Comments on: Blogging: they’re not “freebies”

By: Mummy Bloggers welcome! - ChelseaMamma | ChelseaMamma

Mummy Bloggers welcome! - ChelseaMamma | ChelseaMamma — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 07:27:28 +0000

[…] like with it and as for the freebies……are they really freebies? I love this post by Molly from Mothers Always Right as she hits the nail on the head!You can say one thing for sure…….it has certainly got […]

By: Tia Maresco

Tia Maresco — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:09:37 +0000

I actually found this page and it’s subject whilst looking for some kind of information on beauty bloggers brands should be looking to avoid simply due to the fact that they receive the free items from brands and then don’t review or even acknowledge the brand afterwards. I own a beauty brand and don’t get me wrong, I have had great interactions from many bloggers, however I have had bloggers who are blatantly just trying to get free products and have no intention of reviewing them, I have even seen my products then sold on by the bloggers on Ebay.
To me this is absolutely fraudulent and an abuse of the influence bloggers now have, there is an agreement however vague that may be, where a blogger approaches a brand and offers their service and the brand replies and agrees to send out free products to be reviewed. If I have upheld my part of the bargain, I expect the blogger to also, I don’t expect every blogger to love my products and am willing to accept a review where they say they don’t, (all people are different) but I want some response even if it is just to say “sorry the product doesn’t suit me”. My brand is tiny, is completely financed by me, whilst I still also work my day job and I still don’t pay myself. Don’t kid yourselves that all brands can afford to lose products, in the name of blogging PR, we simply all can’t, what I might give to a blogger to review is worth a third to the whole of my daily income in my other job. I also have a huge increase in bloggers desperate to review my products on the run up to Christmas, so now I have to thoroughly check out every blog, twitter and facebook feed and reject any offers where I feel the blog is not right for us, or all the reviews consist of two lines of copy taken from a brand website.

So whilst I acknowledge that all the bloggers who have responded here are genuine, hardworking and completely above board, do be aware there are many who don’t have the same ethics and are in it for freebies.

By: Molly

Molly — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:19:14 +0000

Best. Comment. Ever. Thank you! And you are so right. xxx

By: Charlotte - Write Like No One's Watching

Charlotte - Write Like No One's Watching — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:06:48 +0000

This. This. This. This. THIS.

So many times I’m told I’m ‘a jammy cow’ and so many times I want to smack those individuals with a dirty nappy. I don’t think you can ‘get’ blog life until you have done it yourself. I don’t just fanny around with press releases and get free stuff. I have to work my bottom off to do it. I’ve invested in a DSLR, I get site maps now, I understand SEO. I have contacts man. Hell, it got me my new job. But I do that and I do my 9 to 5, so forgive me while I drink my ‘free’ coffee and put my child in his ‘free’ travel cot and I go and write a sponsored post or two. I’m earning – may not be paid in cash, but I’m paid in things that I can benefit from. That’s not lucky – that’s common sense and hard work.

PS. Think I love you.

By: Emma Clement

Emma Clement — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 07:50:27 +0000

I used to work in marketing, when I worked for a magazine company and a fashion company, like you I often received freebies on my desk with no strings attached. As my career progressed and I became an online marketing manager I started working with bloggers who I wanted to work with – now this is going back a fair few years so back then there really was only a handful of bloggers that were on my list – I sent them a good mixture – I’d send them stuff with guidelines and expectations for reviewing on their blog but I’d also send them small tokens of thanks such as chocolates or a Christmas biscuit tin.
When I became a play at home mum of two and gave up my career, I started my first personal blog.
I’ve never received a genuine freebie, I’ve twice received a gift from PR agents – an Easter egg and a shopping gift card but both were years ago now.
Everything else has always had up front expectations, right down to thank you gifts! Eg I’ve had a few who have said if you blog about us, we’ll send you a “such and such” to say thank you after you’ve published!
Children are my priority, not my blog and I don’t have anywhere near the time I’d like to blog so my writing time is precious to me and also pressurised by brand expectations! I had an agent contact me about reviewing an upcoming DVD but I would only get the DVD the day before release and I was expected to publish the next day (day of release) giving me less than 24 hours to watch, review and publish – I declined as this isn’t possible but it was with regret as it was a film I’d like to have reviewed!
I’m finding that expectations for what bloggers receive are changing. I recently was asked by a brand if I’d like to take part in their blogger challenge for a pair of £60 weight loss leggings – I accepted, I had to fill in a huge form and then afterwards I was told I didn’t “qualify” for a free pair but I could buy some at half price! I couldn’t believe the cheek – they asked me in the first place and then expect me to pay £30 to them and they still wanted a whopping 5 blogs in 28days from me about these “miracle” leggings!
So no, for this side of blogging their are no more genuine freebies! And the stuff I do receive “free” for blogging is accompanied by a lot of expectation! Certainly not free to review in my own time!

By: City Girl At Heart

City Girl At Heart — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 05:42:30 +0000

Loved this post and all the comments. All the points I agree with so won’t repeat. I just wanted to add something though. I have only recently starting reviewing products and it is a mix of payment by money or product. What I am really aware of is not wanting my blog to turn into a review site! I love my blog and by doing too many I feel it will lose it’s integrity. Some blogs I have followed for yonks because of their interesting content seem to now be just a barrage of reviews and as a reader this can be so boring. For me a good blog needs to be a mix of daring debate, honest opinion, beautiful images, funny stories, with a FEW product reviews thrown in the mix.

By: Mum2BabyInsomniac

Mum2BabyInsomniac — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:41:25 +0000

I totally agree. I started my blog over two years ago with no idea that I would get the chance to make money or review products. I put a lot of hard work in because it’s what I love doing and now I do feel like it is my job. I put a lot of work into my reviews and I certainly don’t see them as freebies! It has really enabled me to stay at home and for that I’m so grateful but if I was told I could never review anything again I would still blog because I love it x

By: Joanne

Joanne — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:10:32 +0000

Too true. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

I am a travel blogger. I pay for a lot of the visits to places myself as well as the expense of actually getting there, but sometimes I get ‘free’ tickets. I often take my parents with us as my OH may be working and my Dad laughs that we’ve got another freebie.

I say YOU have got a free trip out. ME on the other hand, will have to write and photograph my arse off so my kids can have a good time. It’s much easier to enjoy your ‘free’ day out when you’re not conscious of making sure you’ve got enough good photos and have taken enough notes to be able to write an accurate review post.

An average review takes up three hours of my time (post visit) with photo editing, writing, SEO-ing, and sharing to my networks. That’s not free. I work bloody hard. It’s a good job I love these pesky kids.

By: Troubles mum

Troubles mum — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:04:38 +0000

Agree completely with Actually Mummy. I turned down a review less than an hour ago for £20 worth of product. For this I would be backward and forwarding emails to get the product sent out, then photographing it, writing the review, and sharing it across my social networks. In the same time, I could have done paid work for my regular clients and made a lot more per hour. Feels funny turning stuff down but there is no way I ever see these things as a freebie!

By: Corinne

Corinne — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:18:28 +0000

I don’t do many reviews, many of the things I’m asked to review aren’t relevant to me or my blog so I turn them down. However, when something that would be useful comes up I do them and I also spend time taking pictures & writing an honest review of the product. It isn’t free, I pay in the writing and sharing I do and I just hope my readers are happy to read about them. I try to make the posts as personal as the rest of my posts so they fit in with the style of my blog.

Anyway, I guess this is me saying I completely agree!