Should Travel Bloggers Work For Free?
If there was ever a topic to rile Travel Bloggers it is the suggestion that they should write content for "bigger" companies for free.
Just two weeks ago at the popular Travel Blog Camp, it was muted by one or two speakers that they were accepting free content from bloggers in return for them to being associated with their company
The journalists from The Times & Sunday Times newspapers drew the most derision from the audience. Partially for suggesting that bloggers would want to have their work associated with their brand, but also because the content would go behind their paywall - ie the public have to pay to access it, yet the papers would be getting it for free from bloggers!
I can see the benefit to a new entrant amongst us, yet someone who is a new Travel Blogger may well be offer a publisher a lot
So what do you think?
- Would you write articles for free?
- Would you write for The Times & Sunday Times if they offered no money but you received the experience & benefits of association with such a paper?
- Do you think there are circumstances when non-paid articles can bring benefit to bloggers?
Tags: Travel, bloggers, free, work
Views: 141
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Laura Porter on -
I'll start the discussion and will play devil's advocate slightly as I think it's needed. We like to travel. Full stop. We are likely to travel whether someone pays us or not. Being paid to write is not the primary reason for travelling for many of us. Just because we like to travel it does not mean we are any good at writing. Travel blogs were once thought of as diaries of where we'd been and what we were up to but it seems many people now see the fact that they can work Wordpress to mean a travel company should pay for their travels. Also note, a Press Trip is just that. It's not a paid-for holiday. You want free time to see other things and write your blog? Then pay to stay for extra nights from your own bank account. I know no-one wants to hear this but because you like to travel it does not mean someone else should pay for it. Because you have 10,000 twitter followers it does not mean you are a better writer.
I know this hasn't covered 'The Times using bloggers question' but I felt this could start the conversation.
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Permalink Reply by Melvin on -
Would I write for free? Definitely!
But... :) there has to be another benefit for it!
We are all in social media, so I think it's about helping each other.
If a site gets $$$ by their readers by paid content, they should think of sharing it. Huge sites with a lot of traffic charge around €50 - 65,- for 1.000 page impressions for banner advertising & they have millions of page impressions per month! Smaller sites (most blogs) get for 1.000 page views around $6 - 15,-! (not even €)
Laura is right, being paid to write is not the primary reason why we travel or write. But if you don't get even a link to your own blog or your name mentioned in that article... & a newspaper could afford to pay you... there seems to be something totally wrong for me. That seems very unsocial to me.
If a newspaper tells me that they can't afford to pay for online content, they have a very bad management. So a newspaper is run badly... nothing new about that, as many newspapers have problems to change from print to online. But it doesn't cost them to promote your name & blog. :)
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Permalink Reply by Megan Eaves on -
I sometimes do and definitely have written for free, especially when first establishing my name as a travel writer and filling out my portfolio. Nowadays, I do the odd free guest blog post, just to keep up the social media ties and for good nature, but I would never work for a huge media corporation like that for free, especially as I know they have plenty of cash to pay their regular journalists and contributors. I currently write regularly for a print newspaper and am paid decently for it, and not a known paper at that, so there is no reason someone like the Times should not be able to pay their contributors, ESPECIALLY if it's behind a paywall.
It's one thing to help out a fellow blogger or startup site with a free or minimally paid post, but it's quite another to indulge Rupert Murdoch's news megamediathon by acting like a chump just to get their name on your portfolio. It's not worth it.
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Permalink Reply by Oliver Gradwell on -
You are both right.
There has to be some benefit for all.
I guess it would depend on a number of factors. . . .
1) How much work is involved? Is it a 'quick' task or lengthy?
2) Who is it for? Am I writing for Melvin's site or a large media company like News Corp who own The Times
3) What am I getting in return? From Melvin reciprocation, promoting my on social media etc. . raises my profile. But do the times do this for me? How do the Times readers get back to my blog?
4) Even if I was happy to do work for the times for nothing much in return, how much would I that benefit me?
Overall I agree with certain methods and reasons behind working for free, but I think if I was as a new blogger, I would want to work with other bloggers and get exposure that way first. Rather than be concerned bout chasing unpaid opportunities with The Times.
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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Stephenson on -
I agree with Megan. I have no problem writing guest posts for free for non-commercial blogs, but a big newspaper I know has a marketing budget, especially one that can cover paying a blogger to write an article.
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Permalink Reply by Todd Wassel on -
I agree with Melvin on this one. I'm happy to write for "free" but there has to be sometime of benefit. If I guest blog its about expanding my readership and connect with the blog's owner. I wouldn't write for a large newspaper without getting paid unless I had another strategy, like media exposure for a book release etc etc.
There are a lot of people who write for free for the Huffington Post, mainly to get exposure. I would even write for free to help a friend, but then the benefit is that I'm helping someone or something that I believe in.
But if the Times or Wired Magazine, or even the Economist wants me to guest write I would ask for money even if it was positive for me as well. It comes down to basic negotiations about what each piece of writing is worth to the other person or company. Just because I would get HUGE bragging rights and blog attention for writing for Wired doesn't mean I shouldn't ask them for money too. After all they are earning off of my content as well.
Of course, none of these magazines have asked me yet...still waiting for the phone to ring.
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Permalink Reply by Jools Stone on -
Gary Ardnt recently had massive traffic success with a free post for the Huff Post travel section which was then taken up by Tim Ferriss' 4 Hour week blog. For something like that, sure, it's worth a go, after all many of us trade guest posts with each other for nothing all the time.
But some travel cos just want quick n easy backlinks. Some can't even be bothered to tailor approaches or read your blog. They literally copy & paste the same comment/email to dozens of different bloggers and hope for the best. It'll prob work with some of the newer ones. It's just more spam really isn't it?
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Permalink Reply by Melanie, WhyGo London on
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This is a tough one...after all, the readership of the Times and Sunday Times have surely been impacted (like all newspapers) by the willingness of impassioned bloggers like myself to write without financial compensation.
I join Todd in being reluctant, though, to write for a well-funded commercial institution without compensation; just because bloggers have ruffled journalistic feathers doesn't mean that we should behave like ginger-haired step-children, eager to lunge for corporate scraps of audience without being paid...like a traditional print writer surely would.
I'd see it as far more preferable to reach a print publication's audience via a mention in a travel-related story. To make this happen, bloggers might want to include print publications in their social media sphere and interact regularly, in a positive way. After all, connections with people at print publications not only widen your community, but you (and your link) might be the first stop when a blogger's opinion is wanted/needed.
Taking down the walls between print and the web can be as simple as commenting and tweeting -- we're all out there sharing the same love of travel.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Backe on
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I sort of wish there was a link to the sources - I hadn't heard about either 'opportunity'...
In most cases, I object to giving content away when I know it's going to be used for commercial purposes. In other words, if someone's explicitly making money off of it, I want a piece of it.
It's a different story with guest posting, writing for magazines or in other mediums. Getting your name / blog / website out there can be helpful. It forwards your 'brand' and gives you a chance to promote yourself. It also allows for a certain level of legitimacy on your resume ("I've written for ... ").
In short, I might write for them - if the opportunity was right.
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Permalink Reply by Jools Stone on
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Hi Bruce
If you're looking for travel bloggers the big one is probably TBEX - the travel bloggers' exchange. Also sites like Tripatini and numerous groups on linkedin. Then there's more general sites like Problogger, which has a jobs board and was how I found my paid gig with flightster.com. There are also various associations for travel writers who work in traditional media, but many of those blog also.
I looked on your resort interviews page but I couldn't see what rate you're paying. Care to fill us in here please?
As for the spam thing, that depends on how you're approaching people, but if you're prepared to pay for content and make it clear what you're offering I doubt many will view it that way.
Thanks
Jools
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Permalink Reply by Megan Eaves on
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I also use Travelwriters.com and Freelancewritinggigs.com to find writing gigs, so it doesn't hurt to post stuff there!
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Permalink Reply by Todd Wassel on
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Hey Bruce,
As Jools mentioned TBEX is a good place to start. If you let us know what your rates are I'm happy to post the offer in Lonely Planet's Blogsherpa group. (you can also send me an e-mail with your pitch tawassel at hotmail.com
A few thoughts on why you may be finding it difficult:
Keep in mind that a lot of bloggers don't do sponsored posts, and those that do, charge for the text link that is included as well as their time to write the post. This amount may be different from what you are offering.
Many of us get offers from advertising agencies to pay us to put up one of their posts that include a text link. So you are competing with those who are willing to pay and give bloggers the content. Also keep in mind that many bloggers are protective of their readers and truly want to only offer them good content. Too many sponsored posts can cause readers to view a blog as too commercial.
I'm about to launch new website dedicated to helping travel bloggers earn money with their blogs (or to prove that is it not as easy as some make it seem). It's based around a 1000-1000 challenge (reaching 1000 visits per day and earning at least $1,000/month) You've just given me a great idea to include a jobs board for companies like you who are looking for sponsored posts space. While it won't help you now, hopefully it will help you and others in the future.
Cheers,
Todd
ps I like the concept for your new business. Good luck with it and I hope it takes off. you might want to see if the resorts will be will to pay for some of your advertising costs as it benefits them too.
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