Do bloggers charge brands for writing product reviews? The answer depends on which blogger you ask. Sometimes bloggers review products they have bought with their own money; examples of product reviews I have written where I bought the products myself are here, here and here. Sometimes, bloggers write product reviews on items sent to them by brands and their PRs, examples of product reviews I have written where the items were sent to me and I may or may not have received monetary compensation are here, here and here.

Majority of the new bloggers and bloggers with a small following don’t charge brands for product reviews. I still remember the first email I got offering me free items to review when I had just started blogging. I was so excited, it felt so good. I felt like I was finally among the “it” bloggers, I didn’t even dream of asking for money for my time and efforts.

Now, things have changed. I still buy items I like and review them, I love trying new items and I have been doing that long before I started blogging. I also still accept “some” products from brands, that I genuinely like and review them without asking for a monetary compensation for my time and effort, and I do charge some brands a daily rate for reviewing their products. I handle each product review request individually and I will tell you why this strategy works for me.

At the moment, products that I find useful, and I would have gone out to buy if they were not sent to me for free, I review them without asking for a monetary compensation. On the other hand, products that will need extra attention or preparation, or products that have a review deadline, or products that I won’t have gone out to buy, or product review requests with “extra requests”,  I will charge a day rate for reviewing it.

My day rate depends on the product and the brand in question. This strategy currently works for me for now, it may change tomorrow. The blogging world is a fast pace industry so changes are always necessary.

Many of the popular bloggers charge for every product review and their fees can be as high as £500 for just one review. At the end of the day, a product review is an advertisement regardless of whether it is a good or bad review. Every publicity is good publicity and brands know that. They get a lot more out of a product review post than the blogger gets; they get advertisement, click-throughs, social media mentions and publicity.

Bloggers do deserve to get paid for the time and effort they put into trying out products, taking pictures or making videos and writing the review. A lot of background work goes into each review post so monetary compensation should be a no brainer really.

Some brands are reluctant or blantantly refuse to pay for product reviews. Which I think is so rude. Would you get a billboard to advertise your products or services for free? You cannot expect something for nothing. Clothes and shoes are all good but they do not pay the bills.

Some bloggers are against taking any form of monetary compensation for product reviews. They believe it will bribe them into writing a glowing review. I disagree. All my reviews are my honest opinions regardless of if I bought it or not, or if I got paid or not. If a receive a request for a product I won’t have gone out of my way to buy, and I ask for monetary compensation for my time and effort, and the product ends up being horrible, I will write an honest review and say it as it is. I let the brands know they will have no say in my write-up and I have had no problems with them so far.

God forbid the product is so bad, I will return it and whatever was sent along with it. I am yet to receive a horrible product though. I guess I attract my kind.

What do you think of bloggers being paid for product reviews? Share your thoughts,