What is a brand ambassador vs. what is a scam?

 

The term "brand ambassador" has been thrown around loosely, so I wanted to write this to clarify what a brand ambassador actually does and how to avoid getting scammed. 

There are online and in-person brand ambassadors. Both are paid positions where you are promoting a product, service, or event. You are getting paid, not paying a company. More on that in a moment.

In-person brand ambassador jobs can be at trade shows, corporate events, fashion shows, or pop-up shops. They are mostly found in large cities such as NYC.  This can mean standing at a booth, talking about products, selling products, handing out flyers, or handing out samples. Basically, you're the face of the brand for the duration of the event. 

Usually, you'll be asked to show up wearing a white or black t-shirt, nice jeans or black pants, and white or black shoes. I suggest having these items on hand so you don't have to run out last minute and go shopping.

Brand ambassador jobs are great side gigs to supplement your income while living in a big city. I've met lots of amazing people as a brand ambassador when I lived in NYC. 

I have yet to experience a scam with an in-person brand ambassador event. If it's a larger company, they have a reputation to protect and will treat their employees well.

 This is why it's so important to do your research and not reply to sketchy-looking postings on job sites. (Admittedly, I do use Craigslist a lot, but I'm careful with it.) If they use ALL CAPS THE ENTIRE POST or lots of exclamation points !!! or seem to have a high turnover rate (always posting) I skip over their job posts. A solid company will use proper spelling and grammar and have a friendly tone in their postings.

Online brand ambassador jobs involve promoting a product on your social media page(s). This could be through videos, photos, or both. The company sends you free products and you get a coupon code. When people buy with your coupon code, you receive a commission of the sale.

This is where the scam part comes in. Some companies will message asking influencers to pay to be brand ambassadors. They will DM you, and even sound legitimate by talking about a coupon code. But the coupon code in this case is just a discount off their products. It's not one where you will receive a commission for promoting their products. 

Some will offer a free product but charge you for shipping. This is also not worth accepting in my opinion. If they offer this, I always counter that I'll accept if the shipping is also free. I have yet to have one accept.

You should never have to pay to promote a product. Companies should pay you!

It's the same as with talent agents asking for money to be represented. If you have to pay them, it's not legitimate. There are so many actual jobs out there willing to compensate for influencers' time, that it's just not worth it to take up these offers.

You don't have to be perfect looking (and really nobody is) to apply for a job as a brand ambassador. And now that the everything is opening back up, I'm sure lots of companies will be hosting events and looking for brand ambassadors.

In the meantime, I would suggest doing what I'm doing. Build up your Instagram page and start a blog. Share what you love, and post unedited photos of you (so brands can get an honest idea of what you look like.) Don't be embarrassed or think you have to have lots of followers.  I'm re-starting from scratch after deleting my account with over 2,000 followers. If I can do it, so can you!