As many of you know Liz from Mom 101 wrote a poignant post yesterday about brands paying bloggers for services rendered, whether that is from advertising, to writing for a brand, to being a spokesperson, to vlogging on behalf of a brand, to connecting mom bloggers for an event, to consulting with a brand.
I am standing up in solidarity with Liz and all the other mom bloggers/businesswomen like Cooper and Emily from The Motherhood, Christine from Boston Mamas, Kelby from Type-A Mom, Alli Worthington from Blissfully Domestic, Kim from Mom in the City, Kim from Hormone Colored Days, all the Clever Girls, and countless others to say:
IT IS OKAY TO BE PAID FOR YOUR WORK!
I think the crux of the problem with some moms who work for free when dealing with brands and their agencies in a capacity that is clearly a compensated one is they are simply afraid and intimidated to ask for money. And, this we all know for sure: links, traffic, and relative influence do not pay the bills!
THERE IS NO GOOD REASON TO WORK FOR FREE. NONE!
Always think of those who are pitching you and imagine them working for links and promises.
FUNNY, RIGHT?
Moms: use your smarts to turn what you do so brilliantly into a check.
but…
MAKE SURE YOU CAN BACK UP YOUR WORTH!
Strive for excellence and keep on pushing! Know your stats and your reach and be able to explain why a company should pay you. It’s not enough to demand and not be able to produce!
That said, start demanding what you deserve.
AND THAT DOES NOT MEAN DEMANDING CASH FOR A PRODUCT REVIEW!
NOPE.
That’s for editorial purposes.
Use any of the women above as mentors, even if you don’t know them. Just watch how they conduct business. You will learn a lot.
You can do it!
Hello ~ Great article. I freelance write for a magazine — and they pay me — however, recently they have been struggling, so I offered to write in exchange for advertising space to promotion my Disney travel agency. It’s a win/win. They will get on their feet again — I’ll continue to write for them — payment will either remain via ads or back to cash. Sandra
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Excellent article, Jennifer. I particularly like the part about backing up your worth by striving for excellence–point well taken. Thank you!
We agree!
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