best secrets to traveling on a budget? Create a course! Do you take the best travel photos? Share your secrets and make a profit!

Find other partners

I have found that sometimes I can use some of the profits from another sponsored post to cover the costs of a place I want to write about. For instance, snack brands are looking to promote their products. What’s more interesting: a post about saying how much you love a snack pack or a travel guide complete with fun places that includes that snack as part of the trip? That subtle advertising creates more exciting content for the brand, and more people are likely to read it.

Find Guest Writing Opportunities

Some websites will pay you to write guest posts for their publication about topics of your choice.

Keep on growing

You cannot change others, but there is always something new you can improve on. Stay up to date with industry trends, update your media kit, take writing, photography, or marketing courses, and do whatever it takes to be better than you were the day before. If you have never written a luxury hotel review, consider spending your own money and writing one. Collect data and use it to give to brands as a portfolio piece.

Highlight Your Unique Value

What makes your content or audience special? Focus on your strengths and how they benefit your potential client.

Keep It Concise

Brands appreciate clarity. Present your new ideas with a positive attitude and professionally, without overwhelming them with information.

Swallow Pride

Trust me, it’s hard. However, when you really want to write about the place or product, it’s time to decide why you’re doing it. Most often, we are writing to help our audience discover new places, and in return, it also benefits the brand. Sometimes the rejection means we can’t write about it at that time, or we have to pass, but sometimes it’s in our audience’s (and our) best interests to share it with them.

Keep Reaching Out

It’s hard to be bummed about the pain of rejection (or more) when an hour later you get a yes from another brand you were excited to work with!

Blogger Guide to Brand Rejection: Final Thoughts

Rejections are part of the travel blogger (or any blogger) life. Even though they hurt, the passion and excitement that comes from creating travel content is what I have used to overcome the fear of rejection and push me to continue reaching out even when I feel embarrassed or let down. As an average person who comes from a background of shyness and lack of self-confidence, I have to remind myself that I am allowed to ask for things when I can provide value. I am forced to be my own advocate, and it’s a great self-development tool. Do you do anything to deal with the rejection when a brand says no?

 

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Last Updated 1 month ago by Jessica Serna | Published: June 20, 2018