How To Choose Who To Sponsor In Blogland?

No, this is not a post about sponsoring Wifessionals. Speaking of which, you have never seen me, nor ever will see me, post a post saying,
"Want to come sponsor me this month?!"
I've talked about Sponsorships and my opinions in the past. Again, these are just my opinions and what has worked for me.
I do not think it is necessary to post to your readers, asking them to come sponsor you. To me it feels like begging and I don't want to pressure anyone into working with me. I know that 90% of bloggers post these type of posts each month, and that is totally fine! It's their blog and their call. For me, I become genuine friends with my Sponsors. I work my butt off to make sure that I know exactly what they want for their blog, and I do everything in my power to get them there. Each one of them has Sponsored me all on their own, without me ever doing a "Sponsor Call". My Ad Spots are usually always booked. The reason I am telling you this is because if you have ever felt pressured to publish one of those posts because you think that's the only way to get Sponsors, that is not the case. I am living proof. If you aren't comfortable asking outright for people to sponsor you, don't! Again, I know I am in the minority, but I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to do those posts to gain Sponsors.
Now, I've been getting a lot of emails asking about Sponsoring and Ad Swapping with other blogs. Girls want to know how to decide who to sponsor and swap with. Let's start with Swapping.
I am all about Ad Swapping. The majority of my Ads have been swaps. Especially when you are starting out, you don't always have the money or want to invest cold hard cash in your blog. Totally understandable. The answer of promoting your blog is Swapping. I swap with anyone who doesn't use extreme profanity or blog about inappropriate content that I would never post on my blog. If you don't do those 2 things, you will always have a spot on my sidebar. I offer swaps to blogs of any size. A good rule of thumb is to find a ton of swaps with blogs that are the same size as you or slightly bigger. Then try to have at least 2-3 that are with blogs that are at least 200+ followers than you. This will make sure you are always reaching a larger audience and always finding new blog friends. Almost all blogs with 800 or less followers offer swaps. All you have to do is look on the blog's Sponsor or PR tab for more info and then email the blogger. Make sure you are holding up your end of the deal and posting their button as well.
Now on to Paid Sponsorships. Recently some bigger bloggers have come out saying they don't believe in having Paid Sponsors or paying for Ads. They also don't believe in giveaways. I had an influx of emails from girls who were worried after reading these posts, feeling guilty or bad or unsure of how they felt anymore. Here is my take on Paid Ads.
Let's think about major companies like Target or Apple. They advertise on TV, in printed Ads, on the internet, in your mailbox, etc...If they never advertised at all, would they reach the customer base that they do? No.
I believe that your blog is the same way. You could sit for hours and blog your heart out, but if you never get out in blogland and let people know who you are, chances are, they aren't going to magically stumble on your blog. Now you can reach thousands of new bloggers and friends without ever paying for one single Ad. That's the truth. But sometimes you want a little more exposure or to reach a larger audience and that's when you consider a Paid Ad Spot.
That's not a crime. You aren't "buying your readers" by participating in giveaways. I have a huge giveaway every month. I started it to help smaller bloggers grow. These girls get 200+ followers from those giveaways, but I always make sure I explain the difference between "followers" and "readers". The giveaway gives you the platform to create these relationships, but they need to actually MAKE RELATIONSHIPS with these new people. I have seen girls develop incredible friendships from people they are introduced to through my giveaways and THAT is the correct way to use giveaways and Ads. What use is hundreds of "followers" if no one is reading anything you are writing?
So when choosing Ad Spots to purchase, I use these rules:
1. Pick a blog that has similar content to yours. Yes, there are bloggers with 3000+ followers that I have considered sponsoring, but they are fashion bloggers. Their readers LOVE them for their outfit posts...do I do outfit posts? No. So if their readers click on my Ad and come to my blog, they probably aren't going to be very interested in me. I tend to go towards newlyweds, military wives, women who love to help bloggers grow...because I know that chances are, their readers might like what I have to say as well.
2. Do what you can do. I knew when I started that I couldn't afford a $50 Ad Spot. As I've grown and sold my own Ads, I've been able to save up and purchase Ads that were larger and more expensive. Maybe all you can afford is a $5 spot. Well, then get the most bang for your $5 (see question #3). If you are going to pay for an Ad Spot, my general rule of thumb is to pick a blog that has enough followers that you can actually gain exposure to new bloggers. If you have 200 followers, I wouldn't suggest buying an Ad on someone's blog who has 300 followers. In reality, they will probably swap with you. When I was smaller, if I had 300 followers, I'd go for Ads on blogs with 800+ followers. Now that I have about 1800 followers, the gap is bigger. I try for blogs that have around 2500. The reason I do this is to reach NEW women I have never crossed paths with.
3. Get the most bang for your buck. This is the strictest rule I follow. I want the most exposure for my money. If all the blogger offers is a spot on their sidebar, I won't purchase it. I look for bloggers who want a relationship with their Sponsors. If you can ever afford an In Post Ad, those are the jam. You get your Ad at the bottom of every post which means 30 days of incredible exposure. Usually those spots offer an intro post and a guest post as well. The next best thing is an Ad high on the sidebar with few slots accepted. I also make sure they offer some sort of guest post or intro post. I want to be introduced to the blogger's readers. If they never look at the sidebar, then at least one of the days I am sponsoring, they will get a post about me or something I write about. Lastly, they are automatic winners in my book if they offer some sort of extra perk. I offer a V-Blate Workshop to most of my Ad spots. I spend an hour or more video chatting with them, helping them with their blog design, coming up with creative ideas or answering any blogging questions they may have. This is something I know truly benefits them and helps them to grow their blogs. I love when bloggers offer items like this where I feel like they are truly investing in me and taking time to connect.
Again, these are all just my personal opinions and what has worked for me. If you are ever unhappy with a Sponsorship email the blogger! Sometimes people may not know they aren't living up to the expectations they are putting out their for their Ads. At the same time, if you are really happy with your Sponsorship, let the blogger know. Without feedback, we have nothing to go off of. I hope this helps you all with your questions! Sponsoring is a great way to help your blog grow, but always remember, it is never necessary (:


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