A blogger's value has worth when a blogger brings value to the table. Photo by Carl Dwyer

“The laborer is worthy of his hire.” ~Luke 10:7

There has a lot of conversation in the past few months about blogging as a business and what bloggers can charge for various things. Whether they SHOULD charge for things. How much they should charge. Why some bloggers don’t make money and whether bloggers who “work for free” will impact the ability of other bloggers to make money. Oiy!

So what is my philosophy about it all? There are two main points that I think this verse highlights and I agree with.

A Blogger Can Have Value and Worth for a Company and Deserves to be Paid for That

Yes! When a blogger is performing a duty or task for a company, whether advertising, outreach, writing copy, putting together video ads or other public relations and marketing promotions, a blogger deserves to be paid for those efforts.

I will be honest with you…while I absolutely LOVE writing, website creation, etc. I love being home with my children even more than that. Which requires enough money to keep them out of daycare. Pure and simple.

Having said that, there is another implication in this verse that I think bloggers need to be willing to examine and truly OWN. An implication which I wholeheartedly agree with.

A Blogger Should be WORTH the Hiring

In this verse we hear about a laborer who’s work was worthy of hire. If you are not a good writer, you will never be hired to write copy. And you cannot be upset about that.

If you only have 15 followers on Twitter, you are probably not WORTHY of the hiring for a Twitter Party. If you only write on your blog once a year, don’t be angry that advertisers aren’t knocking down your door (or inbox).

So the idea is a two-fold look at the same coin. Have something of value. And then no one will complain about paying the price of that value.

Take my big “Making Money” ebook for example – it is priced at $25. Rather pricy for an ebook. Yet in all the copies I’ve sold since it’s release in December, I have never had a single person say it wasn’t worth the price. In fact, the number one comment I’ve heard back was “It was worth every single cent.” The laborer was worthy of the hire.

Have an excellent “product”. Except a quality price. Deliver above expectations as much as you are able.

Experienced bloggers helping newcomers with patience, humility and kindness. Photo by A. Akbar

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” ~Ephesians 4:2

Blogging has become a community for most of us. None of us blogs into a void, but rather as part of a connected group. For better or for worse.

I have noticed a disturbing trend by some influential bloggers who pull back from, or worse, lash out, at new bloggers. Especially at what is perceived as someone encroaching on “their” territory.

What is sad is that, to me, it reflects poorly not on the new blogger. But on the older, more well-established blogger. How do we who are continuing to grow in success and add new challenges and new levels to our blogging treat those who are new?

Be Humble About Our Blogging Success

There is very little about my personal success that is something I did completely by myself. I am one unique visitor on this blog – just one of the thousands who have visited. Yes, I write. But others share. You come and read. Comment. Support. Inspire. Without YOU this blog wouldn’t be much at all.

Be Gentle To New Bloggers

Sometimes new bloggers ask questions. Sometimes the same exact question I’ve answered a few dozen times already. Just like my fourth baby born this April is bound to ask the same, semi-annoying questions a hundred times that my 5 ½ year old asks today with regularity.

And just like I won’t snap at my children for a healthy curiosity and desire to learn, it isn’t helpful to snap at newbies who are just trying to learn the ropes and curious about how to get where you are.

Experienced Bloggers Should Be Patient With Beginner Mistakes

EVERYONE makes mistakes. Let’s never forget the time when we stumbled in the public eye and be patient with eachother. I promise you readers this – I will never expect you to be perfect until I a perfect. Lol!

Quite some time ago – when I first started writing online – I sent an email with a sarcastic, teasing line. As soon as I sent it I realized that the recipient would not take it the same way I was meaning because of a personal history. Oh no! My hands were shaking and sweaty – I was beating myself up as I quickly called to explain and apologize.

What a gracious, loving response I received. Just like the end of the verse says to bear with one another. TOLERATE eachother’s mistakes. Eachother’s personality quirks. Because my goodness do I ever have some personality quirks!

And am grateful to you all for the tolerance you show me.

Just as parenting should be done with a bit of forethought – so blogging can become something that requires a tad bit of commitment. Or at least if you want it to take off and develop into something with a life of it’s own, you really ought to put a little bit of forethought into it.

So here are a few considerations that come to mind before making the blogging commitment:

A Support System For Bloggers

There is a saying “it takes a village to raise a child” which simply means that any one person, trying to do everything on their own, will soon experience burn out. Bloggers have to be SO MANY things – graphic artists, website designers, writers, marketers, advertisers, PR reps, social media gurus and more.

When you have a support system in place you will have others you can rely on to help you pick up the slack. Where you have a weakness, they may be stronger, and help you compensate for those areas.

A Passion to Share Via Blogging

Having a child, I mean – er – creating a new blog, is not something to be done frivolously. But rather with passion. In a survey via Twitter @JessicaGotlieb shared this insight for something that a blogger should consider before jumping in, “Ask them why they want to do it. if they don’t have a reason why then they might not have a good message.”

It’s Easier to Focus When They Don’t Come Ten at a Time

The reason such things make sensational news stories is because that is not the norm. Blogs tend to develop better in the early stages when you are focused and dedicated to just one. @jenniferbourn said “Pick a niche and focus on something you’re passionate about. Easier to expand later.” And she’s right. When your blog is walking and talking on it’s own, it is very easy to add a sibling.

Create a Space for Your New Blog - Photo by Emmanuel Garcia

Living Arrangements and Names For Your Blog

You have to make room for the new baby somewhere – accommodations can be either very basic, free-hosted sites like blogger or free wordpress. Or the living arrangements can be a lot fancier and more complex. While any parent can tell you that simple is certainly all that is needed to get started, there are some basic things that are helpful and can make things easier or more effective.

Like a self-hosted site and true domain name. Why condemn your blog to be just a plain “Jane Doe” when it’s so easy and relatively inexpensive to purchase a domain name and set up a website? Sure, I started out with a blogspot.com blog or two or ten, but I quickly learned how much easier is it to just begin with a domain name from the very beginning.

If you try to follow another's path you may lose your own way. Photo by Lauren Burbank

“For I know the plans I have for YOU, declares the LORD.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

I love this verse. And lately as I’ve been pondering upcoming blog conferences, and reflecting on my times at Type-A-Mom and Blissdom, I realized that one of the things that stands out to me is how unique and diverse each blogger is. With good reason I think. WE are unique.

I told a client on a phone consultation recently, “If a reader only wanted pure information they would read the encyclopedia at the library. Your readers visit your blog because you make it unique. You are the magic ingredient that makes it special.” I think that’s a lot of what this verse in Jeremiah can tell us as bloggers.

YOUR plan does not have to look like MY plan. I’ve consulted with merchants, mommy bloggers, foodie writers, single women, unmarried men and entrepreneurs. The one common thread is that each is unique. Unique in goals. Unique in voice. Unique in desires. Unique in abilities.

And thus, the plan for each is unique!

Different.

Special.

I wonder – have you remembered that lately? Have you looked at another blog or website and got so caught up in analyzing what they were doing right and how you could duplicate that “rightness” that you lost sight of your OWN plan? The future for YOU? Perhaps, just maybe, it’s time for you to remember YOUR plan.