You’ve decided to become a freelance blogger. You’ve been scouring the web for blogging jobs. You’ve found a gig that sparks your interest, but should you take it?
What’s the payment arrangement?
Many blogging gigs (especially for networks) offer a monthly rate plus page view bonuses. Others pay per post. Some pay in shares of ad revenue. Revenue-only pay can be zero if the blog gets little traffic. Even a low monthly rate + traffic bonus can be too little if it becomes your job to find the traffic.
Will you have to network?
If you’re getting traffic bonuses, sometimes a low monthly rate is worth it. How much traffic does the blog already get? If it’s your job to network to get the traffic, make sure to account for that time when making your decision.
How much work will the writing take?
Will you have to do research, or can you easily write on the topic? Is there a word count requirement, or can you write short posts?
Are you trying to establish yourself as a niche blogger?
If the low-pay gig could lead to higher paying jobs within your niche, taking the job might be worth it.
Will you enjoy it?
Blogging jobs generally require coming up with your own ideas for content on a daily basis. You’ll burn out fast if you don’t enjoy the topic.
Are there other perks?
Some blogging jobs will allow you a good amount of room for self-promotion. Others won’t even give you a byline. Some offer free products to review, others free samples. If the offered perks are of benefit to you, it might be worth it to take the gig even if the pay isn’t great.
What kind of commitment are you making?
If you’re going to have to sign a contract, make sure you know what you’re getting into. If the arrangement doesn’t work out, can you quit in a month or are you locked in for a year? Does blogging six times a week mean you can write all six posts in one day and “drip” them to appear throughout the week, or do you actually have to log in six days a week and post something new? Get the details ironed out before you commit.
Deciding whether or not to take a blogging job can be difficult even for an experienced freelance blogger. The choice will ultimately depend on your own personal and professional goals.
6 thoughts on “Should You Take That Blogging Job?”
Actually, I probably wouldn’t use a byline here, but it’s good to know it’s an option. 🙂
I think most pieces here are of at least 400 words, so that’s not a problem.
Actually, if you do any feature article here of at least 400 words (according to a discussion Ryan and I must have had a few months back), you can drop a byline. Ahmed, can you comment on this condition?
Some people blog as a hobby, others as a way of making a living. So yes, I agree that it will all depend on what the person wants out of it.
Ahmed, thanks for the tip about the byline. 🙂
Good point about benefits.
I think its different for each person. For some people, being interested in a topic is more important than the benefits or pay, for others, they’ll go after the money and the benefits. It’s a question of self-discipline and motivation, I guess, and that’s different for each person.
Btw, Amy, you can drop a byline in your articles on Performancing. Just thought you should know
When you look at the pay for a job, you have to consider the benefits. For instance, teachers (at least in our state) don’t get paid much but they have good job security, great retirement, good health insurance, and incredible vacations.
Blogging is the same. You can’t just look at the numbers, you have to look at the benefits that come along with it. IMO
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