You provide good information on your blog, right? Can you get paid for that?
Perhaps. I’ve seen a few blogs with a donate button, also called “tip jar” or “buy me a cup of coffee.” Copywriter Michel Fortin is one example.
Paypal Donate Button for a Nonprofit: Example
I’m a hiking guide writer and avid hiker, and I’m on the board of directors of the nonprofit Mount Shasta Trail Association. (And by default I’m the web guy.) You’ll see we ask for donations in the sidebar of every page. We just installed it, so I don’t have any good numbers to share with you, but hopefully we’ll get some extra dough in our account.
Note that we used the actual Paypal donate button.
How to do it. In your Paypal business account (not personal), select the donate button and follow the directions from there.
Asking for Tips on a For-Profit Site: Example
Check out the sidebar in my Northern California Hiking Trails blog — look for the guy staring at a steaming mug of hot coffee (same as above). I just installed this, so no data yet.
How to do it. In your Paypal business account, select the Donate button. I strongly advise you to choose your own graphic. (You give Paypal the URL of the image.) I’ve read elsewhere that Paypal doesn’t like it when businesses use “donate” because they don’t want people thinking you are actually a nonprofit when you’re not.
When and How to Ask for Tips on Your Site
Some considerations:
1. You need to have a decent amount of traffic.
2. You need to provide a lot of good content so you are worthy of the tip.
3. You are likely selling infomation products on your site, either your own or affiliate products. One more button with a link distracts visitors from your other links.
4. The tip button can make you look cheap or desperate.Think about the image you want readers to have of you and whether or not the tip button complements that, or at least doesn’t detract.
Conclusion
I only ask for contributions on my hiking blog. I have nearly 300 posts there with a lot of quality content, and outside of people buying one or both of my hiking books, they don’t have an easy way to repay me.
I won’t be doing it on this blog or my blog devoted to freelancing for college textbook publishers and my e-book Writing College Textbook Supplements.
Your Take?
What do you think of asking for contributions on websites? When is it appropriate? When not? Have you done it, and with what results?
Jean Sarauer says
I haven’t done this, but I’ll try it down the road. Basically, I’m trying different strategies and testing things so I can share the experience with other beginning bloggers.
Some folks claim to make a worthwhile income stream from donation buttons. Leo had one (not sure if he still does) on Zen Habits and said it wasn’t a huge source of income but he did get regular donations.
My take on it is it’s a writer’s equivalent of an open guitar case to collect a few bucks during a street concert. Not a thing wrong with that!
John Soares says
Jean, I like your musician’s guitar case analogy.
Like I said in the post, the blog needs a lot of traffic for this to work at all.
And I’m the type to give a musician some money when the music’s good. Although there was one evening in Ashland, Oregon last summer when a guy was playing the bagpipes — loudly. I wanted to pay him to stop.
Bob@JuicyMaters.com says
Quit pickin’ on us bagpipers!
techlinkblog says
You also have to consider how well you know your readers. If you have a loyal following, then you might make quite a lot out if you make sure to remind them in the blog. I know a podcaster who like to remind his listeners to give him a tip. I hear he makes some good money doing that not as good as his Affiliate sales but I do find that is way to bring in some extra change.
John Soares says
Telling my readers about the “buy me coffee” link is an excellent idea. For some reason I have major resistance to doing that.
It was all I could do to actually put the tip link in the sidebar of my hiking blog.
Hmm….
Justin Dupre says
I think its a great idea to put it on your site if you get enough traffic. Buy me coffee is totally a great idea.. Now i see a lot like those in many websites.. funny ones probably “help my utility or lend”.. Well, let us know when you figure something out! Good luck.
John Soares says
Justin, I also like the “buy me coffee” concept. It sounds friendly and not like begging. I’ve also seen “buy me a beer.”
Blog Angel a.k.a. Joella says
I have no problem with donate buttons on non-profit sites. It’s a good way for users of a blog to give the author a little help. Even if it’s just a hobby blog, there are costs both monetary and time wise that most users may not think about. A donate button or buy me a coffee graphic and help offset these a little. It gives the readers a chance to show their appreciation in a meaningful way.
John Soares says
Joella, what do you think about the tip jar concept on for-profit blogs? As I stated above, my concern is that it can distract readers from purchasing my own products or my recommended affiliate products, and might possible hurt my brand.
As for nonprofit and hobby blogs, we both know just how much time it takes to keep a blog going.
Thanks for the comment!
Jillian says
I don’t know if you keep up with HotBlogTips, but I have a post scheduled to show up there tomorrow about tip jars. Your example fits 1 of the 2 things I think a tip jar is any good for, lol.
John Soares says
Jillian, I’ll check out HotBlogTips tomorrow to see what you say.
Thanks for dropping by.
Gagan says
Once I started free blogspot template designing on my Blogger blog and also placed a donate button on my blog. I received two donations. 🙂
John Soares says
Gagan, I’ve also heard other tales of mediocre results from virtual tip jars.
My tai chi teacher Gene Burnett in Ashland, Oregon is also a very talented musician. He lets people download all of his 100-plus songs for free, although he does request donations. He gets a bit of money, but most people don’t leave anything.
Dave Doolin says
Michel Fortin makes more money than any dozen people I can think of in the IM copywriting niche. If he’s doing it, it’s probably worth doing.
Michel is one of the few worth reading every word. He’s that good.
Gail @ Support Small Businesses says
Interesting idea. Some days I wonder if what I write benefits anyone or if much of it is just so complicated that even I am unable to help business owners and bloggers understand what is important.
I’ve seen it before, of course, but haven’t seriously considered for my blogs. I look forward to seeing your results as that may influence what I decide to do if anything.
I can reinforce that PayPal polices sites using Donate buttons. Just after Katrina there were many con artists “collecting” money for “victims” online. (Some people have no shame!)
PayPal found a page where I had tested a PayPal donate button. Even though that page was not linked to from any other page on my site they threatened to close my account if I did not remove the button.
I had forgotten I even had it so removing it was not an issue and I did the same day. I almost missed their email though because back then PayPal phishing scams abounded and I thought it was a spammer and not them until I read it.
John is correct that you should ensure whatever graphic you use makes it clear somehow that you are not a non-profit.
John Soares says
Gail, I can speak from my experience that your blog posts — and you — are very helpful. Please keep that info and insight coming.
I’d be surprised if I get much in the way of tips from my hiking blog. I do have higher hopes for the nonprofit Mount Shasta Trail Association.
Thanks for your experience with the Paypal donate button. I’ve also heard of other people having problems with Paypal over it, including having accounts frozen.
Mick Morris says
Interesting discussion about this, particularly in light of efforts from some media outlets (like Murdoch related press) installing pay walls for their content. I will be interested to see how you go with your tip jar etc
I just added a donate button into a post I had written about the non-profit I work for but had not considered doing so for my actual blog… but you never know….
John Soares says
I’ll talk to the treasurer of the Mount Shasta Trail Association at our board meeting next week. Hopefully we made some money from the donate button.
Ian Abblett says
Hi John —
found your blog through Googling “paypal profit site donate”
Just wanted to ask if you have made any money from your Hiking Site’s Paypal button?
John Soares @ California Hiking Trails says
Ian, I’ve had very little luck so far. I’ll likely do a post in the near future with details of the experiment. Stay tuned!
K says
ohh yeah thanks for the tips! 😀 i just set up my own tip jar today.