Blogging Basics: Determining Your Worth as a Blogger

What are you worth as a blogger?

Many of you have chosen to blog part time with hopes of eventually turning it into full time.  There are many ways to create revenue as a blogger.  Here are some:

Sponsored posts

Getting paid to write about a product

Event Appearances

Getting paid to attend/host events

Event Coverage

Getting paid to tweet, post on Instagram and/or Facebook about an event and from the event as it is happening.

Freelance Writing

Get paid to write posts for blogs that aren't your own

Sponsored Social Network posts

Getting paid to tweet, post on Instagram or Facebook about products

Sponsored Ads

Companies pay you to run their ad on your site

Affiliate Links

Companies pay you to add their links

It could also be a combination of all of the above or for something else (movie reviews, interviews, etc).  But how much should you get paid?  That's a common question that I receive from new bloggers trying to get their feet wet in this game.  My answer is always the same.  How much are you worth?  Worth can be measured in many ways.  It can be measured in the time it takes to do it.  It can be measured by the cost for you to do something.  It does not always have to be monetary.  Trust me exposure with the right people goes a LONG way and so does wine (don't ask).  You should not think about money, but worth.  When I first started out this was hard for me to figure out but now its easy.  Here are a few tips that might help.

Consider your audience.  

If you have less than 1000 total audience members across all social networks, then you might want to work for free for awhile to build your numbers up.  I am not saying that you can't get paid with low audience numbers, because I've seen people get money.  What I am saying is that a lot of clients ask you for your numbers before hiring you and they are asking for a reason.

What are all of the requirements?  

Find out all details associated with the request.  What do you have to do?  When does it have to be done by?  How do they want it done? As far as I am concerned the more specific the client is about what they want the more they will be willing to pay and the more I can charge.

Don't worry about what someone else is getting paid.  

What someone else is doing is not for you to worry about.  This will throw you off.  Focus on you. Try thinking about where you are as a blogger and if you really want to try to do this.  That alone should occupy enough of your time so you won't have time to worry about what someone else is making.  And please, never ask another blogger that may be working on the same thing as you what they are getting paid.  That is a personal pet peeve of mine and a blogger no-no.  The main reason is because #1 nobody is going to tell you the truth and #2 its none of your business.  You don't know their stats or experience so trying to determine what they are making is a total waste of time.

As a professional blogger you should be getting paid, yes.  How much is up to you and your client. Be honest.  Don't be greedy.  Figure out your worth.  Don't worry about prices being set in stone. They should be subject to change.  As you learn and grow as a blogger and your audience increases so will your pay.

How are you currently determining your pricing?