When I decided to open my blog to sponsorship I did so without guilt or apprehension. I had been blogging for five years at the time and had established a good relationship with a number of brands (through giveaways and unpaid reviews) who wanted to work with me on a regular basis. Of course, I had a few niggling doubts, but I also believed that my words and photos and the space I had created was worthy of income. I believed that my writing was of value and so I took the leap.

• own your decision to monetise your blog and be proud of it – I don’t think earning money from writing/blogging is controversial. Whilst it’s not to everyone’s liking I think it’s really important to make a considered decision that you wholeheartedly believe in. If it feels good and right for you and your blog then you’re on the right track.

• create an intention and adhere to it – you’ve created a niche blog and attracted a readership; best to keep both these things in mind when it comes to sponsors. My priority? Integrity. I work with creatives and small businesses who make products that I love – for their beauty, simplicity, practicality, timelessness and quality; products that I unashamedly promote because I believe in them. On the flip-side this means saying no to a lot of potential work – with big supermarkets, chain stores and pharmaceutical/beauty brands that often dangle the $1000+ metaphorical carrot in my face. When in doubt (and you will have doubts) come back to your intention.

• not everyone will like your decision and that’s ok – I think it’s really important to accept that not all your readers will like your decision to work with sponsors and that’s absolutely fine. They’re entitled to an opinion just as you are entitled to make money from your blog. I’ve been really conscious of seamlessly blending sponsorship; I don’t accept flashing ads, ad artwork needs to fit my criteria and my aesthetic and I only feature one clearly-labelled sponsored post a week (often it’s one a month).

• approach brands that you already use/love/buy – if you like them chances are your readers will, too – when I was starting to accept sponsorship the hardest thing was knowing how to approach brands. I made a list of all the brands that I raved about to friends and yoga students in my first few years of motherhood (mostly baby brands) and then contacted the brands directly. Some were well-known and established, others were small etsy stores that I genuinely believed in. Sometimes a conversation would begin and other times I wouldn’t get a response. It’s all trial and error. My advice? Be polite, don’t hound and don’t have lofty expectations.

• create a detailed media kit – let it be known that many brands are inundated with emails from media types hoping to collaborate in one way or another. Introduce yourself in a personal and succinct email (an essay isn’t necessary) and attach your media kit for the reader to peruse if they so wish. Kate created my media kit using my words and photos – it aptly conveys my blog’s aesthetic and my creative intentions. It includes a detailed description (blurb) of my blog, testimonials from readers and past/current sponsors, statistics including monthly pageviews, unique visitors, Facebook likes, Instagram followers, sidebar costs and my contact details. 

• brands will want to pay you in product but products do not pay bills – I think the best lesson I’ve learned since monetising my blog is that I’m no longer just the creative – I’m dipping my toes into the business side of things. If my blog was a magazine I’m playing the role of writer, photographer, editor and advertising manager. In the first six months of accepting sponsors I was inundated with packages in the mail; the postman knew me by name and we’d have this awkward conversation at the door about the fact that he was delivering a package – again. It was around this time that I really started exploring the concept of simplicity and the conflict was evident. And besides, I wanted my earnings to pay bills and build savings, I didn’t want to fill my home with stuff. So I very quickly declined offers for product reviews and product payment and stood my ground. There are times when I will negotiate a product/cash payment if there is something I particularly need but in the majority of cases it’s cash only. I send the brand an invoice with my ABN number and bank details and payment is made one week before the ad begins.

• be open to discussion – committing to sponsorship is, for some brands, a significant investment – they will appreciate an open discussion where you are happy to answer their questions, listen to their concerns and offer them suggestions. I’m always happy to discuss sponsorship options with the brands I work with and will always offer discounts for three or six month bookings. Because I don’t work with many big brands I don’t often deal with PR companies – instead I’m working directly with the designer/creative and so our discussions are personalised and to the point.