Would the Minute you Start Charging Become Work?

And thus not fun? Don't get me wrong, I know many of you are doing jobs that are fun with companies that are great, especially if it's your own. I also know that blogging is hard work, I've been doing it for 14 months posting every day but Saturday. Give the question a chance though -- would the minute you start charging for blogging make it somehow more like work?

In light of the current discussions on the free nature of the Internet, yet the consideration on the proper recognition of skill and value for writers, this is not trivial. Perhaps you've given it some thought as it applies to your business model. So let's talk about the value of free for a moment. I know from this post at The Blog Herald that Lorelle is quite passionate about the topic, you should head over there and read what she has to say in the comments. Now stay with me, please.

For seven years I ran the readers' network of Fast Company magazine in Philadelphia. I took over the lead when in transition to find a better way to have events with the content I wanted and meet people locally as I used to work in North Jersey -- I know, no man's land. In the beginning I made it up, I met people who had great things to say and invited them to share with the group. They were small groups and intimate events.

Fast forward a few years and I had venue partnerships with all the major business schools in the area and nationally recognized speakers and authors like Dan Pink, Mike Abrashoff, Mike Useem, etc. We networked our programs through our members and on wires that advertised events throughout our region. All 98 events were absolutely, completely, totally free to attend -- for members and their guests. We discussed online business model with the curator of the Atwater Kent Museum, and a new POS tool for restaurants at the White Dog Cafe'. We went from 10 attendees to 200 for our networking boot camp and from a dozen members to 500+.

The events that got the most attendance were admittedly more clearly "me, myself, and I" sessions for attendees -- in other words, they were perceived as the quickest route to success. Not unlike the self-help books that are so popular and the how to blog posts.

The one that got 200 people had three fabulous facilitators who organized very interactive dialogues and experiences with the audience. We split the large group in three smaller teams that rotated among facilitators at regular intervals. That was a game changing experience. We captured the notes of every event and posted them online for those who could not make it. I say we, but in the end it was mostly me. Finally, every year I would send out a note to sum up the year with links to the event notes and feed forward the thread to the programming for the following year -- the thought leadership piece. All this for free.

Was that a waste of time? Not at all, it was an investment in my community that was being underserved by professional associations. Was it difficult to see people not show up after sending in RSVPs? Very, at times painful, because I knew there was tremendous value in the type of conversations we were creating. It was many-to-many even when we had a central speaker. Yet, there were many who could not see it, or got too busy with something else. One thing was certain -- anyone who experienced an event, kicked themselves for not having attended the others.

If I did it again today (we had our last free big event in mid June), I would charge for attendance. Not for me, I have a day job, I would distribute the funds evenly between the speaker and the venue. People need help in deciding the value of things, and unless we provide a guideline, they may not make the time. This is what I learned about events.

What about blogging? You tell me. Would it be the same for you if you got paid to blog?

Comments

[mvellandi]

I couldn't imagine being paid to blog, unless there was a large readership and I became somewhat of a journalist/editorialist part of a larger organization. But the latter would imply there being a business at hand, which changes the nature of the individual's role and subsequent compensation.

I agree with your last paragraph on fees - after all, nothing in life is free. The electricity, venue, coffee, water, snacks, stage/setup hands, and special guests should be paid for without the use of sponsors if possible. Besides, I see value in attending if there were a reasonable fee. It can still be perceived as grassroots, communal fun :) On similar yet different note, microlending has greater socio-economic effects than handouts.

Back to blogging though, are you perhaps questioning if compensation reduces the amount of authentic enthusiasm/passion expressed when writing?

[Joe Raasch]

Hi Valeria,

I could get paid to blog? HOW!!! Tell me! :-)

I agree that placing some price on an event gives people guidelines to value the event. This happened at the last company I worked for. Our internal training team used to do an internal charge for the training to the department requesting the course for their employee. When the company chose to stop that policy, the number of cancels and no-shows rose dramatically. Appears accountability is driven somewhat by cost.

Which brings me to blogging for dollars. Or better yet, blogging for euros. (ha). Since I would blog even if no one read my writing, getting paid and not having to change anything would make it easy. Reality is, if I was able to start charging for blog feeds or access, etc., I would feel much more compelled to write what my audience wanted to hear about from me. I would attempt to engage in a lot more conversation with my audience to ensure they felt it was worth the money to read my work.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Mario -- I wanted to pose the question because I do think it would focus attention on the money. That would not be necessarily a bad thing unless there were trade offs that came with that. You got the gist of my question.

@Joe -- the second unintended consequence would be to try and figure out what your readers want to read about. Again, that would not be a bad thing, per se, unless it became a prime driver of content, which may lead to being less imaginative/creative and playing to the crowds, so to speak. What would value be in the case of your content? How do you measure it? By number of ideas, inspiration, connections, etc...

[Marshall Sponder]

I admit, I do get paid to blog - and do need the money, but I found that I like to blog anyway, and often do, even when it doesn't translate into money directly.

While the Blogosphere seems to be slowing down somewhat (the number of posts in my RSS Reader seems to be declining - meaning more people are using Facebook and Twitter or other means to communicate) I think there's definite value in being a blogger, regardless of it being paid or not.

For one thing, I've been seen as a thought leader in Web Analytics - I doubt that would have happened had I not blogged. I doubt I'd be on the Board of Directors of the Web Analytics Association if I had not established my self as a thought leader first, via my webmetricsguru.com blog.

And the Press Passes to many major conferences were opened to me, Search Engine Strategies, Webmasterworld (once), Ad-Tech NYC (once, last year - not this year), Virtual Worlds 2007, Emetrics Summit in DC last year (this year, I spoke).

So the value of blogging, even if I didn't get paid for it - or am underpaid for it (I am) is still, well worth it.

I think what Valeria is saying - to put it in my own words - there are other forms of value besides money, and often, the things that are not paid for directly in money are actually more valuable and lasting than those that are.

It's also nice to read all the great events that were set up via Fast Company - I had no idea so much good stuff happened in North Jersey and Philadelphia.

It's not about money at all, because value comes in many forms.

[Susan Cellura]

I like to blog and hope that with each post my writing becomes stronger. I think it would be great to be paid to blog, however, I worry that the stress I would put on myself to perform or give people interesting, searching questions and information may send me into a black hole. I'd be willing to try it though. I think the key is to still write about what you know and be honest. That is what brings people to a blog and keeps them reading.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Marshall -- There is definitely a value with blogging, even when you're not getting paid. As I said in my comment to your post, giving back to the business community has tremendous value. Plus I was never one to want to get before giving, quite the contrary, in fact.

As for leadership of thought and in practical terms, there is never a saturation. Any company, city, neighborhood, and country needs to have more not less leaders. The key is to work together, not separately.

When I talked about investment in my community, it was akin to what you describe at WebMetricsGuru -- I wanted and still want to help others gain the connections and visibility I have been fortunate to have.

Philadelphia as a city stands to gain from its community and it puzzles me how my attempts over the years to join hands with city leaders and the business community (including the media) have somehow fallen on dead ears. Why?

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Susan -- I've wondered the opposite at work many times. What if people volunteered for the job, would dynamics change? How would managers inspire and incentivate their team? How would we look at time management and work flows?

It's good to look at things differently. The self imposed stress you mention vis-a-vis blogging might be also a consideration at work. When putting too much focus on profit and money, some short term decisions could have long term impact with unintended consequences...

[Richard Becker]

"Would it be the same for you if you got paid to blog?"

It's the same for me, but might not be for everyone. It depends on the artist and/or writer. Some accept commissioned and/or commercial work and produce brilliance (da Vinci). Others cannot (Gauguin). The nice part of being paid is it gives you more time to focus on the work.

Best,
Rich

[Valeria Maltoni]

I was thinking about your last statement. Often I find that there isn't more time to do a job well inside organizations. It's more like hurry up (because someone delayed making a decision) and wait (it's your goal, not mine) and design by committee (now gotta have everyone on board) -- both of which can be quite deflating.

I suspect that there are similar dynamics with clients on occasion. When you blog for yourself, you decide the rhythm.

[Anne Libby]

Valeria -- the lack of engagement you've perceived from community leaders and the media is because many have so much staked on the status quo.

And the nature of conversation is change.

Be well!

[Valeria Maltoni]

Anne:

You are quite right. It's really hard to conceive change in the midst of something that seems to work. Yet, that is precisely the right time to make a go at it, before it's too late. Thank you so much for adding to this conversation!

[Chris Baskind]

Well, I do get paid to blog. But I could get paid to do a lot of things, and I would still write online if my employment were elsewhere.

Money is important (and I'll take some of those fine-looking Euros -- why do they look more like money than dollars these days?). But we shouldn't do anything -- paid or not -- unless it's something we love.

There just isn't enough time. I still think of myself as young, but at 46 years old, I've lived long enough to realize the fleetingness of time. One moment, we're graduating from High School. The next (it it really seems to be the very *next* moment), we're watching our kids graduate. We look at the other parents, and they're all thinking the same thing: how did this happen so quickly?

Time is our most valuable commodity. From it extends love and learning and satisfaction. So we should be burning it on things which are worthwhile, whether it's blogging or something else.

If someone pays us, fabulous. Ultimately, though, our time is so precious that it can't be bought. We can only give it away.

[Valeria Maltoni]

I'll take Euros too with the current valuations. I almost feel like a woman all over again -- working twice as hard to earn half as much ;-)

You got it, doing something because we want to and enjoy. I think what we become complacent with is comfort, especially in organized entities. Thus out the window goes the hunger to make a different, create meaning, etc. and in comes the sense that nobody wants to rock the boat.

Loved your last thought: "our time is so precious that it can't be bought. We can only give it away." Thank you!