The debate between bloggers and PR rages on and I have a new gripe. I’ve written about the need for brands to evaluate their working relationship with bloggers, and for bloggers to closely examine what they are being asked to do, why and what’s in it for them.
At times it seems like no one is listening.
My latest complaint is the spate of “Call in Opportunities” and “Online Events” I have been invited to. To me these translate as “Cheap Date”. At the very least, if you want me to write about your product, feed me. Entertain me. Woo me a little, would you?
I do realize that conference calls are an accepted practice in the world of Journalism. People with paid writing jobs who are short on time to travel, do call in for the 411 on a new product. It makes sense. It’s expedient, they have an article to write, an assignment to finish.
Bloggers are not journalists (take that debate elsewhere, and go with the assumption here). Bloggers do not have a paid job, or an assignment to finish. If they take time out of their busy lives to learn about a product, service or project, there is no other incentive, award, reward, compensation, motivation etc for the time they spend listening to what is essentially a pitch. If they do choose to write about it, there will be no payday.
When bloggers attend a live event to learn about a new product, service or project they are usually fed, entertained and/or gifted with product. They get to spend time with friends. They have a pleasant day out. It’s not for everyone and there are bloggers who would spit in your eye before they attended a baby gizmo info session (Jessica Gottlieb, I am not linking to you because of anything specific, but I am thinking of you!). And good for them. We all have to decide what our time is worth.
What I cannot for the life of me understand, is why someone would spend an hour or more of their lives to sit (mostly) silent and alone in their own homes, and listen to a schpiel, so that they can then spend another silent and solitary hour writing about whatever they were just sold so that they can be free advertising for a brand. Call it an event, call it an opportunity. I call it getting screwed. Someone is being used terribly. Shame on the brands who request this and shame on the bloggers who go ahead do it. We know who you are. You cheapen yourself. Have a little self respect, people!
I’m sure there are notable exceptions - call ins with a celebrated author, call ins where you have a chance to win a $100 gift card if you sit there obediently, post diligently and win the lottery. Maybe you just are lonely and have nothing better to do than call in. Maybe you think you really are a journalist, if you do this stuff for free.
Check your tax returns though. You might be missing a paycheck.
If you want me on your conference call, you’d better make it worth my while. Entertain me. Feed me. Pay me. I’m not that cheap of a date. I wouldn’t advise my clients to hang out with anyone who is and I wouldn’t advise you to sell yourself that short either.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Seriously. Well that’s a PR fail if I’ve ever seen one. I didn’t even know these ‘online events’ or ‘call-in opportunities’ existed.
You forget that online bloggers are now a dime a dozen…most have no ethics, talent, education or respect for the brands they cover. So most of these bloggers ARE the cheap dates. Most of these “mommy” and “marketing” bloggers are just looking for a free gift or quick plug. Many of them are also sexist against men (on Twitter) and have no paid job as they rant. You really get what you pay for…and with most bloggers these days, they really aren’t worth a minute from any respectable journalist or PR professional.
Great post, Ciaran.
Yet one more disconnect between marketers and bloggers. And let me tell you, from the PR perspective people think that this is novel! new! different! As in, “Hey, instead of sending a pitch via email let’s get a conference call together! Because that’s how we’ll get bloggers, those people we don’t really care to take the time to understand, to learn about our product, since they’re ignoring our emails. And we don’t have their phone numbers. So this may be the only way we get to talk at them.” Ha. You bloggers out there - heed Ciaran’s advice. Wait for a reason to join.
I don’t do them. No twitter parties. No conference calls. No more.
I laugh when they call it an opportunity. Really? Like I should be SO GRATEFUL?
You want me to pimp you? PAY ME. Oh you don’t wanna pay me? Then give me something free.
I mean I might be a cheap date. But I am no blog ho.
Love this.
I don’t do call ins or events. I don’t want lunch, and whenever I have a one hour conference call scheduled it seems like we’re hanging up after seven minutes, with me saying “no thank you”.
I don’t understand why you’d give up more of your day though? I don’t want lunch with a chat about gizmos. Not even a really good lunch.
Amen! We must have all gotten the same email b/c I just deleted one of those “opportunities” and thought WTF? I don’t have time for this and why would this be tempting to me?
Thanks for writing this…now, I’m going to tweet this to all the twats out there sending these invites!
Amen Ciaron. Amen. these are the same PR people who refuse to even acknowledge a professional pitch letter from me b/c I dare to ask for compensation. they then turn around and expect to help them out FOR NOTHING. I even had one place tell me if I got all my peeps to go their freakin face book page they would give 5 grand to a CHARITY, (READ: TAX DEDUCTIBLE) and give me zip. I know there are a lot of ppl out there who need help and hell, yeah, I am one of them as are so many of us.
I’m so over this B.S. I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, I love you and can promise I will never work for free
Hi @Marcy - let me get this straight: You’re not a blog ho, but you’ll only perform in exchange for money or products? How is that not being a ho? Don’t hos perform services in exchange for money.
All of these comments baffle me, frankly. The main message I’m getting is that you’re not going to write about something unless you’re either paid to or are compensated in some other way. How is that ethical? How does that consider your readers?
Do you think the mainstream media only writes about products or services when they’re paid to do so?
Maybe I’m missing a message here, so please correct me if I’m misinterpreting something.