We deal with a lot of content creators and influencers on the daily. Some of them are very organized, and others, not-so-much. Their mistakes have led to good content that went to waste. If you are a content creator or influencer it’s important to understand a few things to remain successful when dealing with agencies like us. Here is our list of do’s and don’ts to get your content licensed so you can make money.
1. Don’t outprice yourself: there are industry standards. We compensate correctly and fairly. If you’re unsure how much your content is worth, there are plenty of resources out there with calculators as well as guides to help you.
2. Don’t let “management” outprice you: A lot of times, “management” or representation proposes pricing that blows the brand out of the water, so the content does not get selected. A good manager knows the correct industry rates. Also, make sure that your management team is responding to inquiries in a timely fashion. Ask to audit them. If they are doing right by you, they shouldn’t have a problem with showing you receipts.
3. Film your content logo free: no logos, please! Strive to create content that is completely logo-less or as logo free as possible. This could be the deciding factor in choosing your content over someone else’s. it’s better to license videos that are for editing purposes and typically, a brand does not want to see a huge blur over a Nike logo on a t-shirt, center screen in their commercial.
4. Create family-friendly content: try to do this as much as possible. A lot of times the brands we’re sourcing for, want family-friendly content.
5. Respond promptly: a lot of times there are backup selects that we have in mind so if we don’t hear back from you or your management, we will go with those and not choose your content. Make sure your inbox settings do not always usher inquiries to an “other” folder where you won’t initially see the messages. You can always delete spam on the fly. You can’t always make the deadline of the commercial if you miss the reach out!
6. Be careful where you submit your content/and which agreements you sign: most creators don’t realize that when you submit your content to be featured on a website, that you are granting that entity to own your content exclusively. Also, companies will approach creators with an EXCLUSIVE agreement. While it seems like this will be great at first, you relinquish control of your content, and sometimes, your content will be shelved forever, and you’ll never be able to get out of the agreement. Don’t fall victim to this and make sure you read the fine print, including the terms of service for platforms, to remain the copyright holder of your content.
7. NEVER film your content inside the Tik Tok App: When you film using Tik Tok’s proprietary camera, they own an exclusive to your content, which means you need permission from them to make any money from the content. This makes your content un-licensable. Always film or shoot on your phone or camera, AND THEN if you want to upload to Tik Tok, we can still license your video/still/audio/design for a commercial.
8. Beware of SCAMS: There are a ton of scams out there whether it be a text message, an email with a blurry PayPal prompt telling you that your account has been locked, or a series of others. The trick to identify this is PERSONALIZATION. If someone reaches out to you by your real name, provides examples of work, and asks for an in-person call/video chat, they are most likely, NOT a scam.
We hope that this helps any content creators out there who have questions about best practices may have when dealing with agencies such as ourselves. We want to see content creators thrive. Our business wouldn’t be where it is without them, so we appreciate all their hard work and dedication to their craft. We understand it can be a tedious job at times. Happy creating!
