All this talk about mommy bloggers and authenticity initially seemed like a continuation of the conversation we’ve been having about advertising and trust. The discussion was primarily about disclosure of paid posts and sponsored give-aways.
Then I came across the following as part of an “advertise with me” page on a moderately popular blog:
The first two seem entirely normal. Some bloggers go so far as to say “ad” above even the obvious Google ads. Rotating them is a nice gesture.
It’s the last two that get me.
Do you think this blogger is going to let those “12,000+” followers know that specific tweets are sponsored?
I checked. There’s no mention of any sponsorship.
Is there a separate blogroll for “sponsored links”?
No, the links were just thrown in with the rest.
Why won’t some bloggers simply declare sponsored posts, reviews, and paid advertising for what it is?
I jumped into my trusty Twitter Direct Message machine and began asking questions.
I got mostly-blurred answers that ranged from, “If I tell my readers they’re clicking ‘read more’ into a paid post they won’t want to read it and I won’t make any money” to, “If I used an #ad hashtag on Twitter to declare paid tweets, I’d have no followers by the end of the week!”
I have a very general answer to those and other stated concerns about the feasibility of disclosure:
The moment you put trust up for sale is the moment you start down a path toward failure.
There will come a time when your readers will spot a blog that provides creative, genuine content and has no issue with disclosing ads and sponsored posts. The owners of that blog will continue to build community and earn greater trust because their readers know when to expect a bit of bias and when to read with an open mind. Your readers will wonder why you don’t do the same. They will wonder why you dress up as a grandma to sell cupcakes when you could make good money running a bakery like the other wolves. Your lack of disclosure will cost you more than money in the end. The sense of community and friendship you now enjoy (if you can call cattle-herding people to links “friendship”) will be lost.
You can risk the short-term setback of full disclosure now or wait and certainly undergo the long-term devastation of having others disclose your behavior for you.
The choice is yours.
What say you?
This all sounds great and we’d like to think the world works this way (i.e. that people who accept paid ads without disclosure, or who sell their loyalty/endorsements will eventually fall to the hegemony of bloggers honest and true). But the sad truth is that in many cases it just doesn’t matter: it’s virtually impossible to tell who’s paying Perez Hilton to feature their songs/movies/whatever (in that sense, BTW, he does a GREAT job), but many of them ARE paying him (in one way or another), and reaping enormous benefits. I doubt that Robyn or Lady Gaga would be selling records/tickets nearly as much now without his help.
And to be honest, I’m more concerned if a Twitterer or blogger is interesting than whether they’re corrupted – frankly, I’d rather a paid tweet that’s even mildly interesting than 43 more ‘inspirational quotes’ from some of the HR types I follow. As far as I’m concerned, the scourge of Twitter isn’t paid tweets – it’s reused JFK, MLK and Gandhi quotes.
You forgot about Twain quotes! Twain has been bludgeoning my twitter stream for the past few weeks.
I think Perez Hilton is in the same league as Shoemoney and others like him. There’s an understanding that their primary goal is to stir things up and make money as the dust settles.
But for the bloggers who try to constantly leverage small communities into purchasing products by posting wildly positive reviews…something will give eventually. The FTC has already smelled it.
I may be naive here (totally possible), but I use twitter specifically because it’s clutter-free and light on ads. Blogs are a totally different channel in my mind, and present both the opportunity and the venue for proper disclosure. If someone I trust is taking sponsorship dollars, I’d prefer they own up to it, tell me why they believe in the product or brand, and move on.
For years, people have been talking about the dark side of the internet existing because individuals are permitted a sense of anonymity and partial truthfulness. This is one scenario where disclosure and authentic expression can win the hearts of followers, or turn people off in an instant. If it were me, the choice would be easy.
Yes, I agree. There really isn’t any proper excuse for not disclosing sponsored posts on the posts themselves.
As for Twitter, I’d have a much easier time with people selling space on their profile pages…
We groan about the evils of special interest power in our government. I think we’d do well to take care of the lobbying that happens amongst ourselves when we see it.
I understand the whole Mommy market, word-of-mouth concept. Moms are more likely to try things other moms have recommended; but we Mamas are also more likely to see through a load of crap.
It’s ironic really because Moms are being compensated to sell a lie to other Moms. The synergy of the reciprocal I’ll-do-your-thing-if-you-do-mine just keeps it all going.
It’s fascinating to watch… from a distance.
Just saw your Tweet to Erin aka @queenofspain. She’s a great resource and role model for anybody looking to get into blogging. I’m glad you’re connecting with a mom who tries very hard to do things the right way! =)
But I don’t think that most of these mommy-bloggers (at least not the bigger, more successful ones – I’m not talking about the one-step-from-MLM ones) really truly believe that they AREN’T selling a lie. I think they genuinely feel they’re being honest when they take money and endorse something.
Like, if, say, diet Coke gave me money/stuff, I wouldn’t feel bad about talking about them all the time. I couldn’t possibly drink more diet Coke than I do – my Blackberry wallpaper is a photo of a diet Coke label – so it wouldn’t cause me any cognitive dissonance.
I think most people rationalize it like this.
For the record:
“so it wouldn’t cause me any cognitive dissonance.”
Had me laughing out loud. Really, truly well-said.
If one is lying to oneself, I’m guessing the chances of being convinced to change one’s behavior drop to near-zero. We can hope though!
The Mommy Bloggers to me are their very own phenomenon. The number of followers, the networks, the giveaways, awards, coupons, heck even their number of comments are just insane.
I think in a way they know they are scratching each other’s backs and none of them seem to mind at all at all.
If I see blatant trust abuse, I get turned off. If they want to prop for each other – I don’t know that it bothers me that much.
Hmmm…
Thanks Seth. I try. Sometimes I try too hard and get a little too vocal, but it comes from a heartfelt and honest place.
Which only confirms what I said. =)
I couldn’t agree more! Personally, I don’t follow blogs to get product reviews – I’ll ask my real friends and family, or go to amazon. And I won’t follow blogs that are all about selling ads and product reviews. I visited one just yesterday that was clearly sponsored by Quaker Oats – every post was about their products. I understand the popularity behind these types of mommy bloggers, but it’s not for me.
Part of the problem is that retailers and brands are tapping into this group of popular mommy bloggers and promising them fame and free products if they’ll promote their products – that’s pretty darn motivating for a mommy blogger. They know they have a motivated group, and that product reviews from a “trusted” friend are highly coveted. It appears to be a really nice win-win. Except that the reader is mislead and deceived. But, who cares about authenticity, transparency and loyalty, right?
I’d like to think of myself as a different type of mom blogger. Me and my family are trying to make change happen in an unbranded way – and proud of it. If you ever see ads on our sites, they’ll be free ads donated to the charities we believe in.
There are thousands of General Mills blogs now. And they’re doing it for cereal?
I think that’s just a byproduct of people thinking web-stuff is a complete joke. I suppose they’re helping to perpetuate the stereotype.
Sarcasm, Gina! I think a lot of mommybloggers do a great job with “transparency” as it relates to telling us exactly what their child said with chocolate frosting all over her face. Things start to fall apart when they realize that including an endorsement of the frosting-manufacturer in the post can make for some easy cake.
You’re right. It does seem darn motivating.
I don’t have a problem with ads on sites. I take issue with people taking money to say certain things and refusing to tell the listeners that the words were purchased.
Wow…I’m so out of the mommy
blogger loop. I had no idea this was happening. I think I offer maybe *one* thing on my blog (Todoolist e-book) that is for sale & that I receive commission for. But that is it. Google’s Ad-sense always struck me as tacky looking (And the Sassy Uterus is all about being classy, naturally) and there is no room for dishing about a new Swiffer in my writings.
Geez…I’m so honest, my Catholic parents should (finally) be proud.
But…Seth, what I really want to know, heehee, is which blog you profiled in this post.
Very, very classy. =)
Yes, your parents should be proud. Happy Mother’s Day! The fun part about adsense is that some of the content-triggered ads are downright weird giving the true context of the post. Makes me laugh, it does.
I don’t think that would be very classy. And, as you know, SethSimonds is very, very classy. =P
I link to products on Amazon that I like but I don’t do product reviews over and over and over again like some blogs I’ve seen. I think each person must decide what their top priority is and stick to it.
I got into this through an old fondness for writing and a play-group challenge. It’s not about money so I don’t think I’d respond the same way to “free stuff” from companies as other bloggers. I genuinely. don’t. want. a ford fiesta. I like the car I have right now.
The blogger you mention seems to be trying to position herself more as a media blog than anything personal. I celebrate her willingness to try new things. I just hope she figures out how to do things in a classy way and make us all proud soon!
I agree with you completely on the prioritizing. Yes!
But if you didn’t have the luxury of your current position, would you still feel that way about a new car and free fuel? I think it’s just too tempting for many and I don’t think there’s a problem with participating in the program so long as your readers know what’s going on.
Yes, you’re right. You and Jen are very classy bloggers. =)
Great topic, Seth. I wish I had been up to speed on my reading and caught this while all the action was happening. It goes without saying that reviews have absolutely no value if they are sponsored, and I have no idea how people expect to gain authority by selling out. Sure you could make money for a little while until everyone realizes you’re actually a salesmom and not their friend. Is this not obvious to everyone?
I do reviews and link to affiliate items on Amazon, but I have never considered the possibility of altering my review for money or giving anything other than my own brutally honest opinion. In fact, I gave my first book review a B grade. Guess what, no one bought it, but I got a lot of appreciation and many new subscribers. To me, that is far more valuable than Amazon’s $20.
I guess I would consider selling my opinion if I thought it didn’t have any value. Huh, I wonder what that feels like?
Sponsored reviews won’t actually kill your rep if you do them correctly. People don’t mind sponsored stuff…they mind being lied to. Of course, there are the people who will always complain. Any sort of monetization will make them unhappy.
I think it’s easy to take the high road in sound bytes. It’s harder once you’re in the thick of it. I know a few mommy bloggers who have really started pushing stuff on their blogs because their husbands are out of work and with no degree and 15 years since a regular job…the blog looks like the easiest way to make ends meet.
There’s always that individual story. Not to defend the sharp-toothed carpetbaggers…but a percentage don’t know any better and they deserve a word in. =)
No, many things are not obvious to many people at all. =)