How to Spot Shady Brand Pitches Before They Waste Your Time

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You work hard to build your brand. You grind, you grow, you show up every day. And then one day—bam—an email slides into your inbox saying your brand is “perfect” for a big-time collaboration.

Sounds good, right?

Until you realize the only thing real about it… was your attention.

This week, I got one of those “too good to be true” emails from a company claiming they had a few spots left in a campaign with a major influencer. The pitch? Vague praise, rushed timing, and no real substance.

It even landed in my junk folder. And that’s where it belongs.

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Here’s how you can tell when it’s trash:

1. It Lands in Spam for a Reason

If Google doesn’t trust it, you shouldn’t either.

Respectable brands don’t cold-pitch from shady servers.

2. It Makes Claims You Can’t Verify

“He or She wants to collaborate with you!”

Cool… but is she even following me? Mentioning this giveaway anywhere?

If it feels random, it probably is.

3. It Pushes for Paid Participation

Giveaways are fine.

But when someone asks you to pay for “exposure” or “placement” in a crowd of other unknown brands, that’s not collaboration. That’s exploitation.

4. It Tries to Rush Your Decision

Scammers love urgency.

“Spots are filling fast!” is just code for “Don’t think, just pay.”

Take your time. Ask questions. Real business moves survive a 24-hour wait.

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The Real Lesson?

Your brand is starting to attract attention. That’s a good thing.

But not all attention is opportunity. Some of it is bait.

Gatekeepers want your energy.

You just have to guard it like gold.

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Want to grow your brand without the scams?

Tap into real mindset tools, growth strategy, and no-fluff game plans:

Download Built Different – The Mindset Growth Guide™ now (https://www.branchbrand.com/built-different)

For coaching, content consulting, or digital branding support, visit the

Work With Me (https://www.branchbrand.com/workwithme) page and let’s build for real.