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Is BlogHer really worth it?

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Today I wanted to talk about whether or not to join BlogHer for monetizing your blog.

Is BlogHer really worth it?”

Myth: BlogHer likes to be exclusive, so you miss out on other opportunities, and they have too much control. Try Adsense or other advertising ventures.

I respectfully disagree.

BlogHer is one of many ways to monetize your blog. The BlogHer Publishing Ad Network offers CPM ads (they pay a set price per one-thousand impressions) and sponsored content that can add up after a few months. BlogHer is unique in that they give preference to women bloggers (yes, there are male bloggers too!), although men are often accepted under certain situations.

Here are some common misconceptions about BlogHer:

1. BlogHer takes prime blogging real estate

Yes, this one is true. BlogHer does take up prime real estate on your blog. They want their ads placed “above the fold” and no other ad network–not even Adsense–is allowed above the fold. (Above the fold simply means that the ad must be visible without the blog reader scrolling down). So, yes, I can see how some people might shy away from BlogHer for this reason. But I think the pros far outweigh the cons.

2. You can’t run other ads on your blog if you have a contract with BlogHer

No way, José.

I use Google Adsense as a backup (“passback” tag) in Lijit’s place when they have no paying ads to display. Google Adsense pays you per ad clicked. You are the best judge of which is better for your blog. Do you have click-happy readers? Use Google Adsense. Have many pageviews? Check out Lijit. It is…well…for lack of a better word, legit.

3. BlogHer is exclusive and you miss out on other opportunities

This one is where there are shades of grey. BlogHer is a business, plain and simple. Advertisers pay BlogHer to feature their ads on thousands of blogs. BlogHer takes care in crafting sponsored campaigns for their bloggers. They also make sure that these BlogHer-sponsored posts complement the network ads for that month.

There will be times when a blogger accepts a sponsored post from a third-party network (such as Social SparkSocialFabric, Pollinate Media or CleverGirls Collective just to name a few). That sponsored post could potentially conflict with the BlogHer ads for that month. For that reason, BlogHer members cannot have sponsored posts next to BlogHer ads. Read their official rules on reviews in the BlogHer Member Guide.

If you are on the Blogger platform, that means you would need to have a separate review site, defeating the purpose of the third-party network’s selection process. They approved your blog for sponsored content based on pageviews, and when you host those reviews on a separate site, you will not be accepted for other campaigns. Then you’re stuck choosing between making money with BlogHer or these campaigns.

4. You have to choose between BlogHer and other networks

I’ve totally been there. BlogHer never made me choose–the other network did. There is, however, a way around this. When you your blog using the WordPress.org software you can “hide” BlogHer ads from appearing next to third-party sponsored content.

Take a look at my sponsored post from yesterday, The Best Electronics for Your Home Theater. Do you see any BlogHer ads? Nope. That’s the beauty of WordPress. You own your content and you’re not limited to what Blogger can do for you. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!

Have you thought about moving to Wordpress? This reason alone is one of the biggest reasons I switched. That and the fact that Blogger flagged my design site as spam and deleted it! I offer medical spa branding services and medical spa website design as some of my services.

5. But BlogHer is only for BIG BLOGGERS!

Nope. Wrong again. But I can see how some people think that.

When I first applied to the BlogHer Publishing Network, I was turned down.  I applied a second time. I was turned down again. This time I had many more followers, but my blog just didn’t have the pageviews. I applied for the Social Influencers program, where you can earn money for promoting products via Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest.

On my third try, I was finally accepted. Oh Happy Day! I will say, though, a lot of my blogging friends are frustrated right now because they are wait-listed. This is not a reflection on the blogger’s content or accomplishments. Since I signed a one-year contract, my assumption is that BlogHer can only extend an X amount of contracts for any given year. If you’re one of those who have been wait-listed, don’t fret. A spot will open up for you sooner than later.

Those are the only misconceptions I could think of regarding BlogHer. If we’re being honest, I’ve been really happy with BlogHer. My blog makes money just for breathing. Well, you know what I mean. It varies month to month because my earnings depend on both my pageviews AND how many companies are investing their money on advertising. The first fiscal quarter (Q1) is typically the lowest month of each year for advertising budgets.

So, what do you think?

Is BlogHer really worth it?

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About the Author

Lisette Harrington Jacksonville, Florida blogger - La La Lisette

Lisette Harrington writes about her love of fitness, beauty favorites, home décor, and her two pups, Chip and Daisy. When she's not blogging, gardening, or working out, she is helping medical spas and aesthetic elevate their brands and websites at Mila Design Co.

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Comments

    • Thank you! I’ve updated my post with the Publishing Network Member Guide.

      Many people are confused between reviews and sponsored content. Personally, switching to WordPress has benefited me in numerous ways. I love being in the BlogHer network!

  3. thanks for your tips. I was recently emailed by blogher that they might be able to add me to the network in the spring, so it’s been a long wait. hopefully by then i’ll be on wordpress (!) so it won’t be any issue with having other sponsored content. i’ll keep all of your tips here in mind!

  7. I have applied for BlogHer twice and never heard a peep out of them. I want to apply again, but I know it’s probably because my pageviews are laughable. It’s awesome to know that on WP you can hide certain things if you need to. That is awesome!

    Thanks for this. I was thinking it wasn’t worth it either, but I’m glad to know that it is.

  9. I’ve been so curious about monetizing my blog in the future and what it means and what options are out there. Thanks for always being honest and giving great feedback. :)

  10. Thanks for sharing! As a newer blogger I have seen this on a few of the blogs I follow but didn’t know all the ins and outs of it. Also hopefully I won’t be discouraged if I’m turned down initially lol :-)

  11. I applied once last year. I think I had 40 total followers then? Needless to say, I was rejected. I’ve been thinking about reapplying, but I want to accomplish some other things (like getting a domain) first. But I would not mind the money that BlogHer can offer.

  12. This was very informative. I didn’t know too much about BlogHer and this really helped give me a better idea about them overall. Not sure if they’re right for me, but still!

  14. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this! My blog isn’t nearly big enough yet but I’ve always wondered about BlogHer– it seemed so hard to understand to me! Your post really cleared this up and I enjoyed learning the basics!

    • I had a small following (40 readers) and less than 100 pageviews/day when I was accepted by BlogHer. it’s not about #’s it’s about content. Are you doing something as a blogger to stand out? For me it is living with a chronic GI disorder and finding what foods help/aggravate that.

      Since joining BlogHer 2 years ago, it pushed me to better my blog. I became active on social media and I’m happy to say my readership and stats grow daily.

      Put out content that makes you unique. That’s how I got accepted.

  15. I am working on getting my blog to be a blog like this where I can make money off of it and such… have you written a post about how to get your blog there? I would love to read it.

  16. Great post and I love the insight you offered! I recently finished a campaign with BlogHer as a social influencer. I also just applied to their publishing network, but I’m waitlisted. I’m not sure if I’ll get selected, but if I don’t, I will apply again. Thanks so much for sharing this insight!

  17. Thank you for this! When I was trying to make a decision between BlogHer and Glam, I couldn’t find much info. I followed my instincts and went with BlogHer. It was an awesome decision. I love their flexibility and that I can turn off their ads on my other sponsored content. Also, I get more opportunities as a mom fashion blogger on their network than I would on Glam. Too much competition there! They allow me to supplement my family’s income and that’s a great thing. I have nothing but great things to say about every interaction I’ve had with them.

  18. Wow!! This is so much great info! I definitely think Blogher is best if you have Wordpress, but it definitely seems more enticing than I originally thought. Thanks for the info love, and thanks again for the shout out! Made my morning!

  19. Such a great informative post–thank you for laying all of this out there! Tons of beneficial information and THANK YOU times a million for the shout out lady! You are a genius and I am so thankful for all of the information you were able to share with me!!! xo

  20. I think what I and many others have found frustrating about Blogher is that it isn’t open to smaller bloggers, like myself. I know I have a high comment interaction, but with low pageviews and follower count I get rejected, while Clevergirls has accepted me and given me different sponsored opportunities! But it does seem that Blogher is a great opportunity for those who are accepted! I definitely understand that they can’t accept everyone and they’re trying to accept the bloggers that they think are the most fitted for their program.

    • This is interesting. My frustration is that CleverGirls has never accepted me into one of their campaigns. Ever.

      I don’t think the major criteria for BlogHer is follower count. I have seen bloggers with 200 GFC followers in BlogHer. I have seen some with larger following and little to no comments in BlogHer. I truly think it all depends if they have open slots at the moment.

      As it stands, there are bloggers with over 5k loyal readers still on the waiting list.

    • On the Ad Tags page (where they are all listed) click on the name of the ad tag. It will take you to a screen where you can rename it. Below it there’s a spot when you can paste the Google Adsense code as the “pass back code.”

  22. Thanks for this post! I just started my blog and I doubt that it will generate any revenue for awhile, but I am pinning this, so I don’t forget :)

  23. Loved reading your post. Thank you for sharing this information. Right now I just have adsense and have applied at blogher. I would like to check out other sources……
    I read in one of the comments about Glam and CleverGirls? Are they like blogher?
    Any help would be appreciated. :)

    • Glam is another CPM network. CleverGirls is a network that allows you to be paid to review certain items. They’re different. It’s important to do your research to see what’s a good fit for your blog. Good luck!

  24. While I detest Google, I did look into BlogHer and they can’t remotely compete with what I make with AdSense on all my blogs. Plus, with the high level of control they want and the ‘ad placement above the fold’, for me it was a no go as I make my living from my sites.

    For someone that just does it as a hobby, however, it’s probably a good network to join. As a major moneymaker, not from my research and from the people I know who have used it and then dropped it in favor of AdSense.

  25. Lisette, thanks for being so candid about working with an advertising publisher like Blogher!

    (The comment above mine really surprises me, as I don’t find many bloggers really have much success with Adsense…)

    Please tell me, is there an average number of hits or followers that Blogher looks for when considering blogs? I was looking for this a year or so ago, and I thought it was either 1000 hits a day or a week. I like to have goals to try for!

    • Donna I’m honestly not sure if there is a particular number of daily pageviews that they look for. Regarding Adsense, there’s an excellent tutorial by Pink Heels Pink Truck on how to set up custom channels. It has been a total game changer for me and Adsense!

      • Lisette, how very thoughtful of you. I knew about them, but have never understood the channels, and will go look for this tutorial immediately! Thanks again.

  26. Thank you so much for your insights and tips, Lisette!

    I was wait listed for 7 mos. and I finally got my notification. Yay! ( was immediately accepted when I applied…but it’s all about openings…when there’s an opening…they take whoever is next.) At the same time I am writing a sponsored post for Blueprint Social which pays nicely. So….do I understand that If I turn off the BlogHer ads on my sponsored post, we are good to go with BlogHer? And if so…is there a tutorial that you know of for doing this? I can read and follow instructions [teehee] so I’m hoping that this is a pretty easy thing to do?

    Also…how do you fill in BlogHer ad spots for those sponsored posts?

    Is BlogHer easy to work with in answering your questions so that you play the game in such a way that everyone wins?

    I just wanted to comment about AdSense. Google gave me the boot for some unknown reason. My ‘letter’ was very ambiguous and I had no idea the problem. I wrote an appeal…they denied it….end of AdSense. I much prefer working with someone that you can actually speak to if there is an issue.

    Thanks again!
    Hope your week is Extraordinary!

    • Well, congratulations, and welcome to the family!

      There is a way to hide BlogHer ads on sponsored content that is not from BlogHer, but only for those on self-hosted WordPress. I noticed you’re on WordPress so you’re in luck! I’ve been meaning to write a tutorial for this, so thank you for reminding me! I’ll try to have it up before my travels for this weekend. It’s really easy!

      Adsense denied me about 4 times, and each time the letter seemed über confusing to me. Feel free to e-mail me the main gist of the e-mail and I’ll see if I can help you figure it out! Thanks for stopping by!

      • Thank you so much Lisette! I have to tell you that your post really encouraged me to jump in. I’ll be checking for the tutorial….your comment reply went to my spam box so I just found it. Go figure!

        I’ll be in touch about AdSense, later.

        Have a great weekend!!

      • Thanks for all of the info! I am in need for help with this as well. I just added BlogHer on Thursday. I have a sponsored post scheduled for Monday through Tap Influence. I have no clue how to hide those BlogHer ads. They sent me directions, but they so do not make sense. One of the links in it doesn’t even work! Frantic for help for this weekend. Thanks for all you do! Sending link to your site for a few other friends just getting into BlogHer. ~Christy

  27. Just want to thank you for this. I’ve just been accepted into the Blogher Network and I’ve had mixed feelings of 1) happiness of being accepted 2) worrisome because it would conflict with my other sponsored posts I do. This helps a ton – thanks!

  28. After applying once before and getting denied, I have finally been accepted to BlogHer! As I look over their member guidelines, though, I have figured out that I actually do have to choose between BlogHer and the other companies that I work with. My contact there said that they prohibit posts where the blogger is paid (i.e. posts from Social Fabric, Clever girls, and Linqia). That is basically because I’m on Blogger, though, so I don’t have a nifty plug-in to hide ads. :( It’s hard to choose BlogHer up front without knowing if it will be more profitable than my sponsored posts. I like the idea of the blog “making money just for breathing,” but I’m scared my blog income will drop tremendously if I wipe out all of those other opportunities! Give me all of your thoughts!! I’m torn!

  30. Interesting post! I just got an email from blogher that they want to approve my application for a 1 year contract and now I am trying to figure out if I should do it or not. I worry that I have to put the widget above the fold because right now I have my google adsense above the fold and I am getting a nice number of clicks! ;-) How should I calculate which brings me more? How much money does a “1000 visitor” view bring? I am curious also: how did you manage to have your blogher widget in the footer? Thank you so much for your view to this! XOXO, Sissi

    • Thanks for stopping by, Sissi! I can’t give you a straight answer regarding to how much 1,000 visitors will earn you, as BlogHer has ads from dozens of advertisers pumping ads into their channels. Some pay $4 per mille, some pay $12 per mille. The only way for you to calculate what brings in more is by having them on your site and taking notes :)

      My footer ad isn’t BlogHer. It’s from another network.

  31. Quick question, when setting up your Lijit ad, what do you put in for the Passback tag? Simply the same google Ad Sense code as in your Google ad or something else? Thanks!

  32. Thank you for sharing your experience with Blogher. I’ve been trying to determine if it is a good fit for my blog and between your article and all the comments have decided to give it a try. Hopefully my content is interesting to them because I definitely don’t have the page views at this point.

  34. Thank you for this info. It is really helpful, especially for me just recently launching and delving into this new endeavor of blogging.

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