Blog Detox - Step 3 - Working with Brands & PR Agencies

Before I get started on Step 3, I wanted to put some context around this blog detox as I work out in my head what I want to achieve from it and the longer terms changes I would like to make through it.

It's not just about writing a couple of ranty posts and then going back to doing what I always did. It needs to be a process that removes what's making the blog a less enjoyable and less creative space. So I'm going to focus on that as the ultimate goal but honestly, I'm not sure what that looks like. I might take a break from it all or I might just change the channels I use. I'm still mulling it over but for now, I'm ready to make one major change in the way that I work with brands and PR agencies.

I asked a group of online friends in a Facebook group I'm a member of about this one because they read the blog, and many other blogs too. They helped give me a good perspective on how branded content is perceived and whether it puts them off reading or following.
The consensus was very much that although #ad content is broadly unpopular, as long as a blogger is authentic in the brands they work with and the content is relevant, it's accepted as the norm for bloggers that have been established for a while and have a good following.

Constant gifted content was more of a bugbear for people than occasional paid for collaborations and I do agree with this. I feel like bloggers (me included) are quick to undervalue their contribution to a brand and accept product in lieu of payment.

So Step 3 is that I will no longer accept gifted items from big brands or PR agencies in return for unpaid coverage on my channels.  If a big brand wants access to my writing and my audience, they will have to compensate me for the time and effort involved. 

This has been on my mind for a few months. Just before we went on holidays, I did my tax return for last year. Between the blog and my job, I make a 4 figure part time income. I don't pay tax on it as it's below the threshold so it's just that - a part time income. However to earn this income, I'm working full time. Mostly 60-70 hours a week. I'm constantly online, constantly thinking about the next blog, the next image, the next post I have to put up.

When I chose gifted items to feature on the blog on an unpaid basis, it creates unpaid work. It's absolutely lovely to be given something beautiful but it doesn't pay the bills. And the effort I put into featuring that item on the blog and/or on social media, creates hours of work that takes me away from the paid work I could be doing - and from the family. I tell people all the time that I have created a part time role that I can fit around the kids but the truth is the family fits around me...as I sit with a laptop or phone constantly on. 

The wardrobe sell-off has also prompted this because about 30% of what I sold had been gifted to me. Yes, I loved and wanted the items & I was happy to wear them but did I need them? Definitely not. But I got sucked into the trap that so many bloggers are in where you want fresh content, and there's a certain kudos in working with these bigger brands. Maybe they would pay me at some stage in the future if I produced good content? Ultimately it gave me more clothing in my wardrobe than any woman needs or has time to wear.

This might seem like an obvious one for some people reading this but when something that starts out as a hobby becomes a business, it's difficult to ask for payment and brands take advantage of this reluctance to charge. There's always another blogger out there willing to do it for free so we worry that we will miss out on a potential collaboration and don't ask that all important question 'do you have any budget for this PR?'

It might seem like a cheeky approach to others, an ungrateful one even. But the PR and blogging industry creates so much unnecessary 'stuff' beyond gifted product. Take press drops which occasionally arrive at my door, though only if I'm unaware they're coming....if I'm asked beforehand, I always decline the delivery. They come in boxes or bags, wrapped up with plastic and ribbons and generally contain things that we don't need and although I often enjoy what's inside them, I am immediately under obligation to share the content on my social channels which presumably bores you and takes up both our times. No more.

So from here on in, anything brand led on the blog will be a #ad. I won't be disappearing down a #ad hole though as I'm not a big enough blogger AND I will still only work with brands and content that I love...it'll never be for the money. Trust me on that.

And I will continue to regularly feature my own content that isn't brand influenced. Try-ons, my visits to local boutiques and my genuine (considered and mindful - not forgetting the wardrobe clear out!) wardrobe and beauty purchases. And if there's a small/local brand out there that I think you'll enjoy, I'll give them a shout out for free. I know not every company has the resources to pay bloggers. The likelihood that it will interest you will be the priority here.

Does this all make sense? To put it in context, I've declined 4 approaches this week using this criteria. One brand came back offering to pay. That's 25% of the brand-led content that I might have featured before and it's 100% paid. Better for my livelihood and I honestly think it's better for you too. But you can tell me what you think - I'm open to your comments. I've had all sorts over the past couple of posts...some encouraging and some less so. I publish and reply to them all (unless they're spam!).

Oh and to finish, I am not in any way knocking other bloggers who create unpaid content in return for gifts. We are all at different stages on our own blogging journey. I know it's sometimes the only way to work with a brand or generate fresh when you're starting out. It's how I operated when I was in the early days of all of this. But maybe, now and again, ask the question. A mention on a blog for any brand, big or otherwise, is a massive plus in terms of how search engines rank a business. No matter how big or popular your blog is. It's SEO gold and it's worth rewarding.


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