This past week I attended the ShesConnected Social Media Conference along with 199 other ‘Digital Women’. I like that term- digital woman, it sounds more professional than ‘mommy blogger’ lol
I was also asked to speak on a panel during the conference to share my opinions with all of you. The panel was titled “What is a Blogger’s Worth” and may have been a little misleading as the term ‘worth’ seems to indicate monetization, but in fact, the conversation was to steer more towards what a blogger is worth in terms of value. What do we, as bloggers, bring to the table when working with brands.
Nevertheless, the panel derailed into the realms of playboy and ad space – neither of which I know much about and I was rather confused. The saving grace was that the day was running too long and the 45 minute panel ended at about 15 minutes, so I was off the hook.
But having said that, there are still ideas I had wanted to share and will do it now!
Value
Well, it’s really hard to measure value in blog reviews and this is why. Most women are not impulse buyers. They don’t read a blog review and pick up the phone to order that product on the spot. Women save links, they talk to their husbands, they forward websites to girlfriends, they share info at playgroups and they add it to their Christmas lists. Trust me, I know. I had more than one husband approach me last December to find out how to buy something their wives had seen on my blog. So blog reviews work, but they can be tricky to measure. Sometimes I have companies say to me, ‘I don’t work with bloggers anymore because I never got any sales from it’ – my answer back is ‘how do you know ?’ You never know where a customer heard of you and what made the ultimate decision to buy your product.
Credibility
The lovely Donna Antoniadis (Co-founder and CEO of ShesConnected) mentioned this little tidbit that she hears from brands- “if I pay a blogger, how will it be credible”
Well, we all use the disclosure statements at the end of our posts and most of us share right in the body of the message exactly what product we were given to test out. So there isn’t any guessing at the fact, that yes, we are given free things, BUT that doesn’t mean we have to say nice things about it.
Personally, I would much rather read a review from a mom like me than hear a celebrity toot the companies horn because, no, I don’t believe that celebrity really loves the product, I believe they are reading a script to get paid. Real moms, real women hold way more clout for me than any celebrity any day.
Not only am I a real mom, I’m REACHABLE. If a reader has questions about a product or wants more information or actually isn’t sure they do believe what I am saying- they can ask. There are numerous ways I leave to reach me whether it be through email, twitter or facebook. Try finding a way to ask a celebrity how long their long-lasting-lipstick really held up.
Once, I wrote a review on a very pricey faucet. I had a reader email me and tell me specifically that she bought the exact same faucet based on my review. A week or so later when the plumber she hired to install the faucet was at the house, she had questions. She emailed me and I was here to answer questions for her. I am Accessible. You just can’t find that value anywhere else.
Something I hear all the time and it came up a couple of times at the conference was that bloggers don’t want to share posts if they didn’t love the product. Some bloggers will only write positive reviews. That’s okay, if that’s how you want to do it, but for me I think it adds value when you are open about the pros and cons of a product. Obviously, you aren’t going to trash a product/company, but I think it’s okay to state what wasn’t so great about something too. I think it does establish credibility, because your readers can tell when you are really excited about something and they know where some products fall flat. When you only say great things, it may seem fake, for lack of a better word, because not everyone loves everything. Your readers can’t know about what you turned down or refused to post on. make sense? anyone offended now? I hope not, because I was really glad to hear the brands back this up and say they don’t expect us to gush about every product and honest respectful feedback, even if it’s not positive, helps them too.
Market Research
Most of us when holding giveaways require readers to visit the company’s website and report back on their favourite item/colour/design etc as their mandatory entry. So not only is this creating traffic for that companies site it’s also demanding that the reader take a look around and get to know the company. Their feedback is good market research on what consumers like and are over looking and companies can use this information strategically. Readers responses are generally honest and unbiased and this holds value.
Engage
This is where some companies come up short. Social media is all about engaging in various forms.
Firstly, it is always nice when companies do a good job engaging with me. Use my name, know I’m from Canada (so they don’t offer me US only promotions), say hello on twitter. This is a great way for me to know that they took the time to visit my blog and make a connection with me.
Also, when a reader enters a giveaway, they are showing they are interested in a product/company. This is a great opportunity for a company to connect with a potential consumer. I invite companies to engage with me and my readers in a non-sales-pitchy way on my blog, twitter and facebook.
Pitches
Brands- when pitching bloggers, keep it short, be clear about what you are willing to give and be clear about what you are expecting in return.
Bloggers- when pitching brands, keep it short, be clear about what you are willing to give and be clear about what you are expecting in return.
Are you getting this? We all need and want the same things. Social media advertising and bloggers working with brands is a relatively new sport. We are all trying to figure it out and we all start somewhere.
Other important tips for brands approaching bloggers
-Don’t be vague about the product you are trying to pitch, send images and provide links so I can understand your product completely.
-Don’t tell me what you want me to write, that’s my job. I’m not a journalist, I don’t want to cut and paste your press release, I want to share my opinions about your product with my readers in my own words.
-For goodness sakes, don’t ask for the product back. yes, it happens. If you are not providing me a cash payment, than my compensation for running a social media campaign for you, is that product. It also raises the question of what you are doing with those now used products??? ew.
-Have reasonable time lines. Bloggers are busy and believe it or not, they are not sitting at home waiting for companies to give them something to do. It’s not unusual to see a blogger’s calendar booked for the upcoming month, so don’t send a pitch that requires action within a weeks time. Also, don’t expect your review to be written within a week of receiving the product. I test each product sent and require time to use the product and get a good feel for it’s pros and cons.
– It’s best not to send unsolicited products. Unless we have a standing agreement for you to send new items on a regular basis, don’t assume I will be interested or have to the time for a random product sent without notice.
-Please don’t offer me less value than what the giveaway item is worth. Sending me a $5 sample when the giveaway package is worth $60 seems a little unfair, no?
Basically, read your pitch through the eyes of a blogger. Would you be interested in what you are offering, do you think it sounds fair?
I could go on and on about blogging value, but I’ve probably rambled far too much. I think the most important thing to take away is that both sides, bloggers and brands, are still learning to navigate the social media maze. What to offer, what to accept, what to say no to. Help each other out, discuss, be respectful and collaborate, because therein lies the true value of bloggers working with brands.
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