Disclaimer: I have chosen to the blackout the names of the people, event and minor details in order to not draw negative attention to this specific event or the people involved.
Source*
I was recently approached about covering a local event here in Portland. I was thrilled to be asked and was really excited about the event. The initial e-mail didn’t include any details beyond when, what and a link to the event so I responded that I was interested and looked forward to hearing more. Finally 18 days later I heard back from my contact stating that media bloggers would be receiving standard passes and that more details would be sent soon regarding the event. This was my first red flag.
A standard individual pass for this event has a value of $20 however at the time this was all happening you could buy a standard pass for $10 via groupon. This standard pass basically included admission and few minor things that really had little to no value.
My response to this email:
Five Days Later this is their response:
Hours:
- 2-3 Weeks of Social Media Buzz –> 2 hours
- Attend Event and Interview Sponsors, Interview Key Note Speakers, and Live Social Media Coverage –> 8 hours
- Blog post about event –> 4 hours (this includes time to edit photos, work on the post, edit post, social media around post )
- Blog post review for the kit –> 3 hours (this includes time to edit photos, work on the post, edit post, social media around post )
Total Time: 17 Hours
Value: $80 = $4.70/hour –> I do not consider the Blogger Power Hour or VIP seating to have any value in the situation. As for a Blogger Exhibit space a. I don’t have a newsletter and promotional material beyond my business cards to hand out and b. I am not sure how I am supposed to attend the event, interview companies and key note speakers and try to work an exhibitor table; honestly it’s easier for me to walk around and interact with attendees and pass out my business cards. The Kit valued at $50 really shouldn’t be in the “what we’d love to offer you” section but rather in the “what we’d love from you” due to the fact that there is an expectation to do a blog review and company profile with it; as you can see this blog post is included above in the hours.
For fun let’s consider the giveaway option as well:
- Blog post prior to event –> 2 hours
- Standard sidebar AD
Total Time: 2 hours
Value: $30 – $20 for sidebar AD = $10
Total Value for both: $90/19hours = $4.73/hour <– minimum wage in Oregon is $9.10/hour and LIVING WAGE is $9.42/hour
Needless to say I declined participating as a blogger at this event because simply the cost/benefit of attending was just not worth it. I honestly felt insulted by the imbalance between the offer and expectations.
Curious about how much I’m worth? My rates basic rates for a sponsored blog post including 3-5 social media shares starts at a value of $100 however the average is $175 –> what is that hourly? $175 divided by 7 hours (prep, photos, post, edits, social media) = average $25/hour. While I do some free work/product only work I am selective about who I work with and only tend to work with companies that I already have a relationship with or ones that have a product/service that I love or think is a good fit for me, my blog and my readers.
How much are you worth? Consider this next time you are approached to review a product or attend an event.
Update: Since I wrote this post I did end up attending the event however not as a blogger but with a company that I work with frequently. The event overall was unfortunately poorly run and has resulted in a lot of negative feedback from attendees. I have to say in the end I am glad that I did not participate in this event as a blogger because I honestly would have had very little positive feedback to provide my readers. I also ran into a fellow blogger at the event who also had been invited to be a VIP blogger and she also declined due the requirements and the simple fact that their expectations versus the compensation was simply insulting.
I love this! I have been thinking about how much I am worth a lot lately. It is nice to hear what others think! Thanks for sharing.
Great breakdown! I love that you’re thinking this way–more bloggers need to. Your time is money! Let me know if you’re ever interested in writing a piece for the Portland Bloggers Blog on it–I’d be happy to connect you with our Blog Leader.
Excellent post, Lindsay. I was pitched this event as well, which is an inappropriate pitch to start because, if they actually read my blog, they would know that this is not the type of event I cover — at all, ever 😉 So many PR agencies and brands are still learning — just as many of the new bloggers are still learning — and I really think it does help both new bloggers and brands to see the value we provide when the numbers are laid out in a kind and gentle way.
Blogging is fairly new to me, and I’m glad to read your perspective. You were very thoughtful in how you laid this all out. I’ll definitely think back to your post the next time I’m approached for something like this.
I was thinking more about this. Although I didn’t articulate it as you did here, my gut told me something was off, too. I ended up making the best of the event—covering it in my own way without following all the “instructions.”
Good food for thought. And you are worth way more than what they were expecting/asking I’m glad you declined.
FANTASTIC POST! What great info of how you broke down your time (value)!
Very interesting. I very rarely, if ever, do anything sponsored, so I never thought of it in terms of hours and money…but that is a great perspective!
I run into this a lot. My day job is in online marketing and I’m approached a lot about ad space and different ad networks which is something I navigate daily. Once I ask for rate sheets and start talking to them like a partner they start to get nervous, especially when they give me the lowest of the low rate quotes ($.50 CPM, go fly a kite). I don’t really actively promote my blog (it’s just fun, not my day job) so it looks like I might not know what is up but it’s really sad how undervalued bloggers are, even if they do have a decent reach.
Great post addressing something that is still growing and is has a lot of misunderstandings. I try to be very selective about any sponsored posts, first of all thinking carefully if it fits my and my readers’ interests and not just trying to get excited about any freebie thrown my way. It’s easy to get caught up as a new blogger when initially contacted because you feel recognized for what you may have initially considered a hobby, but as time passes you begin to realize that this is work! There are expectations on the side of the giver, and expectations you have yourself of what value you provide to your audience and as you importantly point out, the cost of your own time and effort that could be doing something else in your life. There is a cost to having to “work” an event rather than just being able to socialize and enjoy yourself, both during and yes, before and after if there is coverage other than at the event!
I often try to frame it to another parallel field that I see this happening often- musicians. Venues ask musicians to play at their space and bring their followers, but offer little/no compensation because it’s a way to promote themselves. Really- they have to take the time to their equipment back and forth, set up, and play, and the venue does nothing but reap the benefit of free entertainment for customers already coming plus the new customers from the food/drink tabs the musician brought along? But similar to the musicians, bloggers don’t always see this because of the initial excitement of the offer(s), and it can result in devaluing the blogging professions.
We get this a ton too, people expecting us to ‘donate’ shirts to their event in return they say things like ‘it will be good advertising for you’ or they will put our name and info on some flyer. Well that just wont work. We aren’t a huge company we don’t have departments set up to deal with these things, we need to make a living first then can donate to things we care about. Everyone is looking for the free deal, its crazy! Glad you stood up for yourself in a professional way!