How do you blag a meal like that and not feel like a bleep??? Like honestly how do you do it? Do you email a marketing company like “Hi, I have 180k followers and am starving?!”
do restaurants have a budget for gifting “influencers” free meals?! I honesty don’t understand how it works. If it was a brand new little business and you wanted to get your name out there then I’d get it I think… but these are big, well known places. I just don’t get it!!!
Without doxxing myself I’m very close with an influencer who posts about Liverpool and sometimes I’m lucky enough to be their plus one when they’re invited to places to review/post about.
My mate has their own personal rules which are:
- Never approach anyone asking for freebies or discounts for your followers, if you’re approaching them always offer to pay in full for the visit
- If they approach first, only accept freebies or discounts after talking at length with the brand/business and ensuring they’re completely happy with their offer (I.e. offer to pay!)
- Ensure there’s a written conversation about what the brand expects you to do after your visit (which social media accounts do they want you to post on? Do they want a reel or photos? How can we best show off the product?) you want them to get as much help as possible from the post
- Always leave a fat tip!
My friend says this makes their conscience a little clearer but it still always feels a bit wrong getting things for free, no matter how often it happens. I can’t imagine KHM having the same outlook.