I’ve observed an interesting phenomenon in recent times.
In the past 3-4 months, I’ve been approached by 3 potential start ups, to pick my brains regarding their potential businesses (beauty related). One audaciously wanted me to not only meet them to share my ideas and contacts, but to invest my time (not sure about money, we never got that far) fully in their business in return for….. nothing. I’m serious. I asked. There was a lot of beating around the bush but essentially the take away was, nothing.
Another wanted basically to conduct market research in exchange for a drink and the privilege to be “the first” to know about the new product/project/business (Its not a new concept, don’t kid yourself; and it’s not exclusive when up to 10 other people I know got the same email later). Yet another wanted to collate information and essentially also, do market research with a 20 question questionnaire that I know was shot out to all my blogging friends and maybe everyone else.
On separate occasions, I received an email with an offer to “review” a product but I also had to Tweet it twenty billion times and “Like” on Facebook and post to their Facebook page a trillion times a day and basically spam the living daylights out of everyone that mattered…. in exchange for something ridiculous like a deodorant. Or I have to “promote” an event none of you may be able (or interested) to attend before the event and after the event and for that I get “free entry” and a “door gift”. Wow. We’re not talking about a trip to Greece here, folks. We’re talking a can of deodorant and some random party.
What I was upset with was with the presumption that as a blogger, I’d be free at any time of the day to meet/discuss and give free access to my head/ ideas/ contacts, spend all my time on Twitter and Facebook, deluge readers and followers with crap like “OMG! My underarms have never felt drier in this weather than with XX Deodorant!” fifty billion times a day; or that I’d be falling over myself to attend an event 3 days away “for free” and that I’d promote the hell out of it and make all of you pay RMXX to attend too; and that I’d do it all for well, nothing! Generous me! I’m “just a blogger after all”.
Frankly, I feel taken advantage of and quite quite unrespected. Well bloggers, what say you. Do you sell yourself short as a blogger? Do you feel that you’re “doing your bit” in “giving your help” when approached and it makes you feel important? Bear in mind these are companies who are planning to make money out of what is essentially YOUR ideas and effort. Don’t sell yourself short!
I’m not saying here that we should all be mercenary penny pinching people asking for payment for everything we are asked to do. I don’t ask for payment to write a product review (that is so not on, on so many levels!) and I’ve given up doing advertorials because they take too much time for too little remuneration (I also wasn’t up to sticking tubes of moisturizer down my non existent cleavage, doing 20 kawaii poses with the product and arguing over why I had to talk about what’s not good). I don’t charge a fee to promote something if its something I already like. If I don’t like it, I won’t say anything about it so paying me doesn’t make it better (unless we are talking good 5 figure money). In fact, barring the ads I run in the sidebars through networks, I don’t charge anyone anything. Silly me evidently, because I know of bloggers raking in the money for doing everything I’m already doing for nothing. I don’t think it right or wrong of them to accept the cash. I know I’m the silly one. Its just how we operate i.e. differently.
But there are limits and there are times when our skills are worth a fee and this is when we are being asked to be consultants or go on an advertising blitz, something over and above a simple blog post. Many of us work full time and have full lives, and we blog part time. Some of us are more active than others. Its a question of our time management and our work flexibility. Our time and ideas have to be worth something right? If we are full time bloggers, we’d definitely want paying else where would our monthly income come from?!
In most cases, I’d say that bloggers are among the most generous of people I know. For some of us, we don’t depend on the generosity (or not) of the various companies and brands out there. If we really want something, we go out and buy it or pay for our food, our hotel stay, our holiday… and we share our experiences for free. Gratis. Nothing.
Not only that, we pay for our domain name, our hosting fees, our camera equipment… Tine has a good idea of how much a dedicated blogger will spend on our blogs, and that’s not even taking into account the time and effort we put in, the leave we take from work to attend an event we are interested in, the other parts of life we may otherwise sacrifice, because we enjoy what we do.
So really, if a company wants to conduct market research, or use my reach and contacts, or embark on an advertising blitz through me, they better jolly well make it worth my time. Or they can just pay a market research company or PR/Advertising company or a consultant to do it for them. If not, suck it up, launch the product/project/service and then engage with the blogging community who may be happy to then tell you where you went wrong (or right). As it stands, they are so far off the wrong-o-meter I can’t even begin to describe it.
I am prepared to help out a friend or someone I know and have some sort of relationship with. I am however, not as accommodating towards a stranger who just wants to “pick my brains” for free and to then use that free information to make money or leverage on my generosity, time and readership for their own gains. I’m sorry, it just doesn’t work that way.
Bloggers are sometimes seen as freebie-grabbing, money-grubbing entities but in this one instance, I believe we are fully entitled to be. We have something you want (information and a strong readership base) so do the respectable thing and offer to pay for the ‘expert’ advice and consultation, the way you’d pay your lawyer or doctor or accountant or PR agency.
There are times when we should draw the line and I’m not going to sell myself short anymore. I urge you, fellow bloggers, to do the same. Big or small, we are all worth something, and at the very least, we are worth some respect.
Bloggers, what do you think. Do you sometimes feel like we’re getting the short end of the stick here? That the perception is that we are prepared to jump through flaming hoops for a drink, dinner and being made to feel important or for a free ticket to a random party?
Paris B
Simple Blogging Tips are some simple tips I have for fellow bloggers, based on my own experiences. I’m no ‘guru’ but I hope they will help you. You may read up on previous Simple Blogging Tips here.
what a great entry!
i’ve not commented before even though i’ve been reading your blog for some time. but this entry summarises why i love reading your reviews – your integrity. i know that when i read that a certain something is good, i can safely go out and buy the same product, knowing that it is good. i trust your opinions and know it is fair and impartial. the blogging world needs more of people like you!
keep up the good work!
Hullo hullo! Thank you for leaving your first (and I hope not last) comment! 😉 Thank you for letting me know that the reviews/blog posts are helpful to you. As you can imagine, it comforts me to know that it helps someone 😀
OTOH, there are badly behaved bloggers with over-inflated egos ; too much self-importance and a giant sense of entitlement; “reviews” which are so laughably obvious it’s because the item is sponsored; who rsvp but do not show up because “i am not paid for turning up”; who refuse to rsvp on time just in case there’s an event w a higher profile or better goodie bag.
The list is endless.
So Bloggers aren’t all angels either.
Just to provide a balance to the post – Not that i’ve seen or heard PB committing any of those sins.
No, Rudi. Bloggers aren’t angels and I can tell you many a hair raising story about the ones I’ve encountered that honestly make me want to hide my face in shame at being identified as a blogger *shudder* I fully agree with everything you have pointed out and I think the industry’s mollycoddling of some perceived “star bloggers” aren’t helping with their ego (especially when they are all part of the same network) I am almost embarrassed when people ask me how much I charge for a product review or for attending an event. For the latter, its a privilege and for the former, its totally unethical (in my view because you can never be impartial) so you’re absolutely right. Bloggers can be right devils but yet, there are situations where we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. Its a matter of knowing where and when to draw the line (and not to overstep it 😉 )
This is the difference between a conscious blogger and spam bloggerring!!! In my country local bloggers are sooo much like the gals you mentioned in the first chapter, they spam you a gazzilion times with stupid come on lines and trust me “most” of all would do anything to get that deodorant or to attend that stupid party! This is the main reason I stopped reading most of my local blogs and changed my course on foreign blogs.
The reason I read blogs is that I want to know their “personal” opinions about subjects/events. But most of all, get their promotion and writes like a press release, so I lost my faith in all of them. Did you know that, I believe it was Phillips, had a new vacuum cleaner in here and they made “beauty-make up bloggers” to promote their vacuum cleaner!!! And what a promotion it was almost 20-30 bloggers wrote about that press release!! Note only write in blogs, but lots of spams through Facebook and twitter and so on… Oh my god it was so funny that one of the (conscious) beauty bloggers wrote on twitter “Am I seeing wrong, or all the beauty bloggers are promoting a vacuum cleaner?!?!?!”
Sigh… you know what? I see that here and off I go looking for foreign blogs too! LOL I don’t think we’ll be immune to it anywhere we go. I see it happen everywhere and so I make the conscious decision not to follow these people on twitter (where I know I’ll be spammed silly) and only read blogs that I resonate with that actually write sense, not promotion after promotion. It gets so dull! Oh and don’t even get me started on those who copy and paste press releases. I am very amused by the vacuum cleaner promotion. I guess the girls really wanted a new vacuum cleaner? To erm… clean their dusty dressing tables? I don’t know… grasping at straws here LOL!
I was suddenly reminded of a publication that was trying to pit bloggers against each other to promote their new issue, for…said publication-branded merchandise. (I’m sure you know which one I’m referring to!)
While I can understand where the brands are coming from, having been (and still am!) on both sides of the fence, I have to wholeheartedly agree with you that some brands are really too much. Any brand would be paying an agency/ freelancer good money to get market research (unless said person in charge is leveraging on personal contacts), so why do they assume they can use bloggers as ‘free labour’? And seriously, some of the ‘offers’ are downright insulting!
Excuse me if I don’t fall over myself to take up an offer offering me a “goodie bag” for a whole day when I have a full-time job that actually pays the bills.
Oh Lord, yes! The most ridiculous pitch ever made. Or maybe one of the most ridiculous /facepalm
I think if anyone knows what I’m on about, it would be you, sitting on the other end of the fence, where you see the best and the worst of bloggers and companies/PR pitches. I honestly don’t get why there is a perception that bloggers will jump through flaming hoops for a mere meal or that we should have our brains picked over like Hannibal Lectar 😛
I really salute beauty bloggers, especially those really “good” responsible ones. The time and effort to test new products, jot down everything including the zits on their face (if any) and not to mention taking photos and then upload to share… I have plenty of time at home but juz couldn’t find the energy to write a blog. That’s why I only read blogs and not a blogger ^_^
Haha yes, now you mention it, there is a lot of work involved, Bugs! Thankfully there are those who do appreciate it so at least it isn’t all in vain! 😀
My blog is more like a diary of where I’d been, what I’d bought and used, what do I feel about things around me… I did received email before to request for input for KL travel & shopping guide for a European travel app, I did it without demanding for any monetary return since I felt patriotic to help promote KL and it was a very short editorial piece to provide my input.. In the end they offered to give me USD30 for less than 15 minutes of work so I was happy about and I felt good about it being able to help others to shed some good light about KL.. However, this kinda deals don’t come often for me though…
I think that was both a good thing on your part and on the part of the company approaching you. In your shoes, I would have done the same because I like promoting my own country and I’d do it for nothing, but a back link if its a good site linking in 🙂 The fact they paid you is a huge bonus. Its to do with managing expectations both from our end and the companies’ end. I don’t mind helping out some people but not if they start asking for the sun moon and stars.
Oh wow Paris, thanks so much for sharing this! I haven’t had this happen and I wouldn’t expect it to anytime soon, but if I ever spot a similar episode going on I will firmly refuse! I know local bloggers could be paid to advertise for a party (like they would do an outfit post showing people what they’re wearing to the party), but then they are paid to do so. I think this has to be fair. I promote things I like for free, and if it’s something I think my readers might be interested in/benefit from then yes, I might tweet about it but you can’t expect to exchange nothing for publicity!
I hope you never have to experience it, Sunny! But if you do, at least you are forewarned 🙂 I think some brands/companies really try to take advantage of people and that is a serious no no. Just had an appalling email come in after this post where I was offered essentially 20 pieces of cleansing wipes with a stipulated deadline and to provide my draft post. I dont’ know what these people are smoking.
Excellent post 🙂 I think these people really need to respect beauty bloggers from many aspects – the blogger’s principles, credibility, opinion, time and space. There are many reasons why the readers follow a particular blog because of the way the blogger reviews items and honest opinions. We have enough of advertisements and what-nots, we don’t need another beauty blogger to be Captain Too Obvious. We want honest opinions from not just the tv or magazine but the voice behind the beauty blog…
Cheap publicity via swaying bloggers don’t help or impress much, sorry to say. When a certain lesser known brand first penetrates our market, run a search on that brand, you get a lot search results – all singing praises of the product that they tried at the launching, yummy cupcake, nice doorgift yadda yadda. I seldom follow such blogs.
So I like it that you stick to your principles, whatever that may happen behind the scene.
Yes Jennifer, it all comes down to basic respect and in some ways, knowing your blogger. Some are happy to do what you ask, some won’t. You can’t tar us all with the same brush. Sadly though, few of them bother to make a distinction or to be discerning at all. I know what you mean about the various ways used to entice bloggers to write about an event. I guess it would depend on whether that blogger will blog the event or not (but it shouldn’t be dictated that we do) I personally don’t because I don’t see the value to my blog, but for other bloggers it does add value for them. Sometimes, it gets hard to be the lone voice in the wilderness while everyone falls over themselves to help themselves to a piece of the pie 😛
Different country, same problem 🙁 When I was Beauty Director at Marie Claire (India) brands would be offering me and the magazine sackfulls of money for designing promos, running events, consulting on launches etc. Today, even though my blog has at least three times the readership of the magazine, I am actually supposed to feel obliged for being as much as kept in the loop. The other day a brand manager told me that she would think very lowly of a blogger who negotiated payment terms just as she was giving me the honor of running a giveaway on my blog that would require at least 3-4 hours of my time every single day for a MONTH. Seriously, what do they think we live and run our blogs on? Air?
Hi Anubha, its sad to know that this is a pervailing problem everywhere. I guess you will see it more, having come from the other side of the fence as it were. I think sometimes that brands/companies/PR think we’re just sitting around twiddling our thumbs, posting anything that catches our fancy. Some people do, but they have to make the distinctions for those who don’t and who do take it seriously and want to do a good job of it. If we add value to their brand/product I don’t see why they can’t compensate us for their time. And I’m very tired of running giveaways personally. Its just too much work for too little appreciation. I don’t know if its the same in India. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
i totally agree with you…though I am just a free and easy blogger but I know truly how much time we need to spend to draft a post…anyway good job to u for able to post so many topics..
Time is always the biggest obstacle for any blogger whether active or free and easy 😀 It ridiculous how people think its just so “easy” to be one. Let them try it eh? 😉
ya let them try it then they will know how much effort we have to put in..
Great post. I’m in a different field of blogging (books) but there’s still a lot of time to test the product (I’m not a super reader, most books will take me a week to read) and consider how to write an honest review…on top of work, study, rest and life! I’d love to be able to blog more seriously, but I don’t see lottery winnings or Mr Really Rich on my doorstep. I think companies need to be sensitive to this and offer/ask for realistic achievements!
Indeed! Companies need to realise that we aren’t all bums blogging because we have nothing better to do with our lives. Some of us are more conscientious than they think. Thing is, there will be others who will fall for the bait so…
Well said Paris! *applauds* I’ve shared it with several social media groups who most need to hear it.
Hey Kahani, thank you for sharing this! I hope you don’t have the same nonsense where you are (or that SoLoverly isn’t getting too much crap from local people) 😀
I got an offer rm50-70 to blog about some infographic about politics… on my book blog. I say no since its a book blog, not a political site. Too bad, I didn’t get money from my book reviews (only free books).
For a bookworm, I think free books are awesome! 🙂 I was offered to post an infographic once for something unrelated… for nothing. I was supposed to be glad they picked me. Erm… yeah.