I have been wanting to write this post for some time now but the words were just not flowing. However, in the middle of dealing with household chores, it came. I am happy I finally got the words to flow on this sweet day. Now this topic – The problem with Blogging is Bloggers, may surprise you. But if you have been around the Blogosphere for a bit, you would agree with me to a large extent that we are the problem the blogging world has.
Yes, us bloggers are the problem we grumble and complain about, all day everyday, to anyone who cares enough to listen. We just need to look in the mirror to find the problem.
How did we get here?
I have been blogging for over 5 years now. The first post on Fashion and Style Police went live on a sweet October day in 2012, and I have never looked back. Blogging has open so many doors of opportunities. I get to make a living, earning a living wage through Fashion and Style Police, freelance writing and by proving blogger outreach services. It has been a very long journey; taken me years to get to this point of earning full-time regular income and I am so grateful. But then again, I work extremely hard for every penny I earn. I work an average of 40 hours a week, including weekends. And I have done so for years, so the blog you are now reading did not achieve an overnight success. I am not even close to where I want to be but I am getting there.
I take my job very seriously. So this is not a joke to me or a side gig. It is literally my life. We bloggers complain about all sorts but usually most complaints are entered around not being paid enough. That is one major issue every professional blogger should be able to relate with. Being paid enough means different things to different people regardless of our profession. Having said that, I believe we bloggers are the reason why we don’t earn enough. The earlier we start putting our foot down and start demanding at least a minimum wage for our efforts, the better for our blogging career.
No budget line
How did we get here? I keep receiving emails from PRs, well established PRS, telling me they have no budget for a job they want me to do. I have had a couple this year already stating that even though they had a budget to pay bloggers last year. The budget has miraculously disappeared this year and they want something for nothing. Because other bloggers are accepting to work for nothing.
The £20 gang!
I have lost count of the companies looking to pay a whole £20 for a blog post. The funniest part is that I have had these same companies pay me a lot more than £20 some months/years ago. Why they keep reducing their budgets and offering peanuts is because certain bloggers are accepting them and they can’t believe their luck and profits, that they try to get everyone else to accept it. They better give up trying because they are wasting their time with me.
I don’t offer that
Like I mentioned earlier, I handle blogger outreach for many clients so I am on both sides of the fence. I would never offer bloggers a fee I won’t be able to accept myself. Some bloggers may still find the fee low but it is nowhere close to what I have been offered lately. And those I have worked with can confirm that. Unfortunately, no one has the right or the power to tell someone else want to charge. So apart from raising awareness and talking these payment issues, there is not much anyone can do.
What I plan to do is to carry on as I am already by not accepting anything less than my worth. I know what I am worth and that is all that really matters. My first sponsored post in 2013 was £25, and I only started blogging a few months when I got that offer. So that was amazing for me then. But 5 years in the game, with my stats, I am not on their level anymore. I wrote a lot more about my blogging journey in my book – How to Cash In as a Blogger, so go have a read.
Going forward
I plan to carry as normal, charging what I believe is my worth Also, one of my many goals is to ensure I stand out from the pack significantly. So if everyone is writing about Brand A, I will be writing about Brand B or write about Brand A in a different way, with a twist. I need to ensure Fashion and Style Police stands out from the rest in a fabulous way. That is the only way up!
What are your thoughts on this? Please share in the comments section.
Thanks for reading.
Loved this post I am going to read how to cash in as a blogger !
Thanks Georgina.
I think that is great that you are earning an income blogging. I really enjoy writing everyday, but I don’t imagine I will ever get paid for it. I only started this last September, and I am open to getting paid eventually, but I don’t know that it will ever happen as not too many people look at my blog! Thanks for the advice.
Thank you for reading Annette.
Stella there are very few blogs I read weekly. Actually yours is the only one I read regularly. Even if I don’t comment I always read your blogs.
The reason for that is simple. You blog regular, interesting material at least 3 times a week. Often alot more.
So many don’t do that so I don’t get involved with them as they dont make the effort and keep me interested. I like your style, I like the way you cover and integrate so many different things in your blog. It’s interesting and bang on trend for me, run like a blog should be.
I did smile when I read “the problem with bloggers is bloggers” I often say that about my hobby “the problem with compers is compers” 😊 Where’s there is people there is always problems 😄
Yes. Once the people are always the problem. So sad.
This is so truly said, from past few months even I have realised that this industry is not giving the correct money for the ample of effort we put into every post. With each assignment, the amounts are shrinking and true, it since the newcomers just accept anything, even with peanuts or discounted barters. We all need to unite and set a benchmark for the benefit of all.
I agree but I don’t see bloggers uniting or agreeing on a minimum rate. Many will still accept when they want.
I find this article to be pretty interesting since I just started blogging. I think making money has its challenges as a blogger. It’s great that you are able to successfuly earn an income on blogging despite the difficulties. Thanks for sharing.
It is very challenging Alina but achievable. Thanks for reading.
I agree. I will have been blogging three years in March. Many people perceive it to be easy to build an established blog. I also agree re the fees. I have recently increased mine and although will negotiate I turn away more work than I accept now. I hope others start to realise their true value. x
I turn away more than I accept now too!
I do similar work in content creation and I don’t think we should let the trend get us down. Some companies think they can substitute cheap or free writing for quality work. But, it impacts their accounts over time. If the company doesn’t care, they probably aren’t a good group to work with. If they do care, lessons will be learned and they’ll come back.
Hope you see an uptick soon.
I hope Danielle. Thanks.
I just ignore companies which offer me 20$ for blog post, I’d rather write something for myself, about I really like (just for the inspiration) then white obvious paid post about things I don’t even care about! I want to be authentic 😉 for me it’s important!
Yea same here.
Love this post – I only started blogging two years ago, but I feel like I came in to the low fees straight away and have never known any differently. Initially I wasn’t blogging for income, so there was no need for me to take on paid work anyway so I never read to much into it, but as time has gone on I see more and more bloggers in Facebook groups frustrated and it’s no wonder reading this post!
Glad you love the post. It is really a frustrating issue now.
Love this post- I have been blogging for 3 years on and off now, but have only just started to get back into it again! I definitely want to pursue blogging/writing as a career and would love to earn an income from it. Will definitely be purchasing your book 🙂
Please do read my book. Thanks.
You have made so many good points. I think part of the problem with the blogging situation is that most bloggers do not know their own worth. Maybe they do research to find out. But maybe they don’t. Or maybe they don’t even know whether what they have is worth the same as what the others make. And people do keep coming up underneath to replace the people with the larger followings. So Businesses don’t build loyalty with the people they work with unfortunately. I am not sure how you change that. But I do agree you should only accept what you are worth.
Yes I agree. Many bloggers don’t have a clue about they are really worth.
This is actually so true. I have been trying to figure out how much I should really charge for sponsored posts, and I read a lot of times that it depends on your stats. I wonder if it will come to the point that I’m earning stable thru blogging.
I am sure you will get there soon. Just carry on as normal.
I’ve been blogging “properly” for just over a year, but I’m managing to earn a full time income now from my blog and other bits of freelance work, on top of my proper job. It’s really hard work! But I enjoy it and the hard work is just starting to pay off now 🙂
Yea it is a lot of work. Many underestimate the value of their blog.
I feel really sad when bloggers accept low fees for posts. I think some need the money and some probably don’t realise. It can be tough figuring this whole blogging thing out I think
Yea so tough. Thanks Zena.
This is a very interesting post and i agree with every word of it. The blogging situation has really gone down lately because a lot of blogger’s don’t know their worth. A lot of them are a lot better than they think and they settle for a lot lesser.
I agree Sarmistha.
Love this, such a good read!! Could you possibly read my post on how to tackle political problems and give your insight? I’m new to blogging and was hoping I could get some feedback.
I will. Thanks.
Such a good read.
Highly interesting.
You can check out my blog and give your insights.
Would be more than glad to hear from you
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the post.