I've been hearing a LOT (let me repeat – a LOT) of stories this week that large global companies in the brand / tech / retail sectors have been soliciting professional women writers and managers (but they seek out people they feel are "mom bloggers" with huge self-made communities) with propositions to moderate online communities.
For free.
If a company approaches a person with the expectation that they give (freely) of their time and expertise to help grow the company – then compensation NEEDS to be exchanged. Let me make that a bit more simple. If you make money, so should the people who work with you.
For example, Google PAYS their community managers. If they need more community managers, they must PAY them. Go ask all the Googler CM's if they will do exactly what they do all day (and night) but without any pay. I thought not.
So why is it considered acceptable for a company, like say Google or McDonalds or wherever, to approach other professionals and ask them not only to do a similar job, but bring their own communities with them for the free ride? I have many friends that are community managers and have some of the most difficult jobs that I've seen. They above almost all others NEED to get paid well to handle the crazy pants that is the Internet.
Time is not free. Expertise is not free. Asking a professional to work for free is insulting, disrespectful, and unprofessional. Don't do it.
I highly doubt the people approached to work for free feel 'flattered', 'blessed', 'fortunate' or 'lucky' to be associated with a large brand. As a self-employed business owner I can tell you there is much more glory in being paid than there is in having a big company's name on my resume.
(I'm crazy busy with work/travel this week so I can't really dive into this like I want to.)
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As a writer, I agree with this absolutely. The demands for free work have become a rapid plague on our society.
Absolutely and the fact that it mostly assesses woman's and mom's makes it disgusting! Do they think we pressed out all our brain cells in labor?
It goes beyond that. I've seen four ads so far this year for publishing internships that require two or three years of experience.
Internships are fine. Internships are for people new to a career or profession, for students.
If you have two years of experience you cannot be called a student.
Yes!
Agreed. A writer with years of experience must be paid. A blogger is a writer and must be paid for such leadership.
My dad used to tell me to do what I do for those who acknowledge the value in what I do and return that value to me. Enough said? Totally support your words, +Lynette Young.
Well said +Lynette Young
I couldn’t agree more, although Google told me specifically today that they never pay their CM….
Who is doing this? I would love to know. Unacceptable.
So agree, +Lynette Young. As an indie education consultant, I used to get those (and still do) requests to do things for FREE to "amplify my visibility". No thanks, I can do that for free, on my own!
Important add to my comment, I love doing stuff for free, for my friends family and other great people and organizations also not earning any money. But that's something different.
+Lisa Dabbs HOLY UNICORNS! The whole "amplify my visibility – reach – blah blah blah" not so much folks! Back in the late 80s (well, and even this past week) I would get approached to build a website – you know, for free. I could put a link at the bottom and I'd get TONS of business. From other people wanting to hire me to build websites – you know, for free. 🙂
I have an allergy to the word "exposure".
Large Corporation = Sociopathic Entity. (not exaggerating either). it is in their very nature to attempt to get as much for themselves as possible while paying the least for it. I have seen small businesses attempt the same type of scam (and yes, it's a scam) but they usually suffer repercussions unlike large Corporations.
I am paid for what knowledge I possess, unique point of view and the history I have (track record). Free? I give a great deal away for free but not to organizations or corporations who make $ in vast amounts. My response is.. Are you being paid? Answer is always yes, or of course. So? I guess their inquiry has been Asked and Answered
So true +Marcus Padulchick ND . But, I guess some must say yes. If everyone said no thanks maybe things would shift.
This is why I got out of freelancing and consulting. So many people thought freelancing meant "work for free". Uh, no.
+Sandra Pendragon The people that say yes and do it for free or vastly undercut what a fair market rate would be a for an experienced professional are what drive the perceived value down. I see it all the time with my friends that are photographers, videographers, and musicians. It is true that you get what you pay for, but when you're excellent and have a high cost for high quality and you're competing with "passable" for next to nothing, some clients just don't care. In the end, they're just hurting themselves.
I think the low rate people make things much worse. If you want to see a nightmare of low rates, check out the job boards on oDesk. $1 or $2/hr is not uncommon. Many of these people admit they want somebody from the developing world doing their work.
that is agood idea
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thanks
Indeed, time and attention are not free +Lynette Young ; how is it 2013 and we're still struggling with such simple concept?
Hope all is well with you. Will reach out soon to catch up socially IRL and discuss potential opportunities.
can i be linked………………
Writer Nathan Thayer sparked controversy when he posted his exchange with an editor from The Atlantic who wanted him to "summarize" a piece for free.
Today Poynter has another piece on people being asked to write for free:
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/everyday-ethics/206394/everyone-gets-asked-to-write-for-free-some-people-say-yes/
I have a mantra "if it's for me, it's free" — in other words, I write for promotion for free, but everything else is chargeable.
I work for "risk" a lot – I'll post something on an articles site in the hope of getting advertising money or write a short story without an editor saying they'll pay for it. But I don't work for free.
If I don't get paid for something because a risk did not pay off, then that is very different from handing my work over for free. Why?
Because the people who took that free work are getting something for it. And THAT is the line.
(Note: If you have a 501(c) we'll talk).