I was recently asked to answer a few questions that would potentially be included in an opinion piece for a popular journal (I don’t know yet if anything will be used) and was really intrigued by some of the questions, especially the one about being a blogger vs. a marketer. I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of these issues…
edited to add: the article/opinion piece was recently published in AdWeek, take a look!
- Is relationship building important (between you and PR co’s or brands) or is it more effective to be contacted by someone who understands what your blog is about?
I don’t think those should be mutually exclusive. PR companies now should make it a priority to familiarize themselves with powerful blogs in their industries. And I mean get to know the blogger, subscribe to their RSS feeds, follow them on twitter, interact with them…only then will you truly know if they’d be a good fit for your client or brand. PR companies, brands, etc., SHOULD understand what my blog is about before they even contact me. taking that extra time to do their research, and follow me around my social networks for a week is a more more efficient use of their time than sending out mass mailings to thousands of bloggers hoping to hit one or two.
- How do you feel about the mom bloggers in the media and the stories surrounding that growing industry?
It’s all so convoluted…but I do want to say that not everyone can be bought. Yes, some people can, but they didn’t have any personal integrity to begin with. Those of us with integrity CANNOT be purchased with pretty things or influenced to write a specific way about something just because we’re taken on a trip, or given something new to try. We are not all that shallow and desperate.
- Do you liken yourself to journalists at all?
No. I provide information to my readers based on my own very personal experience – which is 100% biased! If I write an article on eco-friendly fabrics, for example, I always include links to back up facts, but in the end, it is very much an opinion piece.
- Have your ethics ever been called into question?
No, not to my face anyway!
- What is your take on the line between blogging and marketing?
I am a blogger. I’ve been writing online for more than 5 years, and I started because I thought my voice would be a welcome addition to the already growing world of online fashion sites; I did not start my website to market products or even to make money at all. I still write because my voice means something, and hundreds of thousands of women listen. They also buy what I write about, which allows me to keep writing. They buy through my affiliates and advertisers because they KNOW me, they trust me, and they are loyal to me. Period. They don’t buy because I am marketing to them. I think nowadays many “bloggers” start off as marketers. They’ve heard that you can make money online and they want a piece of it…sure, they may have a voice or a message, but the intent means a lot here. If your intention when you start is to make lots of money online marketing for affiliates, you won’t. Why? because your visitors will see right through that and won’t buy what you (or your advertisers) are selling. Bottom line, I think you can be both a blogger and a marketer, but only if you start first, as a blogger. If you start off as a marketer, and are interested primarily in making money, you’ll always be a marketer, and never a blogger.
- Elaborate on How marketers would best get your attention and how you specifically prefer to be engaged with when it comes to marketers, PR companies and/or brands.
* I write about contemporary and eco-friendly women’s clothing, accessory and handbag designers & boutiques. I more frequently work with the designer or boutique directly – which is what I prefer – but occasionally work with a PR company. Both are equally responsive, but I identify more closely with independent designers and boutique owners because they’re entrepreneurs like I am, working hard for themselves.
* I want a personalized e-mail from someone who has clearly looked at my site(s), appreciates my voice and knows who my audience is
* I want to know what they want from me, not just an introduction. PR people think they’re busy?? If I don’t know what they want me to do for them within the first few lines of the e-mail, I’m finished, UNLESS I am already familiar with the brand/company and have written about it or was interested in writing about it on my own.
*Does the PR company/brand want me to do a review? do they want me to write about their product, do they want to do a giveaway on my site(s)? That’s what I need to know up front, not just about them or their client.
What do you think? Are you a blogger, or a marketer? Do you agree with my distinction? do tell!!!
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such a great post.. thanks for sharing this!
i got into blogging because i wanted to blog. however, since i have a background in graphic design and marketing i use those skills to market my blog. though i don't necessarily use it to market product, more to market my own editorial perspective.
i'm not so clear on what constitutes being 'bought' by companies. some people say it's accepting freebies, others doing sponsored posts. i have worked with both of them, as well as completely funding my own original content, and the truth is it's not easy to be in independent blogger and not work with companies unless you are doing it strictly for a hobby, or not generating original content.
that said, i only work with companies i like AND benefit the readers, and i've been offered tons of things and passed on it.
great point – i guess i should clarify that by marketer here, i mean marketing for someone else. as bloggers & entrepreneurs, we have to market ourselves, the problem as i see it comes when we move away from that, and move towards primarily marketing for others.
i don't think if you accept a freebie or write a post about a company you are being "bought" by them – unless thats ALL you do (post about things you got for free, or about companies who pay you). that's where i think the difference in WHY you start writing a blog in the first place comes in: if you start out wanting to make money you're going to go about blogging differently than if your goal is to write and inspire people. if all you do is post affiliate links, or rave about freebies you receive, then yes, i think you've been bought….
ah… i see… that makes sense, though i don't think i know of any blogs that do that… unless i'm really naive, or it' just not the kind of blog i read. but yeah, it's definitely an issue that's come up a lot as of late.
there aren't a whole lot of fashion blogs that do that, but there are definitely some – they started popping up in the last year following on the whole \”you can make money online\” push by make money online bloggers who don't actually advocate starting a blog to make money online, but who make a lot of money telling you that LOL