Wednesday 16 January 2019

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

It's one of the biggest ongoing debates in the blogosphere. Are brands exploiting us when they ask us to work for free? Are we selling ourselves short if we agree to it, or worse, are we helping to sabotage the entire industry by doing so?

Over the years, I've found that my opinion on this has fluctuated quite a lot. When I first started blogging, I was overjoyed when brands or PR companies got in touch offering free products or items of clothing in exchange for a review or style post. It didn't even occur to me to wonder if I should be getting paid. After all, I was just starting out and only had a very small following. I believed that this was just how it worked in the beginning, that bloggers built relationships with brands by working in exchange for gifted products and exposure. Over time, I thought, my reach would grow, so too would my value, and paid offers would start to come my way. And this is true, to a certain extent, although the reality is a lot more complicated than that, as I'm sure many of my fellow bloggers would agree.

Mini skirt, turtle neck and over the knee boots outfit

Are Brands Just After Something For Nothing?


As time went on, a few things happened that made me question whether reviewing all these products for free was such a good idea after all. For one thing, I found out that other bloggers were getting paid for doing pretty much the same work - sometimes by the same brands who were most definitely not paying me. Not only that, but the exposure that I'd hoped (and expected) would come from some of these collaborations never seemed to materialise. I'd be thanked for the post by email, but very rarely retweeted or featured on the brand's Instagram. As for building relationships with brands, that didn't seem to happen either, at least not in the way I would have liked. Some of them I'd never hear from again, while others would bombard me with more products (whether I wanted them or not) and expect me to review every single one of them, all for free, of course.

Winter Fashion

And then there were the proposals that were blatantly after something for nothing, such as the brands that offered neither financial compensation nor free products, but thought I might "enjoy" writing about them anyway, or those who were kind enough to offer me a discount so that I could buy their products in order to then write about and promote them. I started to get cynical, and I really began to wonder whether all brands who didn't offer actual monetary payment were out to exploit bloggers. At the same time, I was starting to grow a little, and was beginning to attract the occasional paid campaign. Well, I thought, if Brand A is prepared to pay me, why should I give my time and effort to Brand B, who isn't? I began to turn down more and more unpaid collaborations, and even began to wonder if I had been naive to work for free in the first place. After all, if all bloggers refused to work for free, brands would have no choice but to pay, wouldn't they?

Camel Coat

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

Mutual Benefit


Well, in an ideal world, perhaps, but in reality, it isn't quite as simple as that. Scaling back on the unpaid collaborations helped me to gain some perspective, as did seeing some of my favourite (highly successful) bloggers talking about products they had been sent, but not paid to promote. Yes, there are some brands who try to exploit bloggers and some offers that will not be worth your time and effort, but that doesn't mean that blogging for free is always a bad thing. If you're being offered the chance to work with an amazing brand, if their requirements are reasonable and they are upfront from the beginning about what they are asking of you, then I still think that the right unpaid collaboration can be seen as a good opportunity to add value to your blog and possibly open the door to more lucrative campaigns further down the line.

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

What it all comes down to is that any collaboration needs to be of some kind of benefit to both the blogger and the brand. While I have grown my blog to the point that I can attract a paid project every now and then, I must also accept that I am not yet at the level where I could reasonably expect such campaigns to be a regular occurrence. For brands to pay, it has to be worth their while, and in many cases, they will be expecting a greater reach than the one I can currently offer. By the same token, of course, if all they are offering me is a sample sized toothpaste in exchange for a 1000 word review to be written by yesterday, I am perfectly within my rights to tell them thanks, but no thanks.

Why Blogging For Free Isn't Always A Bad Thing

Shop The Look



So while I haven't exactly come full circle, I am definitely a lot more pragmatic on the subject of blogging for free than I was a year or so ago. It is a difficult one, and I have seen people argue very different points of view on it with equal conviction. I would love to know your thoughts. Do you blog for free, or is it something you don't agree with?

Kate x

Some links may be affiliate links. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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47 comments

  1. Such an interesting thoughts, thanks for sharing

    Candice | NatalyaAmour.com

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  2. I see you really changed your mind and your look with the leo skirt is beautiful!
    xx Rena
    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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  3. I do blog for free if the product is one that I am interested in or one that I specifically asked for - I think it would be rude not to. But at the same time I decline offers from random brands that offer to send stuff, and expect very detailed returns in terms of a XXX word blog post as well as 3 Instagram Stories, all within XY weeks.
    In fact, I just declined a similar offer by a brand that approached me (I hadn´t even heard about them) and then got a very rude mail back where they asked me basically: "Who the f*ck do you think you are, declining our offer despite your small following!" - Safe to say that I won't be working with them even if they considered paying me for it....

    Anne - Linda, Libra, Loca

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    Replies
    1. That is just awful to even receive such a reply. Better off without them.

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    2. I agree, that's awful! It astonishes me when brands do that, especially when they have been the one to make the approach in the first place! x

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  4. I make exceptions when it comes to charity because charity is something that is very close to my heart. I have written unpaid posts for a couple of charities now as I wanted to spread the word about a particular cause or campaign. But other than that, I often feel taken advantage of by PRs and brands - all because I don't have 10k Instagram followers and the swipe function...

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    Replies
    1. Charity is a great example of when you might want to blog for free. I agree, it does all seem to be about the Instagram numbers now. x

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  5. Great points! I'm only taking on paid campaigns at this time but will do something for free or low priced if it is a brand I truly love and want to build a relationship with!

    Jennifer
    Effortlessly Sophisticated

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    Replies
    1. I agree, there has to be something of benefit in order to agree, even if it's not always financial benefit. x

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  6. I love love love this post! I try and assess each brand approach individually. If my favourite brand approaches me but can't pay, I'm not going to say no because at the end of the day, it's my favourite brand!

    xoxo
    Jess
    The Crown Wings | UK Travel & Lifestyle Blog

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    Replies
    1. Exactly, if you really want to work with that brand, then that can be reward in itself! x

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  7. I think it depends on the product/brand. Last week I had a mail with requirements: blog post, social media exposure (Instastory isn't enough) and for them to use my photos - the budget? Zero and the product was £6. Brands like that take the mick - would they work for hours for free or in exchange for £6. I don't think so! xx

    Beautylymin

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    Replies
    1. This one would be an instant delete for me if I'm honest, they're not even worth a reply when they're that cheeky! x

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  8. I really enjoyed this post. Great points to think about.

    Jennifer | Mrs Q Beauty

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  9. Love this post, great thoughts! I also love your outfit :)

    http://innapishtoy.com/

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  10. You look amazing and you bring up an excellent point. I think if you want to collaborate with a brand, whether for free or paid, and you are happy with it, that is your prerogative 🤗. Great post!!


    Lesley Kim

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Lesley, so glad you enjoyed the post! x

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  11. I couldn't agree more with what you wrote you basically echoed all of my thoughts on this topic as well. Mutually beneficial in some way, whether paid or not, is always what I think seems fare. Everyone has different standards and goals as well and I think that comes into play too.

    Julia // The Sunday Mode

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    Replies
    1. Yes absolutely! There are some occasions when brands try to exploit, but it's also true that what one blogger might take offence at, another might see as a worthwhile opportunity. x

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  12. I do blog for free too, if I love the brand and I'm really interested with their products :)

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

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    Replies
    1. Yep, sometimes it still feels like a worthwhile thing to do. x

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  13. I too loved this post Kate. I would like to receive a pay for a post now and again. As you know a whole lot of work goes into what we do. And to be offered a gift that isn't equivalent in pay, or no pay is quite insulting. I too thought over time of building my blog, the paid post would start flowing in. But that just is not the reality. At least for some. Again I have worked with brands, and thought I would gain some extra exposure...urmmm NO. They just took my time and creativity and ran. Great post Kate : ) xo

    Natoya

    www.juanitalikes.com

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    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed Natoya. It's difficult to gain traction, for sure. You start to get one or two paid posts and you think that's the start of it, but in my experience it's a lot more sporadic than that, which is kind of more disheartening in a way. x

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  14. Such a lovely post and thank for the words Kate.
    I blog as a "professionall" Blogger and get paid for it. Yet I sometimes kinda hate it. I sometimes miss the time I could post whatever I like and put all my passion into it. On the other side it's the best job I couldever dream of.
    Lovely.


    take a look at my BLOG and my INSTAGRAM

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    Replies
    1. Well done you for getting to this point because goodness knows it's not easy! I think every job, no matter how much you love it, brings its downside, that's just how life is! x

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  15. This was intersting to read.
    Loved your outfit, this coat looks amazignon you.

    Nina's Style Blog

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  16. I think working for free is good for expanding your portfolio of work and creating connections! Great post!
    Chloe X http://chloelxuise.com

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it can definitely be useful in those areas. x

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  17. This topic is such an important one to explore, especially as it's so relevant and relatable. You hit the nail on the head with this post Kate! A few years back I realised I'd been accepting and working with companies who were quite frankly taking the mick. After working with an unprofessional company on an unpaid post (who kept harassing me to get the post up, then bombarding me with emails afterwards asking if I wanted to keep on collaborating with them) I decided I was going to be much more selective on who I worked with in the future. I prefer to only take on paid posts now. One of my biggest pet hates is how a lot of PRs are as nice as pie then drop you as soon as you've done the work for them. A lot promise to get in touch in the future but they rarely do. The joys of being a blogger, eh?! Lucky we love what we do! ♥︎

    Sophie | soinspo xo

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    Replies
    1. Ah the sucking up until you've done the work and then the immediate blanking afterwards! Yep, unfortunately I know it only too well! x

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  18. Such a lovely post:-)That skirt looks amazing!

    https://www.lostindaydreams.com/

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  19. This is SUCH a hot topic. I can't say I am on the fence because I am constantly inundated with "freebie" collabs and I am kind of sick of it. The ones I despise of most are the "my article would be perfect on your article. Add my link and I'll add yours." Or "add my link and I'll tweet you to my 100000000000000 of followers". Seemingly they never hold up their end. I think when you start out it's a great way to gain exposure and get experience, but I do think down the track one should be compensated somehow. Someone made a great point once, which has stuck with me since. She was sick of major brands wanting to send her free stuff but not paying her for her time and creativity. They get free publicity, editorial quality images and words and all with a tax write off. Those freebies are tax write offs in the end, so it never fails to surprise me when companies don't have a "budget" to pay you for your time and effort. Which in blogging doesn't take 5 minutes to produce. It takes days and weeks even. Getting paid for that is definitely not unreasonable, on top of a "freebie".

    Sxx
    daringcoco.com

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    Replies
    1. You make a good point. It really is a difficult one. The thing that gets me the most is that they are coming to us and not the other way around, so there is obviously some sort of value for them in being featured by us, regardless the size of our following. x

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  20. You raised some great points dear, such an educational and inspiring read. Thanks for sharing! Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  21. This was such an interesting read Kate, and very well-written too! I think ultimately, like you've said, it all comes down to the individual and the circumstances of the collaboration. Have a fabulous week babe!

    aglassofice.com x

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  22. I found your blog on Pinterest and this post is very helpful. I agree wholeheartedly though that it should be of mutual interest to both blogger and brand. After all, at the end of the day, you want to be happy with what you are promoting. Love your outfit btw. Very chic!

    Maureen | www.littlemisscasual.com

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  23. I think that when a brand approaches you you need to carefully consider and reflect on how this could work for both of you, what you want to achieve, and why you started your blog in the first place. Thank you for sharing this thought provoking post! Angharad x

    welshandwonderful.com

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  24. such a great post thanks for sharing, have a nice day .

    torichux3.blogspot.com

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  25. Ahhh this was so interesting Kate!

    x Lisa | lisaautumn.com

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