Not sure what to pay pro bloggers? Read on…
Thank you to professional writer and blogger Beth Graddon-Hodgson for giving us the insider info on how pro bloggers work…and how to pay them. Check out her website or follow Beth on Twitter
As many companies jump on the blogging bandwagon, they’re faced with one major dilemma as they wonder “what the heck do we pay these people?” The problem is that there are companies and independent writers who have set standards that go to two extremes – those who accept bottom dollar rates just to get the business, and those who gouge their clients for all that they’re worth. With this in mind, most companies have the wrong idea about reasonable payment.
There is no right and wrong when it comes to paying bloggers. Industry standards are dictated over pricing trends from the past few years since professional blogging services are a relatively new offering. Blogging is also a very vague term that is used to describe the writing and posting to a blog; but depending upon what’s going up there varying levels of effort can be required.
There might be no distinct figure about what you should pay your blogger, but here are some things to keep in mind when you’re looking to hire someone and when you’re negotiating rates.
- Make sure your needs and wants are defined – what will your blogger be responsible for posting on your blog? Will they simply be including short, informative pieces with one or two online resources required? Will they be doing longer investigative pieces where they require original sources? Will they be responsible for interviewing industry professionals and compiling information? Will there be more extensive SEO techniques applied and in-depth keyword research required? If only one style of post will be used; one standard rate should be reflective of that. Otherwise, expect your blogger to set a rate or rate range for each style.
- Expect a flat rate – most bloggers will quote you a flat rate per post versus an hourly or monthly rate. This makes it easy to track and sets clear guidelines. Once you’ve agreed upon the posting schedule this will help you to budget accordingly.
- Determine how reasonable rates are by looking at it on an hourly basis – I believe in setting middle of the road rates that are affordable to my clients regardless of the size of their business, but also those that are reasonable for me and my writers taking on the project. I find the best way to look at it is to break down the rates on an hourly basis. If you’re doing a series of short 250 word posts, estimate how long you expect it to take. If it’s possible to do within a half an hour, $20 or $30 per post might not sound like much; but the blogger will be happy because that could break down to $40-$60+ an hour. Plus, those are rates that you can fit into your own budget as a business.
If you do the math and rates seem too low, you might feel like you’re getting a good deal but then you’ve got to consider who you’re working with. There’s a big difference between bloggers who know they’ve got to set affordable rates when dealing with businesses or all sizes and revenue levels, and those who are just desperate to rake in the work because of lack of experience.
The care and feeding of your blogger is essential, because once you’ve found the right one the benefits to your business are extensive! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and understand why their rates are what they are. Remember, the rules to blogging payment are being written as we go along since it has a short history as a professional service and true industry standards have yet to be set.
Beth Graddon-Hodgson is the founder of WriteSourcing.. They offer a range of professional writing and editing services, with a focus upon blogging and SEO usage to increase the online presence of businesses big and small.
Tags: Beth Graddon-Hodgson, Blogging, Blogs, hiring bloggers, paying bloggers, problogger, professional blogging, small business promotion, Writesourcing, writing for the web
February 17th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Thanks for the great post ………
February 17th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Yup, Beth really knows her stuff. I think if people knew how affordable and easy it was to blog they’d get started a lot sooner.
February 19th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
My problem isn’t what to pay a blogger, my problem is I have no idea what to write about. I know I should start a blog for my site to help my search rankings and so on, but beyond the usual four or five articles everyone else in my industry has on their site what the heck would I write about (or hire someone to write about) that anyone would care to read? That’s what I would like to know!
February 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
That’s such a great question I think we all struggle with it. First of all, remember that your blog doesn’t have to be fully formed when you start. You can begin by doing one post a week of about 200 or 300 words. You could even just repost interesting articles from other sites if you like, with a short commentary from you. When we do blogs for clients, we come up with editorial guidelines just like a magazine. We sit down for an hour and brainstorm several possible topics, based on who the target read is. For your site, maybe you could do a series on eco-friendly property management – that could take you through several posts – one on painting, another on lawn care, another on the best new cleaning products, etc. If you want to become a thought leader in property management, think of all your best practices and post a bit about those a little at a time (without giving away too much!)
Mainly if you plan ahead, don’t try to get too complicated or long, and simply re-post interesting stories when you absolutely can’t think of anything, you’ll eventually get in a rhythm. Or hire us, and we’ll do it!!
February 21st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
That’s a very good article. I agree with the points there, especially the importance of choosing the correct blogging company.The quality of these vary enormously and the cheapest definitely wouldn’t be the best, so it’s very important to select a reputable one.
February 21st, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I think blogging is a lot more complicated than most people consider it to be. Good bloggers know how to write for content, keywords, SEO, all kinds of factors. When you find a good one treat them like gold.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Thanks- I appreciate the feedback. Like other things, I am probably over thinking it when I should just write something.
If I use other people’s content, with proper credit of course, am I safe from a duplicate content problem? From my understanding duplicate content is a problem only on your own site but my understanding is pretty weak…
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:40 am
It’s so hard to find people who are worth finding for this sort of thing – particularly for small businesses. Off to check out writesourcing now, sounds like exactly what I have been looking for!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:23 am
I’m attaching a link of some of the job boards you can use to post your gig. Ask for 3 sample blogs they’ve written for, check a couple references and you should be good to go. Or just call Beth at Writesourcing she’s really good. http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2007/11/23-places-to-find-freelance-writing-jobs-and-freelance-blogging-jobs/
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 am
Duplicate pages (and I mean pages on your site that are an exact copy of pages on another site) can mess with your ranking so you don’t, for example, ever want to just copy your contact page and use the same one between sites. For bloggers, most of the time your contract should state whether it’s original content. If you do use excerpts or ask to use posts from another site, my understanding is they need to have some original content introducing the post, etc. People use my existing posts fairly often and it only helps my traffic, has never hurt it. SEO’s, pipe in here if you’re reading this? I’m also attaching an article that explains the duplicate content filters. http://www.webconfs.com/duplicate-content-filter-article-1.php
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Thank you all for reading and comments on this post!! And to Bonnie and Wax Marketing for featuring my post and providing some great tips on blogging!! I have a few comments to elaborate a bit further on some of these questions/comment as well!
To add something to thinking up things to write about – that can be a big challenge and whether or not you’ve tapped into the right topic areas can really help determine your success. When putting together editorial guidelines and brainstorming topic ideas, I like to think like a customer. What is someone likely to be searching for that would have an interest in purchasing your products or using your services? I agree 100% with Bonnie’s suggestions. It’s also essential to pay attention to trends. Which posts got the most reads on your site? Which ones were actively commented on? Remember blogging can be effective viral marketing – not everyone who reads will become a client, but they will help spread your name and your reputation!
As for duplicating content – copying and pasting something someone else has written verbatem could get you slammed for copyright infringement even if you credit them. If you find something you really like that is relevant, you can introduce it and link to the full story on the other website..but of course, this isn’t a great approach since it drives traffic away from your page! If you’re going to use the same ideas someone else posted – say you like this one and want to recap paying bloggers etc on your own blog – you can rewrite it and then link it back. Your rankings will be hurt if you have the identical article that’s elsewhere and when starting a blog that’s the last thing that you want to accomplish.
I have clients that have multiple websites that feature the same content. It’s important to them to have the same topics across the board, but we do exactly that; rewrite them. We focus on incorpating the essential keywords as well as some different ones which also helps to capture a wider audience. It also gets through the duplicate content filters because by all appearances, they are different articles and just feature the “same thought”. Regardless, if you’ve referenced someone else’s work or used it in any way, link it, link it, link it! As Bonnie says, sharing traffic is beneficial to both sides and it also helps you network with other bloggers who return the favor!
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Just to clarify with regards to duplicate content…use exerpts and then link to their website, you don’t need to send people away entirely! That’s in the case if you ONLY want to feature someone else’s work. Otherwise, just make sure you’ve added some original content into the mix if you don’t want to go the rewrite route!!
February 24th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I’d say very little. But, then again, most pro bloggers are notorious for copying content…
tough call
February 24th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
@San Diego Property Management:
SEO, marketing techniques, blog styles, content writers — we read them almost everyday and then we still ask ourselves “How am I going to start my blog? It seems that there’s an article written already about everything.”
That would be a greatest challenge but easier to resolve matter-of-factly: Focus on content delivery. Some blogs out there are just mimicking ideas already published in another blog and so reader’s got the feeling of re-reading the material.
When you hire somebody to write for you, choose the topic very well and ask him to write concisely but in-depth about it, even when you know there’s a lot of articles on the Web discussing such topic. That would be your edge.
February 25th, 2010 at 6:56 am
duplicate content is always a worry when doing this kind of thing
February 25th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Web Content Writers – you make a good point, because yes, many topics have been covered and there’s virtually no such thing as a “new idea” especially if your blog has a focal point that is common.
However, when you use a professional blogging company; you will get content with a spin on it. Whether it’s by writing to a different audience, the style etc. You should never see content copied directly. Also, when it comes to blogging, linking a resource is also extremely beneficial in traffic sharing..so it’s not a bad thing if bloggers do use other resources for research. If you’ve linked another blog or website, online etiquette says that often you will get a link back.
Ryobi Pressure Washer – provided the above is done effectively, you should never see an issue with duplicate content filtering on search engines.
Swiz – if you’re coming across people who are directly copying content, if they refer to themselves as ‘professionals’, I’d be reluctant to agree. Which is why it’s essential to get a feel for their writing, their track record with their clients etc.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Also – Web Content Writers, of course when I work with my clients I am open to them suggesting the direction they should take their blog. But, when you work with someone who knows what they’re doing, you can expect them to help lead you in the right direction and measure results to ensure you’re going down the right path. More often than not, it is my job to make that determination, and sometimes change the plan based on statistics.
February 26th, 2010 at 5:11 am
I’ve really enjoyed reading your post. You obviously know what you are talking about! Your site is so easy to navigate too, I’ve bookmarked it in my favorites
February 26th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Thanks for your kind words! Let me know if there are particular topics you’d like to know more about.
February 28th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Thanks for that very interesting article, a lot of food for thought.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Thank you for posting this very interesting article. My wife and I are starting to blog about our favorite subjects; coupons and yard sales! We have been living this lifestyle for many years but still struggle when it comes time to start typing. What I have just recently started doing is reading other peoples blogs and gathering ideas. I frequently visit this great garage sale blog when I am stumped or need some inspiration for creativity.
I have not paid anyone yet to write for us but we may need to cross the bridge.
March 14th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Sounds like you’re off to a great start Brian – if you decide you want some help with your blog as you get further into the process, I’d love to talk with you further!
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
[...] recently wrote a post for the Wax Blog about professional blog pricing as a resource for small businesses looking for assistance. Not everyone agrees with my take – the [...]
August 28th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Great posts, i see some probloggers are getting for 30$ per article and some bloggers are pay only 2$ per article! o_O There are a lot of cheap bloggers to hire on freelance sites.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:42 am
Thank you for posting .please do more good article.it’s so cool
February 9th, 2011 at 7:58 am
Hi Guys,
Love this site. I am starting out and really wanting to start blogging, but have I really got anything to say that the world needs to know ? That is a problem i am struggling with at the moment. How do I market myself without giving away too much etc. Is it ethical to hire someone to do it for me…argggh so much to think about.
August 7th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
This is a terrific blog, might you be involved in doing an interview about just how you developed it? If so e-mail me!
October 21st, 2011 at 2:30 am
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