Check out our piece in the HuffPoskUK today: Should we fear blogger blaggers?
The short answer is No! At BritMums we see reviews as part of the creative mix, and a good portion of our bloggers do them. The great thing about parent blogger reviews is that they are written from experience and are specially curated to attract and keep their readers’ attention. It’s natural that we as parents write about products, after all our trolleys and homes are full of them.
As for trying to project any meaning into the reasons why a blogger writes about anything — be it a review, account of the day, rant, whatever –why does that matter? A blog, and what a blogger chooses to write about, is personal and not for anyone to judge.
Here are some great examples of parent blogger reviews from our network members:
- Baby, Baby: The results of our Bosch garden makeover
- Who’s the Mummy: Kitchen appliance porn
- A Modern Military Mother: This iron changed my life
If you have any examples of reviews you have done, that you are especially proud of, or if you have a viewpoint on the Blogger/Blagger debate, please link your post in the Linky below.
Long live reviews and viva la difference!
Photo credit: chapparal
Galina V
Friday 18th of November 2011
Personally I read lot of reviews on blogs, and I am often left puzzled at the amount of praise for any freebie. I trust more those reviews, where bloggers actually paid for the product. You often see a review for some incredibly awful, cr@ppy product, and think: You would never write this nonsense if you had to pay for this.
Joanne Mallon
Thursday 10th of November 2011
This is timely for me as just today I had boots arrive which I bought after reading a blog review. In this case the advantage of the blog review is that it showed me a real person using the product, rather than the sort of bland product shot you see on a shop website.
But though some reviews are great, many are not particularly well written or illustrated, and simply consist of the blogger swooning at the fact that they've got a freebie. All in all I like reading and writing blog reviews, but I do wish bloggers would be a bit more discerning with what they choose to review.
Right…I’m going in… « cheetahsinmyshoes
Thursday 10th of November 2011
[...] a look at Susanna’s piece – Should we fear blogger blaggers – I’m with her, it’s not up to any of us to judge. In the meantime, does anyone [...]
Alex
Thursday 10th of November 2011
I know of bloggers that actually phone PR's up incessantly until they wilt and give them free stuff, I also know anecdotally of people that have set up blogs purely in the pursuit of free stuff, so I think to say "no" without acknowledging there is a real problem is a little misleading.
Michelloui
Thursday 10th of November 2011
I only read reviews on other blogs if I am interested in the product and I want to know what someone thinks of it, and/or if I know the blogger has made an effort to make the post as entertaining as any other of their posts (then I see it almost as no different to any of their posts).
Because of the valuable tradition of Blogging With Integrity initiated by BritMums I know that I can trust the opinion of the blogger. I recently filled in a survey where one question was asking which source from a list would I be most influenced by before buying a make up / skin care type product. The list included a load of magazines, TV ads, 'trusted celebrity' endorsement, and 'other'. I filled in 'other' and typed in 'bloggers'. That's because I know the magazines all get kickbacks and the sleb has been paid. The bloggers often get the products or a payment, but if they promote the Blogging With Integrity ideal I also want to believe they will be honest about the product. To me, that's as good as my friend telling me she tried it and liked it--or not.
And yes, I do reviews every now and then if the product is relevant to me and my readers, and yes I am always honest and yes I try to be as entertaining/interesting in my review post as I am in my regular posts.
It's good that this is out there for discussion, I'm pleased because it raises awareness of the Mummy Bloggers' power! ;)
Here's my latest review: http://www.theamericanresident.com/2011/10/a-fab-birthday-present/