They say that you should only write one sponsored post for every 10 non-sponsored posts. Sometimes that’s just not realistic…I think that as long as you are working it into your post, only you can know the right balance for your blog.

Keeping integrity with your readers is more important than the specific number of sponsored posts, so here are some things to consider.

1. Some brands won’t work with you if you have too many other sponsored posts. More than 3 a weeks is frowned upon by some brands. This might be okay with you if you are getting that many other sponsored posts, but it’s likely that you could miss out on some higher paying posts because you took a lot of smaller posts instead. If you feel like you are drowning in sponsored content, consider asking for more pay and taking on fewer clients. This way your income isn’t affected but your readers won’t feel like everything you say is sponsored and you won’t have to stress about them quite as much.
2. Storytelling is an important element to how many sponsored posts you can take on per month. If your sponsored posts feel and read like every other post on your blog, you will be able to take on more. If you are being authentic in what you promote and the way you write about it your readers will mind less and many won’t even realize they are sponsored posts, regardless of the disclaimers and products mentioned. Think of a theme for the post first, and write it as if it were a regular post on your blog. Then, go back through and include messages about the brand and photos. That will help your sponsored posts to feel more like stories and less like commercials.
3. It’s also important to be sure that you are not talking about conflicting topics through your sponsored posts. This is another thing that will make your readers lose trust in you, which will translate to fewer readers and less income down the road. If you were sharing last week about how you hate pets, and this week have a sponsored post for a dog-food brand…that’s a conflict. If you sing the praises of a different diaper brand every other week on your blog, your readers will start to wonder if they can really trust your advice. Be honest and open in every sponsored post you write so your readers know that they can trust your recommendation. That makes your sponsored work a huge win all around!
4. If you aren’t getting offers that really jive well with your blog and audience, don’t be afraid to reach out to companies that you love and pitch them your ideas. Finding your own brands is a great way to be sure that you are getting the best possible money for your post (it eliminates the need for a middle man) and that you can find brands that are the perfect match for your blog. Come up with a unique idea for promoting their product and email the marketing team with a few short sentences about your idea, your stats and what type of readers you have!

In short, we don’t believe there is a right answer about how many sponsored posts you can do on your blog each week, but it is important that you find a balance. Readers can tell when a blogger is writing about something they are excited about or just writing about something for the paycheck. Find the balance that works for you.