Khalid Hajsaleh writes on the topic of hiring a freelance blogger - and specifically, what you should pay them - over at Invesp Blog. He makes some good points about the real vs perceived value of blogging in the eyes of clients and mentions that their starting price per post is $15.
Personally, I think that is pretty low (as did some of his readers) if your goal is to generate traffic and links back to your site - and especially if you’re trying to hire an “expert” in your blog’s topic that will build your online brand. It might be ok for basic content or as a starter job for a college kid though… which brings me back to his point that “how much a blogger should get paid depends on experience.”
In other words, you get what you pay for.
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Hi Krista,
It is always challenging to figure out the right amount to pay a blogger. I think that $15 might be appropriate for someone who is starting out with blogging. Expert bloggers can make between $100 to $200 per post.
Hi Khalid,
I’ve worked with clients who are willing to outsource their blogging to a college kid for $15/post. I try to point out to my clients that how much they are willing to pay and how much experience they require depends on what they hope to achieve with their blog. $100-200 sounds much more reasonable for link bait and longer, well researched articles - but as you mention in your article, it’s difficult to get clients to see that kind of value.
Personally, though, I don’t think that outsourcing your entire blog is good - someone in your company should at least be writing a handful of posts per month. After all - you know your company better than anyone else. That will come through if you blog vs if an outsider blogs for you.
I try to tell all of my clients that there is really more to blogging than just the post. A true professional blogger not only must write a post but then that person must also follow up with comments, provide a conversation when warranted and also advertise, market and provide PR for the blog. Blogging is also building a brand and readership. $15.00 per post doesn’t go very far when you throw in all the other requirements. Bloggers For Hire has dealt with this problem now for three years and we are just now seeing the benefits of education. Many clients that had sticker shock before and went on their own, have now come back and said “This is hard work.” Now they understand the price of blogging.