There seems to be a horrid snobbery among bloggers concerning ‘sponsored posts’. Once your blog is starting to gain traction, it’s not unusual to receive the offer of sponsored posts. The PR / SEO will ask you to link to a certain page within a post in return for payment. Some will happily provide you pre-written content to drop in, or ask you to write it.
The amounts of money involved can vary – from tens of pounds, to hundreds of them.
Some bloggers publish loads, others not many, some – none at all. It’s choice, it’s your choice – your blog is your space, do as you please. If you want to fill your space with content that isn’t yours, great! If you don’t – don’t. You shouldn’t feel pressured to have your place the way someone else thinks it should be.
I don’t mind the odd sponsored post – it’s a bit of pocket money. There are things I wouldn’t do – for example, I wouldn’t drag my family into reviewing something like loo roll. It’d take a fuck load of money to prostitute them into discussing what they use to polish their extremities. I don’t think there is even a sum I’d consider to Instagram faux excitement about bog roll.
However.
Just because I don’t agree with it, doesn’t make it ‘wrong’ – it’s just not my thing. If you want to do something like that, I’ll wince, I’ll think you’re odd – but it makes no difference to my life. I’m sure the money makes it worth it, but, for me – no.
We shouldn’t openly judge people for taking a tenner for a sponsored post, or for pimping the toilet habits of your kin. It’s not your choice, your place on the internet will still be there, unchanged. Think of it like parenting – we all parent our kids differently, no one does it incorrectly, just differently.
That ten quid pre-written sponsored post could be petrol in the car, or food on the table for a blogger – heck – they might REALLY need loo roll.
Be kind, not judgey knobs.
This is a guest post right? 😉
I won’t do gambling sponsored posts. Initially it was a moral decision, now it’s more to do with some of the agencies I work with not using sites with gambling material on them.
You know how much I agree with this! People need to stop being so concerned with what other bloggers do on their own blog. Won’t accept less than £250 a post? Good for you? Accept a tenner for a post to feed your kids? Good for you.
Alright, who’s holding Kip hostage?
There seems to be a bitchiness between some UK bloggers you just don’t see in the states. As you said, it’s your blog, your space, your voice and most importantly, your business to do whatever the hell you like on your own blog!
It’s not my bag to do reviews in return for stuff but I don’t mind what other bloggers do. It’s their corner of cyberspace to do with what they choose after all. If I was such a blogger though, I would review bog roll. 🙂