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money, sponsored post, how much to charge

How much to charge for a Sponsored Post & Why YOU Need a Media Kit

by Deborah Cruz

How much to charge for a sponsored post? That is the question all bloggers struggle with, even lose sleep over. No one wants to be shortchanged or work for free. I know I don’t but how much to charge for a sponsored post is a hard question to answer.

I could ask you to first ask yourself, what do you think your talent is worth? How about your time? Time away from your family? Your social media influence? Your community?

Are you a wordsmith whose words cast a magical spell over your readers? Are you a humorist who can make people laugh at and enjoy reading about absolutely any topic? Do your words tug at heartstrings and illicit empathy and understanding, camaraderie? Are you a salesman who can weave a web of silk and turn any piece of shit into shinola with your turn of phrase? Or are you a press release regurgitator? It’s no matter; there is a place for all of us.

I read an article last week by Cecily Kellogg on MomCrunch that enlightened me and shed some light on the age old question, how much to charge for a sponsored post?
This is the simple formula that she came up with. I say simple because when I read it I thought to myself, wow that makes sense. But not simple in the fact that I would have ever figured it out had it not been for Cecily’s generosity in posting the piece.

Here it is.

How much to charge for a sponsored post:

Algorithm                                                                                                    Example
Number of total Monthly page views                                                    100,000
(Add to that) Your total Number of Twitter Followers                      10,000 = 110,000
(Divide that total by)Your Google Page Rank                                      3 = 37,778
(Multiply that total by .01)                                                                       37,778 * .01 = 378
Divide the entire total by 2                                                                       378/2

= How much to charge for a sponsored post                                                 $189.00

**If your Google page rank is higher than 5, this algorithm will not work out in your favor. I personally decided that when calculating my rate of how much to charge for a sponsored post, I would skip the multiply by .01 step. If this were the case in the example, the pay for the blogger would be about $380 per sponsored post rather than  the $189. I think if you have 100,000 page views per month and 10,000 Twitter followers, you would charge somewhere around of $200- $300 per post. The more influential the blogger, the more you can charge for a sponsored post.

In my case, I now charge between $100-$300 per sponsored post. Add to that another $50-$100 for a widget in the sidebar, per month. My rates of how much to charge for a sponsored post have recently gone up. Of course, this all depends on my relationship with the brand. These are all things to consider when deciding whether or not to even take a sponsored post.

I can’t tell you what I would charge for text links because I simply refuse to do them. I feel it will litter my blog and make it a commercial. I hate commercials. That is my philosophy for my own blog.

I also don’t let companies post press releases on my blog for pay. I can’t be a billboard or I would probably lose my readers. I can’t take that gamble. I’ve been building my reputation and this blog for almost 3 years; I can’t just give away my relationship with my community. It’s priceless.

Never ever work with a brand that you don’t genuinely support. If you are a vegetarian, don’t take a sponsored post from the National Pork board. Your readers will figure out that you are selling them a product that you, yourself, would not use and you will lose any and all integrity that you had. You will lose your authenticity. You cannot get that back. Keep that in mind.

Something else, in my opinion, that all bloggers absolutely need to be equipped with is a media kit. If you ever want to justify your rates, solicit sponsorships, or just demonstrate to brands why they should work with you over any of a million other bloggers, you need a media kit. It lists your stats and a quick blog bio in a handy easy to access format. Your media kit is your online business card and resume.

Start by making sure that you have a Google Analytics account and, my personal recommendation, a statcounter.com account. This was a piece of invaluable piece of advice given to me by blogging diva, Jessica Gottlieb and she should know.I listened. I’m glad I did. I suggest that you do the same. Armed with your stats, you can make an awesome media kit to wow even the most selective brands. I have compiled a very comprehensive how to write a media kit for your blog post that I urge you to take advantage of now.

Lifting the Veil on Making Money in Blogging is a collaborative effort among several bloggers that aims to address questions surrounding the monetizing issue in an attempt to shed some light on what is often treated as a very taboo aspect of blogging; it seems everyone wonders how to do it, yet no one really talks about it. Until now. There are as many ways to earn money blogging as to blog so check out the other bloggers participating in Lifting the Veil On Making Money In Blogging:

Check these amazing posts out. This is a great group of generous bloggers, who have learned a lot along the way. We just want to help other bloggers learn to navigate the monetization of their blog and demystify some of the biggest secrets of blogging. Hope this post helps you know how much to charge for a sponsored post and how to write a media kit.

How much to charge for a sponsored post

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65 comments

Getting Paid to Blog: So Many Questions, So Little Time | What She Said 2012/02/16 - 6:01 am

[…] (The TRUTH about Motherhood); What to Charge for a Sponsored Post and Why You Need a Media Kit (on how to determine rates for sponsored posts, why you need a media kit, and how to write one) […]

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my blog is not my business | Sluiter Nation 2012/02/16 - 6:25 am

[…] Debi at Truthful Mommy: What to Charge for a Sponsored Post and Why you need a Media Kit […]

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Jessica 2012/02/16 - 7:40 am

Such great info Deb, I had never seen that formula before. Thanks for sharing all of your tips.

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 11:35 am

Thanks. I hope it helps everyone understand this crazy bloggy business just a little bit more:)

Reply
Writers Teach, Why Can’t Bloggers? | Late Enough 2012/02/16 - 7:43 am

[…] Make Money Blogging? How To Get Sponsored Posts (sponsored posts)Debi (The TRUTH about Motherhood): What to Charge for a Sponsored Post and Why you need a Media Kit (what to charging for sponsored posts, media kits)Tina (Life Without Pink): Tips For Building […]

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Jennifer Cullen 2012/02/16 - 8:52 am

I love this collaboration. Really great information, especially as I’m thinking of trying to make the transition. You’re awesome!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 11:36 am

Thanks sweetie. Hope you got to read all the posts, they are all choked full of amazing information.

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tracy@sellabitmum 2012/02/16 - 10:09 am

Great info indeed. xoxo

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 11:37 am

Thanks sweetie. I just think it’s so much easier if it’s all laid out.It’s so hard to find the information.

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Devan @ Accustomed Chaos 2012/02/16 - 10:43 am

Love that formula – thanks so much for sharing all your info! It’s going to help me for sure!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 11:37 am

Thanks. I’m so glad to be a part of this project. I love that we can help each other:)

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natalie 2012/02/16 - 10:57 am

I really need to get better at negotiating – I think I undersell myself a lot!

THANK YOU for doing this Debi!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 11:38 am

You are so welcome. Thanks for including me in this project. I loved doing it. XOXO

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Helene 2012/02/16 - 11:35 am

Thank you so much for sharing this information! I’m always wondering if I’m charging the right amount for ads/sponsored posts. I love that formula…thanks again!

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Tina @ Life Without Pink 2012/02/16 - 11:41 am

I love Cecily’s breakdown – crazy how it actually works. Awesome post with lots of great info!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 12:08 pm

Thanks. Cecily is one of my favorite go to gals for all things bloggy and I think her formula is a great start the only flaw is that the higher your Google PR the worse your breakdown, that’s why I left the Google PR but minused the times .01 when doing my own. But her formula is a great starting point, for sure.

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Katie 2012/02/16 - 11:42 am

AWESOME info…especially the formula and the WHY of the media kit. I have one…I clearly don’t use it…but it’s put together quite well if I ever DID want to use it.

I think this post also shows bloggers they are worth MORE than what they probably think. Kudos on that!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 12:09 pm

Yes, I think a lot of bloggers truly don’t understand their reach and influence. A company would pay any other outlet for advertising, why should a blogger who writes a sponsored post be any different?

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julie gardner 2012/02/16 - 11:57 am

Wow. This is seriously the MOST practical post with real answers.

Too bad it also shows me that I’m so not ready for this aspect of the business…ha!

Still.

A girl can dream.
Even a 43-year-old girl.

Thanks so much for sharing this info.
I love when bloggers are generous with each other.

A lot.

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 12:16 pm

Thanks for your kind words and don’t underestimate yourself. Remember to take into account your influence all around social media, Twitter followers, FB fans, friends, Pinterest followers, Stumble Upon and your community of readers. Pageviews and uniques are only part of the picture. There are also fantastic groups that you can become a part of that will help you find those sponsored post, no matter the size of your blog. I believe Natalie Hoage posted on that today, take a look at the links at the bottom. Great resources, wonderful bloggers.

Reply
Tips For Building Successful Relationships With Brands and Scoring Paying Opportunities | Life Without Pink... 2012/02/16 - 11:57 am

[…] (Truthful Mommy): What to Charge for a Sponsored Post and Why you need a Media Kit (how to figure out what you should be charging for sponsored posts, why you need a media kit and […]

Reply
Courtney Kirkland 2012/02/16 - 12:54 pm

I’ve never seen that formula before, but that is SPOT on! Bookmarking this for future use. 🙂

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 1:10 pm

Cecily is awesome and she knows just about everything there is to know about blogging.

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Jackie 2012/02/16 - 1:07 pm

This is priceless information! seriously.

Now my question is how do you get a sponsored post(s)?

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 1:09 pm

Check out the link to Nat’s post. I would suggest joining Clever Girls Collective, especially if you are just beginning.

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Jackie 2012/02/16 - 1:56 pm

I’ve been part of the Clever Girls Collective for a long time now and I think I’ve been selected once to do something with them. I’m also part of One2One and The Blog Frog.

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 6:17 pm

That’s odd. I’ve been with them since last July. I think I’ve had about 5 campaigns, maybe 6. And I love BlogFrog too but I’ve only had 2 campaigns in the past 7 months.

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Iris 2012/02/16 - 1:23 pm

FINALLY – some actually numbers I can use! Thank you so much. Pity the marketers who try to pull the wool over our eyes now that we are armed and fabulous!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 6:17 pm

LOL! Right? We just needed to shed some light on it so we can all stop getting hosed:)

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NotJustAnotherJennifer 2012/02/16 - 3:18 pm

Deb, Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just started monetizing my blog a couple of weeks ago because I got laid off. I hate it. It feels fake. I need to read all of these and decide what will work best for me. Mwah!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 6:19 pm

For me, the best money has been sponsored posts. Ad networks are great for getting some change in your pocket, but you will not be living off of your royalties:)LOL

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Judy 2012/02/16 - 3:24 pm

Interesting formula and great useful tips. I can only agree on not working with a brand you don’t genuinely support. Last week I turned down an offer from a phone company I has some issues with in the past. I don’t like their product, so it does not feel right promoting them.

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Jessica 2012/02/16 - 4:06 pm

Thanks so much for the info! Im definitely pinning these for future reference. Im trying to make the transition into monetizing my blog so that formula is definitely going to come in handy.

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/16 - 6:20 pm

Great. Please share it with any of your blogger friends that you think it might help. This information is so hard to come by, I’d love it to be passed on .

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Alex@LateEnough 2012/02/16 - 8:06 pm

We really do need to decide what we are comfortable with on our blogs and with our readers and then charge what we think we’re worth, but I agree that formulas help us start somewhere.

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Leigh 2012/02/16 - 10:22 pm

I don’t get the formula – the higher the page rank, the lower your price works out to be. That doesn’t make sense. Under your example above:
Page Rank 3 = $189
Page Rank 2 = $275
Page Rank 1= $550
?

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/17 - 2:11 pm

I 100% agree. Thisi s not my formula, this is one that Cecily Kellogg came up with. For me,my page rank is higher, so I use the algorithm but I don’t multiply by the .01. If your PR is above 5 it really doesn’t work out in your favor using the formula.I thought I mentioned that in the post but I may have not:( I agree, it penalizes you for a higher PR which is crazy. I think Cecily suggests not dividing by the 2 if PR above 5. I simply don’t multiply by the .01. SOrry if it was confusing.

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Galit Breen 2012/02/16 - 11:57 pm

Such great tips, Deb! Thank you!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/17 - 2:12 pm

Thanks sweetie!

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Jessica 2012/02/18 - 7:16 am

Great tips and thanks for the reminder that I need to update my media kit again. I love that bloggers are now coming out in support of one another making money from this craft. Kudos to you guys!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/21 - 1:34 pm

Thank you. I think it’s about time we demystify how to make money from our blogs. There is enough room for all of us. Keeping the information secret is so mean girl-esque. Not conducive to building a community, in my opinion. I plan to share more as I learn!

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Posts That Made Me Go BOOM! | Sluiter Nation 2012/02/18 - 11:19 am

[…] Debi at The Truth About Motherhood: What to Charge for a Sponsored Post and Why you need a Media Kit […]

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betoniarnia 2012/02/19 - 12:46 am

I can see that you are putting a lots of efforts into your blog. Keep posting the good work.Some really helpful information in there. Bookmarked. Nice to see your site. Thanks!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/21 - 1:32 pm

THank you!

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Kristin @ What She Said 2012/02/19 - 11:03 am

Finally getting around to checking out this post after a whirlwind weekend responding to comments from my own monetizing post and SITS Day – whew! 😉

That formula is invaluable – thank you! And I completely agree with everything you said about being selective in accepting sponsored posts. I also feel that my readers’ respect is priceless.

Now off to check out your media kit post – this is something I really need to do!

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Truthful Mommy 2012/02/21 - 1:31 pm

Thanks I just took another class on pitching and sponsorship fees. SO much to learn. I will need to write a part 2!

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Blogging and Money - This Talk Ain't Cheap 2012/02/21 - 12:17 pm

[…] The Truth About Motherhood […]

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Tonia @TheGunnySack 2012/02/21 - 11:08 pm

Thanks for the tips. I need to read your post on making a media kit and then make one!

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Marielle 2012/02/23 - 9:33 pm

I want to know more about this media kit..thanks a lot for sharing I should check this..

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Melissa 2012/02/23 - 10:18 pm

Thank you so much for this, and hello – found this & you through @tiffanyrom a la the fabulous SITS Girls. I’ve been wondering about this, having finally reached the point where select sponsorships may make sense, but I’ve had no idea what to base my fees on. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. Thank you!

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Elizabeth@Table4Five 2012/03/16 - 5:56 pm

I’ve been doing sponsored posts for years now, and the price really does depend on the client. Someone in a comment asked where to get sponsored posts and Clever Girls Collective was mentioned. When they email me, they already have a price in mind, and it is never anywhere near $100-$300!

While I do agree that bloggers should get paid more than they generally do, I’m wondering if you can give us an example (without using the real name of the brand) of someone who agreed to a price of $300 for a post. Maybe I’m just working with the wrong brands.

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JDaniel4's Mom 2012/08/14 - 5:03 pm

What wonderful tips! Thank you so much@

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DRG 2012/08/17 - 4:33 am

This calculation works..! thnks..!

Reply
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Md Tareq 2012/09/20 - 7:13 pm

Great calculation. I’ve also now want to offer sponsored posts. But where I asking thus sponsor get the advertise? Will you please describe it?

Reply
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Haroun Kola 2013/04/27 - 10:27 am

Thanks for this post Deborah. It helps me in knowing exactly how much to charge.

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Cassi 2013/06/01 - 5:48 pm

Great formula! Bookmarking this page to come back to once my numbers are up.

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Rye Yhanne 2013/12/24 - 1:57 am

Great post but I think this formula only works for blogs with higher page views and twitter followers because when I tried it the total is way too low from what I got paid. 🙂

Reply
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Yahoo.com 2014/07/12 - 4:35 pm

Thhis info iss priceless. Where can I fid out more?

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