A gifted deal means you get the product free instead of cash. Sometimes worth it, often not — depends entirely on what they ask back.
Why it matters: "free" still costs you filming time, editing, and a slot on your feed brands could've paid for. If they want a full Reel plus usage rights for a $40 candle, that's a $500 favor for $40 of wax.
Simple example: free $40 product, they want one Story tag. Fair. Same product, they want a dedicated video plus the right to run it as an ad? No — that's paid work.
Your move: accept gifting only for low-effort posts. The moment they want polished content or rights, reply: "Happy to — that piece is a paid collaboration."
Deal Desk 101
@DealDesk101
New to deals? Start here: is a "gifted" deal worth it?
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