As usual, one of my favorite bloggers NAILS IT.. This is why I don't enter 'Blogger' contests for OTHER SITES like that. For who...for what? - Ricky Watters..
Good job Muireann!!! Go to her blog to read the rest..I only put a bit of it up here...
Wait. So essentially, bloggers are spending weeks touting for votes, posting links to the magazine’s site to get people to vote for them (oooh imagine the surge in traffic they must see for THAT), providing plenty of free promotion for them and what we get in return, if we win, is a chance to work…for free. But yet this whole thing is set up on the premise that they have so much admiration for bloggers.
If only admiration could pay your rent.
I’ve also seen brands running blogger competitions where in order to win the grand prize of a pair of shoes or whatever it may be, you need to write a post about how great the company is. Hmm, yeah, OK – well, in the blogging game, that’s called a ‘sponsored post’ and any blogger worth their salt charges for those, so excuse me if I’m not jumping up and down to promote you to my audience, that I’ve spent years building, in return for a pair of shoes. I value what I do a little more than that. But thank you for belittling it by making us jump through hoops and dance like circus clowns for you to show us a little recognition for what we do.
There are, of course, bloggers for whom these kinds of things are beneficial and I applaud these magazines and brands for attempting to embrace bloggers, but let’s do it in a meaningful way. If you truly value what bloggers are adding to the online landscape, why not make your prize a three month paid column on your website, for example – giving the blogger an opportunity to build their profile further, rather than just a one off guest post?
Heck, I don’t have all the answers, it just feels at the moment as though we’re being treated like the ugly little sisters of the media world. I admit, not every blog is great, but there are good ones out there that deserve more than scraps thrown their way. We’re moving in the right direction, let’s just keep the momentum going, keep working together – after all, with everything becoming more online-centric, you’re gonna have to embrace us sooner or later.
Now, let’s all hug it out.
I know my male audience so I have provided pictures for you to look at....but I had to keep the women's attention to so.....yeah...
