Which is it?

Do you want mom bloggers to work for free so they are not “lying” or do you want them to get paid for their worth?

Cause I can barely keep up with the drama, drama, drama that encompasses the blogosphere every 3 feet and its easier for you to just tell me what the new “rule” is so I don’t break it.

Or do the opposite of it just to be a b*tch.

*cough*

I can tell you a few things about how I feel however.

1) I do NOT like to be taken advantage of. I build a site, I bring the people, I keep it going by advertising, making friends, and spending my days trying to capture an audience that I will never meet. I am the one in the system, required to use facebook and twitter and forums and chat rooms. I am the one that takes the pictures, builds the site, and begs friends to fix up the graphics. It’s exhausting to be me.  And if you are reading this, it’s probably exhausting to be you too!

2) Sometimes I work for free, sometimes I work for fee. Do you really think I sit here all day with my thumb up my ass hoping to make a 50cent CPM so I can buy a cup of coffee? Uh. No.

Blah, blah, I love my blog and I do it for friendship and fun. I really do. But I wouldn’t dedicate as much time as I do to this place unless it was worth it me.

My worth is based on the value of the opportunity that is being presented to me. Is it something I love? Something I want to share with my readers? Something that isn’t some big fat spam on my bloggy walls? And yes, I should be receiving something in return for it because massaging my shoulders for my time only works for my husband.

For the record, just because we are all ‘mom bloggers’ doesn’t make me feel like I owe my visitors some explanation of my online paychecks. Would you trust my opinion less if I was paid? If so, then stop coming here.

(But before you go can you please refresh the screen a few times?)

I consider myself a contractor. I don’t go by a pre-printed media kit. I go by what are you offering me and how much is my space worth to you.

Isn’t capitalism great.

3) Mom Bloggers used to be this organic way to spread word of mouth and gain product loyalty and branding.

STOP LYING TO YOURSELF.

That’s like old la la land.

Do they still spread word of mouth and branding. Sure they do! But is it organic? That’s a tad more rare. Mom blogging has turned into a business.

If it wasn’t, do you really think we would be in the main stream media limelight? If it wasn’t, would anyone even want their products on our pages? Would Team Mom and Mom Select and Mom Central be working with huge companies to get their products distributed amongst us? That’s a big fat no.

Make it a HELL no.

Mom bloggers are creating review networks, hosting classes, running webshows and talk shows and radio shows. Mom bloggers are the public relations voices of today.

We have become so savvy with the consumer and transfer of information that companies are stuck sending us  product or buying our time in order to get on our sites.

Moms are brilliant. Case closed.

4) Do I think its OK mom bloggers work for free?

Well. Yes.

Yes, if THEY want to.  And I used the word “work” cause its WORK to run a website. And far it be for me to dictate if someone takes a box of Mac n Cheese in exchange for a blog advertisement. They may be in love with Mac n Cheese. Mac n Cheese may give them an orgasm and it was the best day of their life when the Mac N Cheese company offered a box.

Do I think its OK to be paid or receive kick backs for a blog advertorial?

Well. Yes again.

Do companies really really think a blogger should put up a product on their site just…well…because? Try that crap with ABC and see how far you get.

“Uh, I was calling today to see if you can put my can of ju-ju juce right between Greys Anatomy and So You Think You Can dance…huh? Its NOT free? SCAMMERS!!!!!!LIARS!!!”

If a company truly wanted my opinion on something, they could send it to me and ill email them back my opinion. It’s called a “test panel”.  The 90′s were full of them. They don’t want that. They don’t want my opinion, they want my site.

My link juice.

My attentive audience.

My creative spin that they don’t have to pay a 6 figure salary and stick me in a cubicle to get.

You know I am right. I am right so often it’s starting to hurt.

What bloggers need to start realizing is we have moved from editorials to advertorials. Let’s stop defending the organic happy go lucky posts and embrace it for what it is. Companies may not be buying our opinion, but they sure as hell are buying our time.

I am OK with that.

It’s the consumer that has to decide if they are willing to put up with it. And if their audience is turning away, will the bloggers still find worth in working with the companies.  Be it with a product, a coupon, a free trip, or a  good old paper paycheck, no one is sitting on their thumb and spinning for joy over a fruit cup.

Unless, again, it’s giving you an orgasm.

Here is a thought:

How about we all just take a vow to stop the bickering on who is getting paid what and how and where and we all collectively demand Ads to be purchased.

Not reviews. Ads.

Wait, I’ve got it!

Ill dedicate this spot here to advertorials. You send me a press release and $50 and Ill leave it right there all week long.

This sounds like a brilliant plan.

That way there are no ifs, ands, or buts about how everyone “feels” or who has a review or who has been “bought” or who is honest. Ill label the category “My Fun Money” and you can put whatever you want into it for the low, low price of an economical $50.

And I think if I hear the acronym “FTC” one more time I’ll poke out my eyeballs.

~Trisha