Why I cried at BlogHer. Twice.
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table4five)
It takes a lot to make me spontaneously burst into tears. Last Friday, I had to get up and leave the State of the Momosphere session at BlogHer because I felt the tears coming, and come they did, before I even left the room. Why? Because when I feel as passionate about something as I do about this topic, it hurts me to hear it put down by people who don’t have actual experience with it at all. That’s right, I’m talking about PayPerPost. PayPerPost was the only paid blogging site invited to be a sponsor at BlogHer ‘07, and do you know why? To paraphrase Lisa Stone, it’s because they are the only one who pays bloggers what they are worth, pays them on time, provides excellent customer support, and provides exceptional community support. But the words PayPerPost spoken at BlogHer were the equivalent of admitting that you enjoy poking yourself in the eyes with sharp needles. The topic of monetization was brought up at the session, and the moderator (Jory Des Jardins, one of the BlogHer founders) asked a question along the lines of “so, what shouldn’t you do for money?” Chris Jordan-a blogger whom I feel a friendship with and whose writing I really enjoy-said “you shouldn’t write for PayPerPost!”. I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. I turned around in my seat because I knew my roommate Liz was standing behind me, and I just looked at her, and she looked at me, and then I turned back around, folded my hands, and concentrated on breathing deeply. Meanwhile, the session was continuing with more discussion about how bloggers of color do not generally get approached to place ads or write reviews, and a woman standing behind me made a joke about how she would be happy to accept laundry detergent. Jory asked something along the lines of “what products wouldn’t you accept?” and someone yelled out “Swiffers!” It’s well-known here on this blog that I got started writing product reviews after I wrote a post titled “I Love Swiffer, yes I do”, and was contacted by a P.R. firm in nearby Ann Arbor who was doing an online campaign for a new design of the Swiffer Sweeper. They asked me if they could send me one in exchange for my writing about it on my blog, and I was thrilled. Someone read something I wrote, and liked it enough to want to hear my opinion on something else? That was pretty damn cool. So. I’m already feeling the pressure of three months of trying not to apologize for becoming a paid blogger- actually, the term at BlogHer was “professional blogger”, then I’m hearing someone make a negative comment about them. Because I had been to Speaker Training, I knew that the “rules” for panel discussions said that if someone made a negative comment, the moderator was supposed to ask for the opposite opinion. Hands were flying up all over the room and I was in the very back, and it wasn’t likely that I was going to be able to get called on. The discussion was continuing, and I was sitting there feeling this big bubble of emotion rising in my chest, and I suddenly knew I had to get up and go call my husband. I was walking to the door and the wonderful Busy Mom was standing there, and she asked me if I was okay. As soon as I opened my mouth to say “no, and I need to call my husband”, the tears burst forth. I walked out into the hallway and started shaking with sobs. And then I got his voicemail and had to leave him a sobby message, which just made him worry. I walked down into the Sponsors Exhibit Hall, and Liz called me and said “stay right there, we’re coming to you”. Having her and Dana want to come find me and make sure I was okay made me feel so much better. They wanted me to go right back and talk to Jory, but she had already left. I was able to speak to Lisa Stone on Saturday, and that’s when she reminded me that Chris had the right to her opinion, and that panelists are free to speak on any subject related to their session, and I totally agree. I’m not angry with Chris Jordan, if she doesn’t like PayPerPost, that is her opinion. What upset me is that the comment was made, and about a sponsor no less, and no one stood up and made a positive comment in response. Including me. I wish I had just jumped up and said “hey, wait a minute”, but I couldn’t. Liz from Mom-101 also mentioned PayPerPost in her panel session on Saturday, and here’s what I think bloggers at her level don’t understand- she might be selling BlogAds, she might be getting paid for focus groups, and to write on other sites, but bloggers at my level generally are not. In a year, I might be at that level and then I might not be writing for PayPerPost any more, I don’t know. But to say that I am devaluing myself as a blogger because I will take $15.00 to write 200 words is just plain wrong in my opinion. I am not so high up in the Blogosphere that I can say no to $15.00. In a post today, Liz mentions getting small items in exchange for reviews, like when Hass MS&L sent me a free roll of Bounty Paper Towel when they were doing the One-sheet challenge. I had a LOT of fun writing that paper towel review over on MomReviews, and I always need paper towel. Plus, sometimes it’s paper towel, and sometimes it’s a free 10.5 inch portable DVD player. You take the reviews for the products that interest you, and you say no thank you to the ones that don’t. Also, no one was saying anything about Parent Blogger Network, for whom I also work, and that probably would have made me cry too! Those are free samples, although there is often compensation in the form of cash or an Amazon gift certificate as well, for which I am VERY GRATEFUL. I have bought CDs, DVDs, and a cool Dora the Explorer toy for Kaitlyn with my PBN money. I LIKE doing reviews, and I LIKE getting stuff in exchange! That being said, I did do a lot of hard thinking this weekend about what kinds of reviews I will do. To raise the money I needed for BlogHer, I pretty much took any opp I could get through PayPerPost as long as it paid well (by “well”, I mean it paid $8-$20). I wrote about whatever the topic was, and I did it for the money. After spending a lot of time at BlogHer talking to two of PPP’s sales directors, Joe Vaughn and Robb Leeland, I realized that PPP doesn’t WANT me to take opps just for the money. When they say “Get Paid to blog about the Things You Love”, they mean it. They want you to only take the opps that are for something you think your readers will want to learn more about. With that in mind, I will be trying to only take opps that relate to parenting and to helping us all with our blogging. That’s not to say that you might not see something different once in a while, but I am definitely NOT too good to take a $25.00 opp or more, that is a LOT of money in our household. I also cried Saturday night when I found out that I had missed getting my photo taken with Elizabeth Edwards at the cocktail party. She had to leave to catch a plane while I was sitting in the shuttle bus on Illinois Ave, stuck in traffic. I had run back to the hotel to drop off the twenty million tons of sponsor gifts I was carrying, and I thought it would be a quick trip there and back. I was wrong. Her assistant Tracy said to me “oh, she wanted to meet you!”, and I burst into tears. Again. Next year, I’m skipping the Mommyblogger session, and shipping all the sponsor stuff home via Fedex. There’s only so much stress I can handle.
| 2.5 |
Chris, on her personal site, made a valid reason for why she doesn’t like PPP. She, like many of us, believe that our writing is worth more than what many of these sites are paying.
I understand the need to get paid (really, I do) but shilling out for a product you don’t know much about seems a bit like increasing their Google rankings. I’d be interested to know how much these “advertising” people pay for other forms of advertising. I’m sure it is much more than you are making.
In regards to Swiffer, there’s no way that ALL the women in that room knew you blogged about swiffer once. Come on, think of the rationality of that! It is as if you say “well, I prefer blogs with blue headers” and I get upset because mine is not blue.
Just because someone is a paid sponsor doesn’t mean that we don’t have the right to speak our minds, our truth. (Note I said “our truth.” We each have a different truth.) I heard many say that they thought some of the pins handed out by Butterball (I think that’s who it was) were in bad taste. Not being able to say something because someone is a “paid sponsor” means that the honesty in those sessions wouldn’t happen.
To me, paid sponsor means they pay money to help make the conference for just a different form of “advertising.” Just, instead of ads on TV or in a magazine, it is in person advertising.
I don’t have ads on my blog yet I didn’t cry when people went on and on about putting ads on and making money. Because, as I said, what works for them does not work for me. Their truth is different.
I feel that this has gone from an anthill to a mountain.
SJ- I absolutely agree with you that my writing NOW is worth more than it was when I started with PayPerPost, which is why I no longer accept a job to write 200 words for $5.00. But back when we were so broke that we had maxed out our credit card just to buy groceries, there was no one else offering me $60.00 a week to write anything.
As I said in the post, I am not saying that everyone should have been upset. I’m not even saying that I should have been upset! The panel sessions were meant for open discussion of all view points, and I’m unhappy with myself for letting a comment that wasn’t even directed at me make me so upset that I couldn’t raise my hand and offer a different opinion. If someone had said “Don’t use Google, they suck”, I would have hoped that someone else would have had a chance to say why they do like Google, that’s all I’m saying. Point, counterpoint. It was a missed opportunity on my part.
I appreciate you reading the whole post and leaving a comment. We met only briefly while waiting for the shuttle bus, but I have known of you and your blog for some time. You are very talented.
I wish someone out there would take me seriously, take my writing skills seriously, and hire me to do some real writing that provides value to the Internets as a whole. I certainly hope that day comes soon.
I wasn’t at that session. And I am glad I wasn’t. I got the feeling that people left unfulfilled, angry, and sad.
I definitely have mixed feelings. After all, I do Parent Blogger Network reviews and have been very happy with the products that I have reviewed. But even so, I wonder if my opinion is taken seriously. I usually bore of reviews written by others, so I understand why mine get zero comments! If I am interested in a particular product, however, I’ll definitely seek out another blogger’s opinion via their review.
Kari- And wasn’t it interesting that no one was or is now complaining about Parent Blogger Network? How is a free package of Nozin NASAL SWABS any different than a free roll of paper towel? Ooooh, that is such a good point!! I’m adding it to the post right now.
I attended your wordpress workshop with Vicki and loved it!
Thank you so much for your generosity of spirit.
Michelle- I’m so glad you got in touch with me! It was a thrill to lead that lab session, truly. I had no idea I could teach people to create blogs, and it was so exciting to see it happening! If you are in touch with Vicki, please tell her I would love to her from her, I want to help her get her Wordpress blog going when she is ready. And if you decide to leave Blogger, let me know
Great to meet you!
(((HUGS))) I think you’re an awesome individual! Bursting out in tears just shows what a passionate person you are. PPP is lucky to have you as one of their faithful!
Wow! Certainly, anyone should put a great value on your works. You’re such a priceless writer! Keep it up!
Don’t let that stuff get to you. People are always going to be out there who have differing opinions. As long as you are comfortable with what you do and how you do it, that is all that matters.
Keep your head up, keep a big smile on your face, and review whatever you want to review.
If people don’t like it, they don’t have to read it.
Leigh- Thank you for your support, fellow Postie! But my readers have a point, writing about drug rehab and student loan consolidation is taking away from what made this blog unique in the first place. I still need to earn enough to get to BlogWorld in November, but I can be more smart about it.
You know what would really help? If everyone would search Google for MomReviews! I desperately need PageRank on it.
Full disclosure: in case anyone doesn’t already know, I am one of those marketing/pr types. And a mom.
There is nothing wrong with paid reviews, as long as there is disclosure. And it’s nothing new to the blogosphere — existed way before blogging. Difference is, more people can now participate and that can be a very good thing.
IMO, the main problem with PayPerPost is that it just doesn’t pay writers enough for their work. As a result, in general, the quality of what clients get for their money is pretty spotty, usually superficial and probably doesn’t do what they thought it would for their brands. And not just in the momosphere.
Elizabeth, you plan on taking a different approach, and make sure that the assignments you take fit organically with your blog. I respect you for making your decision and sticking to your guns. I just wish PPP was paying you more for the higher caliber work you intend to do for them.
I’m going to write some more about this on my marketing blog later this week, so won’t bore everyone with more marketing biz analysis here.
If you’re interested in other paid blogging ops, they are out there. While some people have the company come to them, most have to market themselves to get the job. I did.
If you’re interested in that, there are spots. Just have to look and be persistent.
I make no apologies for who I am, what I write and what I do or don’t get paid for. I don’t judge people on what they make on their “real” job, nor would I make them feel bad about what they make so why do it about people’s “blogging job”. It’s a personal decision and that’s why I only dropped in and out of the Momosphere session. I love hearing different opinions but that’s all they are…opinions. The only that really matters is what works for me.
I wish I’d had more time to visit with you!
I’ve posted a few times for PayPerPost. While I do not use it as a means to pay my mortage, I do use it to help with the little extras in life. If you were working a part-time minimum wage job you would be making, well here in the state of Indiana, $5.75 per hour. To be honest these posts only take maybe an hour or two of my time at the most. So all it all it averages out to me. Don’t take it personally what Chris said, I think she was just expressing her veiwpoint on the site. Wish I could have been there to give you a little nudge to stand up and express your’s.
I agree with Sarcastic Journalist. Just keep searching and you’ll find better. Stay strong and you’ll do fine!
Marrakech- Thank you for the compliment
But honestly, this is NOT my best writing. I can do so much better.
RWA- I’m afraid that I’ve never going to be good at letting stuff go. My skin is not very thick. But my readers here are right, what made Table for Five it’s own unique blog was the way I wrote about things, the stories I told, and I have stopped doing that. I was writing non-paid posts just because I was required to, and not because I had something interesting to say. I’m lucky that my blog readers care enough about me to tell me that they miss the “old” me, instead of just leaving and never coming back. You’ll be seeing a big change around here, I’ll tell you that much.
Susan- It’s not that PPP doesn’t pay it’s bloggers enough, because they don’t pay us, the advertisers do. And the advertisers would rather create a campaign where they pay 100 bloggers $5.00 each rather than two $250.00 campaigns. I don’t know why, because the level of blogger that would qualify for the $250.00 would generally be a much better writer with a wider reach of audience.
For example, right now an advertiser called SquareTrade is offering $235.00 for 300 words, plus links and an image, to a blogger who writes about consumer electronics, has a Page Rank of 6, and an Alexa of no more than 9,999. And there is at least two of those jobs available, because it still shows up and someone has already rated it. But mostly, it’s $5.00 jobs that are listed.
Also, what dilutes the quality of the writing is that you can take 2 jobs (or “opps”) a day, as long as you put a personal post in between. Which means four posts a day, which is too many for most people to handle. The average person spends just 30 seconds looking at the front page of a blog!
I’ll be adding your blog to my feed reader so I can pick up some marketing tips. I appreciate all this time you are taking to give me your opinions and feedback, and thank you!
SJ- I’d appreciate any leads you could pass my way! Or tips on how to approach the sites. I think I could write for Dot Moms or iVillage or one of the community blog sites, if not right now then definitely within the year, it’s just a matter of standing out from the crowd. Thanks for the tip.
Jenny- Thanks for that pat on the back, I appreciate it. If the feedback I was getting had to do with my writing on another site, that would be one thing. But these kind bloggers are the ones who have been reading me for a year or more, and they want me to know that they miss the way I used to write before I started monetizing. I completely respect their opinions in the matter, and they make a lot of valid points.
On the other hand, I want to go to the BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas in November, and I need money for that, and school is starting which means fees and clothes and supplies, etc. etc. It would be so easy to dive headfirst into PayPerPost and just start raking in the cash in a whorish kind of way. It’s hard to step away from that.
I’m so glad we happened to rotate past each other during Speed Dating at BlogHer! I was so excited when I looked at your nametag and realized it was you! If we both go next year, I hope we can at least sit and talk over coffee or something!
I think everything is going to be okay. I understand your point very much and I was sad that you were sad that day.
It’s so easy for bloggers with a lot of traffic to forget how hard it is to get paid blogging gigs and how difficult it is to market ourselves when we have no direction in that area.
Perhaps we’ll have to start our own organization to get this to work in our favor!
There is no doubt that PPP is one of the most divisive subjects in the blog community, with people either in one camp or the other, with no room for compromise. If PPP people highlight items they genuinely believe is all right, then it is ok, but not anything at all.
First of all, I think it’s great that you can make money blogging. No one is saying everyone has to read all the posts put up by every blogger! If I see something is a sponsored post and it’s not interesting to me, I won’t read it… same if it isn’t sponsored!
And, secondly, what is the difference between adds on your site, writing for money and writing for Pay per post? It’s all the same, just different forms of income!
I know there is a big deal about “add free blogging” but let’s face it — we all got into blogging for different reasons and we all have different needs and wants. If you choose to write paid posts, whether for PPP or for an online community that pays you, it’s all the same!
And I like getting free stuff too! I want to do more reviews! I just did one for a book and have another one in the works! Me likey freebies!
I think it’s horrible that they would let someone ridicule a sponsor of the event. That’s not good business. To be quite honest, I’ve seen a few things out of BlogHer that I do NOT like at all and thus I declined their ad program and won’t put them on my blogs or sites.
I’d rather earn in a way I can be proud of then to partner with people who’ve gotten so big they forgot what it’s like to be small.
If you make money from PPP and YOU are proud of what you do, that’s all that matters!
I’m sorry you had to endure such childish and unprofessional experiences and what’s worse, that you had to pay for it too.
Jess and Mimi:
The difference between ppp and “getting paid to write” is that you are not only the writer, you are the publisher. Your blog is the media buy. Your audience are your friends. Those things have value beyond the time you’ve spent on the post. So basically, you may get $5.75 for 2 hours of writing (eek) but you are also spending time maintaining your site, upping your stats, drawing an audience, and keeping them there.
Mimi: The difference between ads on your site and advertorial is huge. If the food editor of the NY Times says “I love CoolWhip! I use it all the time!” that means something very different than seeing a CoolWhip ad in the paper.
If you look at advertising research on endorsers like Ed McMahon, people don’t take his recommendations seriously. They feel he’s doing it for the money. He becomes a joke. Do you want to be a joke? The fastest way to do that is to just write “I love this product!” for any company that offers you five bucks to do it. If you’re okay with that, then more power to you. But it’s not “all the same.”
I think Elizabeth’s readers are delighted that she’s going to refocus her efforts on her writing, and start choosing only those reviews that have personal significance to her.
We are all behind her!
(And psst…try Family.com for writing gigs)
Hi Elizabeth,
You and I hashed this whole issue out on the way to Chicago and then on the way back, after you had had the tears. And I can see why you cried (and you also told me that if you had not been so utterly exhausted and overwhelmed, then it probably would not have happened–I hear you on that one).
I must be hard to not take this personally, and because I have spoken to you about this so much at length, I know what this money means to you and your family. I have to say I would not sniff at 15 or 25 bucks either for a pretty easy writing gig (how hard can it be, right? SORRY LIZ;-)) But not on my personal blog.
You and I talked about this–that doing this type of writing (”advertorials”) comes with a risk, and you need to be willing to be at peace with that. Table4Five came alive as a mommyblog–your “brand” was your authentic and personal voice. People felt they were talking you personally. The fact is, when you write PPP, even though many of us might be cheering you on to financial benefits, you will often lose that broader audience/community. The voice is not the same, the sense of authenticity can be lost. The trust you build up can be compromised. It’s a very tall order to ask your readers to bear with you, and you know this. You’ve seen the effects, and we’ve talked about what that means.
Like I said to you on the train, it’s a tradeoff. If you want to earn money this way (and more power to you sister) you have to be at peace with what that will do to your readership, and you also have to be at peace with the fact that many people do not enjoy reading PPPs. When someone asks “what’s Elizabeth up today?” and comes and reads an ad instead of a personal post (and I know they are still there, but a little buried) it can be disappointing, and frankly people can feel a little exploited–that they have established a relationship with you, and now they are being directly marketed to.
You said you were not going to apologize any more, and I say amen to that. But like I say, this does mean you have to be at peace with the consequences. It also means that you can’t take it personally when people voice opinions about PPP. They have a point, not so much about it not being enough money (I’d shill for $25, easily–but not on my personal blog) but certainly about what it can do to a blogger/audience relationship.
I am rooting for you, E. Seriously. xoxox
Ditto what Liz said. And, the whole issue of criticizing sponsors of BlogHer? We MUST be able to criticize sponsors. There is absolutely no point in having a conference where no real, substantive discussion and mutual empowerment can occur - which is what WOULD happen if if we were censored. We must be able to speak openly about PPP, AOL, Google if we’re going to be able to really be meaningfully empowered as individuals and as a community. If I, as a panellist, had been told that I mustn’t be critical of sponsors, I would have withdrawn, and probably launched a boycott.
I’m biased, because I was a panellist, but I thought that the panel was excellent, and that the discussion was excellent, and that we covered about as much as we could in a limited period of time. Perhaps there was a missed opportunity with PPP talking points, but that’s the point of having so much out-of-panel time at the conference.
I’m a fan of yours, Elizabeth, you know that, so I support whatever choices you think are best for you. But the momosphere just wouldn’t be the momosphere if we couldn’t speak openly to each other about such choices, and the reasons we make them. Just like you’re doing here, right now.
xo
**please don’t get upset at this, i just want to be REALLY honest with you**
personally, since you started writing ppp daily- no matter how clever, your blog isn’t the same. and i love you tons and tons, but it’s true. i want to read about what is on your mind…. what is going on with you and your life.. not how you’re going to creatively fit a topic into a PPP post.
i am very happy to hear that you’re going to write more for and about you. it’s what keeps a blog personal, and likeable. it’s how a reader discovers that she can relate to/with you. and once you meet that person (like you and i have) you almost feel a greater stake in their blog. you care more. you WANT to read what is going on with them because you have a kinship, you know? and even though i know and realize and UNDERSTAND your reasons for writing pay per post posts- it still doesn’t change what your blog had become- which was a blog full of ppp content and not a blog full of personal posts.
i realize that you have to do what is right for you. none of us are paying your bills, or helping you get to blogher, so if PPP is helping you do that- more power to you. i just wanted you to know that there has to be a balance there. and what had started to happen was that your blog lost the personal, likeable part of it- and just became a clever way to advertise. personally, i like the likeable and personal posts way better.
still love me? cause i still love you.
We’re not all going to agree all the time on what course of action we should take. We each have to make our own choices based on our own circumstances, and live with those choices regardless of what others may say. We can’t expect others to validate our choices, nor can we expect them to refrain from criticism - especially when it’s not directed specifically at us.
You do what’s right for you. But like Liz said, I hope you are going to focus on the posts that you can relate to personally. Because your authenticity is too valuable to give up.
I really think that what you do with your time and your blog is what is most important. You could not afford BlogHer but you worked your ass of to get there. And while you are there, the company that helped you is bashed? I understand your frustrations. PPP helped get you there. Of course you feel a loyalty. I’m sure that most of the women there that bashed PPP could afford the trip to Chicago, no problem. ::sigh:: This is just another thing that happens when people open their mouth without thinking, in the quest to be quirky and cute and get some laughs. You are a great blogger, hands down. I’m sorry you had this experience. I hope that next time people will think before they speak. Think about the things that others had to do to get to the same place they are at already. Its not always easy and you prove that a little hard work and dedication will get you far.
Jess- I do agree that in can be a very helpful source of income, I think the problem that I have is that I am not a tech blogger. If I was, my readers would be used to reading posts about websites and more business-oriented topics. If I was a Health blogger, the drug rehab and Liposuction posts would make more sense. What PayPerPost needs to do is find advertisers that have products that appeal to parents. If I could write about baby strollers or children’s clothing or educational toys, it wouldn’t seem so out of place.