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You blog to make money. Right? You may currently have ads and use affiliate marketing, but those are not the only way to make money.
Sponsored posts are the smart way to make money on your blog. In short, you get paid to write about products or services on your site.
It sounds simple enough. Right?
But where do you find companies, brands, or partners who are willing to pay you? And, more importantly, what is involved, and how much do you charge for a sponsored post?
We’ll cover it all here for you. By the time you are done, you’ll be ready to start pitching!!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty in this post, you’ll want to sign up for the free affiliate marketing course. I started doing sponsored posts in 2009 and share what I’ve learned over the years – to save you from making missteps along the way.
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What are sponsored posts?
A sponsored post is content creators and influencers publish on behalf of brands. These companies are seeking to get their product, content, or name in front of their ideal customer.
Ads are everywhere, and while the typical ad you see stands out (think the commercial on TV), the sponsored post is more subtle. While it is an ad, it doesn’t always appear that way.
They differ from ads as they are content rather than that large flashing box you see in the middle of a post. They are articles that, if done the right way, don’t even look like an ad.
Sponsored posts can take on many forms, and it is based on what the brand is looking for, such as:
- Blog posts on your site
- Newsletter inclusions or blasts
- Product reviews or giveaways
- Videos
- Brand promotional shares
- Stories
Brands use bloggers, influencers, and podcasters to get the word out about their brand. Even if you think you don’t have enough followers or pageviews, you can do sponsored posts.
Your readers trust you to share what they need to know to improve their lives.
Why not get paid to do it?
Why should I do sponsored posts?
I’ll be blunt. They guarantee you make money.
You may be using affiliate marketing or ads to generate an income on your site. While they can be effective, there is one problem.
Traffic.
Algorithms change all the time. We see this on Pinterest, Google, and other social media platforms. One small change and the traffic you were getting can be gone, taking with it, your income.
If people can’t find your site, you are not going to make money. When you write a sponsored post, you know you will get paid no matter what changes the algorithms throw your way.
How to get started with sponsored blog posts
Now that you know you want to explore this a bit more, where do you start?
Use a Network
The simplest way to get started is by working with a sponsored posts network. These firms connect brands and influencers. No more searching for work – it comes to you!!
Some of those you can try include:
- Acorn Influence
- Blog Dash
- Blog Meets Brand
- Clever
- Find Your Influence
- IZEA
- Markerly
- Pollinate
- Revinfluence
- Social Fabric
- Social Stars
- Tap In Influence
- Weave Meade Made Media
You create an account and attach your social media channels and blog as requested. Complete your profile thoroughly so brands know as much as possible about you, which can result in better offers.
Once a sponsor wants to work with you, they will reach out through the network’s system. Then, follow the instructions to accept, decline, or negotiate the offer and then write the content.
Contact companies directly
You may also want to reach out directly to companies to see if they want to advertise on your site. Making a direct connection can result in a higher payout than using a network.
But how do you know who you should contact? Which companies will be most willing to partner with you?
Look around your house for the products or services you currently use that are a fit for your site. You’ve got a company right there! You already believe in it as you use it yourself.
Let’s say you are a fashion blogger, and you want to find someone to promote on Instagram. What brands are in your closet? That is who you contact! You are already a fan, so it may be a natural fit to see if they want to pay you to share their newest spring product.
Reach out to the partner by tweeting them on Twitter. You can also shoot them a quick cold pitch email. It needs to let them know why they should partner with you. No fees. No overselling here. Just short and sweet.
Hi there! My name is __________ and I run the blog _____________. I share ___________________.
“Talk about how you know the product or the brand.”
Since our readers overlap and I already know and want to share your product with them, I’d love to partner to create a sponsored post on my site.
Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks and have a great day!
Remember, this is your first impression — so make it count!
Watch your inbox
After blogging or being on social media for a while, you will get sponsored post offers in your inbox.
While some are legitimate, most will be those that are not a fit. After all, you should never do a sponsored post unless it is a company you can promote with 100% confidence.
Sponsored posts are more than money; they are also about your reputation. So choose wisely.
How much should you charge for sponsored posts?
There is not a one-size-fits-all answer. The amount you make will vary from blogger to blogger. However, you need to be paid what you are worth.
No blogger should ever take less than $250 for a sponsored post.
Even if you are new? Yes. Especially if you are new.
A sponsored post takes time. You have to research, write, edit, and promote. You should be paid what you are worth and are worth far more than a free product or $50.
As time goes on and you have growth and influence, you can (and should) charge more. You will need to consider several factors. Things like:
- Traffic
- Engagement
- Social Media Presence
- Newsletter open rates
- Videos
Each of these has a value. In turn, you will use those figures to determine your sponsorship value — or what to charge for your sponsored article.
To ensure you always get paid what you are worth, use a sponsored posts calculator to get an accurate rate.
How much can I charge for an Instagram post?
More and more brands are looking to partner with influencers by sharing content only on social media, namely Instagram. The amount you can charge for a sponsored post on Instagram varies based on the number of followers you have on your site and your engagement.
In short – brands want engaged fans – not just high numbers.
If you have a highly engaged following, you can charge $50, $100, and more for one post! It is important to use the right tool to calculate your sponsored post rate, so you get paid what you are worth.
When can I start doing sponsored content?
The idea of sponsored work can be very tempting but there are things you need to have in place before brands will want to work with you.
Consistent Traffic
If you aren’t getting much traffic to your site, there is no reason brands will want to work with you.
So, how much traffic do you need?
You want to get at least 1,000 pageviews each month for at least 3 – 4 months. That is easy to prove to brands who may ask to see your analytics or stats.
If you aren’t yet there yet, focus your efforts on learning proper SEO, as that will be more sustainable and take you where you want to go.
Have an engaged social media following
When it comes to social media, everyone thinks that all that matters is having a high following. While that can help, what matters, even more is an engaged following.
If you have 100,000 Instagram followers and less than 1% ever see or engage with your content, that is only 1,000 people. However, if you have 25,000 followers and your engagement rate is 8%, that more than 2,000 people who love what you post.
Brands need to know they can get the results they hope for when working with you. Focus more on your engagement rate (aim for at least 3 – 5%) rather than the number of followers.
Well-written site
Before a brand will work with you, it needs to ensure that you are a fit. That means what you write about connects with their potential customer. It is one of the reasons why niching down matters.
If your content is all over the place and inconsistent, brands will not want to partner with you. However, if your messaging and articles are clear, they will be more willing to pay you to write about them.
Disclosures required
There are legal things issues you need to know about when it comes to sponsored work. You own your site, but you must comply legally and use the proper tags to keep Google happy.
Mandatory FTC disclosure statement
Many bloggers do not realize that if you do a sponsored post, there are FTC requirements. You absolutely must disclose this in your article.
Your statement must appear at the top of the article – before the content. That means you can’t slap it at the bottom of your post. Readers must know that the content they are about to read is paid placement before they read.
For example, most networks will require a disclosure to be placed at the very beginning. It is often something like:
This is a sponsored post on behalf of ABC company. All opinions are my own.
I have also seen it done where it is naturally incorporated into the first paragraph in the article. For example:
It is time to get busy with your holiday baking! I’ve partnered with ABC company to share a new and simple fudge recipe your family is going to absolutely love!
If the sponsored content is on social media, you need to use the #ad on all posts and properly tag as required (Instagram and Facebook).
All links in sponsored posts must include the proper rel code for Google
When you place a link that you are paid to put on your site, you must send signals to Google that it is a paid link. The reason is they do not want people buying links sites to boost their ranking. However, they understand that partnerships such as sponsorships are vital. They use it as a hint to let them know that the content was paid to decide how to handle the link (source).
It is simple to add to your code. Open the blog post and find the link (click on the HTML view for your blog post). Then, add the wording to the link. It needs to look something like this:
BEFORE THE SPONSORED LINK
<ahref = “link to ABC company’s product target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>text for product</a>
AFTER THE SPONSORED LINK
<ahref = “link to ABC company’s product target=”_blank” rel=”noopener sponsored”>text for product</a>
*Note that if you use something other than WordPress, your link may appear slightly different from this, but you must also include the sponsored code.
Before you jump in and do your first sponsored post, make sure you fully understand how to use no-follow or sponsored so you do not get a manual action from Google, which can hurt your rankings.
The biggest mistakes bloggers make
After having done sponsored posts for more than a decade and helping countless bloggers learn what to do, I’ve seen my fair share of mistakes. Here are some you need to avoid making.
Failing to have a media kit
A media kit is a resume. It outlines your target audience, your current stats, and what you have to offer to the brand.
You need one.
You can find various templates and styles online. Take the time to make one and have it ready to send to a brand that wants to work with you.
Forgetting to update your stats
Your site will grow over time. That means more traffic and social media engagement. As a result of that, you can charge more too!
Make sure you keep your stats up to date on your media kit, in your sponsored posts calculator, and on any sponsored post platforms you utilize.
Being too scared to do it
What is the worst thing that will happen if you pitch a brand? They would say no, right? That’s not the end of the world.
But imagine if they say yes!
The same is true with negotiating rates. Brands are going to pay you the least amount they can. Don’t take the offer. Counter at a higher rate! You will often find you can get paid more than where they started.
Failing to invest in learning
As I said, I’ve been at this for a long, long time and have learned what to do (and not to do) when it comes to brands.
You want to master sponsored posts and make as much as possible, right? That is where investing in your education makes sense.
Sponsored Success is the course to do just that! You will learn the detailed tricks I’ve used to land sponsorships with companies such as Staples, Academy Sports, Sam’s Cub, Zyrtec, Dollar General, Lending Tree…and more!
I dish it all! No secret. No holding back.
If sponsored posts are part of your monetization strategy, you need to get started.
Stop getting paid pennies on your blog and take control of your income growth. Sign up for Sponsored Sucess!
Turn Your Blog Posts Into Profits
Download my FREE pitching guide to ensure you put your best foot forward with every offer you make.
Sponsored posts are a great way to make money for your site and provide valuable content and information to your readers.
What about bloggers with small but engaged readership? I don’t think it’s all about numbers I’ve worked with amazing brands who approached me and they’ve offered fantastic prices because they love my writing style and photography. If I followed this I’d be charging less than ten dollars!! Just a thought!
That is your BASE rate. In the sponsored post guideline download (see above), I go through other ways to review and increase your rate. I also am very clear that you should never, ever charge less than $250 for a sponsored post.
Download that guide to learn more about how to really calculate your sponsored post rate – it has lots of good nuggets.
I was having issues in figuring the right amount to charge for a sponsored post, thanks for this guide
You are very welcome. Good luck – I hope you rock your sponsorships!
Hey Tracie,
Nicely described. The calculation is really very helpful to others bloggers. Also, the PA & DA can add value to the sponsored post. What do you thinking? Thanks for the share…
Apsawra Liza
@HealthEighteen
It sure can. If you have a higher authority, you can absolutely raise that rate.
Is the sponsored post rate a fixed amount or a monthly amount?
I set it as a fixed amount. If someone wants multiple posts, you can negotiate the rate and payment details accordingly.
Well. $250 is way too much for my viewership. I get maybe 1000 views a month on 500 visitors. Where should someone go from there?
Why do you feel that is the case? It is not too much. These advertisers will take advantage of you if you let them. $250 is perfectly reasonable. Why? Because it is on your site for life. 😉 Do not undersell yourself!
Thank you for simplifying this! I landed on your page about 1/2 way into my research but this covers everything I need! Thank you again.
You are very welcome! And, that is what I was trying to do – to give someone all of the information they needed in one post.
Is the charge of $250 no high for a new blog with few posts and engagemen? how can you charge for those? Does location/country play a role in pricing?
Location can definitely play a role. Companies have an advertising budget so they will pay. They also have to keep in mind that the content is on your site forever. So they pay now and it will get eyes on it for a long, long time.
What a wonderful post – thank you so much Tracie! It gave me just the info I needed to respond to a request tonight.
Yeah! Glad that it was helpful for you! Hope you get a great offer for your sponsorship!
Hi Tracie,
Thank you for this article, it is very helpful. I am just starting out so am doing a lot of reading/research. I find all your remarks in Carly’s blogging to be so beneficial! Thanks for your willingness to help other bloggers. Have a great 2019!
Thanks Julie! Bloggers should all be willing to help one another when they can. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to email me!
This was really helpful. It can be so hard knowing what to charge. This gave me the needed push to set a rate that is fair for all the time I invest in sponsorships.
Glad it helped!!!
Based on 200,000+ monthly readers in neuroscientia.com I charge between $200 to $300 per sponsored post.
You could probably get at least 2 – 4x that amount! I would try to charge much more than you are.
I think how much a blog charge should be based on how much traffic it gets and how much authority it commands.
Yes. That is part of it. That is why the calculator also includes different tiers and features that take all of that into consideration.
Hi thanks for shared amazing information about sponsored post, I just a beginner and searching information about the said activity, If you want to give me some hidden tips, I shall appreciate you that straggle,
So, really appreciate you if you kindly provide some hidden and useful tips on my email,
Thanks!
Sign up for the free course in the email so you can learn even more! I share some great things there that are not in this post.
Hi, when doing a sponsored post am I to just price the post based on the regular post through my initial following, or do I consider doing the IG promotion thing that will include the “read more” or “shop now” etc bar/button at the bottom of said post to reach a larger audience?
If doing the IG promotion is to be considered, what should I put since you can go as little as $1 a day for advertising?
So the content creating to be sponsored, plus doing the IG promotion once it’s posted….is what I’m trying to ask.
It is the price with the initial following. The advertiser will tell you how much to put behind the ad and you can add that in. So, the rate includes both together.
Let’s say your rate is $300 for the post and $150 for the ad. The rate would be $450.
Nice post – thanks! One offer I had from a company recently was that they would pay for a sponsored post but would also pay me a nice commission for every customer I referred from the sponsored post. Because of this I was OK with a lower rate for the sponsored post (but still very fair). Over the longer term I think that I will benefit way more from having those affiliate links in the sponsored content.
I have also done that myself! It is one of the strategies I have used to negotiate with potential sponsors – and it works great! Glad to hear others are doing the same!!
Great info Tracie.
I’m currently researching what rate to set for sponsored posts on my blog.
Love the idea of using tiered pricing.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! The funny thing is that no one ever buys the bottom tier – they all go for the middle! 😉
Tracie, thanks for this awesome post. I never knew the sponsored link should have code for Google crawler. I am also just leaning the pricing formula too. Fantastic post.
Thanks! Lots ot learn about this type of post!
Tracie, thank you soooo much. When you are applying to be accepted to a sponsored post network, what kind of information are they looking for? Does it have to do with a social media following? Thank you again for this posy.
It is a mix of your audience and social. You may not make as much when you have smaller followings (when using those networks), but it is a great way to dip your toes into sponsored posts and then have samples to show other potential sponsors.
This is an amazingly thorough post. Some day I would love to do sponsored posts although it makes me rather nervous. My traffic isn’t very big yet though. I did reach out a few months ago to a company and since then have been waiting to build up my traffic before doing so again. Thanks for the great info. I’ll definitely be back to read it again when I get my traffic up enough to try again.
It may sound scary but it isn’t. They are easy as you get told what to write about – which helps! Get that traffic and your social accounts built up a little and then give it a shot!
Thank you for the post it didnt tell me eactly what to charge but it gave me a mindset. My site is a football niche site, almost everyone is doing it but its a selling market for bookmakers and sports advisors so it I will go for 100$ per article and give a discount on multiple.
I would never charge only $100 for a post! I say in the article to always charge at least $250 – that is your starting point. Grab the calculator in the shop to get a better estimate for your site.
Nice post about charging for sponsored posts. I’m wondering, when you say “traffic” here are you talking about monthly visitors, sessions, or pageviews?
Pageviews. That is what sponsors will be looking for when they reach out.
Hi Tracy! I love how you pack so much info into your training post. I haven’t pressed the button yet on my website but I am almost ready. I have a set goal and reading is learning for now. I like your courses and have also added Learn Grow Earn sessions! My goal is to reach good numbers by September to start asking for affiliate sponsors while building a new home. Thanks
Congratulations on your Chiefs!
Thank you! I want to give you as much information as I can so it makes sense and it easy to understand. I love your goal – that makes so much sense!!
And thanks — we are pretty proud here in KC!!!
Thanks so much for the great article! 🙂
A question, I see in the comments you say the links will be on the site for life, should one ever rather enforce a time limit on the links, eg. saying the links will be dofollow in the sponsored post article for say a year or 2, depending on the amount paid?
Then also, when these agencies come to bloggers for sponsored posts, usually they want do follow links right, but according to google one should tag these as ‘rel=”sponsored”‘. Should we exclude this attribute if they will only offer the sponsored post without the attribute?
I hope it all makes sense 🙂
You are weclome! You would need to put it in your contract if the post will come down at any time. The links will always be tagged as sponsored as that never changes…that will not go away.
if someone aks you for a do follow link – run! Do not engage with them. They know what they are doing. 😉
great post, thanks for sharing
Hello Tracie,
thanks for this great article! It is very informative and solves many of my questions. I have many offers every month for sponsored posts but they are not willing to pay a lot, no more than $150. All they ask for do-follow links. So in sponsored posts we should never put do-follow links? Until now I published only one sponsored post because I am skeptical about the effect that would have on my website. What about the articles with affiliate links? Does Google consider them as sponsored posts too? And how much this affect my rankings? Many questions, sorry 🙂 You are doing a great job!
You should never accept a post with a do-follow link when you are paid. That is paying for placement and is against the TOS for Google.
Affiliate links are all nofollowed (or actually have the rel=”sponsored” tag) already so that is not an issue.
Hi Tracy!
Can’t get enough but feeling a BIT overwhelmed
I’m just venturing out and wanted to gauge how many blog posts you created before sponsors even became a possibility ? I’m guessing the short answer is –
“As many as it takes” but was curious if I needed 500 or 5000 post before considering or reaching out to potential support from sponsors ?
Love the post, thank you so much!
It can be confusing to know when is the right time. I recommend at least 1000 engaged social followers and then at least 5000 pv a month.
Hello Tracie, I have gain alot about sponsored post and have idea of what to charge. But what I don’t is, if I should include do-follow in the sponsor post? Because I got an email of a sponsored post with do-follow included. Should I include in the article?
Never include do-follow links when you are paid to write about someone. That is against the Google TOS.
Since you must disclose the relationship, Google will see the links do not have the proper tag on them and it can result in a manual action and you really do not want that.
If they say they want a do-follow link, you need to either email back to tell them they must be tagged as a sponsored link and that if they do not want that, then you cannot work with them.
They know this. They are trying to do what they want and not follow the rules. 😉
Hi Tracie Fobes,
Very nice article, neat, clear and crispy to the point, I think you are supposed to be a very good professor 🙂 . I just want to say thank you for giving such a wonderful article. will be in touch for regular updates
Thanks! I am glad that it was helpful!
Thank you for the article Tracie. I bought a mom blog earlier this week and I keep getting reqeusts for sponsored posts but have no idea where to start. I never thought of joining a network- this would be a great income booster. Thanks again!
Hi Tracie! This article blew me away! It never occurred to me to charge at least 250. Wow. Question: how do these sites benefit from a link marked nofollow and sponsored? I ask because every time I get a request they always want the dofollow and for it to not be identified as sponsored. I always so no. What would you tell them if they balk at the cost?
If they don’t want to pay then I walk away. I don’t need them as much as they need me. They may pitch back another rate and if you feel OK with it, then accept it. But don’t take $25 or $50 – ever. That is insulting to you. 😉
Those who want the do follow would never pay what you want anyhow. They are often paid to find places to drop links with crappy articles. You don’t want those.
You want to work with those who understand the value in your site and the content and those are the brands who know they have to pay.
Thanks, Tracie, that was an enlightening article. Just wanted to know if it is a guest blogger should I make his/her link to her website as ‘no-follow’ in their bio at the end of their article too.
Google has said all links need to be no followed, so I would for those that I accept on my site.
Tracie, Thank you so much for this post. I love reading all your advice. It makes sense and everything I get from you gives me confidence. I feel so less stressed and ready to make moves. This gave me everything I need and knowing the base price totally helped because I had no idea.
You are welcome! I hate seeing sponsors take advantage of bloggers and want everyone to earn what they are worth.
I have just started blogging and some people reached me for sponsored post. Thanks a lot for providing this valuable information.
Hi Tracie. this is the best post I have seen of this kind! Thank you for that. I purchased the calculator. I am not sure the Youtube information is correct. I only have 65,000 subscribers, but I average about 300,000 views per video. For me to create a video insert, I charge a minimum of $1,500, but I also guarantee the views. Advertisers have accepted this price. I was actually afraid I wasn’t charging enough. The base on the calculator for $65,000 subscribers is $65 and for 300,000 views $300. I just wanted to let you know that i believe the value should be 5X what it currently is. I hope this helps some people!
Oh gosh – yes! I had updated that to a different rate but the change was not saved – so thanks for letting me know!! (It is now correct). I also updated it with the way to determine the right rate to charge based on either subscribers or views — so you can achieve maximum payment.
Hi Tracie, I just got approached about adding a sponsored paragraph to an already-published post on my blog. I have never done any sponsored or affiliate posts, so I’m grateful for the invaluable info you have provided here! They also mentioned about a do-follow link, but I’ve read from your previous responses that I should not accept do-follow links. If they accept to be tagged as a sponsored link, what should I charge for just a paragraph (added to the existing post) and for lifetime? Thanks for your advice!
I personally never accept a sponsored link to be placed inside of an existing post. That is never worth it. I pass on those as they are often spammy links. In addition, the rate is not worth it as they get lifetime exposure on a post that might get more traffic — and you didn’t get paid fairly.
I only accept full sponsored posts rather than ever accepting the paid link.
Hi Tracy! What should I charge for sponsored post when they send me the article to put on my blog? I don’t have to actually write it myself.
I honestly don’t ever recommend these as they are usually content blasts, and they are rarely in my voice. I can’t control what they say.
I would still start at the base rate for your post, and if you have an engaged social following they want you to share it with, you can charge more.
So i want to ask, how much would one charge to just post a written sponsored, am not written or creating the content, the client/brand already have the content, they just want me to post on our site with a dofollow backlink.,our domain authority is around 40 and above.
It depends on many factors but the lowest rate would be $250. But, what they want is a BIG NO-NO!! You NEVER get paid to put dofollow links on your site. And, those pre-written posts are often junk, filled with content that is not your voice and not worth your time at all.
You can pitch back to write it yourself and then tell them it must be a no follow link. If they say no, they delete and move on.
Hi Tracie,
Thanks for this incredible post! I am currently having 2K page views on my site and around 250 Instagram followers. I’m kind of confused as to whether I should be creating a media kit as I don’t have much following. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
A media kit is always a must if you want to do sponsored work. Even if you are not pursuing, you can get pitched and might be asked to provideone. It is about what you can provide for the client vs. impressive stats.
Thanks so much, Tracie. Although I haven’t started my blogging journey yet I am learning a lot about researching before I start. And this sponsored post write up has given me a view of how much to charge per sponsored post. Thanks again
I have just started blogging and some people reached me for sponsored post. Thanks a lot for providing this valuable information.
You are welcome! Good luck finding the perfect sponsor!
this post is super helpful! I will be saving to my pinterest for further research <3
– kiki
Hi Tracie,
What if someone wants to write a sponsored post for your site? Would this be seen as a guest post and does one charge for this or do they just get the ‘dofollow’ backlink for writing the post? Still trying to figure this all out because I’m getting a few different requests and I’m a bit lost in how to reply. Many thanks.
I would not accept those as they are not written in your voice. They often include links you do not want and might not fit your site. Unless you know the blogger, I would not accept any type of guest post on my site.
Hello,
Thank you so much for this article. I have been researching tips and guides on how to start making money through sponsored blogs.
good information.
As a blogger who recently ventured into the realm of sponsored content, I appreciated Fobes’ emphasis on the importance of building authentic relationships with brands. Her cautionary tales about potential pitfalls in the negotiation process served as valuable lessons, steering me away from common mistakes. Overall, the post served as a timely resource, infusing confidence into my approach towards monetization while maintaining the integrity of my blog’s identity.