My take on sponsorships {& a giveaway}

I have debated on how to introduce this giveaway, and it finally dawned on me that maybe I should give you some background on how I ended up giving you guys a chance to win ninety dollars in Paypal cash. I mean, it's kind of politically incorrect (at least in the bloggy world) to just have a post doing a giveaway. Sure the only reason someone new is even going to look at your post may be the fact that you are "bribing" them to, but you never know. And for that that simple chance of not knowing, some times it's good to actually add some substance.

So without further adieu... my take on sponsorships.

I have no idea where this picture came from, as it was just a random picture on my computer, and I thought it fit.

Since I've been around here for a little bit, I've been around the block on sponsorships. And I think I have finally sponsored enough blogs to actually have the experience to write a post on it... I think. Well, according to Passionfruit, I have sponsored twelve blogs. Yeah, I just said twelve, and that doesn't include the blogs in which I have done button swaps; Cause those are free. So I guess that means that I have paid a pretty penny to be around here, huh? And you know what, I just paid some more... And I'm ok with it.

Why? You have to look at your blog like a small business. You are starting from scratch, and you basically have the option to advertise in the newspaper or on the interstate billboard. It's really up to you. Like how much you want to pay, is ultimately up to you. So in order to treat my blog like a business, and ultimately get the exposure ready for my Etsy shop opening (April 1st), I have actually given myself a monthly "advertising budget".

Basically, choosing which blog to sponsor is really a matter of personal choice, but since I have sponsored a couple handfuls of blogs, I'm going to give you my personal opinion on what I look for.

one | Page views. The saying goes "the higher, the better". Yeah, so that means, if the blog that you choose to sponsor is getting like 1000 views a day, then you may get about 100 of those. Maybe. Ok, you may get like 50. The problem for me, is that for the past couple of months I have been sponsoring a blog that has increased my page views tremendously, and I'm not even sure if it has increased my readership; so page views are a great selling point and all, but they are definitely not the thing that seals the deal for me. It's the whole readers vs page views dilemma; and we are going to save that for another day.

two | Group Giveaway. Giveaways are the things that get you more followers, but maybe not more readers (because some of those people tend to drop off after the giveaway is done). It's kinda like bribing someone to be your friend. It happens, but it's good for business.
 

three | Social Media Shout Outs. I am talking about Twitter, because when the person of the blog that I'm sponsoring mentions me or my blog post on Twitter, my heart starts to flutter and I feel special. Yes, I will definitely pay for that feeling. And then they pin one of my posts... oh wow! That. just. feels. good.

 

On another note, some bloggers offer this service a-la-carte for anywhere between $2-5, and I'm not even sure if I'm ok with that (not like I have an opinion or anything). I mean if it comes with the package, it's one thing. But if I am going to pay you anywhere between $10-25 to advertise on your blog, and then you want to turn around and make me pay more for a 140 or less sentence about my blog to your 1000 and some followers, um, yeah, no thanks. I'm sorry, but why are we doing this? To make money? I thought that we were "all in this together?"

 

Then again if someone was actually going to pay me $5 to tweet some love about them... yeah, I would take it. Oh... the bloggy world. Wolves, I tell ya. Wolves.

 

And why in the hell did I actually by that damn package in the first place? Oh, I know... to write a post about sponsorships.

 

four | Spotlight Posts. A post written by the author of the blog spotlighting YOUR BLOG is one of the best forms of advertising that you can get. Basically they gush about you and your blog to all of their readers, which boosts your following, and yada yada yada. These are usually done with the other months sponsors, which can range from 5-10 other blogs, depending on how big the sponsorship is.

five | Price. Price is a given, when choosing which blogs I really want to sponsor, but you have to look at how much bang you are actually getting for your buck. I mean some blogs out there have the stats to justify charging over $25 for an individual post. I mean, damn, to be the center of the blogs world for one day, that just simply amazing. And costly.

 

Basically what I am trying to get at, is the fact that I look for all of these five things when I look for a blog to sponsor, but above anything else, I also ask myself a series of questions...

• Do I like the blog?
• Do I read the blog daily?
• Does it seem like the readers are engaging on a daily basis?
• Is there a loyal fan base?
• How many times a week does the author post?
• Will this blog help my blog?

Granted those questions are a given, but every time I look at a blog's sponsorship page, those are the first questions that I have to ask myself. 

 

Some bloggers also try to stick with blogs that are close in size and style, ie why would you advertise a lifestyle blog on a fashion blog or a makeup blog on a food blog. It's understandable, and makes sense. Lately though, I have been branching out. I am running a lifestyle blog, so I feature posts on my lifestyle. Duh. Yeah, so that means, I can post just about whatever I want, and I am not constricted into a little box. I have advertised on other lifestyle blogs, but I have also been advertising on some beauty and style blogs. I feature posts on makeup and my outfits, so I have hopes that I may appeal to their readers. Plus I just really like their blogs. And I really like seeing my beautiful face on their sidebar. Just hanging out. Like we're having coffee or something. Even if I've only seen them in pictures, and they are like a million miles away.

 

Yeah, so I'm back from a little daydream.

Anyways.

I have sponsored my fair share of blogs, and I have had good and super amazing experiences. Basically you get what you pay for and I have to say, some bloggers definitely go above and beyond to fulfill their duties.

The choice to sponsor is a personal one, but as I've said I have had really good experiences with it. But I have also made some bloggy friends from it, and I think that may be the one thing that I love.

*Currently I am not offering paid sponsorships, since I don't have the stats to justify it yet, but you can take a look at my Sponsor page if you would like to button swap*

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Since you have listened to me blab about my take on sponsorships, here is one of the perks... a giveaway! And the fact that you have a chance to win ninety dollars in Paypal cash!! Yeah, your welcome!

 

Happy Joyful Day // My Life as a Long // A Sorta Fairytale Marry Mint // Becoming Adorrable // A Hundred Tiny Wishes Notes from a Newlywed // Sprinkles & Sundresses // Lavender & Light

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