So you’re a hairstylist and you want to be noticed on social media (obviously) so you’re posting befores and afters, videos of you dancing, working, tips on your formulas or photos of your team. It’s taken hours and hours of your time, and sometimes you enjoy it while at other times maybe not so much. But you still show up to build your brand and your reputation.

Ten years ago, Instagram and online platforms were still being built on collaboration. We could post each other’s work and everyone would gain attention, new followers and dollar bills. With the rise of influencers, and companies catching on to the amount of money that’s involved, posting to Instagram has become a career.

You Are a Content Creator

The word Content Creator didn’t even exist a couple of years ago. The phenomenon of online creation has taken the world by storm and you, yes YOU, are a Content Creator. Even if you have a following of only 200 people, you are an influencer. You influence people around you whether you realize it or not. You create content that caters to your ideal audience; be it fellow hairstylists or the clients who sit in your chair.

So, having said that, if an account has reached out to you asking to re-post your content to their account, send them your rates.

There was a time when I was cool, and sometimes embarrassingly giddy with excitement, with accounts reposting my content for an increase in eyeballs. But as we’ve seen with the volatility of Instagram as a platform, numbers don’t mean anything unless they’re in your bank account.

No, really.

The only numbers that matter are those that are being deposited under your name.

Repost or Niche Accounts Can Be Predatory

Repost Accounts are accounts that focus on a niche topic, scouring Instagram and sometimes YouTube, reposting content to build their own brand.

The problem with these accounts is that they will repost your content, build a large following, monetize their page and give you nothing in return except “exposure”. They can go on to create merchandise, a blog, a subscription service, and get opportunities that you are not privy to.

This is why you should never, ever, ever give your content away for free.

Now, if you are an avid lover of a brand and you want to feature and talk about them on your platform, go for it. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

When A Niche Account DM’s You

A relatively small account (600 followers) reached out to me when they saw my IG Reel of me getting a bob haircut in June 2022 and wanted to repost it. I could tell from this account that they were niching down on haircuts, possibly short haircuts, like Nothing But Pixies (which is now at 662k followers).

I had spent, including filming, close to 10 hours on this Reel. We had not only my phone recording, but also my Canon M40 recording from another angle. Sahil and I ended up chatting for hours and I finally edited, did VoiceOver, added music and posted it.

It got almost 2,000 views on Instagram, 7,000 on YouTube and 27,800 on TikTok.

This was the DM that I got:

They Are A Business And So Are You

First of all, I appreciate them asking for permission first, which they actually had to do anyway because of copyright laws.

However, I know this Reel was a great one and I’m in love with it. So I threw out a number that was negotiable for me. If they had come back with $400 or $300 I would have probably said yes. But their response was what threw me off. They expected all raw footage, plus pictures, for a charity donation that they may not have even followed through on.

Accounts like this need to have a budget, kind of like how magazines and papers have an advertising budget. They need to know how much they’re willing to pay someone to use their content.

Content creation is no longer a hobby or a side hustle. It’s a profession.

That Reel Costs $1500

Ten hours of filming and editing, at my hourly salon rate, is $1500. I took $1500 out of my own paycheque to create this Reel to bring in new clients and use as a portfolio for brand partnerships.

Why would I give it to someone else for free? Especially for such a small page?

Also, asking for raw footage makes me feel like they wanted to have free creativity on what to do with it.

To wrap up, no matter how large the account is, please don’t give away your content for free. When you place a price on your work it affirms that you are a business. The fact that you have been reached out to means your content is valuable. Don’t sell yourself short.