I’m A Blogger: Does That Mean If I Mention A Brand Etc I Should Be Paid NO!

The world of blogging and vlogging entered a new low over the last couple of weeks in my humble opinion. Of course, I’m talking about the Irish hotel owner versus the vlogger.

What it highlighted for me was how the nature of the blogging and vlogging world has changed since I first started three years ago.

I’m not going to comment on that particular situation because I’m sure enough has already been said, and quite honestly there appears to me to be fault on both sides, but hey ho! What fantastic exposure both have received from what was a ridiculous argument to begin with, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent, reporting it is a free advert and well, I’m guessing it has not harmed their respective business or profiles, quite the opposite I’m sure.

My thought now is about how blogging and vlogging, and the use of social media has changed, and if you have a big enough following, you will no longer do anything for free. I am more than aware that many bloggers and vloggers now make a very substantial living from one or both of these platforms.

I read the other day that one blogger had earned over £30k for the year. First of all, well done, it’s an awesome achievement, but what I found interesting was that they played down the amount, saying that it wasn’t much compared to some of the huge bloggers. Really? That’s serious dollar in anybody’s language, something to be very proud of that’s for sure.

I will say I have always found it strange to see people publishing these income reports, telling the world how much you have earned. I liken it to going to the pub with a few friends and then when the pub is full you stand up and tell everybody I earn ‘x’ amount of pounds. You just wouldn’t do it, so I struggle to understand the need to splash it all over social media, each to their own I guess. Not for me though.

If you have built up a reasonable size following on social media, does that mean you will no longer do anything for nothing?

Well to me it seems that this is the case nowadays. You can, if you want argue that it’s a business that needs to make money, but I think that’s absolute rubbish. I run a painting and decorating business, and have done so for 20 years. I have lost count of the amount of times I have done a little something for nothing, yes free! I haven’t charged the customer for no other reason than it’s a nice thing to do. What makes blogging/vlogging any different? Well, nothing actually.

I have written in excess of 1,400 posts on my blog and I have lost count of the times that I have mentioned a brand or something similar, and not received any money back in return, so I’m guessing you call that free, which apparently we should not be doing or using the word free in the world of blogging/vlogging anymore, because it doesn’t show blogging in the right light and possibly makes people think it’s not a real job, utter nonsense.

I have never asked any brands or similar places to visit them for the day for free entry in return for a blog post or similar just so I can get a family day out. I’m quite happy to pay for it, for a family day trip. That is not to say I haven’t been on a day trip to somewhere where it’s in return for a blog post, but that’s because they’ve approached me.

As a blogger, who is semi-employed earning from my blog, which consequently makes it a job, because it really doesn’t matter how you earn money, it’s a job if you earn money.

If I hear once more that the HMRC recognise blogging as a job, I will scream. Of course they do, the same as they recognise any other self-employed person who earns money, whatever they do to earn their dollar, but the truth is they are only really interested in how much money you have earned. They don’t care how you have earned it, they just want their cut of the money for tax and NI.

If you are a blogger who earns from your blog, do you do some things for nothing, in the hope that it leads to other things that may be paid? I do it’s called playing the long game. Speculate to accumulate.

I would to hear your thoughts.