Recently, I noticed a tweet on my Twitter stream that suggested "This discussion is the
most insightful and thrilling one that I have ever read about"
Now, call me easily intrigued but I clicked the link, partly
because I felt the brilliant use of 140 character enticement deserved further
investigation. Plus, I’m easily intrigued.
Are you? Cos if you are, follow this link to find out more about
Professional Blogging: Should brands pay us for review posts?
It got me thinking and, even though I may be considered a
hobby blogger, I remembered having read a blog by an encourager of LSH’s clothing
habit – can I introduce to you – the (other) Grey Fox and his post Supporting Grey Fox Blog. Mr Grey Fox
actually shocked me with his revelations (see my comment at the bottom of his post).
I'd thought his blog was so
good, that I introduced it to Mr LSH. I was new to blogging and didn’t have the
experience of the, well, more experienced. I couldn't believe that Mr G Fox wasn't being paid handsomely for his eloquent, sartorial offerings.
I would underline, I do not profess to doing my blog for
any other purpose than giving myself a voice and helping me test
these web-based waters.
I'm lucky to be able to retain control of my much loved
platform. Indeed, I’m fortunate that I don’t have to become a modern day Dr Faustus.
From day one, I had a plan. I act with integrity and with an ability to retain control.
I'm well aware, for example, that the subject of one of my most popular posts, undoubtedly played
a clever and manipulative marketing game - enabling them to have a fair
few free hits of advertising - by offering the suggestion of a free glass of fizz,
next time I visited.
I believed in their product and stand by the
post. But I will erase it, having allowed them a 'fifteen
minutes of fame' moment, when I feel it appropriate.
But for Bloggers like Catherine Summers and David Evans, it's a far more
serious issue. How do you make a living when brands seem to have an attitude that has a similarity
to certain Night
Club owners in Magaluf? Certainly, a wage of £9 a day, with a lovely lunch, could be classed as the blogging equivalent of a £4 cocktail called holiday.
All I can offer is an education – to those who are
interested in, and in becoming, professional bloggers – who may find future use for the popular hashtag: #fairpayforbloggers.
Now there's something you may not have known about, at the begining of this blog.

thanks to http://www.peanutbureau.ca/ for the perficpic
Carrie thank you for the link to my post - and your spot-on observations and opinion! My #fairpayforbloggers discussion has been going strong, so much so that the founder of IFB, Jennine Jacobs, actually wrote a post as her reply/comment to my post. Here it is:
ReplyDeleteDo Bloggers Really Get Paid for Press Releases, Freebies or Campaigns?
She's explained so much, and I've now drawn up a Product Gifting Policy as a result. I'll also be writing a follow up post to the first one, because what everyone had to say in the comments was so fascinating (and eye-opening!). Thanks so much for your interest :))
Catherine, Not Dressed As Lamb x
Not at all - and thank you for taking the time to write your post. I look forward to FPFB Part II :)
ReplyDelete