The Bloggers With The Most To Say
How do you feel when you start to see sponsored posts on your favorite blogs?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gina on -
I have a few thoughts on this, and I'm not sure if I'm the norm, but here goes:
1- I hate when EVERY post is either a review/sponsored/giveaway. If you do it, make sure you have more content than advertorials. If I land on a blog and the last five posts are all pay-me posts, I'll leave and never come back.
2- I don't mind when bloggers do ads on stuff that I care about. Mommy bloggers review baby products, book bloggers review books, crafty bloggers review crafty gadgets, food bloggers review kitchen equipment, etc. If it's related, I think you're good. I write a book/movie blog and have had people contact me asking me to review and giveaway CDs (by the way... CD's? Really? 2002 called and wants their music back) and I turn them down because it doesn't mesh.
3- I know you have to have your legal disclaimers and such, but outside of that, make it personal and fun. Product reviews that are basically regurgitated sales pitches are annoying and false-sounding. People who can show me how or why they enjoyed something and keep the voice and tone of the rest of the blog are more likely to sell me something.
Those are my thoughts. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Sar Lake on -
I was about to reply to the discussion board when I read this comment and realized I agreed with every point wholeheartedly. As long as it's classy, people will still tune in.
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Permalink Reply by The Average Broad on -
I agree with Gina and Sar Lake. I think as long as it's done tastefully and in moderation and is relevant to your content, why not earn a little money while you're providing people with entertainment?
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Permalink Reply by Jas on -
Dude, I say, "Good for them!"
It's hard for a writer to make any money. If advertisers want to work with you to make sure that you are writing and getting paid for it, then that is something to celebrate.
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Permalink Reply by cooper on -
I read a lot of online newspapers and magazines and they all have advertising, but generally if someone is having paid posts it does bother me unless they are some super great writer. If anything I prefer paid ads on the sidebar, relevant to the blog. Most bloggers get offers for that and it can be made non intrusive.
In college I did text link ads to the tune of about 300 dollars a month, it was great, I never saw them, they were in-post ads that they put on posts that they chose, and I got to approve the advertisers. No one ever said they were annoyed by them. I don't even know if my regular readers ever saw them. I don't know if they exist anymore, but Google din't like them.
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Permalink Reply by Jamie Pilgrim on -
I don't mind them... in moderation. I hate when over half a blogger's
posts are sponsored ads or giveways. But I think one a week is a good limit and, like said earlier, gives you a bit of credibility!
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Permalink Reply by Ashlee Jewel on -
how do i feel? jealous.
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Permalink Reply by Tim King on -
Sponsored posts tend to guide content. For instance, through my own volition, about a month ago, I wrote a post about sampling a bunch of different Oreos that I found at a Chinese supermarket. If that had been sponsored by Oreo, I probably would have had to espouse the fantastical wondrous tasteocity that is an Oreo(R) Brand Sandwich Cookie, instead of nicknaming one of the varieties "menthol Oreos" or saying a couple of them just plain sucked. And that's just a pretty slight example of it.
Though it's a double-edged sword, the thing I might like most about blogging is that it has a tendency to be the purest and wildest form of art: an uninhibited one. It's based on the fact that you had something to say or show to the world, and realizing no one was going to do it for you, you did it on your own. No editor, no demographic targeting, just you. It might be bad art, but it's something unique and free, and that spirit is admirable.
I absolutely understand the desire and in some cases the necessity to monetize one's blog. Just because my beliefs on the subject make me refuse to ever engage in that commodification does not mean it's wrong or inappropriate for someone else. But there are ways to do that without compromising craft and make it resemble more of a patronage rather than an egregious sponsorship. Sidebars, sponsored links, whatever, okay, if kept within reason. But "This post on why I LOOOOOOOVE jeans, sponsored by American Eagle"? That crosses the line.
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Permalink Reply by anna on -
if you're paid to write about something you're interested in and if it doesn't contradict your whole blog image, then do it!
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Permalink Reply by Jessica on -
I wrote a post (un-solicited) about how much I love my DivaCup, and it got picked up by DivaCup's Facebook page. Then I saw on their page that they were soliciting bloggers to write reviews, and I thought, damn, maybe I could have made some money if I'd known that before I wrote the blog post! But I decided that I preferred having done it unprompted and just because I wanted to share with my readers. That seems to fit better with my image of myself, and I think my readers would be turned off by a sponsored post. So I think it depends on you. As someone else said, I don't mind sponsored posts if they fit with the theme of the blog and if I feel like the blogger is being totally honest in the post.
http://keepbabbling.blogspot.com
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Permalink Reply by Cathy Canaceli on -
I'm actually happy to see my favorite blogs getting sponsorship. I
But it's a different story when a blog's full of ads and all you can see are ads rather than good posts. Also, it would be good if the sponsors are related to your blog overall so your readers won't get alienated. ;)
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