What a title to start a Monday, amiright??? I’m just gonna hop straight to the chase, since I’m a pretty straightforward kinda gal.
You’re not getting paid your worth as a blogger.
Still.
I say still, because you might still be wondering how to get paid as a blogger (or how to get paid your worth as a blogger).
And once I clue you in on how much MORE you could be making with a few (important) shifts, your mind will be blown, your paycheck will be bigger, and you’ll be miffed that you ever accepted less in the first place.
Or, you’ll feel nothing at all and completely not care that you could be earning more moola with your seemingly endless hours spent on your blog and social media, from writing to photography, to editing and styling, to promotions and overall growth…but that’s none of my biz. 😉 Let’s talk details on how to get paid as a blogger, + why you’re *still* not getting paid your worth.
You don’t stick to your own worth.
Knowing thy worth can be hard. Sticking to it? Even harder. But here’s the deal. You’re worth SOMETHING. And knowing your worth is the key answer to how to get paid as a blogger. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until CUR turns blue instead o’ pink 😉 : You are worth more than free. I’ve talked about why you need to get paid to blog. If you’re still working fo’ free (or for product only as “compensation,” because that counts as free), read that post and come back here when you’re done.
The thing is this: there’s a difference between smartly negotiating mutually beneficial partnerships, and being a pushover.
Last week, a SUPER huge brand (we’re talkin’ one of the top 10 in the world) reached out to me to collaborate. The collaboration would’ve started literally today. If you follow me on Snapchat (@ erica_lig), you heard the *ridiculously* long list of requirements and criteria they wanted me to abide by. They were offering $100 to get the product to get the job done…and nothing else.
I don’t care HOW big a brand is. If you don’t value me, I can’t work for you. Point blank period.
Pay can be negotiated. Respect cannot.
Know thy worth, stick to it, and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re just unworthy.
You’re not educating companies.
Some companies aren’t trying to blackmail or belittle bloggers by offering crappy compensation packages for sponsored partnerships. Some literally just don’t know any better! Before you jump to a snarky response back (or worse, not respond at all), consider taking a hot sec to play teacher. Tell a company how valuable influencer marketing is today. Tell them how much time and how many resources it will take you to get from Point A of emailing about a collab opportunity, to the finished product they see on screen that they lovelovelove. And as a last resort, put it in personal perspective: Just as they don’t work for free doing their job for the company, neither do (or should) you.
You’re afraid to ask for more.
I can’t even tell you how many times I have significantly increased my own paycheck by simply asking. Now, I don’t mean get greedy…I mean know when (and how) to ask for terms that better reflect your own standards and goals. If someone is a bit shy of what you normally charge for a specific type of collaboration, don’t assume they just can’t go higher…ask for more! I have so much as doubled (and tripled) my own compensation by just asking. Don’t be an asshat – just professionally inquire about budget and focus on working something out that’s mutually beneficial. Don’t be afraid to ask for more.
You’re still stuck with the middleman.
If you’re still banking on all of your blogging income to come from blog network campaigns and collaborations, you’re missing out on 50% of the income you *could* be making from your blog. Read, rinse, and repeat that one real quick. Jusssayin’…
You’re not pitching yourself effectively.
This immediately follows the former. Your worth + networks = a bad combination sometimes, because it can easily mess with your head without you even knowing. Luckily, pitching yourself is a solution. It’s easy to send an email – it’s not as easy to send an effective, follow-up-worthy, “let’s-hire-this-chick-immediately”-worthy email.
If you’re pitching, but hearing no response, you’re not pitching effectively.
If you’re pitching, but not to an actual individual person (instead of a press@company.com account, etc), you’re not pitching effectively.
If you’re pitching, but constantly feeling too small because you’re never reaching mutually beneficial terms with companies, or they’re consistently uninterested in working with you…you’re not pitching effectively.
Luckily again, there’s a new course for that.
All of the above are totally normal, and all of the above are taught step-by-step in .
ICYMI, is a brand spankin’ new course to hit these rosy parts, and it’s been MONTHS in the making. Its whole point? To dig deep and actually teach things never taught before in blog world, like what (exactly) to say and who (exactly) to pitch and how (exactly) to follow up when it comes to working with your dream brands. Sure, you could Google “how to pitch brands” and find a generic template that will tell you to introduce yourself, explain what you do, and say why you think it’d be a good fit, yadda yadda yadda.
Quite frankly, that won’t work.
In today’s blog age, there are hundred (if not thousands) of new blogs being created everyday. Influencer marketing is a real + powerful thing, and companies are starting to catch onto how to best utilize bloggers strategically to reach specific marketing goals.
Some companies get hundreds of emails a day from aspiring collaborators. Unless you’ve got the biggest following of the bunch or an inside connection (because that happens), it’s just not enough to use old tactics for new tricks.
If you’re not the biggest, you’ve just gotta be the best.
teaches the keys to nailing every brand collaboration, from picking a brand through pitching them AND following up (the most important and most oft-forgotten piece o’ the puzzle). It’s the step-by-step to what I’ve used to become a full-time blogger in six months, and what I’ve used to 30x my rate for sponsored collaborations since my very first brand collab back in the day.
I’ve gotten so many messages at this point about how seems to be unlike anything else out there.
That’s because that’s correct.
Y’all know I keep it real around these rosy parts. I’m also not one to brag. I AM one to be authentic and get super transparent super quickly. You’ve seen my income reports. You know my story. I don’t hold anything back for the sake of personal gain – I’m more than happy to share what I’ve learned, because I believe there’s room for everyone at the top. I’ve been blogging for over three years now, and I’ve spent thousands of $$$ myself on courses and classes in the hopes of finding some significant key to grow this or that, because I truly believe in CUR and want it to be this super valuable hub for all of you, too. So by now…I know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve gotten courses where I felt like I stole from the instructor it was that good, and I’ve gotten courses that felt like a *complete* waste of money.
So you can bet your bottom dollar that anything that I create myself for y’all…it’s gonna be jampacked. I’ve already been told I’m undervaluing – that’s it worth far more than the price tag. And that’s okay. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about making sure that every single student of finishes the course with a newfound understanding and newfound strategy to change their lives – not just their blog.
SO. Enough o’ that spiel.
Reach out to me with ANY and all Q’s you might have (shoot me an email: erica@cominguprosestheblog.com). Remember your own worth, and don’t compromise that.
And click on this logo to see the full scoop on :
The course’s doors close at the end of this week. Like…close. You won’t be able to enroll in the course after that. If you’ve been wanting to up your blog game to start 2017 off on the right foot, consider this your sign from the heavens that you are WORTH it and your blog is WORTH it and you should GO FOR IT. Mkay? Mkay. 😉
What questions do you have about BossPitch?
If you made it this far, you’re a champ. You should pour another cuppa coffee and treat yo’self to something from Santa’s Shop up there in the right of the grey navigation bar. 😉
AND you should treat yo’self to entering to win a gorgeous leather bag. Because it’s easy peasy and the perfect gift for yourself OR a girlfriend – and it’d be FREE. Head on over to le ‘Gram to get yo’self entered to win.
