I was sifting through my emails recently when a large company contacted me requesting that I review one of their products and they would also sponsor a giveaway for a lucky reader to win. This came from a reputable company and the communication was much like that of any other review and giveaway I performed in the past so I really didn’t give it much thought. I was just about to commit until I received a deal breaker email from this company soon following…
In addition to the review that I would typically perform, this company wanted me to write a personal post prior to the actual live review and somehow incorporate their links to very specific places on their site within a personal post within the first few paragraphs. As a blogger who blogs with integrity this is where I draw the line. This company clearly wasn’t interested in a true “product review.” They were interested in generating traffic from a target audience hitting a very specific area of their site over period of time. The irony here is that the product they wanted me to initially review had nothing to do with the links they wanted me to place in a personal post.
So this got me thinking, when we perform product reviews do we supply links to specific areas of a business or company’s website to generate traffic? Of course we do – that’s part of a full review post that we as bloggers agree to, write and publish in exchange for free, fully disclosed product(s) but certainly not to be added within a non-related personal post that has direct links “embedded” in the text. Hence, I declined their offer.
The reality of all of this PR business is that many of whom that reach out are legitimate marketers looking for and establishing a connection and relationship with bloggers BUT there are tons of other PR reps that I would be leery of so you really need to research those you choose to work with. This also raises the question about how many reviews and giveaways you as a blogger should want to commit yourself to…
I wrote a pledge to my readers that the content of this blog will always speak for itself. I never want to be labeled as just a “review” blogger and although reviews and giveaways are a wonderful addition to the content of Theta Mom, it is certainly not the sole source that keeps this blog running. Therefore, it is essential that YOU create some standards and requirements for yourself and have them set forth on your blog – and this will vary from blogger to blogger. Ultimately, you have to make decisions that make sense to YOUR blog.
Now I am not the first blogger to address this topic nor will I be the last. Scary Mommy recently wrote a post including some links and posing a question from a monetizing standpoint which is very relevant in the blogosphere right now. I don’t have all the answers nor do I claim to but what I can share are some of the things I’ve learned along the way (by performing reviews and giveaways on my own site) that may help out other bloggers grappling with this process.
My Top Four Review and Giveaway Rules:
1. Research the company or business extremely well before you commit to any review/giveaway and know exactly WHO you are dealing with. A few clicks within a simple Google search is a great start. Make sure this is a legitimate business worth your time and your readers’ time. What may be a good fit for one blogger may not be for another. You have to decide if it is right for YOU. Know who you are in constant contact with whether it’s a PR rep or the actual business owner and establish that relationship from the very beginning.
2. Understand the full requirements “agreed” upon by yourself and the company/business. If they are sponsoring a giveaway, what are the terms and conditions? Who is responsible for paying the shipping and coordinating the winner’s prize? Are they requiring specific links? What is the anticipated time frame and what are their expectations of you as a blogger? What are your standards as a blogger and did you communicate this clearly to the prospective business?
3. Do not accept every pitch that comes your way. When PR reps do not address my name in an email it shows me two things: They didn’t take two seconds to read my name in my About page (which is the very first sentence) and they didn’t take two minutes to read my Mission so how would they really know if Theta Mom is a perfect fit for their product when they didn’t even read my blog? The bottom line is if marketers can’t take the time to initially read our blogs then why should we take the time to respond to them? In my opinion, respond to those who actually read your blog and address you by your name in an email. Everything else you receive in your inbox is borderline spammy.
4. Above all, set some standards for yourself and your blog and live by those rules. As I previously mentioned, it is YOUR blog. YOU call the shots. YOU make the decisions. YOU set the precedent so be selective with who you work with – it will actually make you more marketable because readers will know you are not publishing every pitch that comes your way. In this sense, you are being selective in who you choose to work with (companies and products you fully endorse) and that will come across in your writing.
If you are hesitant with working with a company or a specific product for any reason, it’s ok to say no! It’s not worth attaching your name to something that may not be a good fit. I’m not saying you can’t perform honest reviews, sharing perhaps the negative aspect of a particular product or company. What I am saying is don’t associate yourself with companies like those I addressed at the beginning of this post as THAT would not be deemed as honest practice.
So what’s the valuable lesson here? Set some standards for yourself that work for you as well as your blog – and live by those rules. And those emails sent to you addressed as “Good Morning,” “Hello,” or my absolute favorite, “Dear Blogger…” Move it right to trash.
Because you have better things to write about.
Great to hear your views on this, I’ve never done any reviews or giveaways on my blog. I decided that I wanted to blog for me and I’ve not put any affiliate links of anything there at this time.
I may change that in the future, adding amazon affiliate or something but for now it’s a hobby not a way for me to make money or receive anything. Also I’m in the UK and most of my readers aren’t so it doesn’t really make sense.
The best thing about blogging is you can make up your own rules and boundaries and be flexible if your needs change. But I agree that you should have some lines which you won’t cross.
As you say, you do have better things to write about!
Jade
.-= Jade @ No Longer 25´s last blog ..It’s so nice to be in Nice =-.
I’m new around the mommy blogosphere and I really appreciate your advice on this subject. At this point I am focusing on writing and building a community of readers. I had one offer so far to review a local photographer but I declined as it just didn’t feel right on many levels. First since I haven’t done reviews and don’t have advertising, a random review just didn’t seem to fit, second, what I didn’t like the pictures? Someday i hope to make just a little money from blogging( for hosting fees and a new camera!) and hoping I find a way to do it that fits for me.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..the end of a magical day =-.
Kathy – I think that’s the key, finding a balance and making decisions that make sense to YOU and your blog. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for that. I am doing my first ever giveaway this week (very exciting) but I dont want to do too many… it is a great way to get free stuff, bring people to your site, and get to work with cool companies… I really like your advice #2… I will keep it all in mind
.-= Harmskills´s last blog ..Prefresh Giveaway! =-.
Those are good thoughts. I’m not wanting to have a blog that does giveaways really. I’ve done two. The first one because I really believed in the mission behind it and the second because BookSneeze sent me a free book to share with my readers.
I think the tips you’ve passed on are really helpful though. Integrity matters!
Great advice. When I started blogging a year and half ago I got wrapped up in the whole review / giveaway thing. Then I realized that one it was way overwhelming to keep up and two that I could say no to pitches. Some of them have not been worth my time at all and I am learning the companies that are not interested in a real reviews. For example they give you a list of different links to make sure to add into your review on products that you didn’t even review, so how can you really attest to them? I also have realized when they send out mass emails to bloggers for a review. I understand that they are trying to get their name out but at the same time that means they haven’t even looked over my blog to see if its a good fit. Especially companies where I get an email asking to review their product when I just reviewed it 2 months ago.
With my new blog, Life Without Pink, its more of a content blog but I do entertain a few giveaways however this time I am much more selective in who I work with.
Those are great tips. I actually haven’t done any giveaways, and I’m not really sure if I’m planning to or not. I have gotten a few of those “dear blogger” emails, though, which I have deleted almost immediately. I agree with GlowinGirl – integrity does matter!
.-= Sarah at The Stroller Ballet´s last blog ..Here’s what I learned on the playground…my life will be parenting hell =-.
Great great article. I had the same thing happen to me, and although I am by no means a larger blog, I stepped away from that opportunity. I am just getting my feet wet with reviews and giveaways and I am still learning the fine art of trying to get people to enter my giveaways! I love a blog that has a good mix, because while I love to read articles, I also love to read what other women think about certain products…..and who doesn’t like to play and try to win!?! LOL
I do find myself only returning to blogs that carry a great balance. To much advertising and reviews and I stop visiting.
Thanks for the tips and info!
.-= bratts29´s last blog ..Traveling Tuesday =-.
Hi Bratts29 – Yes, I certainly try to maintain a balance between both worlds as well. I do like to share some products to my readers that I fully endorse but at the same time, I never wnat this aspect of my blog to be the reason it continues to run. I always want the content to speak for itself.
Thanks so much for sharing your comment.
Yea Theta Mom–I got fired up on this topic from a classic post by Top Blogger Mom 101–here’s the link–http://www.mom-101.com/2009/08/what-are-you-worth-as-blogger.html. The blog post was called What are you worth? . The comment section is even better than the post.
I too got the pitch from the very large company (seemingly reputable) and at first I said–yes that I would do the pitch, however, I never wrote it…because their approach seemed creepy. Like you, they wanted me to do a Pre-post. When I offered to do a giveaway/review–here was the guy’s exact response:
” All I need from you is a post prior to your review or a post announcing the giveaway, depending on which you would prefer to do first. When you are ready to do the initial post, please link the term“????” to http://www.?????.html as the first link in your post. I would just ask that you have it flow as naturally as possible within the context of the post. I am currently responsible for improving traffic to that site, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could do that. Below is an example of a giveaway and a post prior to a review I recently helped set up that you can use as a point of reference.” (edited to remove company identifiers).
Unbelievable right? So I developed this little Mini Media Kit that I email when I get ridiculous requests or outright blatant ones or PR people who want to capitalize on an initial informational post. HERE’s my Still Blonde after all these YEARS–MINI PR Kit, Feel free to copy and use if it feels right to you:
Here’s my abbreviated PR kit.
–We do not charge for reviews of products or giveaways that We host EVER.
–We do not charge for posting of PR related to subject areas and causes that We wish to highlight.
–The staff here consists of educated professionals with Graduate level degrees in Marketing. We can help your company plan a great marketing campaign to the blogging community!
–The Staff here fits the target market for this blog and is uniquely qualified as such to make comments about the target market.
–We OCCASIONALLY do accept paid placements and advertorials. When we do accept them, they will be clearly labeled as such.
–We require payment for consulting, acting as a spokesperson or hosting/providing content for corporate sites.
–Our hourly consulting fees are on a project by project basis starting at $xx/hour.
–Our hosting fees for paid articles and links are $xx and up based on a case/case basis.
Bloggers and Mommy Bloggers–Stop giving it away for Free!
.-= Shelley Zurek´s last blog ..126,000 Industry Professional at the 2010 CES =-.
Shelley – We were approached by the SAME exact company because that was the SAME email I received when I immediately declined.
The nerve, right???
I will NEVER post a press release or review a product that I myself wouldn’t purchase – I think as bloggers we have to set some standards and live by those rules. My blog is not a billboard for everyone else and I am very slcetive with who I work with – I wish more bloggers would recognize this.
I agree 100%. Set some standards for yourself, who you are. your blog, your readers.
For me, I want a class act, all the way.
I think readers will recognize that.
Excellent points, all summed up and to the point of what all this is about.
Thank you
.-= Alexandra´s last blog ..Lost In Translation =-.
Good Info. I do not do reviews, but would one day like to embark on that. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this information out there.
Have a good day
Angela
.-= Angela´s last blog ..Farm Fresh Triple coupon-my savings! =-.
Good for you for saying no!
And while I’ve only been doing the blogging thing for a short time and only been offered a couple handfuls of reviews, I’ve turned down many because it isn’t something I would otherwise buy/give/use with my family. For me, that is a line I’ve drawn.
.-= A Belle, A Bean & A Chicago Dog´s last blog ..I Spy =-.
Yet another AWESOME post that I totally needed to hear today. Sometimes I think you can read my mind! Are you psychic?
I have been bellyaching so much over the whole review/giveaway thing lately, because the truth is that I just don’t enjoy doing them as much as I enjoy writing my regular posts on my blog. I actually find it HARDER to do product reviews because I’m a humor writer and these don’t come as naturally to me. That being said, I do think it is fun to mix things up, but I think I’m going to be way more selective from here on out on what I will review and giveaway, because that is just not my ultimate goal for my blog. It’s not about the money for me. I even turned down someone who wanted to pay me for ad space because I didn’t think the product was relevant to my site. I blog because I LOVE to write…and I think sometimes it is just so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and want to follow suit, but I need to remember that my blog is MINE and I need to do what is best for ME.
Thanks Heather!!!
.-= The Mommyologist´s last blog ..My Interview With Julie Chu =-.
I am so glad you related to this post – that’s what I wanted to do – have bloggers think about these points and do what makes sense for them. If I can share some of the things I’ve learned along the way to help other bloggers out, then it was well worth publishing!
Thanks for your comment.
Such an important and thoughtful post….I have never done an official giveaway/review on my blog, but may be doing one soon. So this is really pertinent information for me. I really appreciate your insight and willingness to share these tips with us. I have only ever done giveaways with things I’ve purchased that I use and love….things that no one has asked me to review, etc…
.-= Erin´s last blog ..I’m the Favorite Lady of the Week! (it’s not a joke, I swear!) =-.
Bravo!!! I do occasional giveaways on my blog, which is for parents of kids with special needs, to raise awareness and also give my readers treats. I’ve worked with some great pr people, and some who have approached me with pitches that have been downright upsetting. Like the pr woman who wanted to have my son test out a pogo stick. Um, hello? My child has cerebral palsy?! Anyway, great post, thank you.
.-= Ellen´s last blog ..I amazed Tyler Florence with my culinary skills =-.
Excellent point. It can be flattering to be contacted by some of these large companies (especially when you’re just starting out), but when you start digging deeper and reading the fine print, it can really start to get quite fishy.
I don’t do a lot of reviews and giveaways on my blog. I did one for a major corporation and the rest are ones I host myself with products I purchase of my own volition for my use or to give to my readers. It feels better to me that way.
.-= Jennifer @ three pugs & a baby´s last blog ..{ happy 101 and prader-willi syndrome awareness month } =-.
Bravo!!! I do occasional giveaways on my blog, which is an inspirational blog for parents of kids with special needs. I have worked with great pr people, and some who were clueless…and downright upsetting. Like the pr person who wanted my son to test a pogo stick. Hello! He has cerebral palsy! Anyway, thanks again for a great, timely post.
.-= Ellen´s last blog ..I amazed Tyler Florence with my culinary skills =-.
Great info! I have had one give away so far on my blog – and I paid for it myself. I did it as a thank you to everyone who has read my blog since I started it in March. I offered a gift certificate to a lovely store run by another new blogger who is in the same area. I viewed it as a win-win for both of us. I love her work and was proud to promote her while thanking my readers.
I found the process of the actual give-away a little stressful (come sign up for my give away…blah blah blah) and I realized I don’t think I could do it for anything I don’t strongly believe in. It was a good way to dip my foot in the pool. I know that I can only review/give-away something I would buy myself or strongly believe is a good company. A girl’s got to sleep at night.
Thanks for another great post – you always have wonderful info to share.
.-= Coastal Chick´s last blog ..Grilling with the General… aka …Cookin’ with Costco =-.
Thank you for the tips! I just recently started doing a few reviews/giveaways here and there and I was going at it blindly. I really didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve bookmarked this so I can come back to it
.-= Michelle @ Mommy Loves Stilettos´s last blog ..♥Fawk You Friday. =-.
GREAT post Heather!! I was actually approached recently to write a post to promote a new product and their giveaway(and use one key word linking to them in the post) – I sent them my media kit (showing I would charge a small fee for a post like that)….they had the nerve to write me back and say “it’s would just be a small post and I think your readers would REALLY like it!” in other words, they didn’t think they should have to pay me……..I just didn’t reply to that!….I guess they had second thoughts and eventually worked it out with me (it was actually a great product & giveaway)
then get this…. I copied and pasted some of their info from their site to put in my post (about their product), and my spell checker found SEVERAL typos – so I thought I’d be nice and emailed them letting them know I copied a certain section and it was full of typos they may want to fix (very unprofessional IMO)….this time they actually emailed me back asking if I would give them the SPECIFIC typo’s so they could get them fixed?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING me??? were they going to pay me to proof their site? I think not!!…….again, I did NOT reply to that!
I sent them the link to when I had their post up, and then they asked that I change one word that, linked to them, to be singular instead of plural???grrrrr…….I did because when I looked over our agreement, they had asked that I use a specific word(s) and link to them, in my post and it was singular, but I’ve now learned to not bother with stuff like this!!
For such a great product and idea, I thought they handled everything VERY unprofessionally!
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..Breaded Pork Medallions & Cookbook GIVEAWAY! =-.
This is my point TidyMom and I just wish more bloggers would recognize what some pitches really ARE as opposed to how it will “help” the blogger. Do we get more followers/page views from a review/giveaway? Perhaps – but at what cost? It has to be right for your blog and you as the blogger. Thanks for sharing.
in this case the giveaway wasn’t even on my blog, it’s on their site- they wanted me to promote it for them!
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..ColorInc Gallery Wrap Canvas Giveaway & Coupon =-.
Thanks for posting this! I have a PR & Advertising background, and took journalism classes as part of my undergrad degree. I find those lessons on professional ethics are helpful in determining how I want to portray advertising vs. contenet on my blog. I’m also not big enough to get many pitches from PR companies, so when I do giveaways or affiliate links it’s because I love the product and sought out the opportunity with the company because I thought it would provide value to myreaders.
.-= Wendy (The Local Cook)´s last blog ..Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Bulk Food Storage =-.
This is an excellent post. I have another blog where I’ve done reviews and I’ve gotten some really weird requests like this. “No thank you” and move on!
Thanks for addressing this topic. I’m new to blogging, but enjoying it and hope to be around for awhile and this is so important–and not something I really considered when starting out! But I guess like anything else, you should start with the end in mind. Writing out your own personal guidelines/standards seems like a great idea. Then you can always tell if you’re getting off track or refer back to it if you’re not sure what to do.
Exactly Jamie! Set some standards for yourself and your blog and live by those rules. In that sense, you can never go wrong.
I think I know what company you are talking about as they contacted me as well and I declined the offer too.
In fact I see the company on other blogs with a $60 gift card as an offer for a giveaway and the blog has nothing to do with light fixtures or tv stands.
Great write up on your experience as well I thoroughly enjoy your blog.
.-= Mama Ash´s last blog ..The Little Paper- Great resource for events in the city to do with your kidlets =-.
Thank you so much for that Mama Ash! I adore my readers and I value your input.
I heartily agree. I have turned down more reviews than I have taken on board, for the best interests of my blog and its readers. Like you, I don’t want my entire blog crammed with review after review. Too much, and it clutters up the site.
I have some boundaries I place upon what I accept and do not accept.
1) The person/company wanting the review needs to provide a sample of the product at their cost.
2) The person/company would have to pay me for the time taken to research/test the product and write the review. And I’m very reasonable in my rates.
These first two criteria are for two reasons:
– my time is valuable
– it is a turn off for many companies and people, which in turn cuts down on the amount of reviews that could potentially clutter my blog. This is an effective way for me to filter some out.
4) The product needs to have some relevance to myself or someone in my family, or my readers.
5) If I know I won’t like the product beforehand, I won’t agree to a review.
6) I let the company know that my reviews are honest, meaning I will talk about what I like about the product, but if I dislike something about it, I will mention that too.
7) I let the company know that I disclose that the review is sponsored.
After a company fulfils all this criteria, I have then happily filtered out a lot of the chaff, lol! The reviews I am left with are of a higher quality, and worth my time doing.
I actually will be doing a review soon that breaks one of the rules, but that is because I took on the commitment to it prior to setting these ground rules with myself, so I intend to see that commitment through.
.-= Hear Mum Roar´s last blog ..How to be a good witness to other peoples’ kids having tantrums =-.
we are a mix of education and reviews, but I have a niche and try very hard to stay within it. because we are new I often seek out the companies I already use and love, in many cases I buy the products myself and stand behind them, in others I have been blessed enough to get the items sponsored because I reached out to them. All of my affiliate companies are companies I have used for years. I have my boundaries and have gotten offers from companies having nothing to do with creating family health and harmony and have turned them down. I have a rule on skin care items that I will not review products that contain chemicals and preferable organic. Why would I? I do not use things like that, and I would not give them a good review so it would not be ethical for me to do it.
.-= dina´s last blog ..Oh My God! Movie Review =-.
I agree, I do not review products that I would not actually purchase myself or use myself.
Amazing tips! Have a fab Tuesday!
.-= Kaci´s last blog ..Perfect Weekend =-.
Yes, some of those companies can be down right shady. You really have to read the fine print and decode the big words before you commit to an offer. It’s very important to blog with integrity and screen what offers you accept.
.-= YUMMommy´s last blog ..What I’m Making Monday: Letters to Our Troops =-.
Great post. I’m so glad that you put this out there. As I have ventured into reviews and giveaways, I have unspoken/unwritten rules that I have promised myself to live by and follow.
It’s really easy to get caught up in the “Oh wow! They want ME!!” excitement of a company contacting you, that you sometimes forget to do your homework first.
.-= Kmama´s last blog ..Monkey Minute: 5/17/10 =-.
I feel the same way you do about being labeled a product review blog. I don’t want to be known as a review and giveaway blog. I just want it to be added content and perks for my readers. Reviews are great ways to attract new readers also. I draw the line on products. Even though I have boxes stacked up under my coffee table. I don’t ever want to do more than 1-3 per week. Sometimes I do that many in a month. I still share products with my readers. But these are products I am already interested in or already use.
.-= Jessica @Riding with Jessica´s last blog ..Participating In Follow Friday =-.
Jessica – From my standpoint, as long as I never make the reviews the focal point of my blog I will not be looked upon as such – good food for thought.
I love this post alot! I recently received a similar email, and was not sure how to respond, so did nothing with it. If a company is approaching me I hope they know enough to about me and my blog to use my name! Also, I recently had a company all set to work with me, then realized I am in Canada and would not ship to me (too expensive). What is your take on this! Obviously, they did not check out my blog because its mentioned in my profile (about me) and on several posts throughout my blog.
.-= Shirley Rempel´s last blog ..Putumayo Music: South Africa Review & Giveaway =-.
Exactly Shirley, they did not check out your blog to make the connection that you live in Canada. This was part of my goal in writing this post – to make bloggers aware of what they are getting into…thanks so much for your comment!
Thanks to you, Scary and Mom-101 for having this conversation. It’s so great for us newbies to hear and couldn’t come at a better time for me. You ladies are so generous and kind. The very thing that has blown me over about this community since I joined the party. Theta, thanks for suggesting that we create our own standards and live by them. You are a true gem.
.-= NotJustAnotherJen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesdays: margaritas on mother’s day =-.
I got this same offer. I actually did the preview post, which was all they cared about. They could care less about the review/giveaway post. I learned a lesson. We all need to be very careful about the kinds of offers we accept. And we shouldn’t be afraid to turn them down if they aren’t a good fit. Also remember that they PR want to advertise on your blog, that puts you in a position of control for negotiating the fee, product or what ever kind of compensation you choose.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Disqus =-.
Thanks for your honesty! I know I have learned a lot as I have been blogging along as well.
.-= Still blonde after all these YEARS!´s last blog ..126,000 Industry Professional at the 2010 CES =-.
I totally agree with this!!! I have gotten a couple couples asking me to review numerous products before seeing them. Sometimes I have found emails from gmail accounts with a company. I am now calling to confirm that each person works there. Thank you for posting this!
.-= Juliana´s last blog ..Etsy Jewelry: A Willow’s Nest Giveaway =-.
I haven’t received any PR pitches yet and perhaps I never will but IF I do I really appreciate the posts you and other bloggers have done to address this topic. It makes me feel much more sure of myself
.-= Carrie´s last blog ..Lions and Tigers and Bears…OH MY! =-.
I am just navigating my way around all this now. I have only just recently done my first (3) giveaways in celebration of my 100th post and I find them to be a lot of work. I am trying to become more selective of who I work with and am learning to say NO now 😀
I hate when I get the impersonal emails from PR people – ugh!
.-= Devan @ Accustomed Chaos´s last blog ..I Have A Bad Case of Baby Fever! =-.
This is so very true! I am very choosy about my giveaways and I never want to come across sounding insincere. I would never do a giveaway about something I wouldn’t buy myself or from a company I didn’t trust. I’ve gotten the “Dear Blogger” or “Dear Wonderfully Chaotic” pitches and they just make me chuckle!
.-= Shay @ Wonderfully Chaotic´s last blog ..UPrinting Sticker Giveaway =-.
they wanted you to link in a personal post? how sleezy! you were very right in declining their offer!
there’s no way i would have accepted it – in fact, i usually have to lay it all out when dealing with advertisers/pr people because of my writing style. i refuse to edit myself on my own blog.
thanks for the post!
.-= ericka @ alabaster cow´s last blog ..life lessons =-.
I posted on this topic here and reposted My Mini PR Kit! Thanks for the inspiration. (HAHAHA–I gave you a link!) http://www.stillblondeafteralltheseyears.com/2010/05/whats-bloggers-worth-mini-pr-guide-when.html
.-= Still blonde after all these YEARS!´s last blog ..126,000 Industry Professional at the 2010 CES =-.
Great post!!! I will only do reviews for something that I would buy in the store myself.
.-= Julie {Angry Julie Monday}´s last blog ..A Photo Gift for Dad =-.
Exactly Julie! Setting some standards I think is so important and setting the bar high is not a bad thing.
Those are some excellent rules! I have standards, but being a newby to doing reviews I haven’t been sure about what standards I need to set for the company I might do a review for.
.-= Rose´s last blog ..So. What. =-.
That is some darn good advice!
It’s easy to get wrapped up in reviews and giveaways…and it’s also easy to think that you can’t negotiate with a company for better ‘terms’….or that you can’t simply turn down a company. Truth is…I know exactly who you’re talking about (well-I believe so). I did a giveaway for them last year…and this year they wanted to do either a review or giveaway….only they wanted me to do twice the work for half the “benefits”…and my blog has more than doubled in size since I did the previous one. Also-it had to be an item with free shipping or I’d have to pay the shipping….and…well…let’s just say it wasn’t worth my time or space on my blog. I’m not a billboard….my time and effort are worth far more than that…and my opinion…PRICELESS. ;-D
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..TweetStats & Checking Your Usage {Tweet Me Tuesday} =-.
Also wanted to add that the “requirement” of a preview post was not a requirement last year. That was new…and wasn’t happening.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..TweetStats & Checking Your Usage {Tweet Me Tuesday} =-.
Great post Heather! Thank you so much for posting about this. I hate the advertiser who actually send you their whole post all written up. Yes I know we all get those. But come on aren’t we suppose to have integrity? Glad to see that you do. Hopefully everyone learns something from your post.
I received and email to do a review just like the one you were in question about. It was for glasses and they wanted me to put all these links in my PERSONAL post. I was actually going to send you a private email about it, then I realized on my own this was something I was not interested in. I think for me and my blog, I am not interested in doing reviews, I thought I was at first, but not anymore. I will just enter the giveaways…..remember that bracelet I won from one of your first giveaways? Still have it, wear it daily, best bracelet ever.
I recently moved from one blog to another in hopes of expanding my readership and marketability. So far, I’m learning a ton about PR/disclosure/monetizing, etc, from bloggers like you! Thanks, Thetamom!
.-= Miranda´s last blog ..Blogging for PPD/PPA Awareness, Day Two =-.
Good article and I respect the pledge you made. I don’t do reviews or give-a-ways as my blog is so new but am not sure I would when asked. I blog as an outlet and to vent and while I like it when people read me, it’s really more for me. I don’t see reviews fitting in and I actually don’t enjoy reading blogs that do a lot of them. Some blogs out there seem to have more reviews/giveaways than actual content which makes them less and less relevant for me and it can be a turn off. That being said, I can understand why bloggers would need/want to do it but think there is a line and if it doesn’t fit with your ethics, the subject of your blog and your readers – just say no!
.-= The Grass is Not Greener´s last blog ..Saturday night trifecta =-.
It’s really hard!! I had no idea when I started by blog that this whole side of things even existed. And it’s flattering when the offers start coming in, which is what makes it so tough! And, then once you start saying yes to everything, it’s hard to stop. But, you have to start somewhere. Ugh! I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.
But, I do think you have struck a perfect balance.
You always have great advice. Thank you!
.-= Kristy´s last blog ..I Choose Health…Tomorrow =-.
This is a very interesting post. As is the one by Scary Mommy and Mom101. I do not do reviews and I was actually really baffled by them when I first started blogging. I did not understand when anyone would do them at first.
I think a question that has been overlooked or just not really addressed…is why would a blogger do a review in the first place. I think when a blogger can anwser that question for themselves then it will guide them in how they need to go about with doing reviews/giveaways.
I have my thoughts why I think bloggers would do a review/giveaway which I started to write out but it got to be to long. So I will anwser that on my blog then link back to this post.
great post Heather!
.-= This Mama Works It!´s last blog ..Super Mommy Saves Family From Paying $400 in Bank Overdraft Charges! =-.
I do them because every product I ever reviewed is actually something I would purchase myself, so let’s be honest, if I have the opportunity to get it for “free” (with some time and effort on my part) why not?
Moreover, I do get more followers from these reviews/giveaways, which in turn makes my “numbers” grow, and to companies and various sponsorships who want to see those numbers, I am able to produce BUT the followers that follow from a review/giveaway are NOT real readership. They do not read my blog – so in essence, that’s all they really are – just a number – if that makes sense.
I also like to perform them, especially for the Etsy shop owner or small business owner that needs some exposure and offers a great product – I feel like I am playing a little part in helping them receive that exposure (like the one I have listed below)!
Great post. There are a lot of shady people out there and it’s good to know what you’re standing up for before you actually do it!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..Take me out to the ball game =-.