Bloggers who write solely for the purpose of getting stuff disgust me. Whether these people are Mommy bloggers or haul bloggers or whatever, it’s like I get doused in snake oil just trying to read their blog.
When I go to a blog, I don’t want to see a header that’s filled with captions like “Advertise Here,” “PR Policy” or “Buy my immortal soul.” Those make me worry about the content you share and if it’s worthwhile at all. I mean, I like product reviews, but I can read a million of them over at Amazon, and I won’t have to be subjected to your affiliate links and terrible ad choices.
I should also be clear that most of these people who I see do this have no idea what they’re doing on the internet besides writing. Their blog themes look like they were pasted together. The ad space and widgets in the sidebars are cluttered and have no thought to their layouts. It’s like walking into a demented funhouse where the only hope of escape is through making a purchase.
There’s a difference between getting paid to write, and just getting stuff and a few bucks from advertisements on your blog. I make a few bucks selling t-shirts online, so I understand people who want to make money from their blog. It’s nice to have some second income. But to be completely honest, if I were to only survive on my blog income, I’d probably die within a week, even if I only ate ramen noodles. The vast majority of bloggers aren’t not making glorious amounts of cash.
So a “fuck you” this Friday to the bloggers who care more about getting stuff from their personal blog than getting any fulfillment out of it. If you want to get a paycheck from writing, why don’t you just find an actual job as a writer somewhere? You don’t have to sell your soul to make money writing.
Great post Jay.
I get that people have different goals and everything but it is funny to me when stuff bloggers struggle with their audience. Most start off as an ABC blogger, writing about interesting things and gaining readership. Then when they start writing for stuff or writing because of stuff, their readership plateaus or drops off and they wonder why.
And yes, full disclosure, I’ve worked with sponsors before. But it has been for a small percentage of my income. 99% of the money I’ve made from blogging is by being paid for writing (either as an employee or freelance). Dealing with deadlines, editors and publisher headaches is much better than selling out your audience with garbage content for peanuts.
What if you really like peanuts though? Is it worth it then?
This might be my favorite blog post yet! Very true things pointed out.
I only point out the very truth.
Very, very true! Plus those blogs takes ages to load and then you don’t know where to look, it’s like a Christmas tree gone bad! I wonder what your view is about pictures in a blog… I hope that doesn’t come up as a F%#* You Friday anytime soon!!!!
I like pictures in blog posts, and photo blogs. Photos make me happy.
I thought the internet was invented to make boatloads of cash and sell your soul with the easy click of a button. Man, have I been misinformed.
I was glad when Social Media Examiner had their top blogs list (how I found this one actually) as it cut out a lot of the garbage ones that I would have stumbled upon just aimlessly wandering the internet like a social media zombie, coarsely groaning “Cooooonteeeeeent.” I found a few that I try to follow pretty regularly now.
Thanks for giving them the good ol’ fuck you for not trying to be productive members of the blogging community. They deserve it.
I just point the finger where I see it.
First, Ive been so fucking (keeping with the theme of today’s post lol) busy that I havent looked at your new picture yet. Half and half thing is very creative. Love it.
Second, only recently (last 2 weeks in fact) did I become aware of mommy and daddy bloggers and what that whole thing is about…and wow…what a racket.
Its hard for me to even imagine the group of readers who buy into that crap..I guess, some things I just dont get, and this is one of them….
So..I concur.
One day I will run a crazy cat parent blog.
Until then, I’ll just bitch about Facebook here.
I did sell my soul two different times for lejit writing jobs - working on compiler and assembler manuals at Intel and as Copywriting Manager at a marketing agency. The good news is that you can buy it back if you are really determined. For me, it did involve going to church, which is a very high price - maybe too high for some people. And no, I’m not really kidding about this.
I know F*ck Friday is a weekly thing here, but was it so bad that I first thought of Rebecca Black upon seeing the title?
Right on , Jay! But the most ironic thing is that people who “sell their soul’ to make money writing most likely end up with mediocre or close to nothing results!
The reason is that when stuffing supersedes quality, blog visitors will be turned off instantly.
Authenticity (having your own “blogging” voice) as well as consistently delivering quality content is what a blogger needs to ensure growing readership.
What you’re saying is sad but true! Still, when these money-driven bloggers end up with nothing, sooner or later they will change their ways. Am I being overoptimistic here?!
Money from blogging? WTF? What’s that all about? I do it so my head won’t explode…
First time here.
I love your perspective on things. Will now put your site in my bookmarks
Please keep writing.
Re: the article, it all comes down to purpose. If you do write for the sake of getting a freebie, then there’s no sincerity there. But if a company provided you a sample product to review, then that’s a different thing altogether.