Nothing can start a fiery discussion like Mom Bloggers working for free! But when should a blogger work for free and when shouldn’t she?
I am a dinosaur. I roamed the blogosphere back when wearing a Google Ad in your side bar was shocking, splitting bloggers into camps of pure and dirty.
Yet slowly, (if anything in social media can be described as moving slowly,) bloggers realized that they were “working.” They hadn’t noticed at first — it had been too fun, too gratifying.
But as spouses clocked their hours and hosting fees showed up on their visa bills, more and more bloggers decided to challenge this “selling out” concept. Why was it wrong to earn a livelihood from their craft? How was blogging different from any other pursuit or product?
And so bloggers began to learn the art of monetization.
Bloggers tested the waters with Google Ads — it didn’t require too much commitment and hey, everyone was doing it, right? And when BlogHer opened their own ad network and popular bloggers began sporting their ads, it was like the skies had opened up and declared advertising “good.”
Yes, it was game time. Mom bloggers were now “allowed” to earn money on their blogs. No one would trash their sites or click away in disgust.
Since those primitive beginnings, bloggers have discovered a myriad of ways to earn a living online. From integrated campaigns, to e-products, to consulting, and beyond, most professional mom bloggers have multiple revenue streams allowing them to turn their online assets into a reliable income.
Yet, the questions linger — should a mom blogger ever work for “free” and if so, when and why?
