Why It’s Okay to Blog for Free Sometimes
Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.
It’s 2015 and bloggers everywhere are on the hunt to make as much money as they can with their blogs. However not many realize that it’s okay to blog for free sometimes, and that in doing so can bring you more money. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers talking about this topic and I would like to share my own opinion on why I believe it’s okay to blog for free sometimes.
I am a professional blogger and yes, I blog for money. This year, I’ve made enough money to actually make an income off of it and I am on point to make $25,000 + by the end of this year. However, I do still blog for free or very little sometimes, and I feel like my blog is better off for it.
A lot of bloggers refuse to work with people who do not pay or those that do not pay in large amounts and that’s okay. But sometimes I think that these bloggers may be missing out on some great opportunities too!
5 Reasons Why I Blog for Free or Very Little Sometimes
1. For Visibility, Growth, and Traffic.
While a lot of bloggers say they hate blogging for free and that visibility isn’t enough, I would have to say that I both agree and disagree. For me, it depends on the content and the site it’s on or coming from. It really depends on how much I’m going to get from this partnership.
For example: While I definitely agree that Huffington Post should pay their contributors, I also know that if they emailed me today, I would not hesitate to say yes, whether they offered to pay me or not. That type of traffic and visibility would be invaluable for my blog.
Visibility = Traffic. + Traffic = Growth. Put them together and you get = More Money.
2. Because Small Amounts of Money are Better Than Nothing at all.Â
To me, if a company or person has a smaller budget and can only offer so much, then I will take that over nothing at all. Of course, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t send them your media kit or your price list, but rather hear them out instead of deleting that email, that may lead to something big.
One example of this, is the post:Â 5 Habits of Happy Couples. Their budget was $25.00 and I took it. I was ok with this post and the amount because of the topic, I knew it would do well on my blog and that my readers would appreciate it. I knew that it could bring more visibility, traffic, and growth which eventually equals more money in and of itself.
Every little bit adds up. If you look at my income report for the first half of this year, you will see I have a lot of different income sources. Some may be smaller than others, but to me it’s still all income.
3. Because New Blog Content Makes a Difference.
Another reason I sometimes accept free content is because I like the content and I know that I need more content for my blog that month. I have realized that continually posting new content and having something to post is better than not having anything at all. Again, more content and blog posts = more traffic which = more money.
An example of this on my blog is the recent recipe I posted for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Tartlets. I was sent an email with several recipes to share and chose to share this one since it was so close to Thanksgiving. I knew this would be something that would bring more readers to my blog because of the holiday.
4. For my Readers
Sometimes I like to post things here and/or on social media because I know it’s something my readers will love or need. This happens a lot when it comes to content for military spouses because I feel that military or military spouse related companies should not have to pay a fortune to get the word out about great resources.
One such example was this post: 6 Tips for Sending Holiday Packages to Your Military Member. It was a military-related post that I knew would be perfect for my readers so I decided I would post it. It’s a time-sensitive topic and something that I know military spouses are looking for help with around this time of year.
Now, do I post every little military-related post to my blog? Absolutely not. I get 30-50 emails a day and there is no way I could post them all, however I do sift through and if it’s something really important that I know my readers could use then I will post it.
5. For Myself and My Family.Â
My last reason is personal in that I sometimes will blog for free for myself and for products that I love or that I can get for my family. I know that sometimes bloggers want to have money on top of getting a product for review and I agree with that to a point. While some companies should pay more if they want their product reviews, sometimes the product in and of itself pays for itself.
I have two examples of this. The first is a post I did that was both a review and giveaway. The person gave two copies to me and one to my readers. My kids loved the books, and since it was military related, they will be great to use for years to come.
My second example is one I do every year and this year’s review and hopefully giveaway for it will be coming up soon! Every year Hickory Farms sends me a huge box of goodies. I am a big fan of their foods and their company and I am fine doing a review and giveaway for them with no payment.
What about YOU? Do you think it’s okay to blog for free sometimes? Do YOU blog for free sometimes? If so, what are your reasons for doing it?
Image created by ashleyelladesign.com
I agree – I DO sometimes blog for free or very little… but I do so because I CHOSE to do so. I don’t like it when companies approach me and expect a lot of work for next to nothing – or for nothing. But other opportunities are just worth some of the other “non-dollar” benefits that may come from the work.
I agree completely!. I get tons of those and end up declining.
Fantastic Article Kathryn! I love your thoughts that are shared here. Although I never started writing to earn monies, I understand the necessity. That being said, it is so important to value what you do. Writing for your readers, your family and yourself is what is most important. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am sharing this post. Have a blessed weekend!
Great article! I agree with a lot of your points. My current blog is still new, but I do have previous experience blogging and had made a decent income from it. I think you have to provide the content that your readers would be interested in, even if it may not always be a topic your interested in. Pay incentives are great, but not required all the time.
Absolutely! Good luck on your new blog. đ
This is such a great article and i agree with all what you’ve said , i own 2 blogs and in my second one i’m finding a great joy in creating content that i LOVE and I’m passionate about to get readers’s interest and attention
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. There’s a lot of bloggers out there who refuse to work for free, but when that happens I feel like we lose the passion and why we chose to do this in the first place. Thanks for commenting!