Why in the World Would Anyone Think Bloggers Should Work for Free?
Try this, call Time Warner and tell them you’d like them to advertise your product on Franklin & Bash, Cooking Light and in People. Tell them it’s a really great new product and their audience will love it and that you’ll put them in the running for a gift card if they feature your item. I’m sure they’ll be polite, but you aren’t going to be getting any advertising. After all, Time Warner has built these properties, curated an audience, sweated over editorial deadlines and well, created a media vehicle. That’s why they can charge for access to that audience.
Why then would we expect bloggers, or more aptly described micro-publishers, to be any different? Every day, these hard working folks do the exact same thing that Time Warner does. These groups of specialized media professionals have invested their time, energy, passion and expertise in growing an audience, building a brand and understanding how the changing landscape of communications is effecting media engagement on a daily basis. In fact, much of the content being produced in this format has greater reach, engagement and impact in terms of consumption and conversion than much of the media produced by Time Warner.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at Pinterest, one of the connective tissue elements of the social-ecosystem that’s highly affected by blogging. Bloggers drove the use of this platform as they realized (long ago) that Pinterest was an engagement tool that drove the most traffic to their blogs. Brands figured this out (a year and a half later) and are rapidly utilizing the platform. Too bad they didn’t invest in the expertise of the blogger’s earlier as Pinterest has become the most valuable traffic driver for many retailers and brands (and larger AOV, Average Order Value). What makes Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or any platform relevant is content and bloggers produce an inordinate amount of the content filling these emerging channels.
My point is simple and clear. Bloggers have built media channels, those channels have value and it’s not free potato chips. It’s time to recognize and respect the investment they have made and treat social advertising just like any other channel. Collective Bias pays our Social Fabric® community members for what they do, period. This has nothing to do with their opinion, it’s for access to their network, expertise, influence and in our case, for sharing insights along the path to purchase. As Ted Rubin so aptly states regularly via twitter and his many speaking engagements… “when done correctly, bloggers are not paid for their advocacy… they are paid for their influence, expertise and hard work.”
Many marketers ask me, doesn’t this affect their integrity? Do you really think they would have an audience if they are simply unicorn and kitten shills for products? The answer is no, they would not. I am proud and honored to work with some of the most advanced new media professionals I’ve ever met in a 20 year career in brand and product management. Check them out at consumerqueen.com, girlfriendology.com, thebigbinder.com, nickcicero.com, wovenbywords.blogspot.com, bubblynaturecreations.com or hundreds of others.
Do me a favor, ask them about their reach, engagement, ability to drive awareness and compare their reach and conversion to your current marketing vehicles. Most importantly, understand where this powerful form of media fits into your brand’s media plan as paid or owned vs. earned media.
admin
cbAdmin
jaythornton
lizlongcrier
Monica
John Andrews
Brad
Courtney Velasquez
Mailena
Jerra Nalley
Ted Rubin
Mel Lockcuff
Sandy Jenney
KateBerg
Alex
Casey
StewartCox
Kathleen
laurenrodkin
Rebecca E. Parsons
tylerbradley
heidiclark
Marc Shalom
jonb
zachjones
Joan Cook
Annette McCormick
cbblog
Isra Hashmi
Brian Carreno
Melissa Garcia
kimj
Chris
Amy Callahan
darielacruz
Lori Pace
brandijeter
Deshaun Artis
kristenbrown
Christy
marytarczynski
kristinwheeler
melissagarcia
aardvark.antiques.ga@gmail.com
yosu.cadilla@gmail.com
cbguest
priscillayagoudaef@hotmail.com
ashantialas@hotmail.com
katherinyovino@hotmail.com
darlenadunkentell@hotmail.com
eunadowdell@hotmail.com
lauraleeserabia@hotmail.com
Amen! In the words of Rodney Dangerfield (RIP) “Bloggers get no respect” and it is time that we do : )
It’s about time someone started talking about this out loud and in public! Well Said Mr. Andrews!
WOW – absolutely love the article and it is so true on so many levels. However, besides the fact that the “market” doesn’t quite understand us yet, looks down on us, etc, but we are so often undersell ourselves too. I spent 5 years working for the regional television studios and private companies, and I was getting the fame I didn’t deserve. Why? Because I had the badge, mic, and camera. I work so much harder now, and any time anybody calls me a journalist I want to kiss that person.
Great post, it is hard enough as a blogger to stand up for yourself and to say ‘No”.
Great article!
Well said indeed! Thank you for valuing us as members of the community and reliable promoters, and respecting us as people! You rock!
I get those emails about once an hour asking me to advertise their product… AMEN!
I really hope more brands and PR people SEE THIS and change some of the ways they approach us!
Thank you for stating this so eloquently!
Thank you so much for writing this awesome post! Bloggers should be valued for their time, and compensated accordingly – just as any other advertising medium would be.
Excellent post – you hit the nail on the head! I wish all brands/PR would start to realize this, and how time consuming it is to try a product, take photos, edit photos, compose a blog post, promote, etc.
GREAT!!! Thank you so much for sharing!! Bravo!
Fantastic article! Thank you for pointing out how hard we work to promote companies and that we deserve to be compensated for our time. Sharing this on twitter!
Well said, thanks for posting this and I do hope this reaches the eyes of many. Maybe your voice will make that difference that we need!
Fabulous post. Well said.
WOOOHOO!! way to go!! Thank you for letting people out there know we are a valuable asset! I love Collective bias for this reason! Thank you guys fir everything!
Excellent article. I’m usually tired of reading about the blogger/pay debate but you really illustrated how bloggers feel and our worth in a professional way.
I’ve worked with many brands and PR agencies that really do “get it” and a few that just don’t. I don’t have the time to educate, so I’ll just send them your article.
*slow clap of solidarity*
o captain my captain!
I shared this with every blogger I know. Thank you! Thank you! Awesome article!
I do product reviews on my blog and have yet to spend a penny on a thing I have reviewed on my blog, so yes it’s free.
http://mamasreviews2012.blogspot.com/
Check out all I’ve done reviews on this far, and 2 – 4 more on the way from companies. It takes time for the bloggers to review everything sent to them, but it’s free if you specify to the company you only review the product at no cost to the blogger in return for a good review and that you keep anything reviewed.
The post is about being paid for our work- not about paying for the products we review. I don’t think anyone pays to review products. Or at least, I hope not.
Nailed it.
trisha
momdot
Even though I am a blogger, I don’t think it’s cut and dry. No, Time Warner is not going to give a free full-page ad or a commercial segment to a blogger or anyone. Could a blogger get TV coverage or a mention in a magazine article or newspaper with a well-placed press release (or a good PR pro)? Possibly. I feel that so many articles like this one are making the wrong comparison. Do journalists get paid cash to turn a press release into an article? Do they get compensation in addition to free product if they’re writing a review? I doubt it, but I don’t really know how that profession works. I would really like to know, and wish someone would cover that. When one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple, reviews a bunch of different can openers, for example, are they paid by each brand they feature in the article? Or are they using free products to inspire good content that maintains readership and revenue from actual ads?
If my blog post consisted of nothing but a huge image and/or copy written entirely by another company, then yes, that’s an advertisement that I should be paid for. They’re taking up my space with their work (It should also be clearly labeled as an ad, but I digress). If I’m the one writing the content or taking the pictures, that’s a different situation entirely, IMO.
I don’t know about all magazines but I write reviews for a parent site and when I have contacted some companies to do reviews they have asked that the product be returned, so I assume most magazines review the product and then return it. They show the review and their pay comes from us, the consumers buying the magazine to read those reviews.
Bravo! If only all Brands/PR thought this way.
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Some brands just don’t get it. They are probably left scratching their heads, as to why they can never get their products on any blogs with actual reach.
It’s because we are busy, perhaps writing for your competitor who was more savvy and actually paid for our time.
Thank you so much for a fabulous article! Super gratitude to you for appreciating all that bloggers do. Reading this was enjoyable(finally someone is on the blogger’s side), thought provoking (Time Warner is my competitor??!) and inspiring (you’re PROUD and HONORED?). If I could, I would high 5 you or fist bump.or maybe just pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. Yeah, it was that awesome.
Best,
Michelle
Love it.
Amen! Well put.
You said this perfectly! I am tired of those thinking we are going to work for free, but the problem is many bloggers do work for free so until that stops they’ll find those bloggers…happens.all.the.time. We work hard and should be paid for promoting, writing etc. Excellent article!
Great post i love working with such an amazing group that not only sees that what we do takes time and a lot of work but that we deserve to be paid for it!
Although I would love to see unicorn schills, I wouldn’t expect to be paid in them for hours and hours of work(;
Oh so true! And this is why I love CB/SF so much, we get the respect that we deserve and I appreciate that. Giving me some respect can go a long way, it’s almost as good as money
Very well said John, as always I am proud to be a part of this community.
Well said! I’m seeing a big shift in how the PR pros I work with are treating bloggers. I have experienced so many who absolutely “get” what we do and are more than happy to compensate for the reach we provide.
Thank you good Sir!
Thank-you for all your comments, we really appreciate it! Thank-you for all your support, please know you always have ours as well!
Love this post!! And so true!
Amen + Woo Hoo + Big Thank You = My feelings about this article
SO well put, thank you being bilingual and speaking both blogger and marketing/public relations! Your appreciation of influence and audience and your understanding of that relationship is what makes CB the most unique and amazing community out there. I’m proud to be part of this!!
Honestly? I think the respect issue is our own fault – not as individuals, but as the larger blogging community. I’m a blogger *and* a professional writer. I make my money from my professional writing, and the blog is a purely creative outlet.
I’ve done blogger outreach / public relations work for clients and I’ve been ASTOUNDED by the lack of professionalism and the rise of entitlement in the blogging community. Not everyone with a blog SHOULD make money off of it.
That said… If you’re a decent writer, sourcing decent content, providing value to your readers, measuring your audience and impact – and operating your blog like a business – then yes, you should be able to make money that way. YOU’RE EARNING IT. Absolutely.
But too many SAHMs and others are starting blogs thinking they can get rich + famous in ten minutes a day and ruining it for everyone with their greed and lack of professionalism. These types of bloggers would request tons of free product to review on their blogs like they’d be doing us a favour, then get upset when we asked for information on their readers – like we didn’t have a right to question if their audience was a worthwhile investment for us.
Companies invest in established media outlets because they are PROVEN and MEASURABLE. Blogs can be, too – but only the ones that are run professionally.
If you want to make your living off blogging, DO THE WORK. Take writing courses. Take business courses. Take marketing courses. Research the market and provide value to a unique audience that is currently being undervalued.
Many bloggers are doing this, and I APPLAUD YOU. You’re doing a tough job with no ‘business hours’ and therefore no vacation time, creating your own path in a field that is undervalued. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
I look at blogging as a second job. I work part time outside of my home and am a single mom to 4 kids. When I come home from work, I set about with my blogging and other SoMe interactions. I think this was such an important post. Companies are still trying to figure us out, to see if we’re a worthwhile investment. Our reach as a collective is immense!
The time and thought I put into my posts, especially ones I’m paid for is quite a bit. I take these jobs very seriously. My reputation with the companies I work with is extremely important to me and ones I intend to build on and maintain!
Thank you for this timely post. I’m humbled that you’ve shared my blog as well! In all honestly, I feel like the work I’ve done has just been validated!
WOOT! WOOT! Can I get an AMEN? We bloggers and have been fighting this for years. It’s so great to see someone in the industry get it. My blog is not just a hobby , I treat it as a business. Consumers are getting smart these days and brands need to think outside the box on how to reach them. 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations. Only 14% trust advertisements. Bloggers work hard to build their fan base and we cultivate that with trust and honesty. Our fans know and understand us. They trust what we have to say. When you approach a blogger you should think to yourself, if my mom, sister or wife were doing this what would I want a company to offer them? How would I want them to be treated? If you think about it that way you’ll have a different understanding I think. We have value and we are more than just a blog post. Reach out to us sometime and ask how can we help you. You might just find that there are some really talented and forwarding thinking women out there who can do wonders for your brand. Thanks for the great post John and thanks Collective Bias for GETTING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish brands realized that they get what they pay for. If they want it for free, they get poor content and disconnection. Of course, we can’t place on the blame in one place. If bloggers would stop accepting these “offers”, they would hopefully be few and far between. Thanks for educating!
spot on !! well written!! and so true!! There will however always be bloggers who will accept the offers for free. Small bloggers, new bloggers, perhaps even medium to large bloggers. Thanks for spreading the word. I should point the tons of people offering me “free content” to this article, but they just will never get it.
thanks for validating us!
gail
Great points and totally agree! The next level of examination is WHEN to pay. I’m a blogger and it takes awhile to get used to blogging and to see if you like it – I wouldn’t have charged companies up front because I didn’t know how to deliver. There’s a process which is what bloggers really need to get educated on. I know because I co-run a group that educates craft bloggers, and I also worked in marketing for years. Both sides need to ensure that they are protected – businesses need to get the more bang for their buck, and bloggers need to be paid and valued.
Nicely said. Thanks for the validation of all our hard work! While fun….it is HARD WORK!