How much do you even tip a blogger?
Credit: By-Expression | ©By-Expression
This Cyber Life
Recently I have been seeing more and more tip jars on blogs. I have been contemplating adding one to my blogs, but I am not sure how I feel about it.The blog tip jar has found a home on some very high quality blogs of bloggers and writers that I respect. I wonder if they get any tips. I wonder about how others react to the tip jars.
Do tip jars add or take away from the blog? Does it seem like panhandling, or just a nudge to say, "Hey, I wrote up some useful or interesting stuff here on my blog, want to contribute to my cause?"
My Bad Tip Jar Experience
Perhaps I am hesitant to add one jar to a blog because of a bad tip jar experience I had.
I was working at a quality breakfast establishment. This was the kind of restaurant where the butter was freshly whipped, the scones and croissants baked freshly on a daily basis, the eggs were farm fresh, well you get the idea.
I worked as the cashier/espresso maker/pastry seller. Plenty of customers left me their change.
In fact, most establishments in town had any number of tip jars on the counters jars for good service, for poor students (redundant, yes, I know), for local animal shelters, and tip jars for local human rights causes.
Needless to say, the animal shelter jars did the best, but that's another article.
The manager did not like mine, even though it was in a pretty glass jar with a very well-designed logo. I was asked to take it down, much to my embarrassment.
I had seen other cashiers do the same thing on different shifts, I did not know it was a problem. I should have asked permission.
Good Idea or Gauche?
I have seen the blog tip jar on some very excellent blogs. I have also seen it on some blogs that were just mediocre.
Even if I had extra money to tip a blogger, how much would I give? Do they take PayPal?
I tend to be a good tipper for good service - 15-20% on more tangible services and products. But in those tipping situations, there is a set price. The amount is based on the price.
How do you even value blogging content? Oh, that post is worth $3, but this one is worth 50 cents.
If I tipped $1 would the blogger be insulted? I would hope the blogger would just be happy to receive $1.
Comments
DCarlson
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/12/2007
A couple of the blogs I visit regularly have tip jars. I have actually put up a few dollars because the content of the blog is genuinely entertaining. I get a good laugh, or get emotionally involved with the subject, and the blogger has spent a substantial amount of time providing content on a regular even daily basis. They don't do it for profit, just for their own enjoyment. I've even suggested a tip jar to one blogger as an avenue of appreciation for those who read her stuff. As long as it's not too solicitous or obvious, just a small discrete tip jar would be fine.
As far as the amount goes, it all depends on content and motive. One blog I read almost daily and is fabulously entertaining. I'll throw down $20 maybe twice a year. For a one time blog I stumble upon and find the content incredibly useful - $5. All depends.
I've never heard of this one either. Weird.
If I tell you my opinion, will you give me a tip? Just kidding. I need to think about this some more. I never saw anything like this previous to your article. Interesting.....
Tip jars on blogs and websites always strike me as ridiculous. If you want to make money with it, sell something!
I'm not real hip about tip jars on blogs myself. I'm sure the bloggers appreciate the extra money, but, it seems rather "needy" to me. I'm a writer, not a panhandler.
I've never heard of having a tip jar on a blog. Doesn't seem like something I would be interested in. Great article!
Comments 1 - 6 (of 6)
|
|