HIRING A BLOGGER?

The Illusion of "Exposure": Why My Blog Post Isn't Free; The costs behind every blog post are real: electricity, equipment, and expertise. Stop offering "exposure." Value the creative economy.

💡 The Unspoken Invoice

You’ve got a product. Maybe it’s a brilliant new app, a life-changing coaching service, or the best artisanal coffee beans this side of the equator. You reach out. You offer us the goods. And then, often with the best of intentions, you utter the phrase:

"We'll give you fantastic exposure."

The assumption is simple: You're paying for a blog post. A few hundred words. A click of the 'Publish' button. And that, you think, is where the transaction ends.

But here’s the thing about a professional, high-quality blog post—the kind that moves units, drives traffic, and changes minds: It is the tip of an iceberg made of time, money, and relentless effort.

💻 What You Are Actually Paying For

When you ask me to review, share, or promote your services, I don't just sit down and type. That's like saying a chef is only paid for "putting food on a plate."

Take a look at the hidden costs that go into that single, polished piece of content:

The Hidden Labor	The Cost to the Creator
The Research and Testing	Hours (often days) spent using your product, comparing it, and formulating an authentic, useful opinion. This is the core value.
The Infrastructure	Electricity to run the laptop, the cost of the computer itself, premium website hosting, security, and domain fees.
The Photography/Video	Camera equipment, lighting, editing software subscriptions, and the time spent staging and processing the visuals that make the post engaging.
The Promotion Engine	The thousands of hours (and often hundreds of dollars) spent over years building the audience, the email list, and the SEO authority that makes the "exposure" valuable in the first place.
The Overhead	Telephone, high-speed internet, and—yes—my rent, groceries, and other commitments.

You are not paying for a blog post. You are paying for the accumulated capital of my creative life.

🔨 Stop Asking for Free Work

If the work has value—if you believe my audience is worth reaching, my writing is worth reading, and my credibility is worth endorsing—then it has a price tag that involves more than non-monetary currency.

Ask yourself:

• Would you ask your web developer to code your entire site for "exposure"?
• Would you ask a carpenter to build a custom desk for "the chance to have their work seen"?
• Would you ask a dentist to fill a cavity for "great experience and a mention on your social media"?

The answer, of course, is no. You understand that they have honed a skill, invested in tools, and deserve fair compensation to sustain their life and practice.

The moment a blogger, writer, or creator generates revenue for your business, they stop being a hobbyist and become a business partner. Treat us like one.

🌱 A Transaction Built on Respect

"Exposure" is the bonus, the gravy, the residual benefit. It's the reward for high-quality, authentic work. It is never, and should never be, the payment itself.

When you invest in a blogger, you aren't just buying space on a website. You are buying a connection, a relationship, and a piece of trust that I have earned with my readers, one post at a time.

Let's build a creative economy where talent is recognized, expertise is compensated, and the transaction is built on mutual respect.

Pay the plumber. Pay the carpenter. Pay the blogger.

That's how real influence is bought.