Busy Times For Blogging


So, once again, we’re in changing times with beauty blogging. If we thought it was over-crowded six months ago, it’s even more hectic now.  
Inevitably it can’t all run smoothly and new issues emerge, so this post is aimed both bloggers and PRs.
To begin, I think what PRs are not understanding is the emotional connection that real women feel towards beauty brands. It’s why they write about beauty, it’s why they collect hundreds of lipsticks, it’s why they blog! Because the majority blog from the heart. If you haven’t understood that bloggers aren’t like journos – it isn’t their job to write about your products – then you’re missing a massive connection. Writing about beauty as a hobby comes from a completely different place to writing about beauty for a living.
Bloggers are also highly emotionally connected to their blogs. It’s a representation of their thoughts, feelings and points of view – and for most, people read them! They want to know what bloggers think of products, why they love or loathe them and why readers should buy those products. If you aren’t a professional writer, there is a lot of weight in this. Everything matters in a way that it doesn’t for professional writers. 
Equally, I would say that bloggers need to stand back sometimes from the connection – it’s really hard to do, though! PRs are run ragged trying to answer every single email to thousands more bloggers than they were dealing with even this time last year. And, they’re often very unsupported in this, so not taking offence is the best option as very often none is meant.
There’s a huge amount of change going on in PR world at the moment – everyone is moving around and it’s hard to keep up. Inevitably, as soon as a PR moves, they have different clients with different expectations so even if you have carved a brilliant relationship with a PR in one role, it won’t necessarily be in her/his remit to continue that in the next one. It is almost never personal. However, if you do think that you are falling off lists left, right and centre, be pro-active and remind them gently that you are still there and ask how you can work together going forward. From the blogger end, it can be genuinely heart-breaking to lose a relationship with no idea why, and it’s nothing to do with samples. 
There’s a huge cut-back on samples; and here we are in a thorny dilemma. It’s crazy to ignore any blogger with a big audience of your perfect target market, but the worst thing you can do is ignore them. If you don’t have information or samples, or you don’t think your products are relevant any more just tell them nicely. It’s so much better to have a reason than no response at all. When you work with products all the time you forget how special they are to the outside world; I have known many occasions where bloggers have simply been dropped with no word of explanation. And usually, they really have no clue why. It ruins their relationship with the brand as a consumer and leaves a bitter taste in their mouths as a blogger.
There are many PRs doing a spectacular job way over and above their remit working with bloggers, and there are some who are doing it so badly as to leave me speechless. Like the one who ‘didn’t like’ the ‘tone’ of a perfectly nice email from a blogger so wouldn’t be ‘working with them going forward’. Erm, hello.. since when was that in the best interests of your client? That’s personal and unprofessional. Some throw out endless emails asking bloggers to report on events they weren’t invited to.. that’s a huge bug-bear, but there’s a new terminology in play presently, often from SMAs on behalf of PRs or brands. Emails asking to ‘work together’ or ‘collaborate’ are not seen as an ‘opportunity’ for the blogger. 
I recently was sent an email like this from someone representing Vanish Stain Remover. As it transpired, ‘working together’ meant me receiving a free pot of Vanish in exchange for soaking my make-up stains and then blogging about the experience. Really? So, the lesson there is not to pretend there is any togetherness whatsoever and ‘working together’ implies there is some mutual benefit – a pot of Vanish? Oh, please.. that’s one benefit most bloggers can pretty well do without. It’s not like we’re stupid! Another common term is ‘help us promote’. And that would be why, exactly? Swathing your requests in business speak with no actual money on the table is silly talk.
Different brands have different PRs and different sample allocations (all radically pared back, by the way); sulking because you can’t get a sample just shows everyone in a bad light. However, if you’re a PR and in the awkward position of fielding a billion requests, it’s far better to just be up-front and say there aren’t any. Every blogger knows that there are many more bloggers in the arena now and that not everyone can have a piece of the action. As bloggers, we have to suck that one up.. there aren’t enough for everyone anymore and there never will be. 
This has literally just popped up in my in-box and is such a great example of what can make a blogger’s head smack the desk.

We are contacting you as we soon be launching a new men’s skincare product.  We have found your blog & website and note that you are somewhat of an authority on men’s lifestyle topics.

We would very much like to send you a free sample of our new product in the first instance and would be grateful if you could agree to passing us a postal address so that we can send this forthwith.

PRs have to understand that bloggers are inundated with this kind of thing every single day. It’s no wonder we get ratty! We’re slogging away at our beauty blogs and yet some-one, somewhere cannot even be bothered to check whether British Beauty Blogger is an authority on men’s lifestyle topics which I clearly am not. If you can’t work with lots of blogs, pick a few that are spot on for your brands to get to know really well instead. Throwing make-up out there and seeing what sticks just doesn’t work from anyone’s perspective. However, if you really want a detailed review, you cannot expect this to be done from a press release and an image. Blogs aren’t free ads for your products! 
So, it seems we have some smoothing over to do on both sides, with openness being key. New bloggers have a lot to learn, and more experienced bloggers have everything to teach, so take advice where you can. I don’t want to hear the word ‘blogger’ said with a sigh, and that’s what’s happening now. It’s up to bloggers to wise up and up to PRs to be more open, more choosy and more careful.


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17 responses to “Busy Times For Blogging”

  1. I recieved the same email this evening! Their website doesn’t even exist yet.

    Very interesting and informative post as always Jane x

  2. Interesting post. I am selective about what I accept (and on a consideration only basis) but I do feel guilty if it takes me a while to blog- but hey I’m human and blogging isnt my only thing in life. Sometimes I wish it was but its not. I value a properly addressed email, my name is on my blog, and no its isnt Musings Computergirl!! xx

  3. A Lauren to Herself

    I understand where you’re coming from 100%; no one wants to be addressed as ‘Blogger’ or receive an email from a PR who has no idea re.the topic of their blog.

    But what I don’t understand is why you’re always so hellbent on naming and shaming individual brands.

    True, a pot of Vanish isn’t a priority for a beauty blogger, but I’m sure the PR in question was just doing her job (with instruction from her boss) and there’s no need for emails like this to be publicly outed.

    That said, I understand some PRs could do a little more research, but there’s no need for a public hanging.

    Lauren

  4. I love these posts of yours Jane. It gives a real insight ot both sides of the fence – some things you would assume would be quite obvious but clearly there’s still a lot to be learned by some.

  5. This is a very informative article, thank you!

    xoxo Keke (Pakize)

    http://madamekeke.blogspot.com

  6. amazing post! 🙂
    I agree with a lot of what you said, PR need to be more open with bloggers. I would much rather be told there were no more samples, that my blog didn’t have enough page views, etc. rather than no reply at all. That’s just not nice.
    I once had a PR ask me to provide 5 email addresses of family/friends in exchange for product… umm no thank you! This was in the hopes of gaining 5 more clients in exchange for the one product they would be sending to me.

  7. Charlie

    It’s the biggest cause of upset to me when a relationship with a brand changes… with no explanation.

    I would many times over prefer an explanation than to just have a brand stop dealing with me for no apparent reason.

    Maybe I should toughen up, but really this isn’t my job, this is my hobby. I can’t stress highly enough this isn’t about the samples, it really truly isn’t, it’s about a brand once upon a time completely keeping you in the loop about everything, but then not keeping you in the loop about anything anymore…yes sometimes there were samples, and I won’t lie, I love getting samples, but its not that, its about relationships. Relationships that over the years I’ve put time and effort into building.

    It saddens me that what actually seems to happen is that the relationship is built with the lovely PR person themselves and not so much the brand, so when that PR person then moves on, the relationship with that brand is effectively over.

    That’s not always the case of course, but it does seem commonplace these days and I know for a fact it’s not just me feeling this, as your post backs up.

  8. Charlie

    I just wanted to add to my original comment, that I do understand that I need to stand back and be less emotionally involved…it’s hard, but I’m trying. On one particularly cringeworthy occasion I was more like a needy ex girlfriend than a blogger… still that was a long time ago and we live and learn, now I don’t cry to the brands, I cry into my pillow instead 😉

  9. Jayne

    I love it when you write posts like this Jane. It’s reassuring to know that many of us are in the same boat and that things are always changing and everyone needs to be aware of it.

  10. Anonymous

    Thanks for this Jane, I think your posts enlighten both pr’s and bloggers and I hope this email does the same as your other posts have done.

    Sometimes I wonder ‘why did she not invite me to that event’ or ‘did she totally forget about me for this launch?’ and it’s not a nice feeling at all that you’ve been left out. My blog isn’t the biggest out there but I have influence within a particular group of people that brands could really benefit from getting sales from so they’re missing out!

  11. ohjoiedevivre

    Jane, ever considered launching an e-book on the ups and downs of beauty blogging? You’ve got some much experience and insight to share.

    Ali x

  12. Very interesting post – as usual! I would add that perhaps bloggers sometimes expect too much from PR agencies and clearly EXPECT samples – quite often I just want more info on a product or other shades in a range for example. I have seen so many bloggers literally filling their twitter feeds bombarding PR agencies with ‘can I blog for you’ posts (as well as to brands) – no wonder they get annoyed!

    I have worked with quite a few different PR agencies but as my site has grown I’m actually only working with 2 or 3 – I like them, they are fun, polite, they ‘get’ me and the style of my site and therefore we work well together. I have also been helpful to them where I can be, always replying to them, discussing product, just generally chatting sometimes etc which builds a relationship – after all that is what it is essentially – a business relationship.

    Clare x (www.sparklysexycool.com)

  13. Eileen

    I agree with Lauren about the mean spiritedness that was evident in Jane’s Vanish anecdote and publication of the e-mail from that other fledgling company. I’m not a blogger, but it seems reasonable to me that companies would reach out to bloggers by asking them to try and then review their products. Stated or not, that is precisely why any company sends any blogger free products. It’s business; not out of the goodness of their hearts.

    Sometimes companies miss the target when offering a particular product to a blogger or they come across as impersonal when they address correspondance to Blogger. So what? It’s certainy no reason for snarkiness or to feel offended. I’m sure the PR folks get clumsy and/or inappropriate requests for products that are simply addressed to PR all the time. I’m not saying that two wrongs make it right. I’m just pointing out that it is not a reason for indignation–righteous or otherwise. Put it in persepective. All it means is that the blogger and PR person haven’t established a relationship yet.

    I do enjoy these articles about blogging. They undoubtedly help those of you who do blog feel a connectedness by offering a place to share frustrations and concerns. I just feel the article could have been as effective without the specific swipes.

  14. Hi Eileen and Lauren: I do think you have a point that maybe there was no need to name.. to be honest, it wasn’t out of vindictiveness, it was more that I didn’t really think about it. They were both such classic examples of what I get into my inbox probably (and no exaggeration) about 20 times a day and I feel a bit exasperated by it. It’s like nothing is ever learned. It’s not that I mind them emailing, but I really do mind them using business speak to imply there is something more when there isn’t. It’s a stretch to put a pot of cleaner on my blog and it simply isn’t appropriate. But for both, they don’t read my blog (they don’t have to, it’s not compulsory!) and I think to effectively target, you do have show at least a little knowledge of the blog genre. I am always far more responsive to those who have at least looked at the home page which is pretty much all that’s required. I don’t even object about not using my name since my name doesn’t appear anywhere on my blog, I don’t expect them to know it. So, I hope that explains a little better. I’m not bomb-proof and do get it wrong sometimes 🙂

  15. Amazing and well written as always. I”m with you on the same page, I couldn’t have said it better. 🙂

  16. Great post and some excellent points have been made. We have certainly come a long way in blogsphere but there is still a lot of work to be done with the relationships between PRs and bloggers. Not everyone gets it and I mean bloggers as well as PRs.

  17. Beauty Box

    I’m actually surprised to read that bloggers expect to be paid to write reviews. I thought money was only involved when it’s a sponsored post,i.e. an advertorial. I’m a bit disturbed that I could be reading some reviews by my favourite bloggers who were paid to review products – I don’t think you could write a truly honest review in such a scenario. I do understand that full-time bloggers need to earn their $$ from somewhere but I think it should be declared the post is sponsored is some way.

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