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Okay, so I'm digressing. To kick things off today, I'm going off my beaten path and proposing a question to all of you--my blogging friends.
I have a lot of blogging friends. In fact, most of my entertainment these days centers around my blogging friends. Blogging (and social media) have opened up a whole new world for me and my family. I've found friends I would have missed before. Friends that make my life interesting and fun. I've had new experiences with my kids that I would not have had without blogging and social media. ...and I've had the absolute pleasure of learning so much about this whole new world (...cue in Nemo and Friends song...Big Blue World here...).
However, lately I've been seeing both negative tweets and blogging posts about Social Media, blogging, and how they "work." While I won't digress on each situation, I will say that the Social Media world was rocked last week when a major Social Media Conference registration opened up, was closed almost immediately, and attendees were picked in a random order not in line with written word.
Then, this week I witnessed another similar situation, albeit much smaller. However, since I am a deal-seeking and Couponista blogger, I have seen this new situation arise many times over the past 18 months, and I've seen the negativity companies can bring upon themselves. Let me explain....
As is customary in the blogging industry, bloggers are frequently approached to review products, items, and events. Sometimes, bloggers are given complimentary samples, items, or tickets so that they can review the items or shows personally before writing up their reviews.
This is exactly what happened to several bloggers this week. We were asked if we would like to, "help promote...an amazing family show in exchange for complementary tickets..." If we were interested, they would "send a specific, easy to follow time-line promotional plan."
Sounds simple enough, right? The request went on to say, "Once we receive your response, we will send more information regarding the event and possible blog topics and promotions."
Still sounds simple enough, right? Well...today--several of us were sent this response, "
We had an overwhelming response of moms wanting to participate in our promotions. However, due to a limited number of tickets available to give out, we had to pick only ten bloggers, and we picked the first ones to respond to the email. We will be contacting you again for more opportunities with events in the future. If you still want to inform your followers about the show, we would greatly appreciate it."
Okay, so here's my question to all of you...I know that in the Deal-Seeking and Couponista world of blogging, this type of situation is frowned upon and looked at as a "bait-and-switch" deal. It happens frequently with smaller companies and even the bigger companies are guilty of it from time to time.
Please note: I am not complaining about not getting to go to the event, but I am seeing this situation arise more and more from bigger companies.
I wonder what do you, as other bloggers, think about this type of situation?
Is it fair to offer or promise something (i.e., a product or an event) to bloggers in return for **FREE** publicity and then when the bloggers respond positively and in great number, to then say, "Sorry--too many people were interested. We could only take x-number of you, but will you still please promote us?"
As for me, heck-if a company approaches me and asks me to promote something, usually I am more than happy to do it--for **FREE.** However, I'm not sure this type of situation leaves a good taste in my mouth. There was no mention of a "limited number" of tickets or no way to know how many bloggers were contacted to begin with. The e-mails stated that if we responded, we would be given tickets and information on how to promote the event.
I just don't think I like the idea that we were told, at the beginning, we would be given complimentary tickets to an event in exchange for reviewing it and then, at the end, we were told, "Oops, sorry--not enough tickets, but oh yeah--can you still promote us?" Sounds like the 'ole bait-and-switch tactic again.
Dangle carrot in front of the bloggers, bloggers lunge, and then said carrot is said not to exist--but we are still asked to pull the cart?
Why not just approach us honestly up front and ask us to promote the event with a tag line saying if we have tickets, we will draw names for them. Does that makes sense?
Don't promise the bloggers something, take it away, and then ask them to still promote your event. That's not right in my eyes and in a lot of other bloggers eyes either.
If you want **FREE** publicity ask us, but don't promise us something and then take it away. Blogging is a big deal--it's growing by leaps and bounds. It's turning out to be serious "business."
In the 18 months I have been blogging, I've seen some great things and I've seen some negative things. Lately, I'm seeing more and more of these bait-and-switch scenarios. Please don't forget--Most of us do this in our spare time, and that means blogging cuts time out of other things in our lives.
The time we spend promoting companies and events is worth something to everyone. If you're a company promoting an item or event and are working with bloggers, please keep that in mind.
I love blogging. I have no intentions of stopping any time soon. So, in the future, I hope I see less and less of these bait-and-switch type situations. They leave a bad taste in everyone's mouths and ruin the blogging industry for everyone. ...and no one wants that.
What do YOU think?
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