Guide To Sponsored Posts & Blogging Collaborations

Friday, August 14, 2020

Blogging collaborations are a great way to make money, meet new people and create new content for your blog. It can be hard to find brands that collaborate with small bloggers, but there are some options for you to try! There different types of paid and un-paid blog collaborations that you can do! Whether you're looking to increase your DA score or monetise your blog, this post goes through blog collaborations and where to find them! 

The image shows a girl with ripped jeans sitting on a bed. She has a laptop and an iPhone next to her. The blanket she is sitting on is grey and fluffy.

There are lots of different collaborations that you can do. Some of them are paid, but not all. You can accept collaborations on your blog or work on other people's blog! Collaborations are a great way to get your name out there, increase your DA score and work with brands! You may even make some money from it!


Collaborations For Your Blog


Whether you're working with brands or featuring other bloggers, there are lots of collaborations you can have on your blog! If you're looking to expand your blog, here are some collaborations you can look at trying! These are all collaborations that you can have on your blog.


  • Guest Writers - Guest posts are where a blogger will write you a blog post based on your guidelines. It is usually unpaid, but some bloggers will charge you to write a blog post for you. You can also ask bloggers to pay a fee for hosting their content on your blog. I love having guest writers on my blog, but I don't charge. 
  • Pre-written Advertorials - A brand will have already written a post for you to publish. They will pay you to have it on your blog. These are easy collaborations to make money from but won't pay you as much as you don't write the content.
  • Sponsored Posts - Brands will pay you to write a promotional piece for your blog. It may directly promote a product or be embedded within a post.
  • Advertising - Brands and bloggers may pay you to advertise their websites on your blog. This is usually in the form of a banner on the sidebar! You could also sign up to Mediavine or Adsense.
  • Gifted Posts - Brands will send you products to try out. They typically expect a review & social media promotion in return. You can ask for payment depending on your stats and how much the product is worth. 
  • Sponsored Social Media Post - Similar to sponsored posts, a brand will pay you to promote its products on your social media. This typically applies to Instagram influencers.
  • Affiliation - A brand might give you an affiliate link. If a reader buys a product through your link, you will get a commission. It isn't recommended to only do affiliation with collaboration, as you may not get a worthy enough payment for your work. Try to combine it with another post!


Collaborations On Other Blogs/Websites


Blogging for other sites or being included in posts is a great way to boost your DA score. It allows you to also engage with other bloggers in the community. If you collaborate on another website, you could also charge a fee for the work you do. 


  • Content Creation - A brand may pay you to create a post for their website! This could be a blog post or promotional piece. For example, you could write a post for their own blog or create graphics for a product launch. 
  • Guest Writing - You can guest write for other bloggers or businesses. It's a great way to get your name out there, although this collaboration is usually not paid. If you're looking to increase your DA score, I'd recommend guest writing.
  • Other Features - Soe other features you can do include round-up posts and interviews with other bloggers! Try and be included, as it'll increase your DA score! You'll also get your blog posts seen by a new audience, but make sure you're getting the credit! 

Why Should You Accept Blogging Collaborations?


First of all, you don't have to accept anything you're offered. Collaborations need to suit you, as well as the brand. You need to make sure what they're offering is fair! If you're thinking about accepting them, here are some reasons why you should go for it!


  • It allows you to make long term connections with brands.
  • It allows you to promote new and exciting products to your readers.
  • You have the chance to try new things that may help you (especially if you have skin conditions, allergies etc.)
  • You can connect with other bloggers.
  • You can increase your side income and make a living from blogging.
  • You can grow your blog & your audience quicker.


When Should You Accept A Blog Collaboration?


Blogging collaborations are exciting projects. It lets you work with your favourite brands and bloggers, increasing your reach and getting paid to do something you love! You shouldn't accept every off that is given to you! It can become overwhelming, and you won't be putting all your effort into a post. You should only accept offers when: 


  • The collaboration seems genuine and is from a trusted brand.
  • The brand and products align with your blog.
  • It will be something your audience appreciates.
  • You want to make long term connections with the brand.
  • You have the time, dedication and effort to return a high-quality blog or social media post. Even if they aren't paying you, it should be your best work!
  • You want to grow your blog by connecting with other bloggers.


Where Do I Find Sponsored Posts?


Now for the bit you've been waiting for! Blogging collaborations can be hard to come by unless you know where to look! Here are some of the most common places to find paid and gifted opportunities.


Online Websites


Get Blogged is a great blogging site for paid posts. It works off of DA score (you need a minimum of 10), and you get more money the higher your score. The jobs aren't as well paid as other sites, but everyone needs to start somewhere! It is easy to join and apply for jobs. The site is updated regularly for new opportunities. I found that after a while, I couldn't grow with this site anymore. They use the same brands, so you won't get picked for opportunities if you've already worked with them.

Bloggers required has a lot of gifted and paid opportunities to choose from. There are collaborations for every niche, so you'll always find something! Bloggers Required have jobs for brands like Holland & Barret, Snapfish, Ryman and more! Application is easy, and I find that the jobs are typically well paid. I have found some of my favourite collaborations on this website. 

The Blogger Programme is hit and miss. There are lots of opportunities, but they typically need you to have a very high following. It's great if you have followers, but I like to use the site to get ideas for collaborations. I personally haven't had any luck with TBP.


Pitching


Pitching involves emailing the brands and pitching your blog, the collaboration and why you'd make a good fit. Rather than you waiting for an opportunity, you go out and create your own. You choose the brands, and there is less competition if you get posts this way. 

I wrote a whole post on pitching, which includes email templates for you to try out! It also talks about the pitching do's and don'ts, so you can work with the brands you want! Make sure you include a media kit, as this makes you stand out. 


Social Media Callouts


 I have picked up sponsored posts through social media. I have joined lots of Facebook groups that have brands posting opportunities regularly. You will have to apply and pitch for these, but they usually pay well. 

Twitter is a good place for networking. You'll find collaboration opportunities under hashtags such as "bloggerswanted" or "bloggersrequired". If you see accounts that promote these hashtags regularly, it might be a good idea to follow them. Twitter is great for last-minute jobs with relatively decent budgets. It's where I found my first few sponsored posts!

I love Facebook groups! Every day, there are a couple of new collaborations posted on groups. Some of my favourite Facebook groups are "UK Influencer Opportunities" or "Blogger Opportunities". If you don't find blogging opportunities, you still get to network with bloggers and help each other out. There are also groups to exchange guest posts if you're looking for backlinks. 



How Much To Charge For Sponsored Posts


I ran a survey for bloggers to try and find an accurate answer to this question. I was shocked by the range of responses as some were undercharging their services. You can charge however much you'd like to a sponsored post, but make sure it's worth your time. Don't undersell yourself! 


Charging On DA score


Less than 10: Bloggers with a DA score of less than £30 for a sponsored post. A third of bloggers with a DA score of less than 10 charged between £30 and £80. Don't undersell yourself! 

A score of 10-19: 51% of bloggers in this category charged between £30 and £50. The remaining 49% would charge £50-£80. 

A score of 20-29: There was a mixed response for this category. Most bloggers charged £50-£80, but several bloggers charged up to £200. 

A score of 30-39: Most of the bloggers charge between £150-£200. This category has a clear winner!

A score of 40 or more: Most bloggers charged £150 and upwards, and 60% of bloggers in this category would charge over £200. 

Breakdown: 

  • DA of >10 - Charge less than £30
  • DA 10-19 - Charge between £30-£80
  • DA 20-29 - Charge between £50-£120
  • DA 30-39 - Charge between £150-200
  • DA 40+ - Charge £150 or more

As you can see, there is no clear answer to what to charge. Only you can determine what you think your time is worth. Please remember this is what other bloggers are charging. I am not saying you can't invoice more or less! The answers were varied, and I know that I would invoice a lot more for a blog post. Stop underselling yourself. It dents your profits and can affect other bloggers too. 


Charging On Pageviews


I only knew about DA scores in the last few months. When I started my original blog, it went off of page views. I decided that I should look at pageviews and compare them to DA scores! These are page views per month.

Less than 1,000: Bloggers who had less than 1,000 page views a month didn't charge over £50 for a blog post

1,000 - 5,000: Bloggers in this category charged anywhere from £30-£80. Some even charged up to £150!

5,000 - 10,000: No blogger in this category charged less than £50. Most charged between £50 and £100

10,000 - 15,000: Most bloggers charged between £80 and £150 in this category

15,000 - 25,000: I was shocked to see that 2/3 of bloggers in this category charged under £80! The remaining 1/3 charged £150-£200. It's interesting to see this as a result!

25,000 or more: All bloggers in this category charge £150 or more, most of which exceed £200!

Breakdown: 

  • Less than 1,000 - Charge less than £50
  • 1,000 - 5,000 - Charge between £30-£80
  • 5,000 - 10,000 - Charge between £50-£100
  • 10,000 - 15,000 - Charge between £80-150
  • 15,000 - 25,000 - Charge... £80?
  • 25,000+ - Charge £150 or more

I was really shocked to see how much bloggers charge based on page views. Although there wasn't as much range as DA scores, I was surprised to see bloggers with 15,000 - 25,000 page views charge less than bloggers with fewer page views.


Charing For Sponsored Instagram Posts


There has been a rise in sponsored Instagram posts, so I thought I would look into how much influencers charged for that! I haven't had experience with sponsored Instagram posts, but I am excited to one day get there!

Less than 1,000 followers: Most bloggers didn't charge if they have under 1,000 followers. Those who did charge less than £50

1,000 - 2,000 followers: Bloggers with less than 2,000 followers would charge no more than £50 for a sponsored Instagram post

2,000 - 5,000 followers: There was no clear answer for this category. If you're in this category, the ranges varied from £50 to £125

5,000 - 10,000 followers: Most influencers charged over £50, none of them charged over £125. There were a lot of bloggers who didn't charge more than £50 as well, which was interesting to see
10,000 followers or more: All the bloggers in this category charged more than £75, most of which charged over £125

Breakdown: 

  • Less than 1,000 - Don't charge for posts
  • 1,000 - 2,000 - Charge less than £50
  • 2,000 - 5,000 - Charge between £50-£125
  • 5,000 - 10,000 - Charge between £50-£125
  • 10,000+ - Charge between £75 - £150+

There was a lot of variation. It seems like a lot of bloggers are underselling themselves, but that depends on their relationship with the brand. It's nice to see that you can make money from Instagram sponsorships!


What You Should Watch Out For


Unfair Payments or Offers - Brands can take advantage of smaller bloggers. Make sure you're happy with the collaboration and getting fair payment. It's also not worth accepting commission-based jobs. Under no circumstance should you pay for an item, whether that be the product or postage. 

Do-Follows Links - Do-follow links can be confusing. Essentially you can get penalised by Google for using them. Google does this as brands will buy links to improve their DA score and rank higher. If you want to find out more, this is a helpful article!

Not Getting Paid - One issue I have found is slow or late invoices. Make sure you keep track of what you're owed and by who. Chase up the brands if necessary. The Bloglancer has a great freebie on getting late invoices paid!

Legal Requirements - There a few things you need to include in your post. The legal side of blogging is important. Make sure you use AD along with GIFTED or SPONSORED. You also need to disclose affiliated links and track your income. Anything over £1000 needs to be reported as taxable income! I have a whole blog post on the legal side of blogging, so you don't get caught out!

Not Disclosing The Brand - If the brand doesn't want to be disclosed or doesn't want you to include "AD", that is a major red flag. Don't work with brands that ask you to do this.


Well, that's a lot! There is so much to learn about collaborations, and you pick things up along the way! I love working with other bloggers and brands to create unique content. Make sure you know what you're going into, including the legal parts. If it doesn't seem legit, don't accept the collaboration! What is your favourite type of blogger collaboration, and what your best one was! Let me know what your collaboration tips are!

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22 comments

  1. This is a really great list, Emily! I am trying to expand my blogging network, so this is really useful for me. Thank you for creating this detailed information. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great, I wish you all the best! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  2. Thanks for these tips. Sometimes, I get emails to collaborate with them but instead of getting paid, they highlight the "exposure" part and all other excuses. Hoping I can land a sponsored post soon!

    thequeensights.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't like the businesses that think they can get free promotion! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

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  3. Brilliant advice, I am just starting to apply for more and have found a few of these really useful. I will definitely check out some more of these sites for oppourtunities.

    I hardly ever use the facebook groups though, I will go and check them out. Thanks for sharing x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Facebook is touch and go, but I've found some really good ones on there recently! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  4. I think making sure you have time to dedicate to a project is so important, and I'm glad you included a section here about when you should accept a collaboration :) Great post, so helpful to me as I'm starting to reach out to places etc. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It can be easy to accept everything, but you NEED to make sure you can fulfil the task! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  5. I've been looking more into monetizing my blog through a few of these methods so thanks for sharing this post! I'm a little nervous to get started because I don't want to get too overwhelmed with things, but I'm going to try to ease into it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It can be nerve-wracking, but take things slow! Don't take on too much and the more confidence you gain, the more you can pick up jobs! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

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  6. This is such a helpful list! Being a new blogger, it can be tough to make genuine connections since sometimes you just dont know where to start. A great network and resources are always nice to have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It can be hard, but not impossible. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

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  7. This was so informative and you helped me make a decision on a collab I was offered. It's definitely not for me. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

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  8. Thanks for sharing, I have started to do Guest posts for other bloggers and opening up my blog for it, I had a couple of brands that did want me to put AD in the subject title so I did it anyway!

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  9. This has been a very inscuiteful post! Thank you. I will be referencing this when looking for ideas on growing my blog.
    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  10. Great post! Thank you for sharing this! It is so informative and useful to me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

      Em x

      Delete
  11. Perfect simple advice
    Very useful information
    Great work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for sharing, lots of helpful information.

    ReplyDelete