How Bloggers Get Paid
How Bloggers Get Paid | Outfit Details
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How Bloggers Get Paid | It's A Job
I want to start off by saying that I am by no means an expert when it comes to this. I have received some questions about how this works over the least few months so I figured I would do a blog post to cover it. I will be linking to other bloggers' posts if they have covered the topic better or more experienced than I am.
Blogging has become a job industry. I know that a lot of people would roll their eyes at that but it's reality. Think of it as another way for companies (brands) to market. Less people are watching cable TV or going to the mall. That means that companies need other ways to reach their target markets. Bloggers and social media influencers have a reach that these companies can only dream of. Many bloggers run their blog full time. It is the same as any other work from home job. There are even bloggers like Erin from Living in Yellow who get an office space so they go to an office to work on their blog. But if a blogger works from home and posting 4-5 times a week, they are still working a full time job. One that requires child care and set hours.
How Bloggers Get Paid | What Goes Into One Post
I want to give you some perspective on what goes into just one blog post. For this example, it will be a brand collaboration post. First the blogger has to either reach out to the brand or the brand reaches out to them. After several emails back and forth, terms are agreed to. This may include payment for the post. The brand then sends the blogger the item(s). Once the blogger receives the item(s) they need to try them out. Any blogger worth their salt won't post about a product they haven't actually tried.
Then it's time for pictures. Many bloggers work with a professional photographer and shoot multiple campaigns or posts on the same day to save time. Not all bloggers can afford that so some of us use family members to take the pictures. Or in some cases, a tripod and the camera timer. In order to get 10-20 good pictures, you need to take at least 100 pictures total. That number triples if kids are involved. If the blogger isn't using a photographer, they then have to edit their own pictures too.
Once the pictures are ready to go, it's time to write the post. Most brands want you to link to a specific area on their site and use specific terms when talking about their products. And don't forget about following those FTC guidelines because you have to disclose if you received free product and/or payment for a post. When writing the post, bloggers will also use affiliate links (more on that later) to link to other items in the pictures.
Once the post is written, you have to do the social media posts. This includes Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Some bloggers go above and beyond and do more than that. Luckily there are some scheduling platforms to put these on. I will be talking more about that on Monday.
Once all of that is done, the brand usually wants to approve the post. There may be edits they want done or pictures retaken. Once the post is approved, it can go live! All in, one post can take anywhere from 3-10 hours. Which is why bloggers asked to be paid for their time and reviews.
How Bloggers Get Paid | Affiliate Links
My friend Nicole over at What Nicole Wore did an awesome post covering everything you need to know about how affiliate links work!
Affiliate links are links that are included in blog and social media posts that give commissions back to the blogger. This can either be when the link is clicked on or when an item is purchased through the link. You will notice I have linked the items from this post in two places in this blog post. When someone clicks on any of those links and then buys something from that site, I get a commission. The amount of the commission varies based on the arrangement I have with them. I use a platform called Like To Know It that allows me to link items in my blog and social media posts so you can shop them and I get commissions. I also work with a few companies separately where I get a commission when you buy something from their site using my link or my code.
How Bloggers Get Paid | I How Make It Work
I only post 3 days a week on this blog and then 1-2 times a day on social media. For a blogger, that is really part time. I probably spend an average of 3 hours a day, 5 days a week on my blog. If I were to work on it more full time, I could definitly be making more money. But right now this is how I am doing it. So in the spirit of full transparancey, here is the list if companies I am working with to receive comissions.
Tula use EMILYB15VIP for 15% off
Poppy & Dot use BREEZINGTHROUGH10 for 10% off
How Bloggers Get Paid | Shop the Post
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