I have received an email from a PR before which essentially encourages bloggers to fight for products, it used phrases like 'Bloggers, do you want FREE samples for your blog?' 'These are HIGHLY LIMITED so respond now', 'future opportunities for more FREE products if we like your post'. And yes, they did use capitals to emphasise that they are free. To me, that isn't the correct way to go about distributing samples, I don't want to be a part of a scramble for products - I'd rather be selected for the feature based on the hard work I put into my posts. I also don't like being spoken to in that way, it erases my uniqueness as a blogger and puts me in a 'pen' of people.
I have a teeny blog & was surprised recently to receive an email from a PR for a big hair care company. She had clearly read my blog, seen my hair obsession and was offering something to review that was of interest to me and my 1 or 2 readers. I was impressed. We exchanged a few emails and at the point she was confirming that she was going to post me stuff she asked if I'd be happy to put a few key words and a link into my blog post. I said I would but that it was important to mention, even though I was sure she was aware having read my blog, that I write as I find - if something doesn't work I say so. I never heard from her again!!
She was clearly hoping that as my blog is tiny I would be a "pussy cat" blogger; I am proud to say I'm not!
I don't think that any brand is freproof from blogging. Prior to reading blogs I'd buy a high end product, be disappointed with it and unless it was really bad think I was using it incorrectly. After reading posts online I now know that I'm not the only one who has been disappointed, so it's the product and not me. I like the most overrated and underrated articles on Temptalia, the one on blushers has saved me a small fortune. It's rare that I buy anything now without first seeing what a straight talking blog has to say about a product.
So apt and so true. Exactly the same for fashion where it's even harder to impress. I'm often frustrated by the fact that PRs don't realise that blogs have hidden statfinders so have details of every publication and their related website that logs on to keep track of the blog and what they are writing about, often as they are first to publish. That alone translates into print media coverage and influences. Also, your point re how often it is the most junior members of the team who are relegated (and I use that word specifically) to the bloggers/social media. It's both unmeaningfully disrespectful and dismissive of bloggers' power and reach and does not take into account the bloggers' oft lifetime experience in the sector they're writing about. Brands and agencies beware who you are trusting your twitterfeed and social media mailing list to - it can be a huge turn on or off.
I have experienced a real mixed bag on one side I'm met a few PR's that have been happy to help me but then for everyone of them there's about 10 others who don't want to even acknowledge my existence. I've found it easier being a smalled blogger is to actually met with local business's myself (including the bigger brands beauty advisors) chat to them and clue them up myself. If I want to read about a product now I turn to beauty bloggers because they report on how it really is. The sooner brands realise that the better!
'pussy cat' bloggers, I like that! I am sick to death of bloggers that never seem to have anything critical to say about the samples they recieve, are they that desperate for freebies?! I find it both dishonest and pathetic!
I couldn't agree with you more. I do get ignored by a lot of PR firms simply because I try and stick to the truth!
I ask that I actually test out the skincare or product for a few weeks before 'reviewing' it and they seem baffled. Or email me a narky response for daring to say that actually, as nice as the product that they sent me is it being a whitening toothpaste that does sweet f* ck all is a bit pointless.
I like the term 'pussy cat bloggers' :-) But you might be interested to know that I have stopped reading a number of blogs because I feel they are solely mouthpieces for PR companies. I am utterly disappointed when blogs I trust for sensible, considered and impartial advice suddenly all review the same product. All I can think is 'ah yes, PR companies supporting their launch, eh?' and it tarnishes them in my eyes when they say how delightful product X is.
PR companies who distribute only to Pussycats, run the risk of being seen as not trusting their product. Something genuinely good - like Aldi's stuff that gets raves - will be found out and praised. The duffers will and should be exposed as a waste of money.
Blogs are a risk for most pr's, especially the useful ones that don't fluff things up or sugarcoat expensive failure products. Sending out expensive things is something they only do well thought of, and I completely understand this -even appreciate it more as it's some form of appreciation-. Yet sometimes you wonder if they ACTUALLY know what they're doing, sending certain items to these pussy bloggers.
As a reader you might not always be able to pick them from the bunch, but as a fellow blogger you just see the red flags all over reviews. The lies, never mentioning shortcomings but just ignoring certain aspects of the product completely. I can't read those blogs anymore because they're an outright lie.
The decision every blog needs to make is: am I going to sell my integrity for some free swag? Or am I growing a pair and say what my real opinion is!?
True it's easier if you have a few PR's that appreciate this move, and it's helped along with specific product requests that fit you, to lessen the risk of a fail. A few bad reviews in the mix won't scare them off, but if the majority is bad... I have had people rethink wanting to send to me. Then again, I doubt the brand more than and just don't ask anything anymore for a while. You're wasting their money and your own time/skin/face/body.
I'm glad that PR's are noticing that just ticking a blogger box doesn't quite live up to their expectations. Surely there are a LOT of blogs out there now, on a myriad of topics, but the real hardworking & true ones will always shine. You may not like the person behind it or the result of how your samples resonate with them, but they darn well have the reach to justify the expenses.
Send it to a ton of small blogs or cherrypick a few bigger ones, you decide yourself surely. Just remember that when in the end your client asks for results -the eternal numbergame-, it's REACH that counts and not the sheer amount of different blogs you throw on the 'can I keep you as an account' table.
I don't think PR agencies are totally clueless when they send stuff to a 'pussy cat' blogger. I think for some, it is a strategic decision. For example, I have never actually read a bad review of a product in an established magazine or newspaper. Whether they are selecting the 'best' to mention or selecting advertisers' products, it is 99% positive product mentions. However, when they send you or Temptalia (a good example) a product, they run the serious risk that the product may be reviewed negatively on your blog. Obviously you are giving your honest opinion because that's what your readers (like myself) expect and come to you for. But I have noticed that MAC seems to have stopped sending Temptalia samples while others do get samples because their special collections have been getting generally negative reviews on that site. I can imagine that no PR company wants to be in the position of telling their client they sent this product out to a blogger and now hundreds of thousands of people know it's crap. And even if a brand is great, there can be some very expensive duds. And how can the PR company control the performance of the product? They can't so they lower their risk at the expense of potential reward.
While I agree with the points raised, for the most part here, I just have a personal point to add.
My blog isn't big by any stretch of the imagination but the products and launches that are sent my way are still considerable.
I was only saying last week that you'd think with such a wealth of products to review that I'd be saving money and not rushing out to spend but exactly the opposite happens. I get stupidly excited about upcoming launches and products that are reviewed on the bigger blogs that I have to have them.
As a result, my reviews are a mixture of products I've bought and loved and samples I've been sent and loved (mostly). The truth of the matter is that it's a constant juggling act to feature everything in a timely manner, couple that with the fact that the blog isn't just about beauty and products find themselves fighting for coverage.
More often than not I'll concentrate on the products I love, which means, of course, my reviews will be predominantly positive. I can see how that would appear to some that I'd fall into the 'PussyCat Blogger' category but nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, free lipstick is nice, anyone that says otherwise IS a blatant liar but if it doesn't float my boat it's rarely seen on my blog.
I can't be the only one that works like that, surely?
I am not a brand or PR but think i can see their POV. A brand wants as much good exposure as it can get. Being written up by bloggers increases its Google search capabilities, whether its readers buy or not. So why would a brand choose a blogger that risks slating the product? A bloggers opinion is just that, an opinion. If they like the scent or the product works for them, it's just an opinion. And the majority of bloggers are not experts, dermatologists, cosmetic scientists and so on. So why send a product to them for a potentially derisory comment when they don't have the expertise to truly evaluate the product? I have seen bloggers get it so wrong with ingredients comments and the like (I have a background in cosmetic science) so can completely understand why a brand or PR would want to steer clear. Again, it's just an opinion on the product, so why risk a bad one? Putting cosmetic science aside, if I want to know about a product I'll do a search on the Internet. I'll read all reviews and weigh up my decision from there. Make Up Alley is my first port of call. You can get enough opinions to know that a product might suit you or not. I appreciate the annoyance in this post. But marketing a product is not about telling the truth. If a cream like Creme de la Mer put on its advertising: "85% water, 6% petroleum based emollients, 5% synthetic emulsifiers and preservatives to blend petroleum and water together, 1% diluted seaweed extract in petroleum based alcohol (so about 0.001% seaweed extract in total) and 1% synthetic perfume" do you honestly think they'd have had the success they have? And so it is with bloggers. If you are going to tell the above to your readers, which is in effect the truth (percentages and full list of INCI aside) do you think a brand like Creme de la Mer would want use you? And can you blame them?
Well, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only beauty blogger that I always have something to complain about a product! Love this post, and love all the comments above too! As a blogger I always try to be as useful when reviewing products, I bought it with my own money :) so I talked about it how I'm pleased! If that's what driving PR companies away from me, then too bad - because I started blogging for myself and like minded peeps, not for the "fame"
I work as a PR but I also blog and unfortunately the brand I work for is almost clueless about blogging and how it works. I've given my manager many ideas and opportunities to get out there to build great relationships and to also take advantage of particular situations but keeps declining and I know for a fact that if we had gone with providing our samples at this bloggers event then we would've had great coverage or that this is the way to communicate with bloggers and not that way. As a blogger I also deal with other PR's and I've come to find how I want to be approached and sadly where I work, that's not the case. My manager will even ask some bloggers to send her the review before it goes live, who does that! Forget about pussy cat bloggers, with my manager she just has no clue about ANY blogger!
It is just YOUR opinion (bloggers - all of you) Your skin may be different to mine - oiler or dryer and generally younger! and require different types of products (eg a powder blush can fade quicker on oiler skin and a cream product is generally recommended). It's rare for bloggers that I follow to be objective - eg I found it too oily to use or it was thick and heavy but for dry/mature skin it would be a godsend. It's either - it's "poopy" or it's great. No actual advice given to the reader (not you actually - you are generally quite good)
Take a product I got in my beauty box recently - a BB cream. Personally I thought it was AWFUL - it was like wiping concrete on my skin. But others are raving about it on FB - some saying it's the best BB cream they've tried. so many people, skin types, colours and ethnicities - so many opinions - it can be deafening.
I generally read blogs to hear about upcoming products. If I like the product or the colour - I'll check it out even if it gets a bad review as I appreciate it's that person's personal opinion.
So from a brands point of view it would be quite upsetting to have a "bad" review from an influential site just because that one person didn't like it - I think sites like HQhair are better for reviews as they aggregate reviews to give an average...not just one person's one swatch opinion.
Sorry - waffled on a little. Generally I like reading blogs but I'll make up my own mind about a product rather than falling at the feet of one website. cheers!
BBB would really appreciate it if you could clarify for us readers about the FTC rules and whether they apply in the UK? Also you mentioned bloggers who receive beauty items later selling it on eBay, I've noticed some even sell it on their blog. They write glowing reviews about how much they love the product then within 2 months sell it! Why sell it if you love it?! Just goes to show that the reviews are fake to please PR companies! Sadly a lot of these beauty bloggers are established ones who should know better. I've now stopped reading such blogs. Thank you for this post, you are a pool of knowledge to us blog readers!
Hi Anon.. this is a very hazy area when it comes to blogging. There was some talk of having to declare everything you receive tax-wise but it isn't implemented in any way that I can see. I really don't like to see products on Ebay but it's down to each individual blogger on what they do with their products and also down to the PR companies to decide whether this is what they want to happen on to their products. I see a lot of blog sales too but they tend to be the blogger's own products that they have bought themselves.. i don't see much in the way of samples to be honest. x
I love finding new beauty blogs, and I enjoy quite a few established ones. But I am finding the more samples they receive the more neutral their voice in the product review. I can tell when you are posting something you wouldn't actually buy, but since it was given to you for free (and you don't hate it), you write some neutral positive post, which actually screams disingenuous because all I have to do is read a post for a product you ACTUALLY bought to know you wouldnt have spent money on this. It is becoming very annoying. I now don't even really bother reading these posts because it is so obvious. Regurgitate some brand literature points, say something tepidly neutral-positive, ask a question for engagement. UGH!
I don't like the phrase 'pussy cat bloggers at all, I think it is yet another way of dividing the blogging industry. I think there are enough labels being bandied about without creating new ones. I agree with you on this post about PRs ignoring bloggers who are more upfront about products in favour or new and inexperienced bloggers. This is frustrating but my motto is that if you are really interested in a brand's product that you can always invest in it yourself if you are not getting anywhere with the PR. Also rookies in any business make mistakes - God knows that I did and after a while new bloggers will learn what works for them and their blogs.
As a marketing person I can see both sides. There is certainly a reason for using smaller bloggers - they are often more approachable, more enthusiastic, easy to work with and if you work with someone while they are smaller, then you have the potential to build a strong bond as they grow.
Also sadly often it's about building links. Links are good for most websites, and generally more is better. Once you have a link from a blog that's it as far as google as concerned - getting more links isn't needed. So quantity can certainly help where building links is concerned.
Plus sometimes the big bloggers make it hard to work with them. It's hard to get a foot in the door, and sending a product may result in nothing. And there are a few of the bigger blogs that personally I don't like. They may have lots of readers, but as a consumer I wouldn't read it.
Everyday we get asked for free products, and usually we decline. We personally prefer to find bloggers we like, and want to work with - and then offer opportunities to them. But I know many PR agencies are clueless and send mass emails offering free product to blogs they've never read.
It will always be about what works strategically. It's a business at the end of the day. And Marketing teams/PRs are not going to hand out products unless it's in their interest. Sorry, but it's true.
Interesting point about pussy cat blogging equals low stats and more upfront bloggers having higher stats. I'm not sure this is always true. I would by no means class myself as a pussy cat blogger, I will and have quite happily state if I really don't like something. Often expecting a little back lash but it never comes. Yet my stats are really low...like really low! I've read some blogs with high stats that often give a vague opinion on the product and it's difficult to tell whether they liked it or not? So I'm not sure the stats always relate to their honest opinions. I do agree PR's should maybe do their homework a bit more though and maybe ask for stats. I've never been asked to provide any stats, but I have also never actively contacted PR's. Yet I never seem to be have a shortage of PR's contact me. Im under no illusions though that it's probably just to get the 'male blogger' quota ticked. Based on the ratio of female beauty bloggers to male.
What a great post! I've just finished writing a dissertation on social media and beauty and this goes in line with most of my findings. There's actually evidence that products that get mentioned the most produce better sales results. However, it's time beauty brands value true customer satisfaction rather than largely transfered word of mouth messages!
23 comments:
I have received an email from a PR before which essentially encourages bloggers to fight for products, it used phrases like 'Bloggers, do you want FREE samples for your blog?' 'These are HIGHLY LIMITED so respond now', 'future opportunities for more FREE products if we like your post'. And yes, they did use capitals to emphasise that they are free.
To me, that isn't the correct way to go about distributing samples, I don't want to be a part of a scramble for products - I'd rather be selected for the feature based on the hard work I put into my posts. I also don't like being spoken to in that way, it erases my uniqueness as a blogger and puts me in a 'pen' of people.
As ever good point, well made!
I have a teeny blog & was surprised recently to receive an email from a PR for a big hair care company. She had clearly read my blog, seen my hair obsession and was offering something to review that was of interest to me and my 1 or 2 readers. I was impressed. We exchanged a few emails and at the point she was confirming that she was going to post me stuff she asked if I'd be happy to put a few key words and a link into my blog post. I said I would but that it was important to mention, even though I was sure she was aware having read my blog, that I write as I find - if something doesn't work I say so. I never heard from her again!!
She was clearly hoping that as my blog is tiny I would be a "pussy cat" blogger; I am proud to say I'm not!
I don't think that any brand is freproof from blogging. Prior to reading blogs I'd buy a high end product, be disappointed with it and unless it was really bad think I was using it incorrectly. After reading posts online I now know that I'm not the only one who has been disappointed, so it's the product and not me. I like the most overrated and underrated articles on Temptalia, the one on blushers has saved me a small fortune. It's rare that I buy anything now without first seeing what a straight talking blog has to say about a product.
So apt and so true. Exactly the same for fashion where it's even harder to impress. I'm often frustrated by the fact that PRs don't realise that blogs have hidden statfinders so have details of every publication and their related website that logs on to keep track of the blog and what they are writing about, often as they are first to publish. That alone translates into print media coverage and influences. Also, your point re how often it is the most junior members of the team who are relegated (and I use that word specifically) to the bloggers/social media. It's both unmeaningfully disrespectful and dismissive of bloggers' power and reach and does not take into account the bloggers' oft lifetime experience in the sector they're writing about. Brands and agencies beware who you are trusting your twitterfeed and social media mailing list to - it can be a huge turn on or off.
I have experienced a real mixed bag on one side I'm met a few PR's that have been happy to help me but then for everyone of them there's about 10 others who don't want to even acknowledge my existence. I've found it easier being a smalled blogger is to actually met with local business's myself (including the bigger brands beauty advisors) chat to them and clue them up myself.
If I want to read about a product now I turn to beauty bloggers because they report on how it really is. The sooner brands realise that the better!
'pussy cat' bloggers, I like that! I am sick to death of bloggers that never seem to have anything critical to say about the samples they recieve, are they that desperate for freebies?! I find it both dishonest and pathetic!
I couldn't agree with you more. I do get ignored by a lot of PR firms simply because I try and stick to the truth!
I ask that I actually test out the skincare or product for a few weeks before 'reviewing' it and they seem baffled. Or email me a narky response for daring to say that actually, as nice as the product that they sent me is it being a whitening toothpaste that does sweet f* ck all is a bit pointless.
Drives me nuts!
I like the term 'pussy cat bloggers' :-)
But you might be interested to know that I have stopped reading a number of blogs because I feel they are solely mouthpieces for PR companies.
I am utterly disappointed when blogs I trust for sensible, considered and impartial advice suddenly all review the same product. All I can think is 'ah yes, PR companies supporting their launch, eh?' and it tarnishes them in my eyes when they say how delightful product X is.
PR companies who distribute only to Pussycats, run the risk of being seen as not trusting their product. Something genuinely good - like Aldi's stuff that gets raves - will be found out and praised. The duffers will and should be exposed as a waste of money.
Blogs are a risk for most pr's, especially the useful ones that don't fluff things up or sugarcoat expensive failure products.
Sending out expensive things is something they only do well thought of, and I completely understand this -even appreciate it more as it's some form of appreciation-. Yet sometimes you wonder if they ACTUALLY know what they're doing, sending certain items to these pussy bloggers.
As a reader you might not always be able to pick them from the bunch, but as a fellow blogger you just see the red flags all over reviews. The lies, never mentioning shortcomings but just ignoring certain aspects of the product completely. I can't read those blogs anymore because they're an outright lie.
The decision every blog needs to make is: am I going to sell my integrity for some free swag? Or am I growing a pair and say what my real opinion is!?
True it's easier if you have a few PR's that appreciate this move, and it's helped along with specific product requests that fit you, to lessen the risk of a fail. A few bad reviews in the mix won't scare them off, but if the majority is bad... I have had people rethink wanting to send to me. Then again, I doubt the brand more than and just don't ask anything anymore for a while. You're wasting their money and your own time/skin/face/body.
I'm glad that PR's are noticing that just ticking a blogger box doesn't quite live up to their expectations. Surely there are a LOT of blogs out there now, on a myriad of topics, but the real hardworking & true ones will always shine. You may not like the person behind it or the result of how your samples resonate with them, but they darn well have the reach to justify the expenses.
Send it to a ton of small blogs or cherrypick a few bigger ones, you decide yourself surely. Just remember that when in the end your client asks for results -the eternal numbergame-, it's REACH that counts and not the sheer amount of different blogs you throw on the 'can I keep you as an account' table.
I don't think PR agencies are totally clueless when they send stuff to a 'pussy cat' blogger. I think for some, it is a strategic decision. For example, I have never actually read a bad review of a product in an established magazine or newspaper. Whether they are selecting the 'best' to mention or selecting advertisers' products, it is 99% positive product mentions. However, when they send you or Temptalia (a good example) a product, they run the serious risk that the product may be reviewed negatively on your blog. Obviously you are giving your honest opinion because that's what your readers (like myself) expect and come to you for. But I have noticed that MAC seems to have stopped sending Temptalia samples while others do get samples because their special collections have been getting generally negative reviews on that site. I can imagine that no PR company wants to be in the position of telling their client they sent this product out to a blogger and now hundreds of thousands of people know it's crap. And even if a brand is great, there can be some very expensive duds. And how can the PR company control the performance of the product? They can't so they lower their risk at the expense of potential reward.
While I agree with the points raised, for the most part here, I just have a personal point to add.
My blog isn't big by any stretch of the imagination but the products and launches that are sent my way are still considerable.
I was only saying last week that you'd think with such a wealth of products to review that I'd be saving money and not rushing out to spend but exactly the opposite happens. I get stupidly excited about upcoming launches and products that are reviewed on the bigger blogs that I have to have them.
As a result, my reviews are a mixture of products I've bought and loved and samples I've been sent and loved (mostly). The truth of the matter is that it's a constant juggling act to feature everything in a timely manner, couple that with the fact that the blog isn't just about beauty and products find themselves fighting for coverage.
More often than not I'll concentrate on the products I love, which means, of course, my reviews will be predominantly positive. I can see how that would appear to some that I'd fall into the 'PussyCat Blogger' category but nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, free lipstick is nice, anyone that says otherwise IS a blatant liar but if it doesn't float my boat it's rarely seen on my blog.
I can't be the only one that works like that, surely?
I am not a brand or PR but think i can see their POV. A brand wants as much good exposure as it can get. Being written up by bloggers increases its Google search capabilities, whether its readers buy or not.
So why would a brand choose a blogger that risks slating the product?
A bloggers opinion is just that, an opinion. If they like the scent or the product works for them, it's just an opinion.
And the majority of bloggers are not experts, dermatologists, cosmetic scientists and so on. So why send a product to them for a potentially derisory comment when they don't have the expertise to truly evaluate the product? I have seen bloggers get it so wrong with ingredients comments and the like (I have a background in cosmetic science) so can completely understand why a brand or PR would want to steer clear. Again, it's just an opinion on the product, so why risk a bad one?
Putting cosmetic science aside, if I want to know about a product I'll do a search on the Internet. I'll read all reviews and weigh up my decision from there. Make Up Alley is my first port of call. You can get enough opinions to know that a product might suit you or not.
I appreciate the annoyance in this post. But marketing a product is not about telling the truth. If a cream like Creme de la Mer put on its advertising:
"85% water, 6% petroleum based emollients, 5% synthetic emulsifiers and preservatives to blend petroleum and water together, 1% diluted seaweed extract in petroleum based alcohol (so about 0.001% seaweed extract in total) and 1% synthetic perfume"
do you honestly think they'd have had the success they have?
And so it is with bloggers. If you are going to tell the above to your readers, which is in effect the truth (percentages and full list of INCI aside) do you think a brand like Creme de la Mer would want use you? And can you blame them?
Well, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only beauty blogger that I always have something to complain about a product! Love this post, and love all the comments above too! As a blogger I always try to be as useful when reviewing products, I bought it with my own money :) so I talked about it how I'm pleased! If that's what driving PR companies away from me, then too bad - because I started blogging for myself and like minded peeps, not for the "fame"
I work as a PR but I also blog and unfortunately the brand I work for is almost clueless about blogging and how it works. I've given my manager many ideas and opportunities to get out there to build great relationships and to also take advantage of particular situations but keeps declining and I know for a fact that if we had gone with providing our samples at this bloggers event then we would've had great coverage or that this is the way to communicate with bloggers and not that way. As a blogger I also deal with other PR's and I've come to find how I want to be approached and sadly where I work, that's not the case. My manager will even ask some bloggers to send her the review before it goes live, who does that! Forget about pussy cat bloggers, with my manager she just has no clue about ANY blogger!
I wholeheartedly agree with Samantha.
It is just YOUR opinion (bloggers - all of you) Your skin may be different to mine - oiler or dryer and generally younger! and require different types of products (eg a powder blush can fade quicker on oiler skin and a cream product is generally recommended). It's rare for bloggers that I follow to be objective - eg I found it too oily to use or it was thick and heavy but for dry/mature skin it would be a godsend. It's either - it's "poopy" or it's great. No actual advice given to the reader (not you actually - you are generally quite good)
Take a product I got in my beauty box recently - a BB cream. Personally I thought it was AWFUL - it was like wiping concrete on my skin. But others are raving about it on FB - some saying it's the best BB cream they've tried. so many people, skin types, colours and ethnicities - so many opinions - it can be deafening.
I generally read blogs to hear about upcoming products. If I like the product or the colour - I'll check it out even if it gets a bad review as I appreciate it's that person's personal opinion.
So from a brands point of view it would be quite upsetting to have a "bad" review from an influential site just because that one person didn't like it - I think sites like HQhair are better for reviews as they aggregate reviews to give an average...not just one person's one swatch opinion.
Sorry - waffled on a little. Generally I like reading blogs but I'll make up my own mind about a product rather than falling at the feet of one website.
cheers!
BBB would really appreciate it if you could clarify for us readers about the FTC rules and whether they apply in the UK? Also you mentioned bloggers who receive beauty items later selling it on eBay, I've noticed some even sell it on their blog. They write glowing reviews about how much they love the product then within 2 months sell it! Why sell it if you love it?! Just goes to show that the reviews are fake to please PR companies! Sadly a lot of these beauty bloggers are established ones who should know better. I've now stopped reading such blogs. Thank you for this post, you are a pool of knowledge to us blog readers!
Hi Anon.. this is a very hazy area when it comes to blogging. There was some talk of having to declare everything you receive tax-wise but it isn't implemented in any way that I can see. I really don't like to see products on Ebay but it's down to each individual blogger on what they do with their products and also down to the PR companies to decide whether this is what they want to happen on to their products. I see a lot of blog sales too but they tend to be the blogger's own products that they have bought themselves.. i don't see much in the way of samples to be honest. x
I love finding new beauty blogs, and I enjoy quite a few established ones. But I am finding the more samples they receive the more neutral their voice in the product review. I can tell when you are posting something you wouldn't actually buy, but since it was given to you for free (and you don't hate it), you write some neutral positive post, which actually screams disingenuous because all I have to do is read a post for a product you ACTUALLY bought to know you wouldnt have spent money on this. It is becoming very annoying. I now don't even really bother reading these posts because it is so obvious. Regurgitate some brand literature points, say something tepidly neutral-positive, ask a question for engagement. UGH!
I don't like the phrase 'pussy cat bloggers at all, I think it is yet another way of dividing the blogging industry. I think there are enough labels being bandied about without creating new ones. I agree with you on this post about PRs ignoring bloggers who are more upfront about products in favour or new and inexperienced bloggers. This is frustrating but my motto is that if you are really interested in a brand's product that you can always invest in it yourself if you are not getting anywhere with the PR. Also rookies in any business make mistakes - God knows that I did and after a while new bloggers will learn what works for them and their blogs.
As a marketing person I can see both sides.
There is certainly a reason for using smaller bloggers - they are often more approachable, more enthusiastic, easy to work with and if you work with someone while they are smaller, then you have the potential to build a strong bond as they grow.
Also sadly often it's about building links. Links are good for most websites, and generally more is better. Once you have a link from a blog that's it as far as google as concerned - getting more links isn't needed. So quantity can certainly help where building links is concerned.
Plus sometimes the big bloggers make it hard to work with them. It's hard to get a foot in the door, and sending a product may result in nothing. And there are a few of the bigger blogs that personally I don't like. They may have lots of readers, but as a consumer I wouldn't read it.
Everyday we get asked for free products, and usually we decline. We personally prefer to find bloggers we like, and want to work with - and then offer opportunities to them. But I know many PR agencies are clueless and send mass emails offering free product to blogs they've never read.
It will always be about what works strategically. It's a business at the end of the day. And Marketing teams/PRs are not going to hand out products unless it's in their interest. Sorry, but it's true.
Interesting point about pussy cat blogging equals low stats and more upfront bloggers having higher stats.
I'm not sure this is always true. I would by no means class myself as a pussy cat blogger, I will and have quite happily state if I really don't like something. Often expecting a little back lash but it never comes.
Yet my stats are really low...like really low!
I've read some blogs with high stats that often give a vague opinion on the product and it's difficult to tell whether they liked it or not? So I'm not sure the stats always relate to their honest opinions.
I do agree PR's should maybe do their homework a bit more though and maybe ask for stats. I've never been asked to provide any stats, but I have also never actively contacted PR's. Yet I never seem to be have a shortage of PR's contact me. Im under no illusions though that it's probably just to get the 'male blogger' quota ticked. Based on the ratio of female beauty bloggers to male.
What a great post! I've just finished writing a dissertation on social media and beauty and this goes in line with most of my findings. There's actually evidence that products that get mentioned the most produce better sales results. However, it's time beauty brands value true customer satisfaction rather than largely transfered word of mouth messages!
That last line is a killer! lol
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