Leah Segedie; i.e. Mamavation, Bookieboo, et al, led a lively discussion among bloggers wrestling with when and what to charge for blog posts. Since each and every situation is different, there didn’t seem to be a “one size fits all” answer.
Payments can be generated in the form of cash (ranging from $0 to $6000,) products, trips, sponsorship, job offers and just plain good old relationships to keep in your pocket for a rainy day!
In order to receive any sort of compensation, the blogger needs to show reasons why the blog posts will increase sales and brand awareness for a company. Bloggers need to show case studies, numbers., ROI and generally provide results.
In most cases, the blog reaches niche markets that a company wants to find. The outreach can include all forms of social media; i.e. FB, twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. It is up to the blogger to develop and structure the brand campaign.
Some examples of what bloggers are paid for can include:
1. Being a Brand ambassador
2. Paid Per Post on FB and twitter
3. Appearances
4. Paid for product review
5. Workout specific product reviews
6. Review posts with brand insights
7. Guest blogging
8. Brand posts
9. Create campaigns
10. Events
11 Create other opportunities
12. Charge for what you can do for the client.
Will bloggers be contacted directly or should bloggers reach out?
Often a company creates a blogger list and sells it to pr company who may do broad outreach. In such cases bloggers may be contacted by people who don’t know what they do and just is not a fit.
Should a blogger tell the contact person their product is not a fit?
It was decided that a simple response like, “This is just not a fit for me.” is the best way to handle it. You can add, “If you have anything that fits my specific niche, feel free to contact me again.” Or simply delete the email and move on.
Some bloggers reach out to approach a brand because they like them and think it’s a good fit. In some cases, a blogger may reach out to their readers to see if readers have any product recommendations.
Are numbers important to get paid?
It’s not always about numbers. Often it’s word of mouth, a good reputation and having built good relationships with people. If you do a good job and do what you say you will do, you will win in the end. It’s a process, not an overnight success. Think outside the box, and be creative. Show how cases studies worked for other projects.
Blogging isn’t an internship:
1. Pay your dues.
2. Build a platform.
3. Don’t turn anyone away
4. Learn the social site side of etiquette
5. What goes around comes around.
Bloggers need to support each other. In the end, it’s all about personal relationships.
Written by Leslie McClure www.411videoinfo.com
I’m so glad that Leslie live blogged this session because I didn’t want to miss it. I was in a different session, but that’s what recaps are for. Great work, Leslie…and thanks!