Does Blogging Pay Less Than Traditional Freelance Writing?
October 8, 2007 by Jodee
Filed under Writing Gigs
by Ahmed Bilal, Guest Blogger
Since many of you are curious about the difference in pay between blogging and more traditional forms of writing, I asked problogger Ahmed Bilal to come by and offer up an explanation. Do be gentle.
Freelance writing jobs pay better than Blogging jobs.
Or, if you prefer to twist that around, ‘industry-standard’ blogging jobs pay less than ‘industry-standard’ freelance writing jobs. It’s not a complaint – as a professional blogger I’m happy with what I do – but it’s a situation that needs understanding, especially for those people who regularly scan through blogging jobs and go away thinking that blogging isn’t worth it.
So why do us bloggers get paid less (on average) than you freelance writers? Here are a few thoughts:
Mature vs Immature Market
Traditional publishing and the practice of freelance writing has been around for a long time – the market is huge, with a high number of ‘big’ players. Monetization methods are evolved and dependable, there’s always a need for a quality writer and at the end of the day, the freelance writing market is a mature, evolved market.
On the other hand, blogging is raw, fresh and still figuring itself out. We’re realising that while it’s easy to start a blog on zero budget, starting a blog with good bloggers requires deep pockets because for a long time, you won’t be earning the sort of money that allows you to afford these writers.
The online publishing model is geared towards measuring results and where traditional publishers could charge exorbitant advertising fees for inflated circulation numbers, bloggers don’t have that luxury (advertisers want to see hard stats).
As blogging grows, we’re going to see the average rate going higher and higher (already, top blogs pay over $1,000 / month month to their lead bloggers – and that’s a minimum). The pay is perhaps more performance-related, but at the end of the day the money in blogging is only going to go up.
Quality vs Quantity
This is not so much a comparison between freelance writing and blogging as it is a criticism of blogging itself. There’s a growing trend in the business for blogs to focus on creating hundreds of posts daily in order to benefit from CPM deals. The problem here is that since the quality isn’t sustainable, you have big (relatively) networks hiring inexperienced bloggers for peanuts and expecting them to write 5-10 posts a day.
It’s not to say that freelance writing jobs focus solely on quality. However, many blog networks offering jobs these days are more focused on growing fast through providing the most content as opposed to providing the best content.
Expectations
Some of the blame goes to job hunters as well. Blogging is a different beast to traditional freelance writing – you cannot set a blind rate of 10 cents per word and expect to be paid that if no one reads what you’re writing. The blogging business is based on results, and this favours those bloggers who are willing to work on a blog for a long time (thus helping it grow from a new blog to an established one).
That’s why you will see many blog owners offering revenue-sharing deals, traffic-based bonuses and performance-based salary increments. For example, when I posted my ad for bloggers last month, Deb told me that some of you guys complained about the low wages on offer. I agree – however, there are two things to keep in mind here:
One – nothing is fixed. If you’re just a good writer, you’ll probably earn $X per month. However, if you help increase the daily traffic to the blog, there’s an obvious benefit to me because of your presence and I’ll pass on that benefit to you as well. In such a case, you might start earning $1.5X per month + 10% site revenue, or something similar.
Two – many blogging positions are targeting bloggers who want to ‘grow’ with the blog (for one of the open positions in my ad, the blogger could go from $200 per month to $600 per month for 3-4 hours of work per day – after a month or so – not a lot for US-based writers, but for most non-North American and non-Western European bloggers, that’s a big deal).
There’s a gap in the market at the moment – expert bloggers can name their price and beginning bloggers (the good ones) have plenty of opportunities like the one I mentioned, but ‘middling’ bloggers find it hard to land gigs. Either they need to step up to the plate and improve themselves, or they need to start again from the bottom and work their way up (whether it’s a new contract or their own blog). Like I said earlier, the market isn’t mature enough to have openings for all types of bloggers, so there will always be a gap.
Blogging pays REALLY well – IF you’re any good
How does $50 per post sound to you? Even if it took you 2 hours to compose one such post, that translates into 2 hours a day, 30 days a month and an easy $1500.
How about $1,000 per month plus 50% revenue share on a blog where you’re required to write 3 hours per day? You could easily earn over $4k / month here.
Blogging gigs like these are few and far between, but they ARE available. The real question here is whether there are enough talented bloggers to fill these positions – because when you talk to blog networks and blog owners, they always talk about the lack of quality writers and especially writers who get blogging.
If you start writing linkbait for a living, a day’s work can easily fetch you $200-$300. Once again, these opportunities are available but a) you need to work hard for them and b) you need to be really good to get them.
It’s the same, IMO, for traditional publishing – you need contacts, experience, luck and a big dollop of quality to succeed as a freelance writer and as a blogger.
And as the online publishing market matures, we’ll see more and more lucrative opportunities appear for bloggers. You’d still have to be the right person at the right time to take advantage of them though.
Ahmed Bilal blogs at Performancing and Soccerlens.
I think this all depends on the company. I tried blogging professionally for a “start-up” blogging network and had a miserable experience and it ruined paid blogging for me.
To start, there was the contract stating that there would be paychecks every month. Half way through the first month, they sent a message out stating that they would be paying bonuses those who went out and posted about their website on every blog that was remotely connected to the topic at hand. Mine was a television blog, so that was a lot of blogs.
The first month came and went without any paycheck. Their response was that those who didn’t actively drum up business on other blog sites were not getting enough traffic to earn any pay. The next topic raised was that they wanted these people to go onto other websites and take screen shots of portions of the television shows that were being blogged about. When I mentioned that we don’t have permissions to take screen shots and that there had just been a lawsuit mentioned about that very thing, they told me to do it anyway and just not get caught.
Finally, the next round of emails came out stating that they wanted people emailing others about their blog. I won’t spam and drew the line there. I quit and never did see a penny from it. I’ve been in touch with a few other writers who also walked after not getting paid the second month. To me, that says it all.
I do have a blog, but it’s my own and I don’t make a penny from it, but venting about things that tick me off makes me feel better in the long run and I don’t have to spam people in order to draw in an audience!
Good post. As both a blogger and freelancer for eZines, I clearly see two markets. I put a lot into articles, and most of the blogging is off my head and un-researched. It’s also more personable as opposed to writing third person all the time, so it’s nice being able to put in my attitude wile I’m blogging.
I think it’s no secret I blog for other companies and networks. It depends on who’s doing the hiring , really. I wouldn’t accept only advertising revenue from a brand new network or blog. I could only get pennies each month. On the other hand, I worked for a corporation that paid me $500 a month for 200 words a week. That’s $500 for 800 words a month, you can’t beat that.
It’s not enough to accept a gig. You have to be aware of the blog’s stats, especially if you’ll be earning a cut or all of the revenue. How many visits and page views does it receive? CTR? There are so many factors to be considered before accepting a blog job.
I do agree with Ahmed however, in that it can be a very lucrative career choice. It works out very well for me.
with blogging as with freelance writing, it’s important to pick the right blog – you wouldn’t start writing for a startup magazine that had no funding, would you?
Also, it’s imperative that you keep improving yourself as a blogger – you’d do the same as a writer (for example, I learned direct sales writing to improve my skill set and as a result I can apply those lessons everywhere, not just for sales letters).
I just started blogging (www.coloradoreview.net) for 451 Press for less than $5/month. But because I could show a corporation that blog, and my consistency, this company pays me $40/post, 2x/week. That’s $320/month. I’ll take it, especially because the “articles” I write for the corporate blog do not require nearly as much research as my print articles, of which I write many (local, regional, national magazines, plus e-zines).
I admit I was completely gullible and that’s my own fault. They provided people with a list of their “sponsors” and promised the money would roll in from the start.
I’ve heard of bloggers who make tons, but I also see the company where I had done the blogging gig still actively out there hiring and now I’m more alert and look at the turnover for their writers.
In response to Deb’s comment about looking at their stats, they wouldn’t share them with people. So another warning sign that people should watch out for. I learned the hard way, but hopefully others can avoid it!
Ann:
Alexa.com enables you to track statistics for any web site or blog. You can also compare one site to another.
Deb, thank you for the excellent article by Mr. Bilal.
If it’s all about keywords, I’ve done that for a number of sites. There is still a big question of quality that comes after that, and the ability to write something that people can be hooked reading.
The linkbait is the easy part, as far as I’m concerned. I see a lot of blogs out there that have this down. Something I want to read is another matter, IMHO.
Ahmed,
Thanks so much for sharing your insight on this topic. I don’t have any blogging gigs with networks or any other arrangements where percentages or bonuses are involved, although maybe in the future I will. Right now, all my blogging jobs pay a set rate (either per post or per week/month), and I’m doing fine with that.
From my own experience, my corporate blogging gigs pay just as well as other freelance writing jobs. For example, a few months ago I started blogging for a corporate client who pays me a flat rate of $1200 per month for five posts per week. Since each post is less than 300 words (often 100 or 200), $60 per post translates into more than I’d be making on an average web writing job. It takes me about five hours per month to write all 20 posts. And that’s all I do. I’m not responsible for networking, building traffic, any of that. The client’s using the blog to communicate with his own business clients and other industry professionals, sort of like an interactive daily newsletter.
A few months ago, my blogging jobs were only earning me a few thousand per month. Now it’s closer to $7000, and all my blogging jobs together take up less than four hours per day. My point in this ramble is that not all blogging jobs are low paying, even though many of them you see on job boards are.
One of the best ways I’ve found to get corporate blogging jobs that pay well is to recommend a blog to my already existing corporate clients who don’t currently have a blog. Many corporate clients don’t know the benefits of having a blog until someone suggests it. And once I suggest it, I get the gig. No competing with thousands of other applicants, because there’s no job ad posted. These sort of opportunities may be few and far between on job boards, but the potential for getting these gigs is there, especially for people with connections in their industry.
Ann,
Looks like you’ve got this blogging thing down. Congrats from a guy who still does mostly print and online journalism work.
Early this year, I blogged for a well respected tech blog. Because I was so “experienced”–ie came from the #2 print magazine in the market–they paid me $9 per post. Each post took half hour to an hour to write. I considered it peanuts, but enjoyed the topic material. But it WAS peanuts, $9/hr? Even $18/hr? Compare that to my standard billable hour which is $50-$60/hr? Schah!
$50/article is peanuts when you’re used to $300 per, I still can’t make blogging pay at anything close to the rate that “traditional” freelancing does.
And that well respected blog? They never paid my invoice.
I def. agree. When I first thought of the blog project aspect of my business, I undersold myself — however I still think I came out ahead.
However, recently a job surfaced (not sure if I saw it on your list), but I go on a treasure hunt through all of the websites at least once a day, and I saw a posting for $25 for 250-300 word blogs. I applied and a week or two later, he responded and hired me for the job. This job amounts to $2,000 a month …. guaranteed.
Whoever says blogging doesn’t pay is sorely mistaken. Try it!!!
Oh and did I mention that I do 4 in a hour — so $100 / hour
Great topic… thanks so much for giving this perspective on blogging. I love it, but so far haven’t made a lot from blogging. That’s not to say I’m ready to throw in the towel and move on from blog opportunities — they’re out there (as many of the comments here prove). One blog I write for doesn’t pay particularly well, and in fact just moved from a flat rate to revenue share — but my name is on the posts I write (versus a ghostwriting blog gig I have). I could have dumped it long ago, but it is a great place to point people when I apply for blog gigs. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually grab one of these golden opportunities that some of you have commented about!
Amy – maybe we should swap notes – I’d love to hear more about what you write about that pays so well
Great post! As a beginning blogger wondering if I can make money at this, it answered all my questions.
Deb, you are wonderful! You too, Ahmed!
Would this be the same Ahmed Bilal offering 2 bucks a post on this very site recently? Come on guys. There is a BIG difference between blogging, i.e 200 words from the heart, and being asked to write researched, particular articles on a specific topic that follows a set of requirements by the “employer” Most “blogging” jobs I see advertised are a website looking for cheap content on a specific topic. Don’t sell yourselves short people. ~And don’t be fooled by the title, “blogger wanted” What they want is good, cheap, original content to draw in the Adsense bucks, NOT A BLOG.
Ahmed,
My highest paying blogging gigs have to do with legal issues, primarily corporate bankruptcy and finance. I blog for law firms and attorneys with private practices, and now also for a credit repair company. These are all ghost-blogging gigs, so I don’t get a byline, but the money is good. I’m in the writing game more for money than for fame.
I also blog for a few freelance sites. Money’s not too bad there either.
Hey, I’m still waiting to be added to the blogroll! Http://popculturemess.blogspot.com. Talk about low paying blogs!
I have had gigs, past and present, paying $500+ a month. They definitely exist but they’re not easy to find. One of them was actually offered to me. You just have to be VERY patient, search for jobs every day through any sources possible and always respond to ads within the first 24 hours.
Also here are a few other blogging gigs that I dont think I saw posted here: http://www.alldivamedia.com/about/jobs
Don’t forget guys, you don’t just have to apply for blogging jobs. If you see a good article writing gig then why not go for it?
The great thing about freelance writing is that you can lend your hand to multiple projects if you are skilled enough. Also, the more you write, the better you should get so you have quite a few options.
If you do find a low paying blogging gig then widen your horizons and research other markets too.
Ahmed, your topic is timely and interesting. I have already linked to Performancing and am gladly reading your blog entries.
I’ve been blogging for less than a year and am still working on finding my voice. For me, blogging is a process, and I am enjoying the experience.
I think that if you’re into blogging strictly for the money, then it isn’t for you. There has to be more. You have to enjoy your subject, and you have to get a kick out of being able to publish immediately. (Small joys!)
I certainly couldn’t live off of the blogging I currently do for several titles. I have to admit, though, that when I write for my blogs I usually get a lot more satisfaction from blogging than I do from my corporate writing.
…and that in itself will help me to become a better writer…and certainly makes my higher paying assigned writing gigs more tolerable!
Mark,
yes, this is the same Ahmed Bilal, and yes, I offered $2 per post for articles describing football shirts (not the most creatively challenging subject, I assure you). However, after some thought I upped that to $5 per post plus a revenue-sharing offer, depending on how good the writer is (this was advertised privately, not on Perf).
But the point is, that not all fields pay well enough to allow for expensive bloggers. Like I’ve said in my article, blogs that are bootstrapping will easily pay far less than blogs who have established companies funding them.
Hi Ahmed,
I am glad you upped the pay to a more reasonable level. I would like to think my comments had something to do with that. *blows on his fingers and shakes them* But my comment about the difference between blogging and being asked to write particular pieces about particular products or services being different remains true. Blogging is supposed to be a personal opinion about something.
And this is not aimed at you, but when companies advertise for a blogger and then tell you they want 500 words using particular keywords, SEO optimized, they are not looking for a blogger, they are looking for an advertising copywriter and I expect them to pay accordingly. My main argument against the whole accepting low pay because it’s “only” blogging, is that, more often than not, it’s not blogging.
I will happily blog 200 words a time for 5 bucks. As long as I can say what the hell I like and post when I feel like it.
And no, I can’t imagine writing about football shirts is creatively challenging, but I’ve had worse jobs,LOL
Ahmed: Great article, but tell me: who’s paying $50/post that only takes 2 hrs to write? Even with my experience (published author, published writer, experienced blogger) I’m not getting that. (I also obsess over my writing…)
To get that kind of money for regular posts (not linkbait), you have to have your finger on the pulse of a niche, to be able to break stories. And such sources of info are closely guarded.
On the other hand, if you can find your blogging rhythm and do 5-6 posts per day, 7 days per week, at say $15-20, you can pull close to $3000/mth. Not loads for N. American bloggers but enough to live on for one person working from home. And that’ll open the doors for higher paid work later.
But none of it compares to the $1500 I made for one feature computer programming article in print. In 1993.
Print pay and corporate work still outweigh the average blogging gig.
Raj,
agreed on that last point, but as the blogging industry matures we’ll see more and more corporate blogs paying big bucks. It’s all about circulation / reach I guess, so if you’re doing good linkbait for a big blog, it pays great.
Amy earns more than I do, but she’s blogging in the financial sector.
Hello. My name is Kelly and I do freelance writing and blogging. I was recently contacted to do blog posts and write some articles. They asked me to tell them what I charge. I said $15 per blog post and $200 per article. She was outraged and said that she could get an article from a professional copywriter for $30! I do have experience and a decent resume and currently blog for a reputable site.
I am finding it difficult to set my fees. Either I am accepting too little or when I try to go higher, I get blown off. I could use some help with setting reasonable rates for per post blogs and articles. Thank you!