Make Money Blogging With Sponsored Reviews & Giveaways

by Jeff Foster

Would you be willing to receive free products from companies to review and give away on your blog if you could bring home an extra $500 to $2,000 each month in advertising dollars? Current marketing analysis shows that businesses promoting products online are willing to pay bloggers to review products. Why? Reviews and giveaways inexpensively increase market exposure, get people talking about a product socially, and increase mentions of their company name and product name online for SEO purposes.

Because of these new marketing techniques, millions of bloggers are adding ‘sponsored product reviews’ to their advertising portfolio.  Why?  Companies promoting products are looking for inexpensive market exposure, social engagement, and link building tactics.  This opens up a whole new area of opportunity for bloggers. For popular bloggers who already have a wide readership, this is a great chance to receive some free products, build a relationship with a company who is looking for new methods of advertising, and expand their income.

Many will debate the ethics behind this marketing tactic, but the fact is that millions of companies incorporate it into their online marketing budget to the point where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued revised legal guidelines in 2009 and again in April 2013. For example, according to the new guidelines, companies must:

“Instruct Tweeting or texting endorsers to use clearly understood disclosure abbreviations such as #ad and #sponsored, and not #spon.”

Why should bloggers and advertisers who engage in this tactic leap with joy that the FTC is posting these guidelines?  This means that advertising on blogs and social media is perfectly legal, and so widely accepted that they have even set up rules on how to do it correctly on Twitter!

Is your blog profiting from this growing marketing tactic?  The average blogger that offers ‘sponsored reviews and giveaways’ as an advertising option makes $500 a month.  Bloggers that cover a specific  niche or offer unique sponsored posts bring home on average of $2,000 a month*.

**Stats taken from a survey of 1,000 blogs from www.Tomoson.com that publish reviews & giveaways

Tomoson.com conducted an online survey in October 2013 of 1,000 popular bloggers who review products on their blogs each month. The goal was to determine what percentage of bloggers who review products for free also charge businesses to review products.  The four main questions each blogger was asked were: 1) How many reviews and giveaways do you post per month?  2) How many paid reviews do you publish per month?  3) How much do you charge per paid post? 4) Does your blog specialize in a particular industry?

As you can see in the pie graph above, the survey showed that 79% of bloggers who do free reviews  and giveaways also charge businesses to review products.

How much is each blogger able to charge for each paid post?  Why are some bloggers able to charge $500 while others only $10?  Is it ONLY determined by website traffic and social media followers?

I was curious about why some bloggers were able to only charge $10 – $30 for a paid review and others $100 – $500.  So I asked each group who was surveyed, “What do you blog about?”  The results reveal an interesting blog marketing tactic that is discussed on ProBlogger often; a niche.

We found that bloggers who brought in only $10-$30 per sponsored post usually wrote blogs that covered a broad range of topics. For example, 40% of our responders said that they blog about everything! Other subjects included family, recipes, personal matters, and even a few blogs that consist solely of advertisements and giveaways. Since most companies are looking for a platform that aligns closely with their product, they don’t see these general-interest blogs as a good return on their investment, so they are not willing to pay quite as much for a sponsored post.

What Bloggers Blog About That Make $10 – $30 a post

What Bloggers Blog About That Make $100 – $500 a post

However, bloggers who write about very specific topics earn over ten times more money from sponsored posts.  Here are just a few examples of great niche topics:

Three Great Examples of Niches

Can you see why bloggers who write about the niche topics above can charge more for a sponsored review than a blogger who “blogs about anything”?  Advertisers want their exact target market talking about their product.  They want as much market exposure in front of potential customers as possible. And to top it off, they know Google is looking for links from industry -specific sites. Therefore, the more specific your blog is, the more you’ll be able to pull in from sponsored posts, since that exact topic could be the perfect platform for a company to fit their product into.

But how do you enter the sponsored post market? Over the past few years, many companies have emerged  help businesses reach niche bloggers.  Below are the leading companies who can help you find thousands of businesses who will send you, free products and pay you to review them:

Using a site like the ones above can really leverage your blog. You can connect all of your social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, to your profile so that advertisers can see all of your platforms in one convenient spot. Additionally, they’ll be able to see any past sponsored posts that you’ve done in addition to getting a feel for the general vibe of your blog to see if their product would be a good fit. This eliminates a lot of the preliminary work in matching up blogs to sponsors.

But don’t get carried away! If you bid on every single advertising opportunity that comes your way, your message will not be as powerful and your earning potential will go down. Be choosy about which sponsors you work with and make sure they truly fit into your particular niche.

If you’re wondering which of these sites to sign up with, the short answer is: All of them! There is no fee to join, and that way you’ll have as broad a base as possible.

How Can You Become A “Power Seller” of Paid Reviews?

Don’t be boring.  Don’t do what the bloggers that “review everything” do.  They get the product, take some pictures of their kids using it, write up a review telling their users it is awesome and they recommend that their readers buy it; perhaps they include a coupon.

But this isn’t enough. Remember, businesses are willing to pay higher prices when they can reach and engage their exact target audience.  This means you have to 1) engage your audience 2) not upset or bore them with the same old reviews & giveaways they know companies are paying you to do.  The best ‘paid reviews’ are creatively disguised as regular blog posts, so that they fit right in to the blog instead of standing out as an advertisement.;  hHere are my top 10 examples of successful sponsored posts:

#1  Holiday Gift Guides:

http://www.gussysews.com/2013/08/how-to-be-included-in-our-2013-holiday-gift-guide/

If it fits in with your blog, a holiday gift guide like this one is a great way for sponsors to get their names in your post. Companies that fit your own blog’s brand should register ahead of time to have their products linked in your annual gift guide.

#2  Tutorials:

http://www.jennyonthespot.com/crafty/how-to-make-birthday-card-organizer-box/

Tutorial posts are especially great for crafting or lifestyle blogs. You can inform your readers about a product by teaching them how to use it, just like this blogger has done.

#3  Infographics

http://cheapisthenewclassy.com/2013/09/frugal-beauty-tips.html

Everyone loves an infographic! Blogs like this one have incorporated fun, catchy infographics to educate their readers on new products, or new ways to use their old products.

#4  Polls


http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/82608-at-what-juncture-would-you-start-your-life-over-sponsored-by-b-lif

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/styling-from-scratch-roundup-whats-your-favorite-style-ikea-188765

A sponsored poll is always a big success. Your readers will love the chance to share their own opinions, and the company you work with will gain valuable market information. Everybody wins!

#5  Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEwBwQjw3ow

Video reviews are always a big hit with advertisers. Once that review is up on YouTube or another file sharing site, it can travel far and wide to maximize a company’s advertising power. Plus it’s a great way for your readers to get to know you!

#6  Comment To Win

http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/just-for-fun/two-ways-to-win-a-gift-basket-filled-with-goodies-from-covergirl-clairol-herbal-essences-olay-and-more-worth/

Always popular with blog audiences, a contest that requires readers to comment in order to win a giveaway is great for bloggers and businesses alike. Posts like this one are bound to be popular, since who doesn’t want a free product? That means maximum exposure for both the blog and the brand.

#7  ‘How To’

http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/cosmetics/pg-red-carpet-beauty/

Similar to the tutorial posts mentioned above, you can use this opportunity to educate your readers on how to use a new product. In this example, the blogger explains how to use regular beauty products to get a fabulous red-carpet look. These useful tips are a hit with readers, which means it’s a success for the brand as well.

#8  Recipes

http://snappygourmet.com/2013/04/13/sloppy-burger-grilled-cheese/

Do you ever write about food? Perhaps your blog is about healthy living, or baking, or veganism. Maybe it’s even about your pets and their food! If this is the case, recipes are an excellent way to incorporate a sponsor into your blog. Just use their food product in one of your dishes, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

#9  From Our Partners

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/09/19/kat-odell-snacks-at-raes-in-a-tropical-chic-look-by-gap.php

In this example, a restaurant review blog includes a post spotlighting their partner, Gap. They did a great job incorporating the two niches by featuring the outfit that their editor wore to try out a restaurant. With a little creativity, partnerships like this can be very rewarding for both sides!

#10 Compare/ Vs. / Battle

http://www.technologybloggers.org/gadgets/wireless-speakers-battle-hmdx-jam-vs-jbl-flip-mini-review/

Often, your blog readers are in the market for a new product but don’t know which brand to buy. You can help them out by comparing two brands of the same item, like this example of a speaker review.

If you follow these tips above, you too can get to the point where you can charge $500 for a sponsored review. Keep your blog’s niche as specific as possible, work with sites that liaison between bloggers and advertisers, and make sure your sponsored posts are top quality — these strategies will all help you earn great money through advertising!  Tomoson.com and similar organizations are fantastic resources for bloggers who want to increase their advertising clout. By registering with a company like these, you ensure that advertisers can see how great your blog is and why it would be a good partner for their brand. Not only that, but these websites can track how relevant your blog is to various products and allow you to bid on various advertising opportunities. You’re bound to earn far more money this way than by contacting companies on your own.

Don’t be scared to add sponsored reviews to your blog if others say it is not ethical.  Keep in mind that the FTC says it is legal and two of the world’s largest retailers (Amazon’s Review Program and Walmart’s Review Program) have been sending free products to bloggers to write reviews for them for years.

If you’ve been looking for a way to monetize your blog, get in on the advertising game! Your readers will appreciate the new information and you’ll be amazed at your new earning potential.