Blog networks are a dime a dozen these days. From job boards to Facebook advertisements, there seems to be hundreds of these blogger networks willing to pay you handsomely for your content. That is great and all, but are they really worth the time and energy or are they just scams?
Well, some of these sites put on a great first impression. They look like great places to work. Sleek designs, flashy graphics, and text from other members contributing. They are all getting paid for their hard work, right?
Many of these sites state that “you will be paid for your content” and similar. However, there are catches: for one, there is no guarantee they will actually feature your work, and I’ve seen sites that claim the rights to your content even if they don’t feature it (they essentially get your content for free without pay); next, these sites usually determine how much you will be paid on an article by article basis, and this just doesn’t seem right as the writer should set the rate; finally, many of these sites don’t have a chance of making it to the big time and won’t promote your brand in the process.
My Thoughts
I would say that if you were going to join a blog network, regardless of which one it was, make sure they are legitimate. Scour their website to ensure great content is on that site. If possible, email the authors of some of the content and ask how they are compensated.
Ask this network if they will pay you how much you are asking for instead of the other way around. Determine how the bonuses are calculated. Finally, ask what you will be paid, how you will be paid, and when you will be paid.
Determine who owns the content. Find out what will happen to an article you submit that isn’t featured. Ask who is liable for the content. Ask if you are notified if your content is edited, and determine what will happen to that content if you decide to leave the blog network.
Also, don’t work somewhere where you won’t be paid for your hard work. You know how much you and your content is worth. If you are only going to make a few bucks after months of work at a site where your content will not be exposed to many people, just move on.
Finally, don’t forget to read the fine print. There is usually a catch, and it is your responsibility to read everything before you agree to the terms.
In my opinion, it all ends up being a big waste of time. There are plenty of other paying opportunities around, and wasting your time working for a site that has that attempts to nickel and dime you is not the way to do things.
Keep your eyes on the Performancing Job Boards.
Have a better experience with one of these types of blog networks? How about a legitimate blog network? Let us know!
[Update: I want to make it clear that I did not intend to generalize all blog networks with my previous statements. I am not talking about respectable blogging networks like Splashpress Media, b5media, Gawker, and the like. I’m talking about those types of networks you would, for example, read about in a Craigslist advertisements: “You could earn hundreds of dollars from working at home!!!” Blog networks whose name would resemble something like “Blog4MoneyNow.com”. Hopefully this clears up any confusion.]