If you spend alot of time blogrolling around the internet, youve begun to see banners etc for the latest money spinning schemes like PayPerPost. Get paid to blog! Yeah sure - like I always wanted to grow up to be a shill*. Not.
Trouble with these things is, some bloggers dont make it clear that they are presenting a paid advert to thier readers. That bugs me in a big way. I think its important for folk to know when they are being sold to.
Some bloggers are giving you a fair-go by disclosing which of thier posts are 'sponsored'. But some insist that disclosure is not important.
How can it not be important? Every other media has laws or consumer protection groups which have rules to which these media must adhere. Just because this is the internet, doesnt mean that its a free-for-all-feeding-frenzy.
In the interest of my own transparency: Yes, I started blogging as a way to help people get to know me as a person/artist/decent human being, so they would feel more comfortable buying from me on the internet.
That was the plan, but for me the blog has developed a life of its own. Most people who buy my lampwork beads arent clicking over to the blog, and the blog readers arent really clicking over to the beads - so I feel free to work both as different 'art forms'. Since I very much like being free, and diverse - it suits me down to the ground.
Be careful out there folks!
* shill: to act as a spokesperson or promoter
DISCLAIMER: Im not omnipotent. These thoughts are only my opinion.
3 comments:
I straddle the fence. I started Directives for the express purpose of doing paid blogging, although I work hard to try to make all the regular posts as entertaining as the posts on Drivel.
I take a certain pride in my shilliness (is that a word?)
Actually, I prefer whore. I refer to it as my whore blog.
I agree that all paid posts should have a disclosure as such.
Do you have any cake?
No cake, sorry.
Hey, you agree with me, I like that in a person!
But re: the 'whore' word, maybe to attract those higher end corporate clients you could refer to yourself as a 'purveyor of negotiable affection'?
Enjoyed your sites, see you there again. Thank you for your comment.
Hi, I'm reading you via the Australian Blogs Community at Bumpzee, on the RSS feed. Welcome to the community! ;)
I wrote quite a long post on this earlier in the week. I agree - disclosure has to be made, and while I am signed up for payperpost I wouldn't blog about something I didn't already use and love - and so far the things I use and love have not been available to me to blog about there, so I haven't written anything for them.
At the same time, I give away free advertising all the time, to stuff I do love and use. If any of those guys want to pay me, I'm happy with that. ;)
For example - say I bought some of your beads online. I really liked them, I was happy with your service and the whole experience, and I blogged about it - then people who read my blog bought your stuff too. This kind of thing can have a really big impact and can be great for artists and musicians and groups of the community who find it more difficult to get their products out there and known about.
Snoskred
http://snoskred.blogspot.com/
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