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Considering blogger contracts and wondering if they really are necessary for your blog? As an entrepreneur you want to make sure you’re legally protected. Discover what’s important about blogger contracts, who should have them, how they protect you and more.
Let’s go!
What’s a blogger contract?
When you are starting a blog, it is important to have a contract in place between you and your brand. You’re blogging, working and will conduct business with other people.
This contract will help protect both you and the brand, and will ensure that everyone understands their rights and responsibilities.
What does it actually do?
- It protects you and your content
- Draws clear communication lines for you and the brand you work with
- Provides a legally binding agreement and protection for all parties
You want to have a clear understanding of the contract terms, what’s involved and in detail, along with a signature from all parties. A blogger contract provides that and it’s a legally binding contract.
What’s included in a blogger contract?
There are a few things that should be included in any blogger contract:
- Terms of the agreement
- Copyright ownership
- Liability
- Confidentiality
Terms of the agreement
First, the contract should outline the terms of the agreement, including how long the contract will last, what services you, the blogger will provide, and how much money the blogger will be paid.
Copyright ownership
It is also important to include a section on copyright ownership, so that both you and the brand know who owns the copyright to any content created as part of the agreement.
Liability
The contract should also include a section on liability.
This will outline who is responsible for any legal action that might arise from the blogger’s work.
This section should also state how tax liabilities will be handled for both you and the blogger, as well as how notification of any taxes due will be given.
Confidentiality
Another important part of a contract is a confidentiality section that outlines what can and cannot be discussed online by either party.
For example, if your blog contains confidential information about a client or customer, this section would state that neither party can discuss said information in a public forum without written permission from the other party first.
Some contracts may even include non-disclosure agreements to explicitly outline what is confidential information and who cannot disclose it.
What are examples of blogger contracts needed?
You will need a contract for:
- An influencer contract (like a sponsorship agreement or sponsored post) including usage rights
- Government contract
- Blogger contracts
- Independent contractor agreement
- And, other reasons
These are just a few examples.
It’s a smart idea to have this protection in place, a legally binding contract so all parties involved have a written notice of what’s happening. You want your content protected and this is the best way to have clear communication amongst all parties.
For example, what if you’re going back and forth on a brand deal via email and the lines of communication get crossed.
The brand thinks you’re doing 5 posts at $5,000 with a non-compete agreement and you think you’re doing 5 posts at $5,500 without a non-compete. A contract protects you and the brand and makes everything crystal clear.
Is an attorney necessary for a blogger contract?
In most cases, you do not need an attorney to draft your blogger contract; however, if you become involved in any legal action as a result of your blogger agreement, it may be best to seek professional counsel.
If you decide to draft the contract yourself, make sure that both parties sign and date each copy, and keep a copy for yourself as well as each party.
What are some reasons why someone might want to hire an attorney?
There are many reasons why you may need an attorney when entering into any legal agreement.
For example, if you believe your blogger contract may be contested or involve difficult negotiations later on over copyright ownership or other terms included within the document, it may be worth hiring an attorney to help with drafting so that issues do not arise down the road.
Blogger contracts are important to help protect both you and the blogger through covering all terms that are part of your business relationship in writing instead of potentially misunderstanding what each party has discussed verbally.
The contract should clearly outline how long the contract will last.
What’s easier than drawing up the contract yourself and what’s cheaper than working with an attorney?
This blogger legal bundle. It was created by an attorney and one of the easiest, cheapest and most hassle-free way to protect yourself with a blogger contract.
Here’s a video that shares more about it…
Click here to learn more about the blogger legal bundle.
How do contracts protect people?
Contracts protect people by outlining all of the terms, conditions, and requirements involved in a business relationship.
Contracts are beneficial to both parties because they create an outline that is clear and concise, making expectations easier to manage for each party involved. Without a contract, misunderstandings about what has been agreed upon can arise after the fact.
How do you protect your blog?
One way to protect your blog is by having a blogger contract in place between you and your brand.
This will outline the terms of the agreement, including what services the blogger will provide, how much money the blogger will be paid, and other important details.
This will outline what information can and cannot be discussed online by either party involved in the agreement.
For example, if your blog contains confidential information about a client or customer, this section would state that neither party can discuss said information in a public forum without written permission from the other party first.
How can contracts help protect your blog and blog content?
A blog contract is a protection at the end of the day.
It protects all parties involved (you, the blogger and the brand) and it protects your blog content.
Without a contract, misunderstandings about what has been agreed upon can arise after the fact. You can avoid this from potentially happening with a contract in place.
What are some reasons why you may want to hire an attorney when entering into any legal agreement?
There are many reasons why you may need an attorney when entering into any legal agreement.
For example, if you believe your blogger contract may be contested or involve difficult negotiations later on over copyright ownership or other terms included within the document, it may be worth hiring an attorney to help with drafting so that issues do not arise down the road.
Bloggers and business owners can benefit from having a blogger contract in place when working together. The contract will outline all of the terms and conditions of the agreement, including what is expected of both parties involved.
Why would you want to keep your negotiations regarding your blogger contract private?
It’s important to keep your negotiations and conversations about your blogger contract privat.
There is always a chance that someone might try to take credit for any work that is created during this time; especially if you’ve hired a freelancer or individual who needs more exposure for their work online.
Without confidentiality in place, others could use your blogger contract to promote themselves or their own business.
Bloggers and business owners can benefit from having a blogger contract in place when working together.
The contract will outline all of the terms and conditions of the agreement, including what is expected of both parties involved.
What are some reasons why you may want to hire an attorney when entering into any legal agreement?
There are many reasons why you may need an attorney when entering into any legal agreement.
For example, if you believe your blogger contract may be contested or involve difficult negotiations later on over copyright ownership or other terms included within the document, it may be worth hiring an attorney to help with drafting so that issues do not arise down the road.
Another reason to hire an attorney is if you want to make sure that all of the legal language in your contract is sound and will hold up in court if needed.
Contracts can be tricky things, and having a professional review your agreement before signing can give you peace of mind that everything is in order.
What are some tips for creating a good blogger contract?
When creating a good blogger contract, it is important to remember that the document should be:
- Clear
- Concise
- Outlines all of the terms and conditions of the agreement between both parties
The contract should also include a section on:
- Dispute resolution
- Copyright ownership
- Attorney review
Dispute resolution ensures that any disagreements which may arise can be handled in a fair and timely manner.
Copyright ownership we talked about a bit above. This will ensure that both parties are aware of who owns the rights to any content created as part of the agreement.
Finally, it is always a good idea to have an attorney review your blogger contract before signing, to ensure that everything is in order and that there are no potential legal issues which could arise later on.
Where to get a blogger contract?
This legal bundle is one of my favorite resources for protecting your blog and your blog’s content:
Thousands of bloggers are legally protecting themselves in as little as 30 minutes. This is what you get:
- Make your blog and business legit in just 30 minutes
- Get GDPR ready with just a click
- Get legal and financial protections in place for your blogging business
- Take the guesswork and confusion away from picking the correct legal documents for your blog business and content
Get this blogger legal bundle today.
Blogger contracts: Bottom line
Contracts protect you as a blogger (plus, protection for your content) and they protect the person you’re working with. It’s a win-win.
True story…
I just signed a contract right before creating this blog post. It was for a brand deal and it highlighted everything discussed in this article. Influencer marketing is huge and it’s one of the most important reasons to have contract drafting and protect your intellectual rights.
For peace of mind and to sleep easier at night, it’s just a good idea to have a blogger contract in hand.
Regardless of how small or how large your blog is and regardless of what your blogging niche is, it’s something I truly think every blogger should have.
Click here to get the blogger legal bundle.
BONUS Tools I Recommend for Blogging
These are some of my favorite tools that I use and recommend. Check them out if you’d like…
ConvertKit
This is for email marketing. You can use Convertkit to collect email subscribers for your newsletter. It’s great for sales funnel building, running email courses, and more. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to market.
You can create email sequences that run in the background on autopilot, making you money 24/7. They have a free trial to test drive their email marketing tools. You will love it, trust me!
Start your free trial for ConvertKit.
Evernote
This is for note-taking. I use the free version and it helps me jot down notes that come to mind when I’m on the go. Specifically, if inspiration for a blog post hits me, I open up Evernote app on my device and can jot down what I’m thinking.
You can take Evernote everywhere you go. Their app is available on desktop, laptop, mobile and tablet. So whatever device you’re on, you can access your notes.
Market Muse
This tool is such a game changer. It helps you rank your blog posts.
You can put your keyword in Market Muse and it’ll give the keyword a score. Then paste your blog post draft into the tool and it’ll tell you your score. So if the keyword score for ranking is 40 and you’re at a 30 for your draft then you know your post needs some work to improve your chances of ranking.
To rank, it’ll give you a long list of keywords to insert in your post to boost your chances of ranking. It’ll also tell you the target length of your blog post and other helpful info. I just started using this and absolutely love it! There’s a free and paid version.
Click here to visit Market Muse.