This doesn’t fit anywhere but here, even though it’s not really related to me.
For a project I’m working on, I’m doing some blogger outreach. This month, we decided to reach out to mommyblogs.
As someone who has a few affiliations, I’ve be on the receiving end of requests for “can you sponsor me for BlogHer even though I don’t read your publication?” It actually didn’t surprise me that George Smith was threatened just because he’s a super cool Crocs dude. This is the mentality.
I remember telling my friend that I’ve joined the ranks of the mommyblogs because I decided to chronicle my son’s journey. She was not impressed (“ew” was her response, in fact). That’s because so many mommyblogs have a name for themselves of wanting too much.
I like freebies too. I have a blog for that, in fact. But I’m not about to flaunt it everywhere I go.
As I embark on my journey of going through blog after blog, I’m running into so many mommyblogs that are plastered with ads — clearly, they know they can monetize. I guess there’s no fault with that. But when the “contact” links start pointing to Amazon wish lists and then some, I think we have a problem.
I think there have been too many mommybloggers who have these expectations that blogging entitles them to freebies. I guess advertisers have set up this expectation. I’m not really sure what to say about that except to scratch my head and hope that I don’t become one of those. It reminds me of the BlogHer discussion I had on Friendfeed just a few months ago when people were begging for freebies because they just thought they could.
I’m going to have an interesting time doing this blogger outreach. I’m not offering any free product. I’m talking about a completely free web service. I wonder how many people will actually bite given that they aren’t getting any material gain out of it.
Interesting, Tamar. When I started blogging I heard the term ‘mommyblogger’ and couldn’t quite get what it was all about. Some of the blogs were very interesting but some seemed little more than advertorials for all the latest hypes. Not what I’m into at all.
I’m a mum of four, and I blog, but I don’t think anyone would think of me as a mommyblogger. I’m really interested in your take on this and I’m looking forward to reading more about how the outreach goes.
And I have to say – your pics are adorable 🙂
I hope I’m still a super cool dude even though I’m no longer at Crocs…. hehe
Tamar,
The “ew” at mommyblogs is something I came to feel about my own blog. Not that I had ads – I didn’t. And in that way I thought, I have a failing mommyblog that is simply my journal and I am not even updating it. So I changed to my new URL, and I haven’t decided the direction yet. So there my blog sits collecting virtual dust. I have so much to say, but how seriously can anyone take me if my great content post or marketing post is sandwiched between my excitement that my child just went pee in the potty? Do I want more than one blog… I tried that, no time to keep both updated and relevant. It all needs to co-exist happily. Hence the new URL leaving it open-ended. Anyway… I share the “ew” factor ad the all-ads, all the time thing.
As for the outreach, I think your approach is great. There is no problem with not having a bunch of freebies. Sure who doesn’t like them? But freebies are a rare surprise, which is where the fun is. Since when has it been ok to thrust our “gimme hands” out demanding freebies? I think we know if we had been that way as children, we would have gotten smacked…so why are mom’s acting that way? Maybe their kids demand, and they don’t push back? Aidan said to me the other day, (in a demanding tone) “mom, make me a sandwich”. I was in shock…he definitely learns it at preschool. I dealt with it, and there was an issue with the sandwich getting, that’s for sure. 😉 But I know other moms who would have just dutifully “obeyed” and gotten the sandwich with no correction there.
This comes down to how entitled everyone feels in our country. We have our hand out as we acquire more and more and work less and less. We have a sense of entitlement, and there is not a “goodwill” between people or businesses like there used to be. Neighbors didn’t used to have to offer someone $100 to water their plants while out of town…the person next door would do it as a favor. THAT’S the kind of freebies that should be going around.
I say good job calling those things out. There is a big ol’ line between monetizing and mooching. I daresay you will not cross that line…rock on with your bad self 🙂