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Apr
29

Promotion

While I was sitting and drinking my second cup of Portola Coffee today, reading email in Microsoft Outlook on my custom built HyperPC‘s computer, I began thinking about traveling and creativity. Being surrounded by the same things day in and day out can be frustrating…there is nothing new to inspire you. One of the simple ways I have found to fix this is head to my local Corner Bakery (great food and free wifi) to work. But, despite the visual changes, it isn’t enough. The more I talk with people who travel, the more I see creativity at work. But, since I rarely travel, I have never seen this creativity in action – never seen how traveling can change an outlook.

So I started looking for flights on TravelZoo and found a great Virgin America flight tomorrow to San Fransisco. I needed a couple days of creative motivation somewhere different. I booked my room at The Orchard Hotel and stared planning what I would pack – of course I would need my Sony Vaio laptop, my Blackberry Curve 8530 (with Verizon service of course!) and my small Tumi travel bag (I was only going for 2 nights) and my Coach laptop bag (which doubles as a purse). Despite not traveling a ton, I have always had a knack for packing, and was ready for the trip in just a couple hours. With packing done, I needed to plan what I wanted to do while I was there. I knew work would be no problem, since with Gotomypc, I would have full access to my home computer while working out of town (backed up online with Carbonite just in case, of course). But, I also wanted to get some serious creativity flowing…so I jumped on twitter and sent out some mentions that I was going to be in San Fransisco. Pretty soon, I had booked dinner at the SupperClub, gotten tickets to go see a play and plans to walk the Golden Gate Bridge and talk branding with the folks at Ghiradelli.

Okay, let’s get serious – does the above paragraph’s sound ridiculous to anyone else? I should seriously hope so! While this is a bit (only a tiny bit) of an exaggeration, more and more bloggers are turning out posts that read like this – a list of all the companies who give them free stuff to promote them. No content to benefit the readers, no lessons to learn, no thoughts to take away, no business/life/any kind of advice. Just garbage about their sponsors mixed in with some normal sentences so it doesn’t look so “obvious”.

These are bloggers that I read (well, used to read) and 6 months ago, had great content. Then, they start getting more popular, getting more sponsors and unfortunately, start spewing this drivel instead of real content. I understand why businesses target top bloggers to promote their products, and I am so happy for these bloggers because the sponsors mean the bloggers are getting popular. I want bloggers to succeed! I want businesses to succeed! I am perfectly happy to see advertisments all over the sidebars! What I don’t get is why bloggers feel like any of their readers want to read blog posts about the sponsored crap.

Would I love to get sponsored by everyone mentioned above, receive free product/stays/programs? Absolutely!!! If I did, would I write blog posts about them? Nope. Personally, any time I see a post that only really talks about where someone stayed/went/who they met with (all for free of course) it starts to make my skin crawl. I know why it was written, it was written to promote the company who the blogger is being sponsored by and that is that. There is no other reason. The posts read like bad advertising and make both the blogger and the advertiser look bad. Seriously people? If you want to promote a product, that is totally fine with me – put ads on your sidebar, but leave it out of the content. I’m tired of reading it.

Oh, and by the way, there are no links in this post, the companies are all in blue to prove a point. These are all great companies, in fact most of the companies/products/services mentioned, I do use (and love). But, I am not sponsored by any of them, I did not receive anything free from them, and in fact, other than 2 of the companies, these companies have no idea who I am.

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Category: Wright Point of View
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  • Batman

    I wonder how many people will click the blue text, and then complain that they didn't goto the corresponding sites….

    • kirstenwright

      I contemplated linking them, first, so others could see the companies, but second, so the companies could see I was talking about them. But, I that wasn't the point of the post, so I decided not to.

  • http://twitter.com/Sn0wSurF3r Bill King

    Nice. What's funny is that when I blog (I've been lagging), I actually highlight companies or brands because I want people to use them. I bagged on one bike shop (left it nameless), but told everyone how great RocknRoad Cyclery was. Okay, my Oakley reference in my race was really just to post a picture because I needed one there, plus when it comes to sunglasses we always seem to refer to their brand (my Ray Bans, my Oakleys, my Foster Grants, etc.). But for runners and triathletes, we're always wondering if we actually have the best gear, nutrition products, etc. So I see a lot of people mentioning what they just sucked down or what they switched to.

    This isn't really anything but me adding to your blog. I totally agree with you about many people pimping products out of context. It reminds me of the Wayne's World movie when they were bagging on sell outs while promoting a ton of products. And, yes, anytime my pimpees want to give me free products, I'm happy to test it and discuss it and pimp it if I like it.

    • kirstenwright

      When you do that (highlight them in a post), it is completely fine. You aren't doing it for any reason other than sharing what works for you. If, however, you were paid to mention them? That would be the issue.

  • http://twitter.com/steveolenski steveolenski

    Hey Kirsten, great provocative post…

    Could not agree more on EVERYTHING you wrote. I too do not have any corporate sponsors. I am not opposed to them of course but I, like you, would never shamelessly shill for them. I do, however like reading blogs where people write opinions with the preface that said company has allowed them to be honest and forthright in their review of a given product or service.

    I hope (perhaps somewhat naively) that the blogger will in fact be honest in his/her post but…

    • kirstenwright

      I, like you, want to be naive. I want bloggers to be better. I want blogs to be about content. I want bloggers to be honest. Thanks for adding your thoughts on it!

  • http://twitter.com/swoodruff Steve Woodruff

    But it's actually a really good thing to shill for sponsors in COMMENTS. In fact, let me tell you about…..

    • kirstenwright

      Hahah! I can always count on you Steve…

  • http://bradmarley.com Brad

    You know what is funny? It never dawned on me that posts like this (on other blogs) were sponsored. Color me naive, but I always just assumed they were linking to let their readers know exactly where they went on vacation.

    Now I'll be sure to give blog content a more critical eye, because the whole point of blogging (for the most part) is organic content. Once you start accepting money, you've lost the whole idea.

    • kirstenwright

      Brad,

      In some cases, they may be. But if you read a lot of them carefully you will see they are either being paid to talk about it or are getting something free out of it. If you talk about a place or a product you love just because you want to, that is a whole other (and completely acceptable) type of post.

  • http://twitter.com/steveolenski steveolenski

    Just came across this and thought of your post… http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blogdetail.as…

    • kirstenwright

      WoW!!! Thanks for sharing this one, it is just one of many cases, I am sure. I can't count the number of posts that I see that would put what Ann Taylor did to shame. And that is not even including the promotional tweets! It's just so disappointing.

  • catholland

    Great post, Kirsten, and so true. I wrote a post not too long ago in which I named a brand of shoe, posted a picture and linked to their site. They're not a sponsor — I don't have any of those — and I hope it didn't come off that way. I was just writing about walking and my experience in this particular kind of shoe. It never even occurred to me that it might sound like I was shilling. Of course, the shoe mention was only part of the post — an aside. I guess it's hard to tell what's genuine these days. And I digress, as usual. Bottom line, I agree with Sn0wSurF3r. Thanks for this post!

    • kirstenwright

      Cat,

      If you are talking about something you love, just because you love it, that is perfect;y fine :) You did it the right way – you shared because you were interested, not because anyone paid you to.

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  • http://dodsonka.wordpress.com Katrina Dodson (KatTalks)

    Kristen, I am a 45 year old undergraduate student at Michigan State University. I am currently in a new media class. My major is Advertising with a Public Relations Specialization. We were just talking about advertising on Facebook. I believe advertising is important to any business. As much as I know how important advertising is to some companies, in fact, for some it's their life line. I don't want the information put in the middle of the text I'm reading either.

  • http://dodsonka.wordpress.com Katrina Dodson (KatTalks)

    Kristen, I am a 45 year old undergraduate student at Michigan State University. I am currently in a new media class. My major is Advertising with a Public Relations Specialization. We were just talking about advertising on Facebook. I believe advertising is important to any business. As much as I know how important advertising is to some companies, in fact, for some it’s their life line. I don’t want the information put in the middle of the text I’m reading either.

  • kirstenwright

    I definitely agree that advertising has its place – and like you, don't want to see it all over the middle of what I am reading. We all just need to be better about putting it where it belongs.

    PS – I love that you are going back to school at 45! I find it so motivating and impressive :) I wish you the best of luck in school.

  • Anonymous

    I definitely agree that advertising has its place – and like you, don’t want to see it all over the middle of what I am reading. We all just need to be better about putting it where it belongs.nnPS – I love that you are going back to school at 45! I find it so motivating and impressive :) I wish you the best of luck in school.

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