December 15th, 2008
Brands need 'active' blogging; sponsored posts could be the key
Over the weekend Chris Brogan published a sponsored post on the Dad-O-Matic blog. The sponsor was Kmart and the sponsorship was arranged through Izea’s PayPerPost offering. The ruckus erupted after Jeremiah Owyang asked on Twitter about the ethical ramifications of sponsored blog posts.
Sadly, it appeared that many respondents were so distracted by the inclusion of Brogan’s name in Owyang’s question that they missed the depth and breadth of the question itself. What should’ve been a conversation about the long-term affects of sponsored blogs turned into a massive cat fight via microblogging.
Owyang had a fair inquiry. I firmly believe that he did not intend his inquiry to be an affront to Brogan, either. And Owyang himself took a bit of a beating for asking those questions, but it’s my opinion that those questions must be asked. If not by Owyang, then by the brands who are considering sponsoring blog posts and the bloggers who are trying to weigh the pros and cons of taking cash.
The questions:
- Is sponsored blogging authentic?
- Is it transparent?
- Is it sustainable?
My answers:
Authenticity: Why not? A person can do a sponsored blog post without selling his or her soul just as a product reviewer can be unbiased when he or she gets a free gadget to try out for a while (or keep, depending on the reviewer, and that’s a whole other debate). This is not an issue of integrity. People need to stop making it one. Nowhere in any of the PayPerPost marketing info do I read “if you sponsor a blogger you guarantee that blogger will sing your praises.”
Transparency: Again, I say, why not? In the case of blogger transparency, using Brogan as an example, he’s one of the most transparent guys on the Internet even before he did this post. That did not change with his sponsored post. You still saw the true author. In the case of brand transparency, Kmart took a risk sponsoring Brogan to do this post. I’m sure, behind the scenes, management had tough conversations over what piece of their business might be exposed by giving someone more intimate access. It’s the same thought process that an enterprise tech company goes through before determining whether or not it should send one of its products out for review.
Sustainability: Wait for it… YES. This is absolutely sustainable, and I think this is the most important question to answer. And before anyone balks, let me say a few things:
Next: Sponsored posts: A sustainable business model –>
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Jennifer Leggio, aka "Mediaphyter," writes about the "social business" side of social media - including enterprise, security and reputation issues. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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| 12/15/08
