Things I Can't Say

Tips and Tales from an Introverted Mom

Should You Work for Free?

Have you set goals for your blog for the new year? Maybe this year, you want to start to work with brands.

Almost as soon as you mention wanting to work with brands, you will hear a chorus of “don’t work for free!”

And while you should know that your time is valuable and your blog space is valuable, everyone needs to look at this for themselves.

“Free” means different things to different people. Some say it’s “free” if no money is involved, while others consider product/trips payment. Still others(and this is rare) consider traffic or content payment.

Your audience will have a lot to do with what you will be offered and what you can ask in terms of payment. While I don’t think there’s a magic formula for X # of page views = X $ payment, if your blog is brand new, you have to understand that it takes time to build up and get better paid opportunities. The following are things to think about if you are just getting started working with brands.

Reviews and Giveaways

A good way to get started working with brands is to do a review/giveaway without other forms of compensation. It shows that you want to have that kind of content on your blog and helps you build relationships with brands. You can be selective in what you choose to review. If it’s not something you would actually use, don’t waste your time. But if it’s something you would like to have or would buy anyway and it would be of interest to your readers, then go for it.

Even now, there are times when I will blog just for product.  Some bloggers have a price value in mind, like saying they won’t do a review and giveaway unless the value of the item is more than $50, but I tend to go on a product by product basis: if it’s something I really like or really want to try, if it’s a company that I love or have a relationship with, if it’s something y’all would like, and if I have time to get it done.

Personally, I don’t usually do stand-alone giveaways. If I’m not receiving product, I should at least get some sort of fee for hosting the giveaway. You could argue that if the prize is awesome enough, the traffic alone will be worth it… but if a company has the budget to giveaway something that big (like an iPad or vacation), they probably have it in their budget to pay you at least something for the work you will put into writing and promoting the post.

But there are exceptions: I’ve hosted giveaways for friends and in celebration of different events. You have to figure out what makes sense to you.

Sponsored Content/Press Releases

Sometimes you’ll receive press release types of emails. Companies who would like you to blog about their product or a deal that they are offering.  These are the types of posts that I would need to receive monetary compensation for and even then, it would have to be something that fit this blog. I’m not in desperate need of content- and if I did come down with a case of blogger’s block, I’d rather ask some of you to guest post for me rather than just post press releases that aren’t of interest to you.

But, again- you need to look at it on a case by case basis- maybe it is something that you think your audience is dying to know about. Maybe you are a deal blogger and like to share promotions with your readers.  Or maybe you blog celeb gossip and appreciate a photo of a celeb sporting a new product.  When I was writing celeb gossip on another blog, I adored those types of press releases. But they aren’t a fit here.

It has to make sense to you- and if it does, you can come up with a rate for a post.

Bottom line

Don’t lose your voice.  Don’t use your blog for anything that you don’t want to blog about. You have to decide what opportunities are worth your time and which to pass on. But if you are just getting started, sometimes you will be working for free.

What is your opinion about blogging for “free?”

Next week: What to do with a bad pitch

Comments

  1. Great thoughts here, Shell. I agree with all of the above. I have done a couple of reviews, but I always ask for something in return, so far not compensation (as I consider myself fairly newbie!), but something for my readers. Basically, whatever I’m reviewing. However, because of where I’m based, I don’t get to do many of the offers I do want to do (no one wants to ship to me!).

    There was one brand recently, that wrote to me to ask me to help them promote their 1st anniversary + a giveaway they were doing, and they were offering my readers a gift package. However, nothing for me, although I’d have to write the blog post, link back to them, promote their Facebook page. So I asked for compensation. And I never heard from them again – not even a no thank you. This was the PR agency, not the brand itself. Poor practice.

    • Location would make that hard! 

      Oh, that’s too bad that they didn’t get back to you! Even just a quick “we’re really sorry but we can’t. Hope to work with you in the future!” would have been nice. 

    • I think that’s the hardest part when someone is starting out- the temptation to say yes to any offer instead of really thinking it through. 

  3. these are really good tips! Reviews and giveaways are completely new territory for me. Hoping to feel my way through and learn as I go. The one thing I don’t want is to lose my voice. It’s got to be a good match. It has to feel authentic, and not contrived. And it’s definitely got to be worth my time 🙂 Thanks Shell.   

    • So many ways to do sponsored posts and yet still keep your voice- much easier to do if it’s a product/brand you really like! 

    • I love products like that as well! Don’t feel pressure with giveaways- promote them as you can but there usually isn’t a magic number that is expected! 

  5. These are great tips Shell. Definitely, the most important things are knowing whether the opportunity is a fit for YOU and your blog and to keep your voice. Each opportunity means something different for different people. That being said, I’ve been amazed at some of the pitches I’ve received by companies and PR firms that have absolutely nothing to do with me or my blog! Can’t wait to read about what to do with bad pitches next!

    • I’m tempted to start a big long response, but it would probably be my whole post from next week! 😉 

    • I’m still waiting for someone to offer me a huge paycheck in return for doing absolutely nothing.

  7. I’m now in the limbo where I know my numbers and content is good enough to get paid, but the companies seemed to not get that memo. I feel like I’m always explaining why I need to get paid to them. It’s frustrating, especially when it’s a product or topic that I really wanted to share. I can’t always do it for free forever, right?

    • No, not forever. Just keep reaching out! Or join networks that provide paid opps to their members! 

  8. This is some great advice. I’m open to working with companies and promoting products, and I’m certainly open to working for free right now since I’m still pretty new to this.

    I was so excited a few months ago when I received my first email about a company interested in having me review their product, until I continued to read and found out just what their product was. Yep, it was an adult toy. Definitely not the kind of thing I want to review on a blog that my mom reads!

    • And that’s where everyone needs to figure out where the line is for them- what they will and won’t do! 

  9. This post is so interesting and very relevant for me at the moment. I find myself getting really nervous when I get emails for paid opportunities. I don’t know if I trust myself yet. I just accepted my first ever blogging gig. I think it is a one time thing but someone is paying for me to go to NYC to go to a luncheon on football safety (they read a few of my “football mom” posts). They said I am under no obligation to blog about it but of course this is the biggest thing to happen to me so far in this area so I am going to. A free trip to New York far exceeds what I thought I’d ever get paid for blogging so I am really excited.

  10. I used to work for free. And I used to put ads on my sidebar for free. But no longer. I feel like I’ve been doing this for six years and it takes up a lot of my time. So I feel like I should be compensated for my time if I’m going to plug a product. But I’m super picky these days. I probably don’t have the right to be because I’m still small potatoes when it comes to pageviews. But I just don’t want to put myself out there for a company or product I don’t believe in.

    • And after 6 years, you shouldn’t be doing everything for free- this was more geared towards those who are just getting started. 😉 

      Totally agree that it’s worth it to be super picky. I definitely turn more down than I accept. 

  11. Great great great advice!  And it is okay to say no.  You wont be put on a black list if you say no every once in a while.

  13. I think it’s up to the individual blogger to decide what is payment. Cash is great but I’ll take a product that I want to try or that I use already. If I don’t have to buy something then it’s money saved = mony earned. I was at a conference when a fellow blogger started talking trash about bloggers who will write for free diapers. I have done product reviews for Huggies two times and I have a third coming up so I was very annoyed. The first time I was hired by Huggies my husband had just lost his job. That free box of diapers and wipes was very helpful at that time. In six months when my kids (please kids please) are out of diapers, I won’t need the product anymore so I’ll pass on it. I think the blogging community needs to be kinder when it comes to making money while blogging. It doesn’t ruin it for anyone when you blog for product vs money.

    • I totally agree! If it makes sense to a blogger to take an opp, then another blogger shouldn’t say anything about it. Product can be a great payment if it’s something you really need or even want. 

  14. Great tips & advice.

    This past year I did a lot of reviews, giveaways, and sponsored posts and at times felt like I was selling my self short. This year I am going to be more cautious and really stick with things that are important to me.

    • I think it’s easy to start saying yes to everything. I did that in the beginning but then realized I just didn’t have the time for it unless I wanted to just be a product blogger and that was never my intent. 

  15. Thanks for this advice!  Last year I really started working hard at growing my numbers and putting myself out there for opps.  They slowly came in and I have enjoyed doing them.  It is frustrating when companies don’t really get it though and just want you to post their great articles for free.  I’m trying hard to even answer every email I get, even though I know some of them are just a template email they sent out to many bloggers.  I read somewhere that you just never know who is at the other end of the email, and down the road they might have something that fits your blog.  What are your thoughts on this or am I making too much work for myself?  I never know!  I”m looking forward to your next blogging tip post!  

    • It is good to answer! Everyone is a potential contact- I’ll cover that more in my post next week about bad pitches! 

  19. These are all the things I think about when blogging for something other than myself comes up. I definitely feel that we deserve some kind of compensation for what we do. I am willing for that to be free products because I see them as a treat for me.

  20. I find myself right in the middle of this.  I have reached the blogging turning point!  This transition means–I am starting to understand my worth as a blogger.  With this being said, I agree that it should be on a case-by-case basis.  More than anything, I know that I am done with posts fully devoted to the “sponsor”– I have done a few and they are NOT for me.  They aren’t in my voice.  Thank you for a great article!

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