How Do Bloggers & Influencers Get Paid for Their Blog?

[getpalmd]

Out of curiosity and interest, is anyone here a paid blogger? How did you get the position, are there specific topics you are required to write about or can you keep your own style..? I'm not talking about paid ads on the blog, I'm talking on keeping a blog on a topic related site: lifestyle blog for Cosmopolitan, fashion blog for Elle, travel blog for a travel magazine.. you get my point, the possibility to get a sneak peek into the industry you love.

There are many positions open out there (if you do some google search), but the thing that worries me is that can you write a combined personal + fashion blog and get paid, or do you have to keep it strictly fashion/gossip related? Is it a no-no to send open applications to places that interest you?

Share your experiences, both good and bad, I don't get much information out of the sites I've found.

 

[kimberwyn]

Yes I did this for a year or two. I worked with Oxygen Network doing celeb gossip, a lifestyle blog and a start up fashion blog. The oxygen one obviously was the biggest gig and they actually found me because I have my own celebrity website. The other two I applied for.

I would recommend starting off by applying to some telecommute jobs before going out for Cosmo or something big time like that. sites like Problogger.net, FreelanceWritingGigs.com, and Craigslist have these positions popping up.


But you do have to be careful about working with these startup blogs. Like with the one I worked for, we never got paid all the commissions we were promised unfortunately.

 

[fashionfille]

I'm very curious about this as well, I'm starting college next year and I would really like to have an online job that I can do while in school. I already have a blog (see my signature!), and I love it, so it would be perfect if I could blog for money!

 

[writergal28]

I sort of get money for my blogs as I use an affiliate service. However, as my blog is becoming my one and only full time job in the next few weeks, I'm going to need to look for private advertising and sponsors as well.

 

[chel4mdavali]

oh how wonderful that i found a thread on the exact topic i was looking for!

anyway, my friend actually turned me on to this idea. does anyone know if most blogs require any kind of experience? im currently an undeclared journalism major and used to have my own blog in high school but with the demands of the first semester of college had to put it off for the time being. Then when i found out i could blog and get paid i was ecstatic! do any of you have any tips on how to get started off and how to contact the blogs for info?

 

[mahreez]

i got started by applying for the ads at jobs.problogger.net, what they usually ask for:

-links to your previous blog that you worked for
- if you don't have that, then i suggest opening a blog at wordpress.com or blogger and get started already with your own blog
- sample writing related to the topic that you're applying for
- your resume, usually you could say a bit what you actually do for a living, but they're more interested in your blogging experience

once i get the gig the next step will be:

- they assign you the blog, give you the details like how often you should blog, what time, blog format, etc
- if you make some errors or they think you could improve on some posts, someone from the network will email you

getting paid

- usually by check or by paypal

there are also some networks that would host free blogs for you, and in turn you get 50% share of the google adsense revenues. but you must have a google adsense account first to get started. although this may not earn you as much, this is a great idea to get started for free. i'm currently part of blogatize.net.

if you're interested to be a paid blogger i suggest, reading blogging tips on problogger.net, SEO strategies, getting a paypal and google adsense account.

 

[gius]

some people mention it (ie. how-to) in this thread
Advice about Starting & Promoting a Fashion Blog - See Post #1 for Thread Rules

and i think i came across it in this other one in Art & Design forum:
http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f81/blog-design-technique-tips-68139.html

 

[Erin]

Is it a no-no to send open applications to places that interest you?

I don't ever think it's a no-no to send a nice query letter. I saw a business here in LA that interested me, and I e-mailed the owner, inquiring as to if there was any non-paid marketing work I could do. Now I find myself getting paid to run her blog - it's very, very part-time, but I enjoy it.

Sometimes, though, it's hard for she and I to get on the same page about what's good to blog about, as a business, and what is not.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

they offer jobs like this sometimes on craigslist
i know Glamour was looking a while for one to get paid $15 an hour

 

[cheyqua]

this is exactly what I was about to ask in tfs. I got an email, they asked me to blog about certain thing pretty regularly, hence they asked my rate. I can't answer that because I'm pretty much clueless about how I set my rates.
I don't know if it's off topic but if someone could give me some advise, that'd be very much appreciated

 

[Sophie66]

This is such a dilemma for me! I currently have my own blog that I have been writing for about three years and I am occasionally contacted by business and websites/PR companies etc asking me to start pay per post schemes with them.

When I have asked for more info they have sent over really strict rules about posting about products they send over, they say to do it in my own words and make it seem 'natural' but then also send over quotes and specific wording that I have to integrate into posts.

I have also been asked to post links and recommendations on my blogs twitter account.

So far I have said no to all of this because it just seems unnatural and I think it would compromise the quality of my blog. Even though I have like some of the products they have contacted me about.

Has anyone else been contacted like this? Is it a good scheme or not? I hate blogs with too much advertising, but it would be nice to earn a bit from my hobby.

Thanks,

Sophie.xx

 

[Heroin_Chic]

I currently have my own blog ... I am occasionally contacted by business and websites/PR companies etc asking me to start pay per post schemes with them.

I have also been asked to post links and recommendations on my blogs twitter account.

So far I have said no to all of this because it just seems unnatural and I think it would compromise the quality of my blog. Even though I have like some of the products they have contacted me about.

Same here!

My problem also was that the products / services they wanted me to review wasn`t fashion. It was f.e. credit services who wanted me to write posts like "Instead of saving up for It-bag XY take this credit."

Pfff! I`m not going to post b*ll**** like that! That would totally compromise my integrity.

 

[Mariliis]

Fashion blogging networks

Can any of you explain how do the fashion blogger actually earn money? I was reading from somewhere that they seem to ear approx. 92 000 (The man repeller/Style bubble at least) euros per year! Thats insane!! How?

I get that there are these blogging networks. Lets take nowmanifest for example (Bryan Boy, Fashion Toast, Elin Kling, AdR etc). How does a site like that work? I mean where do they get the money to pay the bloggers? From advertising? How is Elin/Nowmanifest paying them? You got so many clicks this month, here is 5000 euros for you??
How do you even start a network like that?

If any of you have any answers to my questions i will be super thankful because these questions have haunted me for ages and living in Estonia, where there is no blogging life/networks what so ever, I have nobody to ask from either.
Thanks in advance

 

[BetteT]

Merging this thread with one about "How Bloggers get Paid...". there are some good suggestions already in this thread.

Also ... see this related two part thread about starting and promoting a blog:

Advice about Starting & Promoting a Fashion Blog - See Post #1 for Thread Rules - (Part #2)

 

[Mariann]

Purely advertisement- affiliate marketing.

It's very simple to a certain extent, there are a lot of companies that offer affiliate marketing, it uses a code that can be placed on a blog, adverts are then placed on a blog and bloggers can get paid either by a visitor clicking on the ad or by making a transaction from the ad. Bloggers are paid on a commission payment. Every company has their own rules but even the biggest of companies offer affiliate marketing and you can set it up your self, it all gets tracked.

The hardest part in my view is getting traffic to your blog, that mainly should be done via social media and some times depending on the company, it only takes one visitor to make a click on an ad and you will receive a payment on a commission basis.

Also, there are companies that can directly advertise with you, such as a banner, perhaps these can be created and just link back to the company's website. For these, you can set your own prices but you have to have good traffic on your blog. Doing featured posts or reviews for free can direct people to your blog and in turn will attract other companies to advertise with you.

 

[maribelserver]

There are many different ways, but not all of the fashion bloggers monetize their blogs.

 

[~*BabyPhat Princess*~]

I have a beauty and fashion blog and would love to get paid for it . The only thing I know is networking and going to fashion shows and blogging about it and then contacting the designer and sending them the blog post about the show

 

[BetteT]

I"m not an expert ... but advertisers pay bloggers ... not the designers. So .... you must have a huge following first .... so the advertisers have a huge opportunity to be seen.


Take a look at this site .... loaded with ads ... too many if you ask me ... and not all are related to fashion ... it's up the the advertiser to decide where they want to be seen. (We are actually owned by a e-media advertising company that has dozens of other sites too .... and they sell the space.)

What I don't know is how you catch the advertisers eye . But I'm willing to bet that there are people out there working for ad agencies and media companies, etc. working for companies that want to advertise ... and they look for blogs that have gone viral and approach the blogger about adding advertising space.

If you are lucky enough to go viral, you may have them knocking at your door.

 

[Benn98]

I have a beauty and fashion blog and would love to get paid for it . The only thing I know is networking and going to fashion shows and blogging about it and then contacting the designer and sending them the blog post about the show

I don't own a blog personally, but I've worked on a few magazines and sites, and I think the approach is pretty much the same as a blogger. Only, in the case of the blogger, the voice is much more personalised. You're on the right track in terms of networking, but I think you need to be doing a bit more than that if the aim is to monetise your blog. There are many questions you'd have to ask yourself before attempting to making money off your blog because it will have an impact. How important is the blog to you (is it just a side gig?), how often do you post new content, how well do you know your readers and who are they etc etc?

At best, the most basic blogger should be using Google AdSense if they're after a passive sort of income because it doesn't really require much setup nor management, but there are T&C's. You need approx 50K page views to qualify, your blog must be up and running for at least 6 months, and you don't have control over the ads on your blog. The flipside of that would be to sell your own advertising space, but for that, you would need to be able to guarantee clicks and it's just a very costly and time-consuming exercise all-round.

Another common way most magazine sites and blogs make money is via sponsored content. If you do a feature on your picks on retinol creams (something I've read on Vogue just the other day), why not narrow down 3 or so of your favourite products, reach out to the relevant brand with a proposal, and do in-depth reviews or the like? That's just one example, the ideas are endless really. It's just important to keep it in line with your blog and what you stand for because, in a micro sense, your readers will be your bread and butter. And to find a balance between your paid and non-paid content.

While I agree with most of what Bette is saying, but I don't necessarily think you need viral content in order to be successful. There are many blogs and sites who speak to a small audience but with a well-curated and defined voice. And for many brands, that's actually more appealing than a blogger with a massive reach.

There are also tons of podcasts, webinars and courses on the internet to help and the experience will ultimately be like The Frog and the Prince. You'd have to work your way through quite a few of them to find the one speaks to you and your needs. I would say for now, just spend a few weeks educating yourself, do some research, and toy around with a lot of ideas before you commit to something. Look at your competitors for starters, what they're doing, how often they post etc. Because the experience differs for bloggers and