I know a gal who is seemingly attending every blogging conference possible. She seems to be on every PR list, and says yes to all invitations and offers by brands. She attends movie premiers, grand openings and tests cars. She has an iPhone case, pair of shoes and a new printer all from brands who gave them to her in the hopes she would write nice things about them on her blog. She knows the UPS and FedEx guy by first name, since she receives packages from brands, unsolicited, nearly every single day. She has more branded t-shirts, water bottles and jump drives than she knows what to do with.
So what is her blog like these days? Well, just to keep up with her obligations to these brands, her blog is now one review and ‘experience’ post after another. She is always forth coming that she got this or that for free…but still, as a reader we are all getting a little tired of these posts. We became readers because she was funny and wrote touching articles about her family. She captured a slice of life we could relate to and we considered her a friend. When she used to mention a brand or product we felt she was being sincere, and genuine and her recommendations had real impact on us.
Now it is all diluted. No more real writing. Very few family posts and nearly all of it is brand push content. Ad to that the sidebar advertisements and the flashing, moving ad network ads on her site and it is all a bit like trying to find something worthwhile to read in the coupon section of the paper. Her persona online seems to be screaming ‘Buy this!’, ‘Buy that!’ and what we really hear is “I AM FOR SALE. I can be bought. And I have.”
She gave up her dedicated audience for a few free goodies and couple of nice experiences. And she is working harder than every before- and still not seeing any real income. Her husband resents her time online, her kids don’t understand why they have to play with products and smile for the camera so often and her friends, the -ones in real life- giggle behind her back when she says blogging is her ‘job’.
She is a blogger. Brands court her like she is royalty- with little to no understanding of her diminishing influence. She is running in circles to make everyone like her. Trying to create something substantial, respectable and REAL out of thin air and a good wifi connection.
There is nothing wrong with wanting something real. But there might be something wrong in how she is doing it.
She seems to be lost in the forest, and if she isn’t careful she might never make it out.
By any chance do you know this person?
By any chance could this person be you?
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
I like this write up. I like how you act like you are talking to me face to face and not just filling words onto a page. Some ” writers” do not keep me interested. I guess it’s how the words go in order on page that keeps my mind intact when I read. LOL. Good work.
I once wrote a blog post about how boring all the blogs were becoming. I found that they were all about “how to blog”, “how to make money from your blog” or “how to improve your blog so it can make money”. I just blog & read other non-commercial blogs. That’s it.
+ http://healthforhumans.blogspot.com
It makes me so sad to see this tend in blogging. I do believe a blog should change and adapt with the author’s life, but to give up great writing for swag-based content is just so sad. You’re right, readers feel it and will not continue to follow.
“Brands Beware” is my new mantra.
Excellent post Marcy- Looks like you’re heading in the right direction with admitting there’s a problem: “hello my name is Marcy and I am a swagoholic”. lol
OMG. THis is is spot on. I have stayed away from brands for the most part and have often felt left out when I saw twitter feeds and facebook updates about how much “Fun” everyone was having thanks to #enterbrandnameandeventhere. But I have stayed true to my blog, and to my goal of becoming a published columnist and (hopefully soon) author. I allow myself to imagine that some day, when the brands have disappeared, and the free crap is forgotten in some landfill, my books will continue to line the shelves of stores, libraries, and people’s homes. Some may say these are lofty goals, but without them, I would be a fraud.
Nahhhh, it’s not me. I pretty much gave up blogging months ago, for all the reasons you name. Bloggywood just isn’t any fun anymore. It’s a shrill, empty place.
But once in a while along comes a really good blog post, like this one. :)
Sadly, this is why I rarely read blogs anymore. There is a feeling of embarassment for the writer that comes from reading entries trying to feign creativity around the more obvious intention of peddling brands. :(
You have articulated thoughts that have been filling my head for a while. Thank you!
I always worry about this when it comes to reviews and such. Oddly, I just did my first review a few weeks ago and agreed that I might be interested in doing more… and I have 4 packages on my table as we speak.
It does remind me that real writing is in order… not just posting a picture of the baby with a few comments. I need to spend time to write the list of posts in my head. The ones I’ve been putting off because I really haven’t made the time to sit and write them.
Excellent observation! I have only been in this blogging world for a few weeks now and have already noticed some bloggers don’t blog they promote. Very interesting how doing these product reviews can really ruin your blog.
Nah, not me. No one’s asked me to review anything, and the few times I’ve talked about a product it’s because I meant it. No one’s sent me anything, yet. I’m holding out for an offer from the US Mint to test out their product…
Meanwhile, I read blogs because they interest me, touch me, make me laugh, or make me think…and if they turn into great big review spaces, I tend to wander away and chase more interesting butterflies.
I would love to make money with my writing…but because my writing is worth buying, not because I am shilling for someone else’s brand. It’s my talent, whatever that’s worth, that I want to sell, not someone else’s product.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
When I started blogging I thought it would be a great way to earn a little bit of money, but then right away I found myself bored reading blogs about reviews, if I even read them, and I didn’t return to the blogs who did reviews. So then I realized that I didn’t want to write reviews and didn’t really want to strive to have a ‘monetary’ type of blog with ads either. And this revelation (or acceptance) has given me the freedom to just blog for blogging’s sake and to keep me sane.
Great post, Marcy!
Great, great post. Spot on. And I’ve been accused (it’s always in an accusatory tone) of going this way. I can see how people get sucked in. I stopped going to conferences years ago (like 2006) and now only leave the house for paid work. In the last couple years that extended to inside the house too.
The difference between the woman you describe and someone like me is that there is no husband, no one else contributing income. I’m a divorced mom of three who receives no alimony or child support, so everything I do, I do to support my family.
It has diluted my writing. You are so right about that. I wish it hadn’t, that the writing was more like it was nine years ago when I started. But in that time, my babies have grown up and gone to middle school. They care about what is written about them online. They will pitch in and do a commercial every so often because they know it’s how we eat, and they like being able to contribute to that. It makes them proud to be able to help because they have the unfortunate knowledge of what it’s like to have parents out of work, to lose a home, to worry about whether we can buy groceries. This is all a far reach from what you describe, but it’s not always apparent to readers. Sometimes longtime readers will jump in when a nasty comment appears or if someone complains about the ads. They remind others of the journey, of what I have offered, for years, for free. No one asked mento write and no one asked them to read, but we’ve grown together and become involved in each others lives. I never set out for others to read my blog; it was therapy and cut Ardis for me, and a way to preserve stories. They have given somethig valuable to readers: a sense of being understood, knowing they are not alone, not crazy, not unreasonable, not all the things moms fear about themselves as they raise families and hope they aren’t screwing it up.
Thank you for writing this. I’m going to post it later today (when I need a break from a paying web design job) because it’s important and timely and a very articulate description of what many feel but can’t say. No one wants to see someone they like change for “the job” and turn into someone who just wants to be popular. There’s a creepy parrallel between these women and sorority sisters. It never appealed to me because I didn’t want to have to be “on” all the time, to be part of the crowd, to be liked. Well, it’s nice to be liked, but it should be for who you are and what you do, not for how well you try to do and be all the things you imagine others want from you.
Jesus, I think this is the most writing I’ve done in weeks. Perfect example. I have huge deadlines (missing the ones on my book because that project doesnt pay–yet) that have kept me from posting, so unfortunately a lot of what I do post it out of contractual obligation, because it pays the rent! I am sad at the passing of what my blog used to be, a frenetic, funny, horrifying and poignant collection of stories about parenthood. It’s evolved, but circumstances have also changed. I’m no longer married. I no longer have an executive job, THIS has become my job. I may have been pushed out of my career because my writing got big and no one believed I could do both without stealing time from the office or my family (that’s a whole other mess of sticky). So I do this now. And I’m so grateful for those who have been there all these years, and understand. I’m happy and surprised peoe still read. It’s given me opportunities to do what io love for a living, something I never believed possible until my life imploded and I realized that it had just granted my wish.
Time to wake up the beasties and get back to work!
Also? Autocorrect sucks. “cut Ardis” = catharsis. And I’m typing on my phone in bed, not wanting to drag my butt over to the computer for twelve more hours of coding and design. *strangled scream*
P. P. S. I feel sorry for the people who now live in the house we had to sell. I’ve finally stopped getting texts saying “PACKAGE FOR YOU ON PORCH.”
Great post!! (I’m gonna link to it from ShePosts).
I think what you are describing is really prevalent. I also think that it’s a weird dynamic, since brands tend to want to work with people who do reviews, but also want people with high traffic, and they are almost mutually exclusive. Still trying to find that balance myself.
This is a fantastic post, Marcy. I’ve watched a few go down this road, and “diminishing influence” hits the nail on the head. My stance has always been to only work with brands whose products I absolutely love. Bloggers that don’t curate really don’t resonate with me or have much relevance overall.
Great post. I am tired of pulling up google reader and having to scour through the endless reviews to find something interesting to read! I myself am struggling with getting back to when I started blogging and write something that isn’t a grocery store deal!
I almost always skip sponsored posts, posts about amazing conferences I didn’t attend, product reviews, “vote for me as ‘most _____ mommy-blogger’” posts, and giveaways. I just can’t do it…
I do understand that there are people trying to make money off their blogs (and some who really ARE making money off their blogs), and I wish them all the best, but my free time is too precious to spend it reading a piece of writing that didn’t come from the writer’s own heart/head. The blogs I’m drawn to are written by women that I think I’d like in real life, people who – if circumstances were right – I’d enjoy being friends with; I can’t really be friends with people who are constantly trying to sell me something, and basing all our interaction on that goal.
excellent insightful post!
This is so good. I don’t think that a sponsored post is a bad thing in and of itself. I’ve done a few, and I honestly don’t mind them…but in moderation. Blogging takes time, and it is a form of entertainment, so if a blogger gets some free swag that’s awesome. You go girl! But. I’ve been following a blogger for a few months now and literally every post has some mention of a brand. She has a huge following and I find myself wondering “why do people keep reading this???” It’s like one huge commercial after the other. (I “read” out of curiosity at this point…)
Thanks for the post! Good job!
this is a much needed reminder – it’s easy to be sucked into the PR frenzy. It’s nice to get free stuff and it’s nice to get invites and feel like someone sees your worth. But without a readership it’s all for naught.
This was a great post, and really thought provoking. Thank you! I’m a new blogger, and some paid opportunities are coming my way, but I don’t want to over-commit and become a review blog. That is not me. I like stories, and features.
Thanks. Your words of wisdom came at the right time. I want to be able to write creatively when I do work with a brand.
I’ve sadly noticed that the most famous mommy bloggers of all does this now that she bought her big mansion. But, do you have to now be sponsored for most of your posts (when you said you never would do that) just because of a big mortgage payment? It’s ironic to be so popular and get the attention of such $$$ sponsors, but then isolate and probably loose many readers (like me) because of it.
Yes, yes, yes. Very well put, and a very important consideration for bloggers and for those of us in the business of introducing marketers to audiences.
Thanks for saying it. And thanks, ShePosts, for linking to it.
This post actually made my heart drop and tears come to my eyes. Yes, I can relate 100%. I blogged for over a year and my readership grew, but at a snail’s pace. I struggled to get 100 page views a day on posts that I poured my heard into. I did reviews and giveaways and on the days those would end, my readership was double. I met a large deals blogger and she told me that there is nothing in the world wrong with trying to monetize your blog. At the time, my husband and I were discussing my going back to work and our 3 little girls going to daycare, thus erasing most of what I would earn. I resisted the deals still though.
About 3 months ago, I got slammed on a personal post. Told that I was whiny and that my blog was nothing but a big cry fest. I did not think so. But the reader apparently did. Afraid to share more, I turned to adding deals and such to my blog to fill the page.
In just 3 months, I have gone from 8000 readers a month to over 22000. My income has increased by 1200 a month and the products I am getting to “test” are amazing and things I could never afford on my own.
I worry, often, if I have sold myself down the river. If I have traded integrity for the buck. But I also know that I don’t have to get a job outside of the house now, I don’t put a post up and worry that someone is going to read it wrong and personally attack me or that no one will respond at all.. which is what was starting to happen.
I’d like to say that I am stronger than the reality. That I can ascertain the truth without the fabricated fillers. But truth be told, without the new format on the blog, I would be wondering if I should even keep blogging.
I have never been to a conference, but I do take products in almost daily and the majority of my posts now are affiliate’s of some sort.
Maybe I just was not a good enough writer to keep and grow an audience on my own writings. Maybe stories of my kids were just run of the mill – or the same post over and over with a different title. But I know that as more of a deals blogger, I see rewards for my work. As a writing blogger, I saw a lot of negativity.
But I am still seriously torn…
I enjoyed this! I have no aspirations to be a blogger, but I have lost interest in a some blogs I used to really enjoy. I’ve also completely stopped reading blogs that were not that great before they added advertisement.
Marcy,
As always you are spot on. This has been going on for so long. One of my PR friends said some companies are starting to ditch the blogger pursuit because it has lost its street cred.
I too feel left out of what the cool kids get to do. It is ironic that because my blog is not lifestyle related, but is about real estate, I am often not considered a blogger. My writing, although not too frequent, is authentically me. I suppose at some point real estate related businesses might jump on this bandwagon and start offering me free stuff, but I doubt it. Most of them are still trying to figure out how to use their flip phones….
Thank you for writing this post. I teach the opposite of this and yet, I am often at a loss to describe what I perceive as the “dark side” of blogging. Now I don’t have to because you have described it beautifully. Indebted to you and this post.
I don’t know how I feel about this post. On the one hand, yes, many of us are writing less about the personal stuff and more about products and experiences. I am certainly one of those people, although I’d like to think my blog still retains my personality and a glimpse at my life. And I don’t blog for you (or anyone else), so I’m less worried about what “other people” think. But I do miss the days of more narrative (I’m far more irked by posts about how to be a great blogger than review posts, but that’s another issue). On the other hand, so what? If, like the blogger above, you’re bringing in more traffic, providing money and other resources for your family, and feeling successful, who cares? Who cares if someone else decides that your blog isn’t X, Y, or Z enough?
There are blogs I like and blogs I don’t. There are bloggers I respect and bloggers I don’t. It has less to do with the number of review posts they are doing, and more to do with their integrity, their voice, and their writing talent. Other people just care about giveaways and it doesn’t matter that the writer can’t complete a basic sentence. In the end, as long as the blogger is living a happy and fulfilled life that’s all that should matter. That’s one of the best things about this medium. We’ve got no rules and can choose our own paths.
thanks for this great post of blogging. I stopped reading some reviews when it was all about conferences or vote for me.
I believe I am on the opposite side of this debate. I started my blog with the intentions of making money, connecting with brands, and reviewing products. This was my objective.
I don’t succumb to the idea that blogs need to be unaffiliated brand neutral creations. This is the beauty of blogs. They can be whatever anyone wants!
As with anything, the reader can decide what they like and don’t. But let’s not assume that blogging isn’t a business, as it most certainly is and that doesn’t make the blogger a “sell-out”. Perhaps it makes her a keen business woman;)
This is an awesome post. I was one of those bloggers who felt left out because I didn’t have brands and PR banging at my virtual door. Sure I got pitches but I always put my integrity and readers first. I didn’t want to dilute my blog with deals and products. My blog is very niche based (personal finance for single moms) and I serve my readers by posting resources they can use. A product or brand may not be relevant to them so I don’t push it.
Maintaining my voice is important to me so I keep things the way I want them to be.
Making money is nice but I has to be on my own terms. I’ve written ebooks and now a print book that I’m proud to share with others. The money will be made with my own products, my coaching services, and consulting.
Oh, where to begin…
First off, I love your commentary on this blogger-content-PR-brands-freebies-reviews-conferences-events-popularity contest issue. And so many great comments, too. It’s not often I read each & every comment on a post, my ADD generally gets the better of me, but not this time.
I came to blogging as a writer first and foremost — I may never write the great American novel, but I am, and always, will be a writer — so I often feel like an unnoticed wallflower at blogger conferences & events as others race around collecting freebies, networking & schmoozing brand reps.
I’ve done one sponsored post in the almost two years I’ve been blogging, and I’d be happy to do more, but they have to be for something that truly excites me (or my family), something I can write authentically about.
I’m always very conflicted about writing post-event or conference posts — they feel so forced & obligatory. My blog isn’t about blogging, social media, marketing or PR. I don’t write for other bloggers, I writer for readers, so why exactly should I be writing my “10 take aways from…” or “how great this VIB (very important blogger), invitation-only event was” (that you weren’t invited to, but I was ’cause I’m so cool). I only write about something if there’s a real story in it (like getting whacked in the back with a 12″-long adult toy while walking down 6th Ave, then later that night winning a shiny new laptop in a conference-related party raffle).
My unique visitors & pageviews may not be in the 1000′s, I may not be working with any “major” brands (yet), but I love what I’m doing and try to proud of my efforts, but sometimes I have to remind myself that that mom on the playground that tells me she reads my blog or loved such&such post should be enough.
Thanks to you, and all the commenters, for making this one small voice, that often feels lost in the cacophony that is the blogosphere, feel a little better about the path she’s chosen.
I understand this tension, and it is something each blogger needs to weigh for her/himself. I am in the same boat as Alicia in that I started my blog with the intention of it being a place to talk about products and services that make life a little less hectic and a lot more fun for parents of young children. And I wanted to provides lots of giveaways because they are fun and when you win, it is such a nice treat. Most young families are at least somewhat strapped for cash so it is fun to get something you otherwise couldn’t afford every once in a while.
That’s what my blog is about, and what it has been about since day 1. That means that it won’t appeal to everyone, and that’s ok. It’s absolutely a place for me to learn new skills and to develop relationships with readers as well as with brands. I’m also learning about an entirely new career path, and while the pay is inconsistent, it is sufficient to allow me to work from home. That’s worth a lot to me. I always aim to make my posts personal and show how products interface with my family and my life so that they aren’t boring and don’t feel like press releases. But they are what they are: product focused rather than issue-based. I make no apologies for it, and I also completely understand that I will never have die-hard readers who can hardly wait for my new post to go live the way some people feel about more personal bloggers.
This is powerful. I see that so much and I just started in the game 2 yrs ago. I do reviews whenever I get them which is not often probably because I refuse to become that blogger you speak of.
This is why I stopped reading a lot of blogs. Everyday it was giveaways, sponsored posts, begging for advertisers, I don’t mind this once in awhile — and I don’t even mind ads on the sidebar. However, if you’ve gone from posting about your family to posting about your sponsors on a regular basis, I’m out.
Is this the pot calling the kettle black? Or was it meant to be taken as you are actually ‘the friend’ and you’re talking about yourself. I’ve never read your blog before so I honestly don’t know. If you are actually talking about a ‘friend’ of yours why is her way of doing things any worse than what you do? You have a ‘buy the book’ button, a Disney link in your navigation bar- you may be mainly promoting yourself instead of a company but why is your way better? Why can’t you just be happy for your friend and let her do her thing and you do yours, instead of ‘giggling behind her back’… it doesn’t make you any better than she is.
I write up reviews and help promote giveaways as well as inform my readers what is going on in my life. I do a nice give and take, but sometimes do more giveaway/review posts than personal when I’m just too overwhelmed with life to write about it. I think it’s a good way to put something out there for my readers, even if I can’t find words to tell them how my life is going.
It can be really easy to get readers when on is putting down another I have noticed. I notice a few bloggers have gone down this path. I find it as hard to read as blogs that focus just on sharing their opinions on products actually. I think it might be more helpful to suggest how bloggers might find a balance in it all? I have been reading bloggers for many years and have yet to see one that takes every thing she or he is offered or sent, and not all posts are sales pitches, some have the deep dark truth to be told about certain products.
We all have to find a balance, be it pushing a book we published, a venue we are speaking or attending. We need to look out for one another you know? Maybe you could contact the blogger your talking about and offer some help? I don’t know her personally so I am not much help there. If you want to let me know who she is though, I would be happy to try and help!
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation
but I find this matter to be really something which I think I would
never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me.
I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
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