Comments on: The business of buying off bloggers http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/ Ben Cotton's take on PR, social media and digital with a dash of employability... Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:05:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Install Communication Software http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-192 Install Communication Software Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:27:35 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-192 Very good information thank you. Bookmarking this page. Very good information thank you.
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]]> By: Sal A http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-58 Sal A Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:40:42 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-58 The Edelman Wal-Mart fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg - if you look just at Edelman you see a long list of these types of behaviors. Since they are frequently cited as being one of the more savvy online flacking agencies the others must be doing even worse things? A quick review of other Edelman blogging fiascos on behalf of their clients include such links as: * "Burger King fires secret bloggers" * "USA Innovations and Thai Myth blogs tied to PR firm" * "Microsoft blog influence blunder..." * "PR firm launches blog offensive for GMO giant Monsanto..." The Edelman Wal-Mart fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg – if you look just at Edelman you see a long list of these types of behaviors. Since they are frequently cited as being one of the more savvy online flacking agencies the others must be doing even worse things? A quick review of other Edelman blogging fiascos on behalf of their clients include such links as:

* “Burger King fires secret bloggers”
* “USA Innovations and Thai Myth blogs tied to PR firm”
* “Microsoft blog influence blunder…”
* “PR firm launches blog offensive for GMO giant Monsanto…”

]]> By: Buying my first business suit, question on fit? | Suits & Jackets blog http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-47 Buying my first business suit, question on fit? | Suits & Jackets blog Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:22:33 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-47 [...] The business of buying off bloggers « Social Web Thing [...] [...] The business of buying off bloggers « Social Web Thing [...]

]]> By: Matt Churchill http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-46 Matt Churchill Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:03:24 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-46 2This practice is advertising (plain and simple) masquerading as something very different e.g. genuine third party endorsement…as soon as money changes hands you cease to be a third party." This is the key point, people reading blogs are looking for a recommendation - by all means advertise and be sponsored, just show a banner to let your readers know! 2This practice is advertising (plain and simple) masquerading as something very different e.g. genuine third party endorsement…as soon as money changes hands you cease to be a third party.”

This is the key point, people reading blogs are looking for a recommendation – by all means advertise and be sponsored, just show a banner to let your readers know!

]]> By: Should bloggers get paid to write blog posts? | blog till you drop! http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-44 Should bloggers get paid to write blog posts? | blog till you drop! Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:45:36 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-44 [...] 17th November 2009: - Matt Churchill: PR agencies must not pay bloggers - Ben Cotton: The business of buying off bloggers - Peter Sigrist: Blogging could disappear as quickly has it has risen Share and [...] [...] 17th November 2009: – Matt Churchill: PR agencies must not pay bloggers – Ben Cotton: The business of buying off bloggers – Peter Sigrist: Blogging could disappear as quickly has it has risen Share and [...]

]]> By: Ben Cotton http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-43 Ben Cotton Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:27 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-43 I think this is an awful practice. My experience centres on a company that unashamedly flouted good ethics with wonderfully short sighted statements like… ‘We will not accept postings with notes indicating the posting was paid for or is a sponsored posting (or any other language that communicates this point). If a note exists elsewhere on your blog that speaks of paid or sponsored listings, that's ok, it just cannot be on or near the posting done for XXXX, and the postings that you create for XXXX cannot be in a "Paid" section of your blog’. This practice is advertising (plain and simple) masquerading as something very different e.g. genuine third party endorsement…as soon as money changes hands you cease to be a third party. There is a horrible lack of disclosure - deliberately misleading consumers is never acceptable and needs to be stamped out. This is the latest manifestation of the fake blog and whilst it may be a ‘real’ person blogging, if you are effectively being told what to say by PR people, it is not your blog anymore. In Rob Brown’s useful book ‘Public Relations and the social web’ he talks about the new ethics within PR…these companies would do well to get their hands on a copy. Disclaimer: I was not paid a fee to mention Rob Brown’s book. I think this is an awful practice. My experience centres on a company that unashamedly flouted good ethics with wonderfully short sighted statements like…

‘We will not accept postings with notes indicating the posting was paid for or is a sponsored posting (or any other language that communicates this point). If a note exists elsewhere on your blog that speaks of paid or sponsored listings, that’s ok, it just cannot be on or near the posting done for XXXX, and the postings that you create for XXXX cannot be in a “Paid” section of your blog’.

This practice is advertising (plain and simple) masquerading as something very different e.g. genuine third party endorsement…as soon as money changes hands you cease to be a third party. There is a horrible lack of disclosure – deliberately misleading consumers is never acceptable and needs to be stamped out.

This is the latest manifestation of the fake blog and whilst it may be a ‘real’ person blogging, if you are effectively being told what to say by PR people, it is not your blog anymore.

In Rob Brown’s useful book ‘Public Relations and the social web’ he talks about the new ethics within PR…these companies would do well to get their hands on a copy.

Disclaimer: I was not paid a fee to mention Rob Brown’s book.

]]> By: Stephanie Villegas http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-41 Stephanie Villegas Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:32:00 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-41 Ben, As a blogger and an SEO exec. I am only mildly surprised by this, it really highlights some of the black hat techniques that certain (not be named) agencies undertake and is a shame as it gives the whole industry a bad name. I definitely support the position you're taking and hope other bloggers have the same sense of integrity! Ben,

As a blogger and an SEO exec. I am only mildly surprised by this, it really highlights some of the black hat techniques that certain (not be named) agencies undertake and is a shame as it gives the whole industry a bad name.

I definitely support the position you’re taking and hope other bloggers have the same sense of integrity!

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-40 uberVU - social comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:14:02 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-40 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by bencotton: 'The business of buying off bloggers' [from my blog] http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by bencotton: ‘The business of buying off bloggers’ [from my blog] http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/...

]]> By: Lolly http://socialwebthing.com/2009/11/17/the-business-of-buying-off-bloggers/#comment-39 Lolly Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:46:24 +0000 http://socialwebthing.com/?p=129#comment-39 Hi Ben, I can't believe SEO agencies also do that sort of stuff! This is an absolute disgrace! The whole point of the social web is to be able to recommend products to peers, or on the other hand, have a moan when things go wrong. Bloggers might as well hand their WordPress login details in exchange for money, so that the agency in question can write the blog post themselves! Hi Ben,

I can’t believe SEO agencies also do that sort of stuff! This is an absolute disgrace!

The whole point of the social web is to be able to recommend products to peers, or on the other hand, have a moan when things go wrong.

Bloggers might as well hand their WordPress login details in exchange for money, so that the agency in question can write the blog post themselves!

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