A sponsored post or a promoted post is a post on a blog that actively promotes the products and services of a brand. In other words, a sponsored post is classified as an advertisement. This post could be written by you or by the advertisers. Once you start blogging consistently, and your blog traffic, followers and engagement start to increase, you will begin to catch the attention of various brands all over the world and before you know it, the emails start dropping in your mailbox. Emails from brands and their PRs asking you to publish a sponsored post (an advert) on your blog. Once this starts happening, you need to have your rates ready. Most bloggers usually have a media kit ready to send out when requested. The media kit usually have all the information regarding the blog stats and the rates for  sponsored posts and other forms of advertisement. Some other bloggers just determine the price of each sponsored post, post by post.

When I started blogging in 2012, I didn’t know much about sponsored posts or the various ways bloggers could make money. I wrote a post about how bloggers make money through sponsored posts some days ago. If you missed it, catch up here. I have been blogging for over two years now, and when I look back, I wish I had posts like this one to explain all this blogger jargons to me. I had to learn on the job. That is why I have decided to write more about blogging and I hope it benefits someone. Now back to the topic at hand. What you decide to charge for each sponsored post is a personal decision. Having said that, I believe there are some ground rules that should be adhered to regardless of the brand or post requirements. Here they are:

Do Not Work For Free

When I say this, I mean you should always have a fee in £ or $ or which ever currency you use. It is called Sponsored Post for a reason. Do not publish a sponsored post in return for a social media shout out, to go into competition or a “thank you”. I had a major meltdown recently and I wrote about it here. I got sick and tired of people trying to get me to advertise their products and services in return for nothing. Anytime you place a link to a website on your blog, it benefits that website, do not be fooled. Some brands send emails offering you guest posts. Guest Posts are requests from bloggers and any link on that post should be to the blogger’s blog, not a shoe shop. Press Releases on the other hand are just emails with new products information sent out to bloggers and journalists. I treat them as “information only”, I don’t act on them and they are not sponsored posts request. The subject line usually has press release or PR in it and they are usually worded differently from a sponsored post request. These emails do not tell you to do anything, they just inform.

Here is an example of a press release I received this week:

With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, June 21st, get Dad a tech-trendy gift at an affordable price with Kenneth Cole Connect. The sophisticated line of smart watches for $165 and less boasts 12 versatile unisex styles — from a sleek stainless steel bracelet to bold pops of color — so there really is something for everyone. Kenneth Cole Connect smart watches allow you to “Be Smart With Your Time” by staying discreetly connected with alerts that go straight to your wrist. With Kenneth Cole Connect, this Father’s Day you take a memorable family selfie — no matter how big your brood — with the ability to take selfies longer than your arm (like a selfie stick)! The smart watches start at $135 and are available worldwide, as well as online at KennethCole.com. If technology isn’t his thing, Ted Baker watches offer an array of whimsical yet practical styles that Dad will enjoy wearing. Stylish and contemporary, Ted Baker watches strive to embody that classic British flair. The Men’s Spring/Summer 2015 collections vary from the sleek Smart Casual to the chronograph-focused Sport to the elegant Dress Sport. Starting at $155 for high quality craftsmanship and available in various worldwide markets and at TedBaker.com. Please find the image links below and do not hesitate to let me know if you would like additional information

Here is an example of an email from a brand trying to get me to work for free:

Good Afternoon, I hope you are well. My name is Jade and I am currently working on increasing the online visibility of ——— While doing some housekeeping for the brand, I noticed that you mention our company, but have not linked to our website. To help with user experience and brand recognition (making life easier for your readers), would you be able to attach the link back to —– If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch as I would be more than happy to help. Kind Regards

Emails like the one above I just ignore. You can’t tell me what I should or should not include on my blog. If I buy a dress with my money and post on MY blog, I am not obligated to link back to the brand website. I will mention where I got it from so my readers know where to find it. If a brand wants a link back, that will be classified as an advertisement request or a sponsored post. I hope Jade is reading this.  Write or Edit All Sponsored Posts If you don’t write the sponsored post, make sure you edit it and also make sure the post fits in with your blog content. This is very important. I write about fashion, beauty, blogging and a bit of lifestyle every now and again. You won’t see me writing about food or pets ever. I usually charge more if I write the post myself and my rate varies.

How Much To Charge For A Sponsored Post

Picture Source:blogadvertising rates.com

I go by the table above as a minimum guide. I won’t take anything lower than $50 and won’t want to believe any blogger would. I take a lot more than the minimum but a new blogger can start off with this. Google page ranks do not change anymore so I go by Domain Authority (DA), PR 2 should be DA 20 and below, PR 3 30 to 40, PR4 should be 41 to 50 and PR 5 should be 51 and above. Fashion and Style Police is currently on 31, so according to this table, I should be charging $150 per sponsored post, which I think is very reasonable. My sponsored post rate is around that figure. I usually follow the table above and base my rate on how many sponsored posts I want on the blog in a month, the brand or PR in question, how much time I spend putting the post together, and so on. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment section. I will be writing on some Sponsored Post Tips in the next couple of days so watch this space. Thanks for reading and do share.