Some mom bloggers are struggling with a fear that they’ve sold out.
They started their blogs to share their lives and encourage other moms. They didn’t really have any long range plans, they were just having a good time – making friends and oftentimes making a difference.
Over the last year or two we’ve seen a major invasion on the mom blogosphere. Companies large and small realized that mom bloggers have influence and they wanted to tap into it.
That should have been good news for mom bloggers. If a company wants to reach your readership, that should translate into some great advertising deals, right?
Rarely.
Instead of identifying key blogs and actually offering the mom blogger a paycheck to share the brand with their readers, we’ve seen something else entirely.
Instead of paying a mom blogger to share their readership – these companies offer them products to try and giveaway. That doesn’t sound to bad, but after awhile – mom bloggers are realizing that it takes TIME to review these products, write up their review and put together the giveaways.
For some mom bloggers, the whole ‘product review’ thing has been filling their schedule for months now – taking them away from their kids and eventually stripping all the fun out of their blogging. They’re getting burned out.
When I ask some of these mom bloggers why they keep doing it they all say the same thing – ‘I’m hoping it will lead to something bigger eventually.”
Bigger? I know what that means. If they show that they can promote small stuff, maybe they’ll get to promote big stuff. Maybe instead of getting free laundry soap – they’ll get a free washing machine!
Um… yeah. Like that happens very often.
Maybe they’ll hit the big time and get sent on a trip to a theme part – without their kids.
Yep, that HAS happened.
These PR companies have done a number on our community, haven’t they?
They’ve got HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of moms pimping their products for free. Everywhere you look there’s another mom blog running a contest to give something else away. In most cases, the mom blogger hasn’t even been given the product herself.
It’s getting to the point where you don’t even CARE about the word giveaway. They’re as common as dust.
No, mom – you’re not a sell out – but I’m sorry to say that you’ve definitely been sold out.
I have a challenge for you.
The next time a PR peep contacts you about running a giveaway – quote them a price for your time.
Seriously! Figure out what you want for the hours you spend working on the project (the time away from your kids is valuable!) – not to mention for sharing your blog audience and Twitter followship. Write it up and send it as a reply to their pitch.
If all mom bloggers started doing that – maybe they’d get some respect for our community.
I’ve been doing this – and the response is humorous.
- “Oh, we don’t pay bloggers for reviews – that would send the wrong message.”
- “We don’t have a budget for that.”
- “We can’t offer you payment, isn’t having something to give your readers value enough?”
Please. I’m tired of their excuses. These companies spend a small fortune advertising in newspapers and on television. They can afford to pay me for my time and if they choose not to – they don’t get time on my blogs.
About Kelly
This is one of the reasons I wanted to get out of the mommy blog business. I just got so tired of all the giveaways and reviews. It just wasn't fun anymore and it wasn't me.
It was fun for awhile though wasn't it? I can totally understand why a mom gets into it. It seems like a lot of fun at first. But in the end, there's no payoff
Good post…I've commented else where on this topic because I hear what the PR folks are saying to each other at their conferences. The current mecca for getting your marketing message across is the blogosphere. Well read/popular mom bloggers are extremely valuable. So many of these product manufacturers ought to shift some of those advertising dollars away from dud campaigns and over to the hard working mom bloggers who have the relationships with readers that they want to reach.
That's a really good point. I don't know many of them that do want to pay you for a review. Although I did come across one guy! I didn't even know he was going to pay me until I wrote the review. Which was nice.
Hey Sharon
You know, I sure don't fault the PR folks for doing their job, right? They know that the blogosphere is where it's at – I just think they've approached us wrong. I hope they do see that what they've been doing is using mom bloggers and find ways to work with them differently.
Yes. There are a few that are willing to pay – but that was probably not a PR person. It was probably an SEO link builder. They ask us to write relevant reviews and link to them and they're willing to pay for our time. So long as it IS relevant to your usual topics, and so long as you don't over do – it's a good gig.
Thanks for this useful information that will help other moms bloggers consider first before getting into product reviews or giveaways.
Excellent! I agree with you whole heartedly. Our time is worth $$$. Let's say doing a review for toilet bowl cleaner takes me “5 hours” to complete (try, write, giveaway, etc.) I think I'd rather spend the $3.19 at Wal-Mart & if it isn't a good product, it'll only take me “5 seconds” to throw it away ;0)
Thanks, Kelly, for putting together all my scattered thoughts into a coherent, powerful post. I've been wondering when that “something bigger” will come along. I think we will need to take a firm stand in defense of our time and our readers in order to make the change.
I totally agree. While I do accept products to review from time to time, I only accept what I will benefit from and what I know my readers will benefit from. I'm not going to “pimp” my blog for a free tooth brush. I'm sorry, but writing a review on something that doesn't directly add value to my life, or my blog isn't worth my time. Period.
I don't understand what companies you gals are working with, but I work with IZEA (PayPerPost, SocialSpark) and not only do we PAY our mommas, but we DO provide them with products to try out and keep, in addition to products to give away, if they choose. I actually found this portal while searching for new moms to bring on board! …You really get NO money? Ouch! Anyway, if you're interested, check out SocialSpark- and send me an email if you'd like more info on our Premium Blogger program! …really, though, no money!? veronique:::at:::izea:::com
Hi, I'm a hardworking PR person in the consumer products/tech field, and I'm only speaking for myself and not my clients. I completely understand Kelly's point. It's a slippery slope, and it's a big ethical issue for many – on both sides. The landscape is constantly changing, too. I certainly can't solve this in a comment, however, I'd like to suggest that moms who are burning out on product reviews consider having a “product of the month” or “product of the week” and ONLY say yes to products that you are really interested in. Or have a theme and only take what fits. Then spend more time focusing on writing, and whatever you're most passionate about. Your blog is YOUR BLOG. You ALWAYS have the right to say no – which is sometimes a problem for overextended moms (myself included).
Thanks for the input from your perspective as a PR person
Hi, I'm a hardworking PR person in the consumer products/tech field, and I'm only speaking for myself and not my clients. I completely understand Kelly's point. It's a slippery slope, and it's a big ethical issue for many – on both sides. The landscape is constantly changing, too. I certainly can't solve this in a comment, however, I'd like to suggest that moms who are burning out on product reviews consider having a “product of the month” or “product of the week” and ONLY say yes to products that you are really interested in. Or have a theme and only take what fits. Then spend more time focusing on writing, and whatever you're most passionate about. Your blog is YOUR BLOG. You ALWAYS have the right to say no – which is sometimes a problem for overextended moms (myself included).
Thanks for the input from your perspective as a PR person