[More Than Mommy Blogger] Blogger-PR Tango – It Takes Two
I had a vision for my first column. I wanted it to be something somewhat profound, but also something that would establish a tone to which others could relate. In fact, I had most of it written.
Then I read,“Why PR People Get Paid and You Don’t” by fellow columnist, “Sarah.” And I got really angry. First, I got the attempt at humor, and I understood the type of blogger who inspired her post. However, those kinds of posts, that poke fun at the least professional in the mom blogger world, usually end up negatively impacting the most professional ones .
I am one of the first to complain about greedy, high-maintenance mom bloggers who don’t understand the system or take the time to figure out how it works. It was something I planned to mention in my original column. I agree that there’s a sense of entitlement with absolutely no basis in reality and that some new bloggers expect to get all of the best relationships without putting in any of the work. Heck, I’ve been blogging longer than most people have had an email address and have never been offered an oven or a trip. It’s fine. I don’t have the same numbers as some of my peers.
What I don’t agree with is the idea that this strain between PR and bloggers comes solely from unrealistic expectations and a lack of professionalism on the blogger end.
Sarah suggests that bloggers are fly-by-night (“something transient”) and not willing to put in the effort to get the attention they feel that they deserve. That’s not always the case. In fact, I know many bloggers who have been doing it for years, pouring their hearts and precious time into their blogs.
I believe that PR representatives and brand relationships are far more transient than established bloggers. I also know that companies routinely reward the squeaky-wheel, churn-out-content and give-me-free-stuff bloggers by working with blogs that are poorly written, relatively new, and/or over-saturated with pre-existing brand relationships. I am shocked (and it’s rare for me to use that term) by the bloggers who nab high-profile campaigns. They have open catfights on their blogs, belittle others, and write like they couldn’t possibly have graduated from 8th grade. Some of them are busy touting so many products that they don’t have time to write about all of their brand trips and relationships. If PR budgets are so low, why are they wasting money on perks for bloggers who won’t even write about them?
Sarah goes on to imply that bloggers are almost childish in our expectations to be paid for our work. Guess what? I am pitched by dozens of these hard-working, salary-worthy, commuting (and non-commuting) PR people on a weekly basis. Just like the bloggers I know, some of them are incredibly talented and hardworking, and some … not even close.
I routinely receive pitches that are horribly written (What exactly is the product I can’t live without?), absurdly off-topic (Yes, I’m sure my Family Computing readers come to my site to find the perfect sun screen), and even insulting (The “technology is hard for women” approach? Try again.). Better still are the pitches from people who will generously allow me to post their widgets on my blog and write about the products that they are paid to promote, with absolutely no compensation for my time or the advertising space such widgets would usurp. I’m often not even offered a product to try out. What kind of professional would heavily promote a product without having experienced it in person? But sure, work with those bloggers because it will cost you less.
I write product reviews for free. This is a topic for a separate column, but you simply can’t write a properly balanced review if you’re being compensated (and product is NOT compensation–it’s a tool to allow you to write a useful review). I expect to be paid to otherwise promote any product or service you throw my way. I might not work out of a remote office, but that doesn’t make me any less intelligent or talented than someone who does. And it doesn’t make my writing any lower in quality. I want none of the “ lifestyle, paycheck, and perks of having an out-of-the-house PR job.” I want the lifestyle, paycheck and perks of being a freelance writer with a built-in audience, because that’s what quality bloggers are.
I’m a relatively practical person. I deal with PR for my blog, as well as for my more formal work with About.com. I don’t care if you use my name (although I really don’t appreciate “Dear Mommy Blogger”) or even read my blog. I know it’s hard to get a product in front of hundreds of journalists if you have to personally pitch each one. I also know that the impact you get from putting a product on just my blog isn’t worth doing in-depth research into my interests and family life. That said, it only makes sense to do your homework and create a list of quality bloggers you’d like to work with who aren’t going to be an embarrassment to the brands you represent.
And if you find a blogger who is genuinely passionate about a product or brand (and not just the freebies you may be willing to pass their way), develop that relationship. It’s extremely valuable, even if their numbers aren’t as big.
Honestly, this tension between bloggers and PR people needs to stop. I’m tired of crappy mom bloggers making the rest of us look bad, and I’m equally unimpressed by lazy PR people underestimating my worth. I’ll survive if you don’t give me your fantastic, new refrigerator to try out, but I’ll be pretty annoyed if you hand it off to someone who can’t be bothered to spell the brand name correctly.
I suspect that Sarah’s PR firm is one of those who are a delight for bloggers to work with. But before pointing the finger at us, I think she should look around a bit. Because there are many more PR companies who seem to believe that we should be doing their jobs for free.
Excellent post. I am really sick of hearing about the bad side of mommy blogging or hearing people complain when I see so much great stuff happen and so many wonderful mom bloggers out there working their tails off and deserve every trip and opportunity because they WORK for it.
Very smart, rational post, Christy. And also several insightful points in the comment thread. Bottom line, as Kelby says, there will be bad bloggers, PR people, brands, etc. Instead of getting offended by those who try to exploit you or take advantage, why not move on to those people and organizations that respect your work? I’d appreciate thoughts on my own strategy for getting paid what I’m worth, since the one thing I’ve learned is that the ground underfoot seems always to be changing.
Great job, Christy! I love how thoughtful and fair (but straight forward and honest) you are while expressing your opinions. I agree with you 100% here.
This is a really great, informed rebuttal to Sarah’s piece (which I also appreciated). Thanks for speaking so eloquently to the other side.
Bravo for a) a great post and b) using your real name and not hiding behind a pseudonym. And love this statement “I am shocked (and it’s rare for me to use that term) by the bloggers who nab high-profile campaigns. They have open catfights on their blogs, belittle others, and write like they couldn’t possibly have graduated from 8th grade.” THANK YOU for saying what I’ve thought a million times.
Great post, Christy! And a great response to Sarah’s post yesterday. I do believe that Sarah had some very valid points. What concerns me about Sarah’s post is that instead of using her anonymous stance to show how the other side works, she used it to belittle some mom bloggers.
It may be true that there are some mom bloggers out there who behave like that. But if the way they are behaving is getting them perks from PR, who is at fault? Both sides!
I believe that I am treated professionally because that is the way I behave and conduct myself. You get what you give!
Great post. Although I liked Sarah’s as well. Both made good points. And yes, her tone could have been a little better.
There is still such a tensioned space when it comes to talking about bloggers and brands. I have blogged about it, sat on panels and talked about it, read about it… and it all comes down to the same thing. There are either those that are fine with working for the brand for free just because they are honored to be asked. Or there are those that think they are so great that they can immediately ask for $$. I am kind of in the middle. I don’t mind doing a free post here or there if it is something that I really do use, believe in, or just want to talk about, etc., or yes, if I want to make that connection and start a relationship. Because remember, you don’t always have to wait to be pitched, you can pitch the brand as well. So sometimes if I do that one “free” post it’s because I have plans to ask for more work down the line. But there is a line that is drawn. I also do not expect to be paid for product reviews if I am keeping the product.
We can and I’m sure we will go on and on fighting about this with each other forever. I think as long as everyone keeps the “right” attitude which is being nice that things will work out.
I have too gotten really bad pitches. Pitches that are just “post this press release”, pitches addressed to the wrong name, or as you said… that don’t fit my blog at all. I guess it’s like spam though… someone is always going to bite, even on a bad pitch.
Keep up the great work.
I’m on both sides of this proverbial fence. I enjoyed Sarah’s piece and thought it had merit. There are a lot of “mom bloggers” that give the rest of us a bad name by holding their uncalled-for sense of entitlement way too high.
On the same note, I enjoyed this piece as well because, as you said, there are also PR people who do not give bloggers ANY credit and expect us to do far more than should be asked of anyone working for free. And you’re right – product is not payment, it’s facilitating an honest review.
It’s true. I agreed with a lot of what Sarah had to say. I just felt it painted all of us with one brush and didn’t put any of the responsibility on the PR side. The magic happens when you match a talented blogger with great PR minds and a fabulous product.
Very well said, especially in response to the other article. All of this blogger vs. PR stuff is what really turned me off from blogging and I pretty much quit a couple of years ago and tried to distance myself from the phrase “mom blogger” as far as possible. I still blog but only when I have something I really want to write about. And I do more writing on a private blog now which has become more of a secret diary than an open window into my life.
Even though I rarely blog, apparently my name is still out there somewhere because I still get pitches. And most of them are HORRIBLE. The fact that I’m even being contacted shows they’re not doing their research. I get emails from one blog that I shut down over a year ago. And I get emails from another blog where my last post was like 6 months ago and my readership is, and probably always will be, in the double digits. And, yes, those pitches are about products or services that have absolutely nothing to do with what I write about, or they want me to post their links or widgets on my site for no reason other than to be nice apparently.
But honestly? I don’t think those are even PR people. They sound more like interns who were given a spreadsheet with a list of email addresses and a script to copy, paste, send to those email addresses. Sure, they probably had some boss or supervisor giving them this direction but it still doesn’t sound like a true PR company. It just sounds like one of those scam organizations that will charge you a set fee with a promise of “getting your product’s name out to over 100,000 bloggers in 30 days!” Ugh.
As far as the bloggers, I have seen just as many, if not more, “A-list” bloggers act all mean and nasty and entitled than the newer ones. In fact, there are two that I can think of right off the top of my head that made me think “Ok, if that’s what women act like when they make it to the top, I am perfectly fine staying down here.” The fact that so many new bloggers will look up to them and want to BE like them rather than just being themselves, blogging the way they want and letting things take their natural course….well, it scares me. The world does not need any more of those Catty A-Listers…please!
And I see a lot of bloggers who let their blogs go from their own personal story and their home on the Internet to nothing more than a constant infomercial, pushing one product after another. I won’t read them. I’m sure they think that if they accept every offer and do a good job that maybe someday The Big Offer will come their way…but who are they writing for? Their readers or the PR people?
I’m really starting to think that blogging (personal blogs, at least) will fade away before this ever gets resolved. The relationship between bloggers and PR people is so thin as it is…eventually it will just cease to exist after remaining at a stale impasse for so long. And the PR people will go back to buying ad space or using in-house social media team members. And the bloggers will go back to writing for pure enjoyment, whether it’s out of a passion for writing or a desire to document their family’s journey.
Kelby & Kim Make very good points! It will be interesting to see how we move forward with PR companies. I generally ignore PR pitches, the few product reviews I do are NOT paid and through a community and I do work with brands and do get some sort of stipend for it. If I believe in the brand or it has a good cause attached to it, more than likely I’ll participate in a campaign. I’m very selective with brand campaigns and overall I’m NOT a product review blogger and I DON”T do tons of giveaways. I’m all about my content and trying to stay within my niche!
Blogging is work especially if you are working with another party to market an event or product and they have specific requirements of you, why wouldn’t I want to be compensated for my time put into making your event or product information go viral and at the end of the day the PR firm and businesses make money off of it regardless. Why do you ask? because there are good bloggers out here that are influential and have an audience that will be the consumer of that particular product or attend an event that was blogged about because they TRUST their peers judgement.
How many times have you listened to word of mouth referrals about something vs. the advertorial in the newspaper or Sunday Coupons. If I decide to go out and purchase a product, I’m not doing it because of the ad running. Chances are I find the product appealing and then I’m going to look for someone that has had it and pick their brain about it. Whether I go to a blog and their is a review or If I have a friend or relative that has it, I’m going to get some sort of confirmation that it’s a good product and the company is worthy of getting my money before I go out there and purchase. That being said I feel bloggers play a huge role in marketing when they talk about brands and products on their blogs and people are paying attention! The consumer buys the product, the business makes money, the business pays PR firm for ads etc. so if the business makes money and the PR Firm makes money why shouldn’t the blogger make money again?
I’m done rambling!
I read this whole thing not even realizing you were the author, this is so well said. I can not tell you how frustrating it can be to watch as poorly written blogs reap rewards from brands that have turned down the opportunity to work with me. I keep my head held high knowing I am not just a product pusher, I write well, the majority of my blog is real content and karma will always be on my side. :)
Great attitude! That’s the approach I take when I start feeling frustrated. Good things come to those who don’t compromise on the quality of their content.
Well put Christy. The issue is far from black and white (i.e., the onus being only on the PR or blogger side). Like you, I remain baffled by the fact that some PR folks feel that they’ve “scored” with low hanging fruit (when I consult with clients on outreach I always stress quality over quantity). I have had a couple of interactions with PR firms that were so horrendous that I actually went directly to the client and said, “Um, THIS is what you are paying for? Your money would be better spent assembling a few top bloggers to devise an outreach campaign.”
So, I’d also recommend that some responsibility is shared by the client. They should do their homework into good firms (because they do exist!) and really question the deliverables they are receiving. I know I would be mad as hell if I was a client and saw the chaff pitched on my company’s behalf that I see in spades on a daily basis in my inbox.
Great point, Christine. Clients do continue to choose these firms and I am occasionally tempted to go back to them with some feedback as well.
I agree! No credible PR professional stereotypes all freelancers as “Crazy Cat Lady” style bloggers. “Sarah’s” remarks demonstrate a surprising degree of ignorance in a marketplace whose change is every bit as dramatic as the Industrial Revolution.
Thanks for such a thoughtful and well written post, Christy! I’m so happy I found you!
Very well articulated. I think it is time to stop lumping together any groups of people. Basic professionalism, no matter where you stand is important and does shine through. Now to go back and check if I was the one who spelled any brand name incorrectly ;-)
I loved Sarah’s piece. (Their ARE bloggers with major entitlement issues and who don’t understand the difference between PR and advertising). I also love this piece, because you have a great way of taking emotion out of the equation and presenting the nuances of blogger-brand relationships in a manner that benefits both sides. Thanks!
Excellent post, Christy. And you’re right – all it takes is professionalism and mutual respect from both camps.
These are great points. Loved this post Christy! Are there entitled, bratty mom bloggers? Sure. There are also bad cops, crappy doctors, mediocre journalists…. and, of course, bad PR people. That really is no excuse for treating the group as a whole as second-class citizens who should work for free just for *swoon* the amazing opportunity to work with Brand X.
Bottom line is this: if there is not now and never will be money in promoting brands, there is no reason I can see for bloggers to work with companies on the long haul. At some point, the novelty of shiny stuff will wear off and companies will be left with no relationships with bloggers, with bloggers who have absolutely no incentive to bother. And they will wonder why, since they were paying their PR firm money to nurture those relationships.
I wonder how many bloggers do this free (or paid in gift card or product) work thinking that SURELY something paid is on the horizon if they really impress (gush about said product). And I wonder what percentage of the time that actually happens. Imagine if pitches said clearly: “We would love for you to do X. We will not pay now. We will never pay.” The response would be pretty low.
And as I have said before, if PR representatives want to hide behind the earned media shield, then that is fine with me. Just pitch bloggers to write. Don’t suggest what they should write (some even ask for certain wording in text links, which will be great for the blogger when their PageRank tanks and they lose half their traffic). Don’t ever ask for widgets or badges to be posted. Don’t ask for tweets or Facebook shares. Don’t ask for advice. Don’t ask for them to host events. Just send along post ideas, and be done with it.
Of course, I was in a newsroom for 15 years. I can tell you that the lion’s share (I would even estimate 99.9999%) of pitches were ignored. I’m not sure bloggers realize that. Pitches specifically about a product had an even worse ratio. There always needed to be an angle to interest readers, and that angle rarely was to simply write about the product.
And really, without sections like Tech and Style and Business, bloggers have even less reason to write about products unless it is very specific to their blogs. So seeking just earned media in social media space is pretty difficult.
What’s left? Oh, right. Paid.
Kelby…this is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to hear from Sarah. How does PR work. What type of responses are typical from a mass mailing, how can we improve the relationship between PR and blogger, info about the inner workings of a PR firm, etc. I was hoping her anonymous column would allow her to delve deeper into the workings of PR and the relationship between PR and bloggers.
That fact that 99.9999% of pitches are ignored makes me feel good because most of the pitches I get I ignore. I can’t write about every new product that comes my way unless I see an angle that interests me (and in turn interest my readers).
Another thing I have found is that there is a cycle to blogging. When you first start out, you just write because you love it. Then you start to get an audience and see a potential for money making and then you start getting pitches. You take almost every one that comes your way because you are still feeling your way around this PR world. Then you get overwhelmed at some point and you start to back off and only take the pitches that are in your niche.
There is nothing wrong with the cycle and I think taking the early pitches is beneficial. It’s a learning process. I think the better way to deal with those bloggers who have that attitude may be with education. Maybe they don’t realize the system. I know now that I can say no to a PR person and they will still continue to send me pitches. I didn’t know that when I first started.
I love what Kelby said about the shininess wearing off in the long haul, as well as Michele’s response about the cycle of blogging.
In my limited experience, I have said No to pitches more than Yes, and only have accepted product review opps for something I’d realistically use with my family (organic/HFCS-free products). However, I’ve realized that some product review offers come with a substantial amount of product(s) that I can use for some time and make my time/effort more worthwhile, while others may send 1 snack size bag of snacks, and that’s it. I will definitely be asking more questions for future product reviews as to what exactly I’d be receiving in order to perform my review.
What I’ve found interesting as of late, with Christmas so near, is the extreme uptick in giveaways going on. And more often than not, I see tweets and mentions on blogs how the giveaways have “low entries” so I should enter now because I have a good shot of winning.
I think many of us bloggers are getting tired of seeing these contests, and more often than not, aren’t even bothering to enter. Especially when it’s the same few companies seen on blog after blog.
I know that I rarely stop by a blog on a day it’s a giveaway post, and I know that my review posts get far fewer visits than a regular post.
If PR firms don’t start changing the way they work with bloggers, more and more bloggers will be turning down offers rather than accepting. If it’s not worth our time to write the review, those of us who do care about growing our blogs, our traffic and our readers are going to be saying “Thanks but no Thanks.”
I apologize; after posting, I re-read my final paragraph… To clarify, products are appropriate “compensation” for reviews. Though I find that some companies expect a review post with links and product/logo pictures for a tiny sample sent that cost them pennies and was used up in seconds, while other companies will ship multiple, full-sized products and give us bloggers a good representation of the company and its quality.
I enjoy working with companies who really care to put their best foot forward, so to speak. Companies who care to show us bloggers what they are really all about is a company who is worth my time and blog space.
Great post Christy. I agree with everything you state here, and I think 2011 will be very interesting!
Thank you for your response. I think you wrote a very balanced and fair piece on this. I don’t disagree that there are some people who may feel more entitled or jealous when seeking money or products than they should, but that’s in any workplace. There are people in every field who want to take the easy way, and blogging in particular looks a lot like overnight success, when in fact it takes a tremendous amount of hard work.
I honestly think we see more of that on the PR side than PR sees it from bloggers. Simply because PR is changing, and as we often talk about many people/brands/firms “don’t get it”, it being what the value of influence means in social media.
Those that do get it will be the ones that thrive, those that don’t will be the ones that fail at blogger outreach.
I’ve been on both sides, and I have talked to clients who have to be convinced that bloggers are worth paying, but thankfully I have the option of not working with them should they choose not to compensate bloggers, whereas a PR agency may not.
@Kim I think that’s a valid point. At some point a blogger who is earning money may realize that the perks of a trip aren’t worth it since it will take time away from her actual work time, of course there were still be bloggers who haven’t been asked to go on a trip that would jump at the opportunity. The question will then become what will the brand choose?
Personally I prefer to work with brands long-term, and have a long lasting relationship. Things work much better when we’re both on the same page, and we want to work together.
I generally likes “Sarah’s” piece, but it covered so much ground there are so many related conversations to pursue. One thing I liked, though I would not have voiced it in her toughlove words is that (to paraphrase) a bloggers should figure out where she fits in the scheme of things and if she’s not happy with her place, she should work to get where she wants to be rather than complain about how unfair life is.
Speaking of unfair, I’m surprised that you’ve never been invited on a blogger junket.
And back to your point(s), I’m generally with you on product reviews not being compensated, and I agree that other types of work and advertising deserve compensation. But I still think compensation comes down to a value exchange that only the individual blogger and the brand can define.
One thing we might see fleshed out in 2011 is whether those blogger trips are “rewards” or work. If it’s the former, when you do get invited on the big corporate trip, expect to pay out of pocket for cabs and meals. If it’s the latter, you’ll have your expenses covered and a little stipend to cover some of time.
I agree about compensation being defined by the blogger and brand (my full bio says that I do work for cupcakes), but I don’t think brands can assume that product will suffice. They can try, but shouldn’t be surprised if the blogger wants cash.
As for the blogger trips… that will be an interesting discussion. I’ll get back to you after I go on my first trip!