To charge or not to charge…that is the question…
THE STORY
…When I first started the blog six years ago, it was simply because it seemed like a fun thing to do. I enjoy style and fashion and I love to write so a personal style blog seemed like the perfect outlet.
It was and it still is although some things have changed. I still remember when I was contacted for the very first time to do a sponsored post, even though at the time I didn’t know that’s what it was. I was so excited to receive that first product, style it and write up a review to share with my readers.
Over time I received more and more requests from various brands/small businesses. Even though I couldn’t imagine it initially, I got to the place where many requests/offers were and still are turned down. Sometimes the demands for the posts were outrageous.
I stopped working with one company with whom I had an ongoing relationship after their demands continued to increase, but all they were offering in return were a few pieces of cheaply made clothing. When I had the audacity to politely point this out to them and ask for monetary compensation as well, that spelled the sudden death of that particular partnership. And do you know what? I was more than okay with that.
Most of the collaborations that I participate in have been unpaid. In my view, as long as the product offered was of value to myself and my readers that was fine. And let me say right now, as not to offend anyone, if you are a blogger and that is how you operate your blog that is your prerogative…I have no problem with that. However, that is no longer fine for me and for my blog.
Over the last several months my mindset has changed in regard to a lot of areas and one of those is the blog and my social media channels. It just started to nag at me that I was putting in an awful lot of work for zero compensation. In my personal life I’m working hard on changing how people treat/value me and how much I value myself, so why shouldn’t valuing myself be an across the board thing?
For those of you who aren’t bloggers, you might be thinking, “So what? You’re getting free stuff.” The reality is, the stuff isn’t “free”. You may not realize the time and effort that goes into producing a single blog post. There’s styling the outfits (or styling the product if it isn’t clothing), taking photos, editing the photos and writing the content. Then the post needs to be shared through social media channels and/or link ups.
I’m not complaining about the work…obviously I enjoy doing this or I wouldn’t be doing it. But…when a post is sponsored there is a lot of additional work. Specific links must be inserted into the posts and often specific wording or photos are required. Add into that requests for several social media posts (which require a whole other batch of shooting/writing/tagging) and specific timelines are often thrown into the mix and my friends, that is a lot of work for a pair of shoes/top/skincare product.
I strongly believe that we, as bloggers, are sorely undervalued by brands/advertisers. They expect us to advertise for them with no compensation in return. As Catherine at Not Dressed As Lamb said, are you going to request that a plumber do your kitchen and bathroom with tea and biscuits as compensation? Is the plumber in question going to be willing to work for tea and biscuits? Ya, probably not. I’ve read a number of articles recently which lead me to believe that a number of us are starting to feel this way.
Some may think that I’m getting too big for my britches. That however, is not the case. I can still deliver quality content to you, my readers, by styling my own clothing that I have purchased myself and writing stories that entertain and inform without products from brands/businesses.
With that being said, if I am going to feature something on the blog that provides value to you and exposure to my readers for a brand, why shouldn’t they be compensating me for not only the extra work that I put into posting, but also the advertising that they are receiving? If I don’t start valuing myself and my work, no one else is going to either.
Is this going to result in me receiving fewer “free” products? I’m certain of it. But guess what? That’s okay. A pretty skirt that I could have bought for myself isn’t worth feeling like I’m worth less than I know I am…
THE OUTFIT
This paisley velvet blazer is one of my favorites. The colors, the print, and well…it’s velvet. It’s actually part of a suit that I have styled with both sneakers and then pink velvet boots. It’s also proven to be an easy way to dress up a pair of jeans although that particular outfit didn’t make the blog.
I realized that it would be perfect paired with my pink velvet Pixie Pants from Old Navy when I noticed how pretty they looked hanging next to the suit pants in my closet. The textures are the same and the pink shade of the pants blends perfectly with the varying hues in the blazer.
It’s not intentional, but more often than not when I wear a blazer, you’ll find a graphic tee underneath. While I love blazers, they aren’t necessarily part of my everyday vibe. Perhaps it’s my subconscious telling me to throw on a graphic tee to stay true to my style aesthetic even when I’m wearing something that’s not typical of who I am. How’s that for some deep fashion thinking?
THE TIP
View your suits as separates. While a suit was of course made to be worn together, the individual pieces typically work well with other things that you have in your closet, thus giving your suit way more mileage than it would have had if you only wore the pieces together.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Blazer: Loft (Similar); Pants: Old Navy (Similar); Tee: Similar; Boots: Aldo (Similar)
