Why did you start blogging?
It’s an easy question, and you would think I would have a quick and painless answer, but I always have to size up the questioner before lay out my reasons. I need to know if they are the kind of person who can handle the truth.
If it looks like they are looking for the sugar coated version, I tell them that travel with my family has always been my passion and I wanted to inspire others to family travel.
Of course, that’s totally true, and anybody who knows me knows that wanderlust runs through my veins, and I was passionately and extensively traveling long before it spilled over onto the keyboard. So, yes, it’s a truth, but more of a Miss-America-I-want-world-peace-kind of truth.
The other, less shiny part of the truth, is that I started blogging because I wanted to find a way to make some money from my passion.
Cuttting through the painted smiles and fluff-I wanted to travel for free. Simple as that.
That was two years and many PR emails and press trips and paid tweets ago. In that time, I’ve learned that “free travel,”- much like world peace and Miss America candidates without padded bras-is a myth.
That’s right, folks. Free perks from blogging are not anywhere close to being “without cost.” Of course, PR companies do offer plenty of goods, services, and experiences that don’t require any upfront cash, but that doesn’t make them free. While I am up here on my pedestal, I could pontificate about all the things that bloggers do to earn those free perks, but instead of just words, I’d like to outline two “free” blogging opportunities and their overall cost in time, money and effort.
In other words, let’s cut through the fluff one more time and just look at the numbers.
Exclusive Invitation to (Name Removed to Protect the Innocent) Media Event
Just looking at the initial numbers, this already doesn’t look good for me and conversely looks great for the PR rep, but let’s keep laying it out there.
Just looking at the numbers, this is a big fat no. Well, unless you are the PR guy, in which case you are pinching yourself and wondering how you got so slick that you could convince people to use their money to promote your brand if you offered them donuts and coffee.
Are free press events worth it to the blogger?
Even though the numbers are overwhelmingly not in your favor, it may still be a good fit if you consider the intangible benefits. There’s no question that it costs money to make money, and you have to willing to take (calculated) risks. Even though there may be a personal investment, it could be worth it if it is a brand you really want to work with and you want to get your foot in the door. It’s also worth it if I have a unique angle and can spin it into a post that will have great SEO and drive traffic to your site. If none of that works for you, you can still go and feel good about making the investment if it’s something that you really want to do and it will benefit you in good old fashioned fun.
At the end of it all, the intangible benefits weren’t convincing enough for me, but I didn’t want to close the door-yet. So, I emailed the PR rep and in the nicest and most professional way possible said “Show me the Money!” He totally seemed to understand my position and replied in the nicest and most professional way possible that there wasn’t any money to show. He was even honest enough to admit that they had a policy of not offering any money to bloggers ever. Glad I asked. I was able to confidently (and still with polite professionalism) say no thank you, knowing that the investment wasn’t worth it to me.
(Sigh)
Even though I feel confident that I made a good business decision, it’s still hard to say no. It feels good to be invited to the big kids table, even if they aren’t serving anything you like. But, even as an adult, I can still hear the words of wisdom I learned from my mama. She said all kinds of wise things like “Just because he buys you dinner doesn’t mean you owe him anything.” Or “He won’t buy the cow if he can get all the milk for free.” And while both of those sayings could be applied to this situation, I think I will side step the blogging as compared to loose morals, and go for this wise saying instead:
“A worker is worth his wage.” (That’s straight from the Bible, yo.)
My time, my talents, my efforts as a blogger have value and I am the only person who can stand up for what I am worth.
And I’ll be darned if I am not worth more than some donuts.
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Next up, I'll share the PR opportunity that made me say YES! Spoiler Alert: Just like all the others, it wasn't free either.
If you want to catch up on my rant through the world of PR and bloggers, you can read the first edition of the Real Cost of Blogging: Don't Pay Me in Toilet Paper.
THANK YOU for posting this!!!! So, so true. I may need to start doing the cost analysis with each opportunity. It hurts to say no, but it's SO neccesary in many circumstances. Bravo, and I can't wait to hear more.
Valid points and very true. We work very hard writing those articles and doing all of the social media for them. Everyone wants to get paid fairly for their work and travel writers aren't any different.
Really love reading your posts about these issues. Such a great way to stay informed.
I love this. I read the 'toilet paper' post, too. Thanks for sharing these with us, Jessica. It gives a lot of us new bloggers a lot to think about while we consider the wisest moves to make as our blog grows.
Great article. It's true that when you factor in all the associated costs of being able to attend, money as well as time, the two don't really even out. Good for the PR companies, bad for us bloggers! Thanks for such a truthful article!
Great post. I wish more people would realize this. I'm getting my first press/blog trips and although I don't tell many people about them, those I do tell often react with: "You get to do all fo that for free?" Or often they just don't understand when I tell them I have to work for it and explain what time and effort goes in to preparing, participating and 'finishing off' a press trip.