Fine Print

Over at the excellent ReadWriteWeb (RRW) they’ve been asking the top bloggers and social media gurus what they earn. Might be a rude question, but the answers are anonymous, and it makes for an interesting survey — especially with the current financial climate looming large.

So … for bloggers, it ranged from $10 to $80 for a single blog post. RRW reckons that some of the full-time bloggers are pulling in six figures, which is probably true if you check out TechCrunch, Mashable and the Gawker Media Network. All very successful, opinionated and influential.

And the big $$$? “Social media consultants, expert practitioners with multiple years of success in the kinds of positions discussed above and in some cases in traditional marketing jobs, are the ones making the most money. No one we surveyed named an hourly consulting rate below $150 per hour. $300 per hour was the most common rate named.”

I am guessing all the survey respondents were from the U.S. Curious, too, as to how they pitch their services? Do they quote one fee for the advice they offer, and hope the client is happy with the results? Or — braver still in social media — guarantee certain elements of success for their fee, and collect on proven results?

Along with coverage in the dailies and a breakfast television slot, does the PR checklist now have “50 blog mentions” and “25 new Twitter followers” on it’s to-do list as a successful campaign?

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada