On trying to be a minimalist in the world of blogging…

I do PR for a few companies and in a recent email, a well-known Minneapolis, Mommyblogger asked for free swag for an upcoming conference.  It wasn’t the ask that so much infuriated me. Though I can’t find anything good about knocking on someone’s door and asking for a free gift just because you are an ‘influencer,‘  but it was an underlying factor.  What had me looking at the floor and wondering where manners have gone was the way the email was written.  She knew nothing about the product she was asking for.  She hadn’t done her homework and she decided just to clearly state, “People Know Me!,” as if that would be enough to get a significant amount of product to throw at her friends and attendees for an upcoming conference.

I’ve seen this at three other blogger events I attended.  I once went home with a giant tin tub of Red Gold Tomato Products, which was wonderful until the products were happily in our tummies and all that was left was a tin, (that still resides on top of my closet.)

I started seeing in the other women bloggers I knew a heightened alert to anything that sat on a table.  I imagined we were all programmed to look immediately, like children to the front counter to see if there was a sticker, or piece of candy.  Someone at a blogger event once said, “I wonder what we’ll get to go home with, THIS time?”  I realized then that like children on Christmas we had become programmed to expect, demand and receive.  It dawned on me this afternoon as I came home from a recent conference with a plethora of goodies, that I really needed to think of a way of starting to say, “No Thanks!” I’m a minimalist at heart. Most things I get, (besides the gigantic RedGold tin,) have found a use in a marketing campaign, a new home with a friend, or happily donated.

Part of marketing, is asking.  If we don’t ask, we can’t ever receive a sale, a network connection or a ‘yes‘ to any question that’s being asked. I readily admit this. But sometimes, we ask the wrong way and it can strike a nerve with others who are working just as hard, especially those that created the products.

Imagine you own a store, and in the current economy, your sales are hurting.  Someone comes in flashes a business card and says, “I am an influencer!”  Would you open your shelves to them to take as they wished?  Most of us are incensed hearing about the swag bags for award events and charity galas for celebrities so why would we accept that those closest to us, who were exhibiting greedy behavior would be treated with any less disgust?  Our entitlement is going to get us all into trouble.

If we are really influencers of the media, those that want us to broadcast our message about their product, swag or items will contact us directly.  It’s the age-old lesson that actually providing QUALITY content, (not just photos of your children, or links to other people’s posts,) will garner the most attention.  And? We really need to look at what we’re trading our opinions, or words for.  If we simply do a giveaway without looking into the company, we might be surprised at what we DON’T know.  This practice proves we are no better than someone who blindly accepts gifts without wondering their origin.  These gifts or ‘giveaways’ partnered with website ads can directly influence our writing, whether we think so or not.

In all reality, giveaways heighten clicks.  Contests have always been a crowd pleaser and it’s no different on the blogosphere.  I have seen first hand the traffic from a giveaway compared to the traffic from a normal post.  In my factual checking, (which I can thank a calculator for,)  giveaway traffic heightened unique visits to 42%.  But, look at the side of the blog- there’s no ads.  I did very few ‘giveaways.’  When I was contacted and felt passionately about a cause or a person, I offered free space to broadcast the message.  I once received gorgeous hair clips from Two Peas in A Pod,  a giveaway we hosted several months back.  I didn’t make a killing, because the entire point of my blog was to facilitate discussion.

I feel like a traitor.  As a woman who has been blogging for over 7 years, I find it difficult to call out any other writers, (female or male,) for wrongdoing.  But if something doesn’t happen soon, everyone’s credibility will be affected.

I like females and I like blogging, however it’s this demographic I’ve seen the most entitlist attitudes from.  Those who lament about working and childcare, or the sweet things their children do are living out loud. There are even bloggers who  speak on identity and marketing; the very things that make business personable and successful. I’m proud of them all. It’s important we acknowledge that for a long time, women weren’t supported online or in creating their own content.  I’m incredibly proud to be a part of a community that helps lift other bloggers up and strengthens best practices.

We’ve become greedy, ravenous beasts for something as little as a book, a hairbow, or a necklace.

Events for Minneapolis bloggers are popping up all over the calendar.  These are wonderful ways to share ideas, cultivate learning and support one another.  However, I hope the reminder that greed is a color that looks good on no one, is highlighted most.  I was incredibly dismayed to see the blogger’s name at the bottom of the email.  There was no humble, no human and absolutely no gratitude in the post.  It was, “Gimme. Gimme. Gimme.”

I think another blogger said it best:

“My blog is kind of my hallowed ground that allows me to express my own opinions whatever they may be on anything that I want. I’m not held back by advertiser relationships or post quotas.  Also, it’s my extension of the consultant services that I provide. It’s all about getting paid because of my blog, not through it.”    - @IamDez