Someone [I don’t remember who] on Twitter linked to a CNET [LOVE them] story that asked if mommy bloggers need to “grow up”?
*Disclaimer #1: I haven’t finished reading that story yet since I went to the linked MomDot story about the “PR Blackout”.*
I headed over to MomDot and read Trisha’s story and at first thought, “HELL YEAH mommy bloggers do too much” but then I finished reading it and found myself bothered. Not really annoyed, per se, but bothered.
The premise is WONDERFUL.
Ignore all of the extraneous bullshit that comes with being a courted “mommy blogger” and just “blog naked, raw, and back to basics. Talk about your kids, your marriage, your college, your hopes, your dreams, your house and whatever you can come up with for one week.”.
But here’s the deal.
I write “naked”. I write about stuff that happens in my life. I write just about anything that pops into my little head and sometimes I do product reviews. Sometimes I link to PR pitches that I think rock. Sometimes I accept sponsorships that help me not make an absolute ass of myself. I also have ads running on my site which provide me with enough cash flow to maintain this swank lifestyle. *snort*
So if I were to participate in the “PR Blackout”, would that mean that I would also have to pull the ads from my site? I don’t think they’re too intrusive. Sometimes they’re even pretty and funny.
Also, the call to not talk to PR people at all during that week would just plain suck for me.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve become pretty good friends with one of the PR people for Lane Bryant. So, for that week I would have to totally break ties with Ritter. That’s not cool. Not to mention the Spirits PR people that I speak with on a daily basis. But that’s on one of my “work” sites so maybe that doesn’t count? But if you’re going to do “it” you might as well do “it” right.
Right?
*Disclaimer #2: I hate the term “mommy blogger” so I shall put it in quotes because I can’t come up with a better label.*
In the end, my website is the “hawt hotbed” of my business. I write what I want here but I also do reviews about things that I like and things that have a relevant place in my life. While I’m doing that, I still manage to be “involved with our own community”. I have, at last count, 4,324 followers on Twitter and A LOT of them are “mommy bloggers”. I’m friends with a lot of “mommy bloggers” on FaceBook and I think I’m involved in our community.
My kids watch a lot of Little Bear and Olivia and they don’t go the park as often as maybe they should. My house is usually a mess unless I get fed up with it and then I clean it. I am by NO MEANS a “super woman” and have never claimed to be one. BUT, PR people are people too *heh* and they’re just doing their jobs. If you don’t want to receive their stuff then tell them to take you off of their list. I mean, don’t be a heinous bitch but let them know that you’re not interested.
Boundaries, people!
You don’t have to accept every single pitch that comes your way. Really! You don’t. Also, think about why you’re doing the reviews in the first place. Are you accepting reviews because you think that the product might have a relevant place in your life or are you accepting a review because you think that you’re going to get ALL KINDS OF TRAFFIC [!!!]?
If you’re doing it for reason #2 then you’re doing it for the wrong reason.
I totally get why Trisha posted what she did and I respect it but I won’t be partaking and I worry that will alienate me from the women who are doing it.
The more I write, the more conflicted I get on the subject so what do you think?
Should bloggers ignore PR people and reviews and all of that for a week or should they do what they’re currently doing?
Image|Oberazzi
