Discussions
Blog Prostitution
Posted by bloggingmix • 11/16/07 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blog monetization, blog prostitution, blogging mix, paid reviews, sponsored post
My latest post is all about Blog Prostitution, synonymous to placing a tag price on your opinions.
If you're a blogger monetizing your blog through paid reviews, I would like to know how do you make a review and what are the things you consider before you accept an offer? Are your opinions affected by how much the advertiser is willing to pay?
You can read my post for more information.
www.bloggingmix.com/2007/11/blog-prostitution-bloggers-for-sale.html
Cheers! 
User Comments
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Your discussion title brought me here! LOL
www.cheznaz.com -
But you're advertising sponsored reviews right next to this post. Indeed, your post might contain keywords that will generate the kind of traffic that might go for that kind of ad. No contradiction? -
The fact is that there are all kinds of ways to make money. You can call it prostitution if you want. but the fact that you work a job to make money falls in the same lines. You give your skills away to someone that is willing to pay you money. You are a WHORE in a since. So blogging, digging a ditch, or sex are all ways to make money in which services are traded for profit.
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Some jobs leave you dignity. Others don't. Bloggingmix's analogy is over the top, but he seems to be inferring that our ability to speak freely about what is important to us relates to our human dignity.
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I think of it more like a slave. Perhaps this is a male/female difference? Regardless, sadly, one can be persuaded to "sell themselves" to those that pay them, compromising their voice for the sake of a buck, a digg, a stumble, a friend. Again, a situation where one's desire for wealth and popularity enslaves them to the wishes and wants of others.
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There's a definite connection between slavery and the lack of human dignity (or slave rebellions and the quest for justice).
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What if you really enjoy writing reviews? and think it would be nice to get alittle something in return? If you have been doing it for free just cuz you like to, and someone is willing to pay you to review them? why not?-
If you disclose that the post is paid, and if you are able to be true to your own opinions, I see no problem. Still, how seriously do people take paid reviews?
Usually a company has no idea who is going to review their product or when it will be reviewed. That leads to a more authentic user experience for the reviewer. If a restaurant knows I'm a food critic, maybe it will treat me better. If a software company knows I'm reviewing their product, maybe they will be more prompt and helpful than usual in their answers to my email queries.
To my mind paid reviews aren't really reviews but advertising copy. If you like writing such copy, no problem. But it should be clear to your reader that money was exchanged. Pay per Post claims it requires full disclosure. No idea how well they enforce this policy. -
Writing reviews are not my concern. It is one who forfeits their voice and opinion to please their masters.
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That's a little harsh, Globalgirl. While I am no fan of paid reviews, I cannot claim to understand the motives of bloggers who do them. Nor do I know if they like or dislike the products in question. Sure, to me it would feel like giving up my blog to others, but not everyone will feel like that. Indeed, some only blog to make money anyway. Masters? Some paid reviewers might see themselves as independent entrepreneurs. Whether or not they make enough money is another question.
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Stoneman, okay, so my words can be a bit harsh. I simply wanted to illustrate a point. A strong point! (not that I'm not opinionated or anything!)
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Andy Beard does paid reviews of blogs and I've no doubt about the veracity of his reviews. -
Mark, I don't think that paid reviews are meant--at least by most people who purchase them--to be taken seriously. Or even necessarily read. I think that they are used primarily as a means of purchasing text links surrounded by relevant copy. -
Very true Madame X. I think this is what advertisers are really after no matter how they stress that posts need to be "natural"
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The beauty of blogging is that it levels the playing field. Little people can have loud voices and result in effective, quantitative changes. One who is enticed to write a review for a product, service, company will certainly be biased in their review. Where is the voice of an authentic review when money is exchanged to influence the masses of the master's kingdom? In other words, where cash is exchanged (like in politics!) some people can be manipulated to write and do anything; this is disheartening to say the least.
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What's even more disheartening for me is that people might actually read such reviews and take them seriously.
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Absolutely!
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But you need to understand that the most important clause in what you said is missing "The beauty of blogging is that it levels the playing field." should be "The beauty of blogging **to me** is that it levels the playing field." Since this is a very subjective view. For some people the only thing a blog is any good for is to generate traffic to their other "real" site.
You also say "Little people can have loud voices and result in effective, quantitative changes." Blog are actually much more and much less than this at the same time. While the medium can give voice to the voiceless and be a force for change it can also be a place for a teen to discuss their angst and pimples or score hot chicks with no thought of change or power involved.
The problem is when we apply subjective beliefs to "blogs" as a whole and then anticipate all of them to conform to that ideal. There are nearly as many reasons for publishing a blog as there are publishers of them. -
Dane, that is a great point.
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I tend not to read paid blog entries and reviews though I believe everyone has a right to do what they want with their own blog. Personally I'd rather be free of monetary ties and blog about what I want, when I want. I blog for love not money. -
I haven't done it myself but I don't judge anyone else who does. People can say no to a review, can't they? They may be honestly expressing their opinions for all I know, and if they get paid for that, more power to them. They should definitely say the post has been sponsored or something to that effect though.
I can't say how it works, are they obliged to give a great review??-
No if you go read the payperpost or sites like them, they have rules and specifications for how you can blog, how many paid blogs you can do to how many non paid blogs, also that is HAS to be something your blog is about.
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I usually read over sponsored reviews and skip them altogether.. but I don't mind blogs that have them as long as the other 80% of their content is very well written and informative.
People who invest a lot of their time into creating and maintaining their blog should get compensated and if that helps them along.. it's fine as long as
it pertains to the blog
it's not excessive
and it seems fairly balanced in their review.
People get perks in the real world too.. a travel journalist might get comped for a hotel room or a free dinner.. but does the journalists mention that in the article.. most likely not. They might get the whole trip paid for in hope for a favorable review but that's not disclosed either.-
I agree
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It really depends on the blogger. A lot of bloggers who do sponsored posts endorse everything, which is really annoying and makes me lose respect for the blogger.
But there are a handful who really stick to reviewing stuffs that are useful/interesting or that they've personally tried.
It's easy to identify if a blogger is just out for the money or really honest in his review. -
Interesting comments guys.
Problems with sponsored post.
1) Partial review of a product or service to the extent of creating fictitious claims. Designed solely to impress sponsors and sell their products.
2) Blogs / Bloggers who accommodate all sponsored review ultimately for monetary gain.
3. Non Disclosure of a sponsored post.
As a result:
1) Sponsored reviews have become less credible and unwanted.
2) Blog readers are deceived into buying the product only to find out later that the product is not how it was described in the review.
Just to make it clear. I'm not against sponsored reviews as long as it is impartial and the blogger exercised proper conscientiousness and diligence. -
Hi to all,
I feel sorry about the way you feel about writing sponsored posts and consider it prostitution. I must tell you though not all bloggers who do sponsored posts are "blog whores" just out for money.
You must also realize that bloggers are also people who need a decent living to survive. I, for one, use the sponsored post payments to buy milk and feed my 1 month old child as my partner and I recently became unemployed. My sponsored posts is what is keeping us and my baby alive at this point. So if you think doing sponsored posts are bad, think of the honest people who use the small earnings they get just to survive.
I write posts for sponsors to earn a living and survive. It's not fair for anybody to consider it as sinful.
Any comments are welcome.-
You say "honest people", CCV, and I think that goes to the root of this discussion. Are you (and others doing PPP) honest? Does the fact that you need the money to buy milk for your child influence you to praise and promote blogs/products/companies that you wouldn't really recommend to a friend if there were nothing in it for you, or are you only getting paid to say exactly what you'd say for free if you were asked?
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exactly my point.
I think you've explained my point better.
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I don't think there is anything "sinful" about it CCvet, and I don't think the originator of the thread implied there is, although some of the commenters above took it that way.
For me, I feel that my credibility is my most precious asset and I have chosen not to do sponsored posts at all, at least on my main blog. I want my readers to know that when I write about a book, they are getting my honest opinion about something that genuinely interested me and never have to wonder if I am just writing about a particular title or praising it because someone is paying me to.
I think in the long run I will make more money from advertising and affiliate commissions than I would from doing paid posts, but I can certainly understand that a business plan that expects to earn real money a couple of years into the future is of little help to someone who needs to go to the grocery store NOW to feed their family.
If you are making money you need by doing paid posts on your blog, I say good for you. -
Thanks Libdrone. It's just makes me feel bad that Bloggingmix connotates writing sponsored reviews to prostitution. The word prostitution has a bad meaning in any language. It just doesn't seem fair for decent people like me to be labeled by people like Bloggingmix as a blog prostitute. I use the money for something very important in my life and not some useless things I don't need.
He says he's not against sponsored reviews but his post title alone depicts his prejudice against people who get paid for posting reviews.-
I think he meant it more as a prejudice against people who alter their opinions for money rather than people who get paid for posting their real opinions.
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CCV, please know that I don't think that ALL people who do PPP are compromising their voices/values/opinions for the sake of $$.
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I wouldn't take Bloggingmix's analogy too seriously. He's using an extreme one in order to generate debate and traffic.
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stoneman,
I have just commented and that was what i felt.
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CallCenterVet,
I don't think you got the point of my post. I'm not against sponsored post... but i'm against post that are:
1) Partial review of a product or service to the extent of creating fictitious claims. Designed solely to impress sponsors and sell their products.
2) Blogs / Bloggers who accommodate all sponsored review ultimately for monetary gain.
3. Non Disclosure of a sponsored post.
Like I've said in my original post, Bloggers who do the above when they make sponsored post are lessening the credibility of reviews which in return discourages advertisers. Not to mention misled and disgruntled customers. FYI, I also do sponsored post.-
Well of course I agree that the sponsored reviews should be disclosed... and shouldn't sound like a press release or an advert but I do think you should use your own judgement and common sense to know that a sponsored review might be written in a favorable light and you should do your own research. With the internet at your fingertips.. there's no reason you should take anyone's word as conclusive.
Especially if the blog has excessive amount of sponsored reviews in the first place. I would hardly lend credibility to that blogger... But I understand your point too...
I think there will always be few bad apples who does ruin it for everyone else. -
Bloggingmix, So why call this thread and your post "Blog Prostitution"? Are you just out for sensationalization? Or do you want to generalize all of us who do sponsored posts? Because that's what it sounds to me.
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Mr. Tabayan,
Whatever bloggers do with they're own blog is their own. Consequences included. We all have our reasons for doing reviews impartially or as the advertisers would like it to be. Personally I do it for an honest reason. Para mabuhay ang anak ko. So don't be quick to judge everyone of us by doing sponsored posts because we all have our reasons and you don't have the right to call us "blog prostitutes" because YOU DON"T KNOW US!
If you've got nothing nice to say shut your blog mouth up! -
I'm sorry if you didn't get it. I'd suggest you read my post again.
You will only feel bad about my post if:
Your reviews are very subjective or bias. Otherwise, you should feel good.
And like you've said, "Whatever bloggers do with they're own blog is their own"
Since your reviews are honest, then you aren't a blog prostitute then. right? -
some of my reviews are as biased as the advertisers want it to be but I don't feel bad about it because that biased post feeds my family.
What I feel bad about is when I read about people like you ( Pinoy ka pa naman...) who are prejudiced against and discriminate against bloggers like us who write posts just to help our families survive. -
Well said.
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"some of my reviews are as biased as the advertisers want it to be but I don't feel bad about it because that biased post feeds my family."
So you object to the term "prostitute", but readily admit that you're willing to lie and mislead other people in order to make money? Isn't that really just semantics? I can understand why the term "prostitution" makes you uncomfortable, but what I don't get is the next piece:
"What I feel bad about is when I read about people like you ( Pinoy ka pa naman...) who are prejudiced against and discriminate against bloggers like us who write posts just to help our families survive"
Unless I seriously misunderstand your responses here, you've told us directly that you're willing to lie for money and you feel okay about that because you need the money to support your family. Obviously you feel that's what you have to do, but why would you object to someone making the purely rational decision not to take what you say very seriously after you've announced that you're willing to say whatever you're paid to say?
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Ke-bias man yan or hindi wala ka pa rin karapatan kaming tawagin "prostitute"!
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Translation: Regardless of whether a post is bias or not, you don't have the right to call us a 'prostitute'.
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Damn right you don't!
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So your are now saying that some of your reviews are bias towards the will of your advertisers. That explains your disgust over my post. I understand and I feel sorry that you have to be biased with your posts in order to earn a living for your family but I'll still stand to my conviction, that bias reviews are not good for the bloggers, readers and even the advertisers in the long run.
I don't think my being a Filipino is even an issue here.-
Ofcourse you would stand by your conviction... You've already posted that article.
I'm not out to prove you wrong or convince you that you wrote it wrong. I'm just here to expose prejudiced and discriminatory people like you who judge people by what they read in their blog and not considering the reasons behind it. You don't have to feel sorry for me because I'm glad I can get paid to write sponsored reviews. What you should feel bad about is yourself because you have labeled people. I just people who are discriminatory, prejudiced and judgemental!
So like you I stand by my conviction that you are discriminatory, prejudiced and judgemental. Fair enough? -
I wish you don't get labeled something nasty like what you just did. But then again what comes around goes around... Don't you agree?
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I'm pretty subjective and I'm pretty biased about any thing I promote from any of my blogs. If I had no bias toward the product I wouldn't promote it. There is a difference between bias and dishonest.
I don't do PPP but really only because there isn't as much potential to earn from it as from aff/resale/creating my own products.
I think the term prostitute comes down to a sens of doing something you feel you shouldn't be to make the money. I don't see a problem with PPP or affiliate marketing with bias or subjectivity as long as you are honest in your oppinion of the product. You can be honestly biased.-
That's enlightening Dane. Thanks. Come to think of it, I don't grab every posting opportunity that I can get my hands on. I still stay away from posting about anything related with sexual content.
If I had to or want to be biased, no other blogger should give a squirt about what I do because it's my blog and I take the consequences... and NOBODY like bloggingmix can label me a blog prostitute because of what I do.
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Bloggingmix,
I have actually read your post 2 days back and i have been mulling over whether i should add my 2 cents worth as i felt very strongly over your choice of post and discussion titles(maybe it's because i am an old fuddy-duddy.)
Cutting to the chase, without having to go through the "honesty" and "biases" arguments, let's talk about what your post and this discussion is about - credibility.
I cannot help wondering why, with so many choices of titles that one can think of, you opted for "prostitute" to engage your readers. It is actually an analogy that is over the top and i can certainly empathize with CallCenterVet reactions(and i doubt she is not the only one).
By opting for such a sensational and attention-grabbing title, aren't you adopting controversy as a method of garnering traffic instead of a title that is more..professional? Besides the fact that you have done sponsored reviews, how does this makes you "credible"?
"...I'll still stand to my conviction, that bias reviews are not good for the bloggers, readers and even the advertisers in the long run." You right about bias reviews but biases ARE inherent in all sponsored reviews, including yours. I like the expression used by Dane - "you can be honestly biased."
Taking PPP policy with its approx. ratio of 80/20 a an example, with 80 being the percentage of your blog content and 20 per cent sponsored reviews, would doing that 20 per cent sponsored reviews makes the rest of the 80 per cent content less credible?
Like i say, just my 2 cents. -
I would suggest that Bloggingmix's choice of words is going to generate a whole lot of Google hits. The sensationalism was intentional. It was also meant to generate debate here and visits to his blog. Misunderstandings on CallCenterVet's part? If so, they were only to be expected. BloggingMix could have gone for nuance, but then he would have run the risk of seeing the kind of traffic numbers that are normal for me.
Edit: I note that Bloggingmix did not address the contradiction I pointed out at the top of this post. Hmmm.-
stoneman,
You have hit the nail on the spot! -
Yup... Up until now he hasn't made any rebuttal. LOL
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Mr. Rocky John Tabayan (aka Bloggingmix),
I admire your strategy of employing sensationalism to generate traffic for your own blog ( I almost wished I could do the same ). Not to mention your guts in publishing such shameless and "utter disregard for other bloggers feelings" of a post. Your attempt was mildly successful as it made a few bloggers check out what you had to say but I'm afraid you've sacrificed much more important things in return for a LITTLE bump in traffic... CREDIBILITY and DECENCY. And for that, you'd be seeing less people viewing your blog in the long run.
BTW I checked out your post about doing a review for the SuckMyMolly templates where you attempted to point out you were told by one of your readers to review this website, THAT was very convincing! (sarcasm). Maybe you'd like to try a little harder next time. Or maybe some decent honesty for your soon to be thinning readers.
I also read your piece about John Chow being the Paris Hilton of the blogosphere. Well, guess what YOU could be the next Rosie O'Donnell! Goodluck! -
I'm sorry I didn't check my discussions.
I guess Stoneman was able to figure out the reason why I've chosen "Blog Prostitute" as the title of my post. And yes, it was an effective title. I got stumbled and my traffic went up.
@MyDen : While I admit that my analogy was a little over the top, it was an effective move to achieve my goal which is to catch attention and create controversy. And yes, I do sponsored reviews but I choose blogs/products that I've reviewed.
@CallCenterVet : My subscriber is growing and my traffic continue to grow. I'm sorry to disappoint you. In the long run? That's too early to see. Let's just wait and see.
@Dane and Stoneman, TheDen, CallCenterVet and everyone, Thanks for participating in this thread. Really enjoyed the exchange of thoughts. -
A very good subject. Just a while ago I did a humor post on pimping your blog and being the ''whore of the html'' just to promote your blog. But that's not what you're talking about. You're talking about making money out of one's blog which I think goes along with pimping your blog (it comes second once you've pimped your blog to popularity)
Ok, let me get straightforward. In the last 2 weeks or something I have been thinking real hard how to earn for my posts. I mean earn like a published writer because I think some of my content deserves to be paid just as published works, articles, reviews are paid. But I have neither the time nor the resources to find enough info and act on it. But in short, this is the kind of money I think a writer or content provider deserves.
Now, in contrast I come to the ''sponsored posts'' I do not think with all my need for money I would do that. I mean, that would defeat the whole purpose of blogging. I want MY OPINION and MY PERSPECTIVE to be of some interest and value to people. I personally would call it prostitution. But read the next and last paragraph.
But isn't this ''prostitution'' exactly the same thing that almost all media outlets from New York Times to The daily Sun or any other tabloid is engaged in ? They all run ads, the sponsor every grain of ink and every inch of paper they circulate and sell to people. In this case, what CallCentre Vet is doing is not something awful. But I can just hope she does it with some ethics and objectivity. Or else, you can consider that she is ''advertising'' products. Which again is nothing but a very professional thing to do. So I acquit her of ''prostitution'' charges and hope she makes more money than she does now to better her life.
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