Blogging is getting smarter and more useful all the time. And that’s the trick. To be a success, it must be useful. It must help someone, fill a need. And, when it comes to monetizing blogs, sponsored blog posts are a fantastic way of doing this.
WHAT IS A SPONSORED BLOG?
If I were to commission a sponsored blog, I would be paying another blogger to write a blog post. They’d link to a page on my website in the body of the post, and then publish it on their own blog.
With this sort of arrangement in place (where I’m paying for the service), I would expect to have some input regarding the blog topic and the specific link used. Still, the blogger gets to use their own voice, so that their blog doesn’t lose its authentic identity.
WHY DOES IT WORK?
When deciding on a blogger to do a sponsored blog, you’ll choose someone with a fair to good domain authority (DA – the power of the domain in terms of the search engines, which determines where it will rank). So, I’d look for a blogger with a good DA, coupled with some prominence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a great choice for a sponsored post contributor because their post will have a good audience reach. More eyes mean more people to click on the link to my page. This, in turn, helps with my DA and rankings. And, of course, it means more opportunities to land new clients.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I CHARGE?
There are a few factors that need to be considered. A blogger with a DA of 10 can’t charge as much as a blogger with a DA of 38. But, this isn’t the only factor to consider. Perhaps they have a slightly lower DA than you would’ve liked, but they have a lot of Facebook followers. Or, maybe the numbers matter less than the fact that the followers they have happen to be a niche market that you’re trying to crack.
I’ve heard that a basic rate of between $120 and $150 for every 10 000 page views per month is fair. In South Africa, bloggers with DA’s of between 15 and 30 tend to charge anywhere between R600 and R3 000 for a sponsored post. Blogs that have a higher ranking and a massive following may charge considerably more. For example, this one charges R8 500 and has a DA of 57. The rate is completely up to the blogger, of course.
Basically, the price you quote is based on two main factors:
- The time it will take you to research and write the post.
- The value you add in terms of your online presence and your domain authority.
IN CONCLUSION
Sponsored posts are fantastic ways of increasing your reach (for bloggers and clients) and adding another dimension to your marketing and PR.
SEO is a slow, organic process and needs to be approached with patience and determination. Just keep at it.
