When most people think of influencers, they picture sponsored grid posts and stories on Instagram. We all know that influencers make money from sponsored grid posts and Instagram stories, but what about good old-fashioned bloggers? Are they still bringing in money for their content?
And now that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the landscape of digital influencing, how has the blogging world changed?
Even though traditional blogging may not be as popular as it was a decade ago, it’s still an extremely lucrative way for influencers and content creators to make money — sometimes even more so than sponsored content on Instagram.
Mackenzie Newcomb is an influencer marketing manager for Traackr who works with brands to provide data on how much the brand should pay influencers, based on the quality of their audience. Newcomb also worked directly with influencers in past roles.
“From my experience working at a gourmet food company, most Instagram influencers asked for $1k-$2k per every 100k followers they had. There would be variations, for those who had extremely good engagement or outstanding photography skills that could be leveraged for marketing resources,” Newcomb said. “I found that blog posts almost always paid 50% to 100% more than standard in-feed posts, due to the amount of labor.”
Because blog posts almost always require more copy and more images than Instagram posts, blogs offer influencers an opportunity to bump up the overall rate for a collaboration. And blog posts rarely exist on their own — usually, a blog post is part of a collaboration that includes an Instagram grid post or story, as well. Unlike Instagram content, though, blog posts also come with the opportunity to attract a large audience through SEO. And unlike follower counts, organic SEO traffic is much harder to fake.
So exactly what goes into a sponsored blog post? And how much money are content creators making from them? We spoke to five influencers and bloggers with audiences of all sizes to find out how things worked both pre-coronavirus and now, after things have started to change.
The influencers below didn’t name the brands that paid them for their work.
Paris S. Chanel (@thebirthofparisc, The Rebirth of Paris C)
Paris Chanel is a Memphis, Tennessee-based influencer and blogger who covers topics ranging from fashion and beauty to lifestyle and tech. Like many successful influencers these days, her content covers a bit of everything. And though she’s only been blogging for two years, she’s already built up a substantial and engaged audience.
Brand category: Fashion
Deliverables: “The client sent me five outfits that I could choose from and style to make my own. They wanted me to create some fashion content for their clothes and created a special link for each piece that I could promote to my followers. My deliverables to them were: a 300-500 word temporary 2-week blog post, 3 consecutive permanent Instagram posts and 5 swipe-up Instagram stories with outfit breakdowns. They were so pleased with the content quality that they booked me again for a swimwear campaign that I created video content for.”
What she was offered initially: $500
What she was paid in the end: $1,500
Expenses associated with this collaboration: “I had to purchase the accessories to complete the outfits that they sent. They only sent clothing. I am all about presenting a great final product, so in order for my vision to come into fruition, I needed to have all accessories from that company to effectively show followers that it is a one-stop shop for all fashion needs. I calculated all of that into my price. I also had to hire a photographer for this one. When I am working on higher-paid projects, hiring a professional is a must for me. Quality is key.”
Exclusivity: This campaign did not contain any exclusivity or in perpetuity rights.
How long did the post need to stay live: Two weeks
Turnaround time: Three weeks
Her POV: “Influencers and bloggers most definitely need to take the time out to research and study before just hopping into this field. I have had many huge brands that I know for a fact make enough money to pay influencers still try to get over on me with not wanting to pay me, or pay me less than my worth. Make sure that you are reading every single line of the contractual agreements sent to you. Being knowledgeable is highly important. Be sure to send thank you letters to previous clients that booked you. Do not be afraid to follow up 3-6 months later if you haven’t heard from them again to see if they have any upcoming projects that you can work with them on. Reach out to the PR and marketing companies. They are the ones who have the clients with the money. Last, keep a good reputation with brands by making sure that you present good quality and meet your deadlines. It never hurts to get content to them before the deadline date. Trust, it will definitely be a good look!”
How her business has changed since COVID-19: “Work was completely put at a halt. I own an agency and had to close it down until quarantine is lifted throughout all of the U.S., because my models and actors can’t travel anywhere. It has definitely been tough. My influencing rates had to drop to half of what I charge, because many of the brands/clients are getting hit financially, as well. One thing I did take advantage of was reaching out to brands that I’ve always wanted to work with for exchange collabs to keep up my content flow and build a stronger relationship with them and hopefully lead to something long term and paid. I just worked on a quarantine style guide for at home workers with New York & Company. I had to think smarter and not harder and make great use of my time in quarantine.”
Ashley Dorough (@ashley_dorough, House Dorough)
Ashley Dorough specializes in fashion and body acceptance content. Based in Atlanta, Dorough is entering her fourth year of creating content and blogging, and shared that it took her one year to get her first paid collaboration.
Brand category: Fashion
Deliverables: One Instagram post, two Instagram story sets (three-plus frames each), and one blog post featuring 10 items from the brand and her own styled outfit from the brand.
What she was offered initially: $2,200
What she was paid in the end: $2,800
Expenses associated with this collaboration: $150 for a photographer
Exclusivity: None
How long did the post need to stay live: Indefinitely
Turnaround time: One month
Her POV: “This may be an unpopular opinion, but I do think it’s OK to do work for product exchange sometimes if it’s a brand you’re interested in forming a relationship with. Especially if you’re just starting out your blogging business ... this is how I built long-lasting relationships with several brands I still work with. That being said, I also feel that in order to really commit and dive in to what is required to build a loyal, dedicated readership, it almost needs to be your only focus in the form of work. I worked my job and did my blog on nights and weekends for the first year, and then I started getting paid jobs so I felt comfortable going full time [with blogging]. I don’t think it’s always clear that being a writer/blogger/influencer/content creator is a full-time job and a lot of us, myself included, have worked hard for everything we have.
“Influencers get a lot of crap about doing sponsored content, but instead of choosing to be annoyed, they really need your support. These creative individuals have been hired by big brands to do the same scope of work that in the past, an entire crew would have been hired to do. I also want to point out that the more you put into this job, the more you get out of it. I hustled last year and worked entirely too much, but this year I’m able to choose more carefully which brands I work with. My goal this year is to get a lot of brands to support projects with positive social impact because why do I have this platform if I’m not using it that way?”
How her business has changed since COVID-19: “My long term partnerships thankfully are still active, however I know that it could change at any moment. I’ve had a lot of work this month, surprisingly ― but I have also accepted slightly lower rates if a brand has asked. I value transparency and relationships with all of my partnerships and I don’t mind working with the budget if I am able to. I’ve also felt very fortunate during this time and keep giving back to my community because I just feel like it’s the right thing to do.”
Sabrina Molu (@sabrinamolu, Simply Sabrina)
Sabrina Molu, an influencer in Atlanta, started her beauty- and lifestyle-focused blog back in 2012 as “just a hobby.” It took her two years to get her first paid campaign, but these days she has roughly 75,000 blog readers per month (and no shortage of partnerships).
Brand category: Beauty
Deliverables: “The brand wanted a blog post, a round of social (evergreen Pinterest pin, static Instagram post, Facebook post, tweet, 3-5 Instagram stories), three images with one-year digital limited rights to repurpose content, and whitelist with paid advertising.” Whitelisting gives advertisers access to an influencer’s social account, allowing them to optimize paid media and make sure their ad dollars are reaching the right audience.
What she was offered initially: $2,000
What she was paid in the end: $3,000
Expenses associated with this collaboration: “The product was shipped to me and I worked with my usual team for photography, editing and optimization.”
Exclusivity: One week before and one week after
How long did the post need to stay live: One year
Turnaround time: Three to four weeks
Her POV: “I see sponsored content like traditional magazines. You have a collection of interesting articles, beautiful imagery, and maybe even a quiz or two ― and in order to produce this highly engaging content that you love, I need to sell ad space. The good news is that the ads are integrated into content that I would normally create, it feels seamless. All brands are vetted by me and all content is written by me, the editor ― a person who you (the reader) know, like and trust. Brands are not only paying for access to my content, but they are paying for content creation, for rights to use those images and for my likeness. It’s easier to make a case to a brand when you understand not only the demographics but the psychographics of your reader and how that aligns with their target market.”
How her business has changed since COVID-19: “As with many industries, COVID-19 has affected the business of influencer marketing. With many sponsorship deals being put on pause or canceled, creators are feeling the difference in their pockets. On the flip side, we are creating more than ever before. My blog has hit an all-time high traffic month with record-breaking numbers and my audience is more engaged than ever before. The pandemic has impacted us all, but when you do what you love, you find wins where you can. While I hope business can resume sooner rather than later, I know that this will be a slow recovery for many industries, influencer marketing included. Hopefully, the content that I serve to my audience during this time will continue to build a relationship of trust and dependability for my readers.”
Amanda Burrows (@affordablebyamanda, Affordable By Amanda)
Amanda Burrows is the St. Petersburg, Florida-based blogger behind Affordable By Amanda and has been creating content for four years now. Her niche focuses on (you guessed it) affordable fashion, but also includes beauty and travel content. She shares that it took two years to land her first paid blog post.
Brand category: Fashion
Deliverables: “One 300-word blog post with 4-5 high-res images, one Instagram in-feed post with 3-5 IG stories.”
What she was offered initially: $2,000
What she was paid in the end: $2,500
Expenses associated with this collaboration: “I hired a professional photographer to help me capture the images for this blog post. I had to purchase the product for the shoot. I also had to drive to the location where my shoot was taking place.”
Exclusivity: Six months
How long did the post need to stay live: One year
Turnaround time: Three weeks
Her POV: “Making income through sponsored content needs to be a two-way street. The influencer has a responsibility to create compelling and original content and should be paid accordingly. There’s been change as of this year in what the typical cost to hire an influencer looks like. Brands need to consider authentic followers and insights when choosing who to work with and ditch the notion that it matters what numerical size his or her audience looks like. For example, we are seeing a huge shift in authentic, real-life, in-the-moment content rather than stylized photo shoots to highlight a product. Sponsored content should look and feel as authentic as possible! When an influencer chooses to partner with a brand, it should feel like a seamless addition to their blog and social channels. Personally, I choose to work with fewer brands so I don’t come across greedy or unnatural. I carefully decide who to work with on my end as a blogger to create the best end results in a campaign. My goal is to continue a long-term relationship with just a couple of well-known brands rather than work with hundreds of different ones.”
How her business has changed since COVID-19: “I’ve had numerous campaigns either postponed or canceled altogether because of COVID-19, which is to be expected with the stay-at-home order in place here in Florida. Thankfully, I’ve been paid from the campaigns I had to go live in April. I have a few campaigns going live in August. I’ve had some campaign opportunities come through to go live in May with COVID-19 in mind featuring at-home workout ideas, cooking at home ideas, and cozy loungewear. I am definitely not seeing the typical brand sponsorships I would normally see, but there’s been a shift in the type of content to post about due to the pandemic, for obvious reasons. I’m also spending more time growing my video content and TikTok accounts these days with more people enjoying this type of content from their phones.”
Before You Go
