Bad for the Algorithm

Every time a brand emails you “we’d like usage rights” and you go quiet, quote a number you pulled from thin air, or sign the contract hoping for the best - you are potentially handing them an entire campaign for free.I know a creator who found out her face had been running in paid subway advertising across New York for four months. She had no idea. The brand had paid thousands - potentially tens of thousands - for that ad space alone. She got paid for one post. Not a slice of the subway revenue. Not a percentage of the ad spend. One flat fee, and that was it. Meanwhile the brand was scaling her content across one of the most expensive advertising markets in the world.This episode fixes the specific reason you keep undercharging for usage - and it’s not that you don’t know it exists. It’s that you’ve never seen the full stack clearly enough to price it. Once you can see each level, you can charge for each level. That’s what we’re doing today.Ready to start adding zeros to your usage fees and negotiating deals that reflect the full value of what you’re handing over? Apply for The Creator Method here.TIMESTAMPS* [00:00:00] Handing brands an entire campaign for free - and not even knowing it* [00:01:20] The leopard print dress, the NYC subway ad, and what it cost my friend in lost thousands* [00:04:10] Why you’re licensing an asset - not selling a post* [00:05:50] The full usage stack broken down - every level, every tier, no jargon* [00:13:30] Why brands always package usage as one vague ask - and how to see straight through it* [00:15:00] The No7 x Boots deal - £8,500 gross, paid usage capped at £10K, and what I actually asked to get there* [00:16:40] The one question to ask before you quote, agree, or sign anything* [00:18:10] Your next steps to build usage and negotiation intelligence that actually stacks your feesLINKS AND RESOURCESTired of inconsistent brand deals? Apply for The Creator Method and we’ll audit exactly what’s costing you money on your very first call.Everything you need to know about working with Emily as a 1:1 client, HERE.Want more of this? Join my subscriber list and get more free, weekly strategy straight to your inbox- JOIN HERE.Come find us on Instagram.---Thanks for reading Bad for the Algorithm! This post is public so feel free to share it.---“Your content doesn’t stop working when you stop posting. Brands know exactly what each level of that usage is worth. Now so do you.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit badforthealgorithm.substack.com

That moment when a brand deal lands in your inbox and before you’ve even read the brief, you feel that rush of being seen, being chosen? That’s exactly what brands are banking on.Emily was making more money than influencers with 100K followers - at 15K. The reason had nothing to do with confidence, content skills or follower count. It was how she read every single brand deal that landed in her inbox.In this mindset-bending episode Emily breaks down the lottery mentality costing creators thousands - and how to start reading every offer like a business.Done performing for the algorithm? Ready to run this like a business? Apply for The Creator Method here.IN THIS EPISODE“Brands are negotiating. Creators are celebrating. And that right there is why you’re stuck at £500 deals.”TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Cornered in Chinatown - why Emily was making more with 15K followers than creators with 100K[00:01:40] The industry back then - why people protected their rates like Fort Knox, and why Emily didn’t[00:03:40] The trap - treating an inbound brand deal like a gift instead of an opening offer[00:04:20] The lottery mentality - brands banking on you being grateful just to be picked[00:04:30] How Emily actually reads an inbound offer - skip to the bottom, find the pound sign[00:05:57] The talent manager brain - negotiating for Chanel and Armani before ever negotiating for herself[00:08:10] Removing the personal - why “I don’t want to seem annoying” is costing you money[00:09:24] The questions nobody asks - usage, exclusivity, deliverables, timeline, rush fees[00:10:20] The patriarchy piece - women conditioned to accept and why that ends here[00:11:10] The shift - stop reading brand deals as invitations, start reading them as opening offersLINKS AND RESOURCESReady to negotiate like a talent manager? Apply for The Creator Method here - applications reviewed within 3 biz days.Want to understand how brands actually decide who to pay and how much? Read more about The Creator MethodWant free monetisation strategy and creator economy BTS? Join the Bad for the Algorithm mailing list - get the episodes plus what Emily doesn’t say on social.Follow InfluenceHerSociety on InstagramDone performing for the algorithm? Ready to run this like a business? Apply for The Creator Method here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit badforthealgorithm.substack.com

If something has felt off lately - the deals quieter, the reach dropping, the inbox not what it was - this episode is why. And more importantly, it's the fix.In episode one of Bad for the Algorithm, Emily lays out the five shifts that quietly rewired the creator economy in 2026, what they look like in real brand deals happening right now, and exactly what you need to do differently to get paid like the professional you already are.This isn't theory. Emily is actively negotiating brand deals as a talent manager alongside running her own creator business - which means she's seeing these shifts in real briefs, real fees, and real brand decisions before most creators know the rules changed. The through line across all five? What are you actually bringing to the table beyond your follower count? Because the creators winning right now aren't the ones with the biggest numbers. They're the ones who know their value, position it properly, and get paid for it.Ready to build a brand deal pipeline that actually works? Apply for The Creator Method - link in the show notes.IN THIS EPISODEWhy a brand chose a 14K follower account over a 40K account at the same fee - and what it proves about where the industry is headingThe UGC brief dressed up as an influencer campaign - how to spot it and use it as leverage to increase your rates without increasing your workloadWhy being an expert on your journey is just as powerful as being the expert - and how to own your niche so completely brands have no question you're the oneThe sticky bra story - how an £8 Amazon find, zero polish, and complete unapologetic energy drove 3,000 link clicks and hundreds of salesWhy burnout comes from pushing content that's no longer aligned with who you are - and what to do about itTIMESTAMPS00:00 Everyone says the creator economy is dead. Here's why they're wrong.01:00 The most exciting time in history to be a woman building a personal brand01:30 How to claim your piece of the $35 billion industry02:00 Fired with 8K followers and no deals. Here's what happened next.03:30 Five shifts. Everything you need to know about getting paid in 2026.04:00 Why a brand paid four figures for 14K over 40K06:00 The brief in your inbox that's actually worth more than you think08:00 What authority looks like when you don't think you're an expert11:00 The £8 Amazon sticky bra. 3,000 link clicks. Unpolished content wins.13:00 Why creators who've been at this for years are burning out17:00 The one question every brand is asking about you right now18:00 What happens when you stop creating for the algorithm19:00 Next stepsLINKS AND RESOURCESApply for The Creator Method (1:1 coaching)Learn more about The Creator Method here.Join the my mailing list for FREE weekly value to your inbox weekly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit badforthealgorithm.substack.com