These days it isn’t a no-no for paid posts on blogs – there are many bloggers hoping to get something back from the hard work they put into their blogs. I take occasional sponsored posts on products that I think I have a view on and, like many bloggers, I always declare that I’ve been paid. Why not? I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to have them there. In fact, some brands who support blogs with budget are welcomed because they understand that they’re tapping into a huge, beauty relevant audience and they’re happy not to take that for granted. So, my personal take is that if it is a brand I like or a product that I enjoy, I am happy to take it as a sponsored post even if it is outside of my usual blogging remit and provided I have something to say about it. If I can’t see anything to commend the product, then I don’t take it – I’d rather keep my reputation any day of the week than make a quick few pounds. It takes years to build trust and I treasure it dearly.
But, it’s becoming commonplace now for blogs to ONLY accept paid for content, or at least a majority of paid for content and on the blogs I have researched there isn’t even a whisper of declaration. Now, I see it from both sides – it is hard to turn money away when you work night and day on your blog; they really are, for the majority, a labour of love. A lot of blog readers and other bloggers recognise that, and on seeing a sponsored post, don’t turn a hair. But, my issue is also with the brands, social media agencies and PRs who are offering out the payments, seeing that no sponsorship has been declared and thinking that it’s okay. It is not okay – it’s anything but okay. If that’s you, then you are complicit in breaking the law. Here are the rules from the OFT that have been in existence since 2010.
“Under the CPRs, it is prohibited to use editorial content in the media to promote a product, where the trader has paid for the promotion, without making that clear in the content. It is also prohibited to mislead consumers by act or omission (for example in relation to any endorsement of the product), where this is likely to have an impact on the consumer’s decision making about the product. These rules apply to any trader involved in the promotion, sale or supply of products to or from consumers.
These rules apply irrespective of whether the activity is offline (for example, promotional activity in newspapers and magazines) or online (such as websites and social networks). The action taken in December 2010 is the first time we have applied these provisions to this sort of online activity.”
I’ve been blogging for a long time now and even I am surprised at the scale of this activity – I genuinely had no idea it was as wide-spread as it appears to be. I am very much prepared to tackle head on the brands that are playing along with non-declaration which puts them swimming in very murky water indeed. The strange thing is that if everyone was declaring according to the law then this wouldn’t even be an issue. What would then be the issue is why some bloggers are being paid and others aren’t, which is what I suspect is at the root of the collusion. That’s a hard question to answer, right? If you’re running your blog on only paid posts, that’s entirely your business, but if you are running your blog on only paid posts without declaring, then it’s everyone’s business, particularly the blog readers buying products on a paid-for recommendation.
The knock on effect for bloggers who have good relationships with brands and PRs is the feeling of having the wool pulled over their eyes. Knowing some of the brands who have paid out for non-declared posts, I feel rather mistrustful towards them. If non-declaration continues, the future of blogging becomes very unsure. People taking money without declaring could ruin not only their own blogging careers but the industry itself, built on impartiality and trustworthy reviews. Ultimately, PRs, SMAs and brands will destroy all the benefits they currently gain from their relationships with bloggers and in turn, destroy their relationship with the consumer. I’ve seen emails from bloggers saying they don’t post unless it’s paid for – I’ve also seen emails where bloggers ask, perfectly reasonably, if there is budget. There is nothing wrong with either of those things – bloggers can run their blogs how they like. Where it starts to go wrong is when bloggers don’t then declare and when brands pay up, realise that it isn’t declared, continue a non-declaration relationship. You can argue the morals all day long, but what you cannot argue with is the law.
Just to be completely clear, if Tweets are sponsored, they also have to be declared – even I am not clear on whether affiliate link tweets (mine are always labelled *AL*) need to be declared but I, and many other bloggers, do it nonetheless. If you have been specifically paid to Tweet though, all usual declaration rules apply.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.
26 comments
Very informative and well reasoned post
http://lippylikes.blogspot.com
It is so hard to find honest bloggers out there these days. Either they’re intoxicated with press samples and freebies and are unable to express their honest opinions about products, or else they are paid and not disclose it. I saw on a blog the other day in their ‘disclaimer’ section, that sponsored posts are marked with an ‘*’. That is complete bull**** since not everyone that’s reading their post will be heading to their disclaimer page afterwards or in advance or reading.
Truth of the matter is, at the end of the day, as a reader I must choose my ‘Bloggers’ carefully, a thing I’ve been doing a long time now. I trust only a handful of my fellow Bloggers and I guess you just have to be smart about it.
Although I agree with you to some degree, I also feel you’ve made an incredibly sweeping statement that doesn’t apply to the majority. Just because you receive press samples doesn’t mean you can’t be impartial or honest – I receive too much to physically try or write about, but everything I cover has been tried and is spoken about honestly (regardless if it’s a positive or negative experience.) It shouldn’t make a different if you’ve paid for something or not; that’s not the issue here.
It’s not about whether you are paid to write or not ..or whether samples are free or not.. that isn’t the issue .. it’s whether you disclose and whether brands are colluding with non-disclosure. I don’t have any issue with bloggers earning money from their hard work and actually whether people disclose samples or not.. that seems to be a very small issue. I need to go back and have a look at the post because I don’t really know how you have picked up that samples or being paid is the issue?
Hi Hayley, I didn’t express myself clearly and I am sorry for that – I was caught in the heat of the moment and I take full blame. Let me explain myself further:
I am a Beauty Blogger also and I work with PR companies (no money involved whatsoever- it’s fine if someone earns money from their blogging, they should and each to their own) and I receive press samples on a regular basis.
If I said ‘intoxicated with press samples’ I meant that some Bloggers are dishonest and unable to say ONE negative thing about any of the press samples they receive, that basically translates into them loving everything, and there is no such thing in my opinion – I think we all know that. At the end of the day, blogging is and should be about transparency and honesty and some bloggers aren’t honest and transparent.
That was and is my beef, and while it may be off topic a bit here, non disclosure of paid posts, lying about the efficacy and quality of a product, etc., it’s all called dishonesty at the end of the day.
I think you are right that there is a fear of being negative about samples, but people are at liberty to read the blogs they connect with most and sometimes it is the ‘love everything’ blogs. I just think it’s such an interesting debate and my, how blogging has changed! Thanks for your very welcome comments x
Fantastic post. The lack of ethics on display here from both sides is astounding. I am constantly striving to make my blog as transparent as possible because my readers’ trust is so important to me. That some bloggers are putting up a front, and conning their audience is really shocking and so disappointing.
Rachel x
Whenever I see a sponsored post on a blog I always wonder if their opinions are real or if they’re saying nice things for the money. Some bloggers I completely trust, however others seem to do a lot of sponsored posts and it does make me wonder if the money is driving them. I’d much rather know if a post is sponsored so I can do more research and fully feel informed.
I’m exactly the same, I’m never sure on sponsored posts either!
Ohhh good stuff. I prefer as a reader to know if the items were sent to the blogger, I don’t hate on sponsored posts.. but I do want to know!
As someone who has only recently started blogging I find this post worrying and depressing. Non declaration of paid for posts is going to tarnish the rep of all bloggers as readers won’t know who to trust. What’s next? Brands paying bloggers to write negative posts about the competition. Personally, I find writing honestly about products etc, feels good. As does discovering and writing about new stuff. Where’s the fun and satisfaction in churning out pr spiel all the time?? It’s just so lazy. Hopefully, readers will eventually cotton on to the bloggers who are doing this and desert them in droves.
I saw your RT about this today – it’s so disheartening that the blogging community is doing this. I’ve noticed changes in some of my favourite bloggers that I’ve followed for a while now, and I’m really hoping that the changes aren’t caused by paid posts!
Sure money is amazing, but all the effort you put into your blog is wasted when you’re being told what to write. And companies should put their money into making amazing products instead of putting money into bribing people to write amazing things!
http://www.ceejayell.blogspot.co.uk
I had to stop myself responding to a tweet the other day which asked ‘why should I write about a product if I’m not being paid to do so?’…… erm, because your readers might actually be interested in it. and surely, that’s the important thing? But maybe that’s just me.
I can’t believe someone actually tweeted that.
I think it’s a slightly foggy issue – brands do take the P sometimes getting bloggers to jump through hoops and I get annoyed with their attitude that they don’t pay for other people’s work (i.e bloggers) and the entire mentality that blogging is *free* – I do not begrudge any blogger being paid for their work.. the issue is non-disclosure which is illegal.
Oh yes. I compiled a few replies before I thought better of it.
Great post…
I find it really odd that people wouldn’t declare it. I also find it really odd that there are blogs that only have paid content, I mean come on, if you love your area surely somethings would be done off your own back? Not everything would have to be paid.
That said, I think you know the difference between blogs that are just full of promotion and blogs that are genuinely informative and opinionated, the simple course of action would be to just not read those unauthentic blogs.
Blogging today is a total mindfield – I don’t really know if it’s becoming more of a mindfield as it gets bigger and more mainstream or not. But what I do know is that when I started back in early 2009, the heart of blogging was about honesty and giving a real persons view of a beauty product. Something I still think is really important – even at a time when blogs are going down more of an aspirational/glossy mag style direction.
But this post is about more than just the foundation of what blogs are meant to be about – it’s about the non-disclosure of paid for content – which frankly, is just plain wrong. When it comes for paid for content – more so than PR samples – I can honestly say that in my opinion it’s just plain devious and misleading to not make paid for content clear.
Paid for content is different to reviews or editorial – it’s usually written with a brief behind it. A brief DOES NOT mean ‘you must write a positive review’ a brief means key messages should be included – launch date, product information, technical claims etc It might also mean that you should signpost to a brand’s social pages or the relevant page on their website. Or that the post should be live by a certain date or perhaps be featured on it’s own rather than alongside other brands. All details that are essentially optional in a genuine post – where you have total control of what’s included.
I personally think there’s no harm in sponsored content – with the MAJOR caveat that there’s no harm as long as it’s clear to all parties. That includes the PR/brand, the blogger AND the readers.
At the end of the day individual bloggers can do the whole ‘my blog, my rules’ approach if that’s what they see fit – totally ignoring the FTC rules… But I guess my one question is – why? Why are you essentially pulling the wool over the eyes of the people that without them, you’re blog would be worth nothing. As brands aren’t really paying for you or your view – they’re paying for access to your readers and to get those eyeballs on their message.
Trying to make this essay comment as short as possible… but the other thing that really annoys me when I hear about fellow bloggers not disclosing is that it really does make the whole blogging playingfield totally uneven. A lot of us work really hard at it and dream of it being our day jobs – bloggers who’s short term gains of a non-disclosed sponsored post muddy the waters and make blogging that little bit more complicated and more of a battle for the rest of us.
On the other hand, I really want to know who’s on the ‘naughty list’ for this one…!
As someone who made the switch from reading magazines to reading blogs years ago (and I was reading blogs well before starting my own), this kind of thing makes me want to go back to magazines! At least with magazines you know, essentially, what goes on behind the scenes. With blogging it used to be about pure honesty – like asking a friend what they thought of x moisturiser or y fake tan – and I appreciated every blog post I read as honest and upfront. Now, as we all know, the waters are much murkier. I have seen a few bloggers – whose impeccable taste I have always respected and whose recommendations I have often followed through on with a purchase – become much ‘foggier’ in their approach to PR samples (no law on that, but still – I think – nice to know), to sponsored/paid for posts, and some using VERY clever wording to escape the regulations that many of us self-impose if they aren’t actually cemented in the law. I think it is a real shame as the fundamental core of what blogging WAS about is no longer always there. My apologies for a not-quite-coherent thought process here – I need a coffee! X
I think its imperative to declare as much as possible in order to gain the trust of your reader. I’ve even gone as far as to say ‘I don’t work for X brand, but I used to..’ – I don’t like murky water.
If I’ve omitted a disclosure on a post by firing one off to quickly – I always go back and adjust it – even if it was months ago.
I personally don’t do sponsored posts – but that’s just because at the moment I don’t have the necessity, the inclination or the financial need. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sponsored content – but if its not declared I lose respect for the blogger and in all honesty probably stop reading.
And don’t get me started on undeclared affiliate links.
Great post.
I don’t really get this if i’m honest, not your opinion, but the subject. I do sponsored posts but they’re usually a link to a website hidden in a lifestyle post of some sort, not a review of something, that I find quite odd!
I declare everything to be on the safe side as I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t.
I do hate the murkiness around sponsored content requests, especially since Google started getting funny about it. I got an e-mail a couple of days ago saying that they didn’t want the (pre-agreed) write-up to be perceived as sponsored content but they wanted to send a fee as thanks…in my opinion, the moment money is exchanged the content becomes sponsored regardless of how you phrase it!
I’ve also noticed that a few companies are offering HUGE sums in the hope that you’ll not mention the word “sponsored” which is pretty rubbish as I would imagine some people would find that tricky to pass up.
Extremely interesting post 🙂 xx
So how are you pitching the agencies? Are they approaching you or you do? I always seem to struggle with getting something out of them. They want every post, advert or PR article for free. I found it very abusive so don’t even answer to them. My blog is the only one of the kind, attracting wide audience worldwide but just don’t want to be their advocate for nothing. Any tips how to deal with the agencies and clients?
Interesting post by the way…
http://www.lejdizmagazine.com
Just lost the comment I was writing, so I’ll summarise… non-disclosure of payment is not OK and doesn’t help change the often negative images of bloggers. To be taken seriously, you have to play by the rules.
Great post! I’ve been seeing a lot of posts recently where I’ve thought hummmm this looks like a sponsored post but there is nowhere on the blog which says that it is. ‘Nice’ to know what is really going on out there!
Very belatedly (catching up with Feedly) I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your clarity about what you are doing when. I live in the US yet don’t bother reading US-based beauty blogs any more because they have almost all become marketing channels, with no personal opinion and no critique. I’d rather come read yours even if all the products aren’t in my market, because of your transparency!