The PR / Blogger Symbiosis

So much is being said at the moment regarding the relationship between the PR and the blogger and the value of reviewing.  I felt I'd put my own opinions into a post as it is something that directly effects me.

As in all walks of life there is a massive spectrum of integrity, professionalism and respect on both sides of the fence.  We've all witnessed the PR company that asks us to not mention that a post is sponsored.  We've all received ill thought out press releases, unsolicited items for review and unsuitable proposals that a quick read of our blog could have avoided.  Similarly we know some wonderful PR companies who build up personal relationships with us, help promote our blogs and provide us with amazing opportunities.

Some bloggers/reviewers work incredibly hard to produce relevant reviews for their readers, working with real integrity.  Although a review post does not attract much direct interaction initially, they receive constant page views as people search for information on products of interest to them.  My review vlogs on YouTube receive thousands of hits.  My Disney Jungle Junction Toy review vlog is at 9,588 views...someone is interested in finding out more.  My Graco Ambassador Page and videos from November 2010 still receive page views week after week.  Clearly, consumers are looking for impartial reviews to make purchasing decisions.  Bloggers are not paid journalists and are not answerable to any higher order, so in most cases the reviews are  genuine opinion.  Some people question the integrity, where bloggers are being seduced by freebies and other incentives and therefore do not want to upset PR companies or brands by giving negative feedback.  One of my most negative reviews received a very positive response from the company I was reviewing for, thanking me for my honesty and asking to use my quotes in a meeting with their clients.  (I did feel a little guilty when I wrote it, but what would have been the point of lying.  I was not nasty or unpleasant, but I was honest and pointed out my genuine concerns.)

The term 'blagger' has sprung up of late and is being bandied about as an all-encompassing insult.  This has been used to describe everyone from the unscrupulous people who are setting up blogs with the sole intention of getting as many freebies as they can without doing anything constructive in return, to anyone who does reviews on their blog at all.  The constant badgering for #prrequests on Facebook and Twitter seems so unprofessional.   There are plenty of companies offering opportunities that you can respond to on relevant forums and sites.  This desperation to contact everyone, everywhere is just a little needy and greedy.  We all had to build up our contacts, it is not an overnight thing to be approached by PR companies.  Asking a company straight off for a valuable pushchair, a day after starting a blog is obviously going to erode the credibility of bloggers.

Some blogging purists do not like to see reviews sullying the clear waters of their dashboards.  They would rather that cyberspace was filled with literary works provoking debate or providing a good read.  Of course that side of blogging is wonderful, with so many great writers inspiring us, entertaining us and provoking our thoughts.  However, the blogging world is huge and there is room for reviews to run alongside amusing anecdotes or wordy rants.  That said, I hate seeing reviews which are just copied and pasted from press releases, where the product is not shown in use and no original photography or video is used to showcase the product.  You just know the product sent out to be reviewed is now on Ebay or some For Sale forum on Facebook.  It is the lack of integrity and the dishonest motives of the reviewer that should earn them the derogatory name of 'blagger'.  Don't tar all reviewers with the same brush.

As for the PR companies, many of them seem to be solely interested in SEO and getting the company URL out there, regardless of the quality of the post they are featured on.  I would like to see some more discerning decisions made by PRs as to who they choose to work with.  But this however would be time consuming and require extra effort in an industry that works fast and to tight deadlines.  In life I like to be rewarded on merit and recognised for the quality of work I produce.  I wish it were the same in blogging, then perhaps reviewers would receive more respect!

At the end of the day, the PR/Blogger relationship is one of symbiosis.  They do something for you, you do something for them, ergo it is mutually beneficial.  I do enjoy receiving things for my family that I would otherwise probably not have bought.  Being a Toyologist has provided the kids all the toys they could ever want and being a Graco Ambassador and Quinny Caster will keep Freddy in all the pushchairs and car seats he'll ever need!  In return I have helped spread the word about their products, I've given my opinions, I have pimped links, appeared in the press and I have represented brands at events.  I've never done anything that I didn't think was appropriate and always do the best I can do when I agree to take on a commitment.  My influence and reach is being put to use for the benefit of a brand and their products are driving traffic to my posts.  Win/win.

I am happy to have reviews sit alongside personal posts about my life.  It is still relevant to me and my family and hopefully will resonate with other parents interested in the products.  I almost always include photos and often include videos which  show the product being used or demonstrated and we have fun as a family testing out products.  I love what I do.  It has been such an adventure and yes I have been incredibly lucky and am extraordinarily grateful.  I hope that all the scandals, hierarchy, infighting and unscrupulous practices don't burst our blogging bubble!  I hope the fabulous PR companies continue to recognise the value in the voice of bloggers and carry on working with us in our wonderful virtual symbiosis.   And I hope one day the purists and the reviewers can sit side by side and be proud of their body of work!  It is an exciting, ever growing, ever changing media and I for one hope to explore the potential and possibilities for as long as I can!

Day 8

The Great Blogging Dilemma

I attended Blogcamp in Manchester with an open mind.  I has hoping to connect with fellow bloggers, learn a few tricks of the trade and come away feeling more excited about the community of which I am a part.

The day was indeed very interesting with excellent advice on blog design,  an informative talk from a PR man and some inspirational ideas from other bloggers.

One of the speakers said that we needed to have a voice, have an opinion and make it heard, so I have decided to take her advice and speak out about something that I feel is causing divisions in our community.

There seems to be a great deal of debate at the moment about the rights and wrongs of blogging.  There is a definite hierarchy in blogdom.  Some of the top echelon of blogging are there by merit, much loved and respected and renowned for the quality of their work.  Some are the self-appointed watchmen who stand in judgement on all aspects of blogging, looking down over the young pretenders who are flooding cyberspace with their blogs.

I love to write, but started this blog with no clear idea of where I wanted it to go. I knew I'd never shake up the world with my words.  It wasn't a calculated decision to blog in any particular way.  I don't really have a USP, I am a stay at home mum with five kids and a happy marriage, not someone with a great tale to tell.  I didn't plan my target market, the demographics of my readership or the direction in which I hoped my blog would develop.  It simply became an organic journey which I was happy to go along with, allowing it to take me where it wanted to go.

The blog is my hobby.  It is something to do to stop my mind going numb from watching re-runs of CBeebies and Disney Junior.  It is infinitely preferable to watching Jeremy Kyle while my son naps.  It is more interactive than doing a crossword puzzle.  I don't harbour any desire to become an award winning journalist or pen a novel.  I don't consider myself important or special...I am one of thousands, doing it in my own way which is perfect for me.  I don't want to be labelled, pigeon-holed or judged for hobbying.

One of the hotly contested topics is working with PRs and brands, and in particular, the product review.  To some there is a sense of 'selling out' if you undertake reviews and carry sponsored posts on your blog.  I have seen debates where bloggers are asking other bloggers to request payment on particular campaigns to prevent the undervaluing of the  community.  There is a sense that if you do it for free then you are somehow letting down the sisterhood.  To me however, I do not see reviewing products as a job, not as it stands right now. OK, I know that I am providing free marketing for brands that have huge advertising budgets...but I'm not Saatchi and Saatchi.  I'm giving them a post on my blog in return for a sample.  I'll possibly help improve their SEO, my reach and influence may make others click through and indeed I know of a lot of sales that have come directly from my reviews, but it is not a one way street.  I am not a victim to the PR man...in fact I consider myself very privileged.

Product reviewing and working with PRs has opened up so many unexpected doors.  The products I receive are each an opportunity.  Whether I am sent a £500 Graco pushchair or a  £5 e-cloth, I treat them in the same way.  It is an excuse to try something out with my Tiny Testers, take photos or film videos that I would otherwise never have taken.  I have archived some moments that would otherwise have been forgotten...Freddy playing with Brothermax Bath Toys, taking a Johnson's Bubble Bath or eating Ella's Kitchen ...the videos and photos are mine to keep. I'm cataloguing Freddy's babyhood in a very unique way. I'm loving it, it's a completely new take on saving memories!

I always review things to my best ability, regardless of its value.  I cannot bear the idea of copying and pasting press releases and using stock photos.  That would seem utterly pointless to my motivation for doing what I do.  I actually use the product, and say what I see, reporting back in a multi-media way.  I am delighted to receive thanks from brands or PR companies who have actually read what I do and are impressed with the efforts I have made.  Possibly I am naive and am undervaluing my worth.  Maybe I could be asking for remuneration for my time and energy, but then my hobby would become a job with expectations and complications. For me to accept these terms where I become answerable to a higher authority, I would want to build a relationship with a brand that I could identify with, be proud to represent and work in a long term arrangement rather with.  The one-off opportunities don't fit this criteria.  The sample in that case compensates me for my efforts.  But I do take objection to the notion that I'd do anything for a freebie...I wouldn't and I do not.  But if it is something that I can see potential in, I will accept a product and review it well.  I don't want to choose between writing personal posts or doing reviews.  There is room for both.

I'm a total realist, I know that if I can't attend an event or review a product there will be a hundred bloggers willing to step into my shoes.  The market is saturating, but the levels of quality are massively diverse.  I will always do my best because that is who I am.  If people no longer read what I write because a quarter of my posts are sponsored in some way...well that is their prerogative.  But every post I do is written personally by me, interjected with personality and reflecting my family life in some way.  There is no shame in the way I conduct myself.

Reviews are a huge part of our community.  In fact a predominantly review led blog is in the finals of the Mad Awards.  Given the voting nature of both the nominations and the final stage, this may become a more common occurrence in the future. Bloggers who have support from Facebook fans, get support from brands that rally for votes  and who host competitions on their blogs have an  ever growing, like-minded, loyal readership.  Perfect for the voting forum.  I will be interested to see the results, whether a review blog will beat a blog with traditional journalistic content due to the mechanism of the competition itself.  Times may be a-changing.  Those bloggers who hold onto the unsponsored purity of the blogging world may be in for some surprises.  Maybe it's time for a MAD Best Reviewer award to demarcate the categories further and acknowledge this strata of the Tots 100.

Please, don't get me wrong.  There are some beautifully written, inspiring, thought provoking, informative, innovative blogs out there and I would never undermine their credibility and their place in the ranks of the blogging world.  I'd hate to see their essences dissolved or devalued, but not everyone can be an incredible writer.  Other bloggers still have a right to express themselves in any way they so choose. It is this diversity which makes the internet such a magical place.  There is room for everyone and this will give rise to many different styles of blog.  We are not all the same...the only thing we have in common is the fact we all have a blog.  We can not be homogenized and square pegs will never fit round holes.  Do we just accept that Mummy Blogger is a huge umbrella that we can all shelter under, or is it time to differentiate between the blogging clans yet still say vive le difference!!

I sincerely hope that we can all co-exist in our corner of cyberspace.  Our world is still in its infancy, I'm sure great change is afoot.  Personally I hope PR companies become more discerning instead of going for blanket coverage when distributing their samples to mummy bloggers.  I hope that social media is used intelligently, creatively and to its fullest potential.  I hope the credibility and integrity of our community is maintained.  And I hope to remain a part of this thrilling adventure for many years to come!!