// 7.16.09 // 38 Comments » // Tech & Blogging
The debate over sponsored blogging has dragged on and on. I’ve read some bloggers lamenting over the record number of sponsorships happening at this year’s BlogHer conference. Just yesterday, Newsweek posted an article titled, “Trusted Mom or Sellout?” And MomDot has organized an ill-conceived PR Blackout week.
Companies and bloggers alike are getting more savvy when working with one another, but there is still controversy in the world of “parenting bloggers and product reviews.” Are Moms “selling out?”
I think a more appropriate question would be, “Are Moms providing value to their readers?”
What Does “The Stuff” Really Mean To You?
As a writer, your job is to inform and/or entertain. And – make no mistake – if you blog, seek comments, and participate in social media and the blogging community, you are a writer. You are putting words out there for the world to read, and that means you have a responsibility.
If you enjoy reviewing products and believe you are filling a need for your readers (some niche blogs do this very well), by all means, go for it. But I think sometimes bloggers fall into a trap where they see “the stuff” as a measure of their success. Getting emails from companies that want your opinion, and want you to write about it, and want to compensate you (with product or any other way)? Well, that’s flattering, right? Who doesn’t want free stuff?
And maybe you get addicted to the stuff. Oh, the stuff! We get offered some sweet stuff. We use the term “swag” now, which is defined as “a burglar’s or thief’s booty.” So it is subconsciously implied that you are stealing stuff. When you get the stuff, you might feel obligated to write about the stuff, because that’s why they send it, and what if the stuff stops coming?!? What if the people that provide the stuff no longer deem your blog worthy?
Integrity
One of the goals of a public relations professional is to get eyeballs on their product without paying to advertise for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, and almost every writer and editor has written about a product they have sampled, or that has come across their desk in the form of a press release. Public relations and marketing professionals are important to writers, but they don’t define your success. You are under no obligation to write about anything.
If you’re overwhelmed with product pitches, be more selective. I get the point of MomDot’s “blackout” (write about what you love), but the way it was presented was all wrong. Why blame your exasperation on PR people? They’re just doing their jobs. Liz/Mom 101 covers this wonderfully in her post, as does Caroline McCarthy at CNET.
If you try a product, genuinely endorse it, and feel it would provide value to your readers, you should pass your opinion on to your audience. If you’re just reviewing something because a company sent you a freebie, you’re only hurting yourself. Your audience will eventually lose trust – and interest – in you.
There really is no controversy. As parenting bloggers, we have the good fortune to be able to direct our own publications. There are no editors standing over us (at least not with personal blogs) demanding we write about a certain topic. It’s our responsibility to grow and know our audience and provide them with value. If your blog thrives through product reviews, good for you. But if your blog is not thriving, step back and re-evaluate what your readers want.
About two years ago, I wrote a post titled “I Kinda Loathe Product Reviews.” I said I wasn’t interested in reading “review” blogs on a regular basis, I would not add them to my feed reader, and I wasn’t sure where this whole trend in review blogs was going. (Apparently it’s going toward “burnout.”) I also stated that I didn’t enjoy visiting a blog I love and seeing a random review of something that totally didn’t fit the blog’s topic. And finally, I said I would no longer review products on my blog. I stand by my thoughts in that post, with one exception. I’ve decided I will entertain product reviews again. Occasional, relevant, transparent reviews of products that fit my blog’s mission and that I think you, dear reader, will value.
Because, really, $5,000 to the charity of my choice will keep me on the move.
