I Support the Future of Sponsored Posts

I’m with you 100%, Chris. People look at PR and marketing with the lenses of the past. This isn’t 1990. We’re doing things differently. And yes, there are people who will take sponsored posts just to make a quick dime, but there are dozens more who would only rep a product they believe in, like you and me. I look for products that I am already an evangelist for and try to get sponsored by them. That way, it’s genuine. I know whatever sponsored posts you do, I can believe in them, because I believe in you. (release white doves into the atmosphere. cue sappy music).

Excellently put. Sponsored content is only going to happen more often. As long as a blogger doesn’t mislead their audience, and their blog isn’t all pay-per-post then I don’t see a problem. Why should brands be denied a perfectly reasonable method of getting in front of people?

It’s a bit of a shame this all hit on the day when we were hearing about Ford and the 100 car Fiesta promotion, which I think is fantastic and part of the future of marketing.

How hard can it be? Disclose, disclose, disclose – where’s the problem? I don’t care if your disclosure policy is supported by, governed by or written by one organisation or another, I just want you to be honest with me when you’ve been paid in some way (any way) to review a product.

In time you won’t need to do it, any more than the writers of Car Magazines need to tell me that they drove the car on the all expenses paid press launch in Monte Carlo. But for now, tell me everything please.

Chris,
Thank you for your support. You continue to amaze me with your perspective and insight. It’s never easy blazing new trails, but people like you make it worth the heart ache. The future of social media monetization is sponsored conversations and we intend to lead the way in an open, collaborative manner.

Sponsored content can be great. It depends on the quality of the content in my opinion. Advertising is good for various reasons and if content can be better delivered by sponsors well then so be it. I’ve been to Amex Open several times and have liked the mix of articles they have in there. By the way, I think Amex Open is also handled by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which seems to be doing a great job.

Chris,
Great post. Sponsored content is just another tool for businesses. As long as the disclosure is there, like you mentioned, I think it’s fine.

My opinion is that everyone is a salesman. Those who think they are not are the politicians and those who are in the ivory towers!

The only difference is that there are honest salesmen and dishonest salesmen.

Chris, I ask people. “Whats your aversion to making money?” At the same time I think it is important that the Sales/Money part becomes a result of the conversations rather than the actual conversations themselves. In my work with Best Buy Remix, my intention is not to sell a product nor is it to PUSH a person to develop on our platform. It is however getting involved in the right conversations and providing relevant information where it’s asked for. I have said over and over that your intentions rule the day.

If I clearly see that you are chasing me with a gun telling me I need to buy your product, or get involved with your organization I am going to run fast in the opposite direction. However, if you provide consistent, good, relevant content over time I will be more likely to get involved. If you are paid to write that content or unpaid, it makes no difference to me. (Of course Dan Ariely may disagree)

It seems unfortunate to say, but currency enables growth. This industruy can stay stagnant, or it can grow. The key is to be on the up-and-up.

@keithburtis

I don’t see a problem with paid content, myself. Whether it’s a blog post, a newspaper advertorial, or a ghost-written tweet, as long as I know what it is, I can make my own judgement about the reliability of the facts and opinions expressed. Disclosure is the key; if someone is paying you to write about something, say so. I do.

Yup.

I am not doing sponsored posts because I don’t have a blog that’s big enough to, yet.

I have a clear statement on the blog, right from the get-go, that says I won’t do paid-for-reviews of products, however, it is my intention is to attract sponsorship of the blogs with products related specifically to my niche.

This discussion brings up the same issue I’ve seen again and again – what is it exactly that people have against people making money on the internet?

Madness.

It’s okay for Amazon and E-bay to sell stuff, it’s okay for google to make trillions of advertising but if a blogger wants to actually pay some bills and feed themselves, it makes them “bad” people?

It’s okay for magazines to charge for advertising but bloggers are just meant to keep blogging as a hobby?

Pah. I want the rest of my jobs to be my hobbies.

Chris, I agree with you, but I also wonder how sponsored posts (even when disclosed) will affect the perception of posts endorsing a brand/product that aren’t sponsored. Will this make us skeptical of all endorsement posts? Will a sponsored post carry the same weight of one that is written out of sheer appreciation of a product/service?

As you know, I work for Inc. magazine (which you endorsed on this blog-for free). It was a great review and endorsement for Inc. but I would imagine your readers would at the very least listened to your review differently had you been paid for it. I don’t think sponsored posts are a bad thing, just something that needs to be carefully considered both for a marketer who is trying to promote a product and a blogger who is trying to make some extra cash. But you’re right. This is going to happen and disclosure is a must.

You must watch this interview with Ted Murphy: http://calacanis.com/2007/03/24/calacaniscast-19-beta/

I’ll be staying far away from Izea/PayPerPost.

It’s just more transparent here, isn’t it? Magazines like Time and Newsweek have always included sponsored content. Most of the Internet and Tech magazines have been doing it for years. It’s not that it’s new, and it’s not that it’s evil – it just is.

You hit the nail on the head with disclose, disclose, disclose, but even that seems unnecessary to me. Anyone who believes that the ads and content in print media aren’t directly tied to one another at nearly every publication in existence (particularly those with big circulation) doesn’t understand publishing finances or dynamics.

I am all for paid content, and as Chris says, if you don’t want to read that paid content, read one of the other billion blogs that are written on other subjects…if you enjoy the blogger, and his / her content, read….the value in paid content is when it is presented by someone people are drawn to.

Like Chris … I’ll be reading.

DNW

It’s just more transparent here, isn’t it? Magazines like Time and Newsweek have always included sponsored content. Most of the Internet and Tech magazines have been doing it for years. It’s not that it’s new, and it’s not that it’s evil – it just is.

You hit the nail on the head with disclose, disclose, disclose, but even that seems unnecessary to me. Anyone who believes that the ads and content in print media aren’t directly tied to one another at nearly every publication in existence (particularly those with big circulation) doesn’t understand publishing finances or dynamics.

I am all for paid content, and as Chris says, if you don’t want to read that paid content, read one of the other billion blogs that are written on other subjects…if you enjoy the blogger, and his / her content, read….the value in paid content is when it is presented by someone people are drawn to.

Like Chris … I’ll be reading.

DNW

I just started working with Izea a couple weeks ago with sponsored posts on my blog and so far have found it a very positive experience. I’ve been able to keep it completely relevant to my life and what I normally write about, and it actually fits right into my blog. But at the same time I am not tricking anyone. I am up front about it. I’ve not had one complaint!

Steph

@keith I don’t understand why you’re asking about aversion to making money. Isn’t Chris saying he supports that notion?

I love making money. : )

@Jeff /Zemote – don’t forget that Calacanis had a competing product in the ring at that time.

@Tyler – I get that, and actually, I’ve experienced it. Recently, I wrote a three-post collection about GM, the company that I’ve paid to supply me with cars my entire life. People asked immediately if it was a paid post, and that I’d best disclose it, etc. Thing was, I didn’t get paid to write it, and that’s when I had my first really big taste of “God, do I have to disclose that there’s nothing to disclose?” And the answer feels like yes.

PR Professionals have to do this. I’ve seen @Tdefren say, “They’re not my client, but I really like _____.” I just didn’t realize I’d have to start doing that, given that my About page discloses all my business relationships.

Oh well. I’m okay with that.

Sorry to join the bandwagon, but I have no problem with sponsored posts with disclosure. Two examples of sponsored posts that I saw a few months ago (from Loren Feldman and Julia Roy) included the necessary disclosures and aligned with the interests of the bloggers (Feldman’s, if I recall correctly, involved camera equipment, a natural for him, and Roy’s also made sense).

I figure that if corporations refrained from participating in sponsored posts, people would slam the corporations for not engaging with the community, and not taking advantage of people in the community who know how to communicate. They can’t win…

What was Jason Calacanis’s competing product? I don’t think he was ever in the sponsored post game. He owned weblog’s inc. which he sold to AOL, then started the digg competitor at netscape.com which became propellr. Now he runs Mahalo. Don’t believe there was ever a competing product with payperpost/izea.

I’ve said it before, and I will again… I support sponsored posts with full disclosure. Frankly, I see little difference between these posts and paid celebrity endorsements.

Having worked with a company that contracted with IZEA for a short period of time, I’m sold on IZEA’s business proposition. From my perspective, they’re a solid company with an excellent reputation offering a valuable service.

The only thing I could do without are the tonsil photos. Perhaps there’s a story there that needs to be told? :-)

Thanks!

Great article and indeed sponsors and marketing are not a sell out but a way for businesses to reach people and bloggers to make a little money to keep doing what they love to do.

This is as acceptable as companies putting brand images and logo’s in video games, does Electronic Arts sell out by featuring Pepsi or Coke logo’s in vending machines in online games?

Or does NBC Heroes sell out by featuring Nissan cars in the Heroes television show, like it or not advertisers need to move away from commercials and more into content placement inside the medium they wish to advertise in. Show people using or interacting with the product instead of a separate spot and it will be more transparent to the viewer or reader.

@Jenifer – Ted’s got this long standing photo thing with the tongue. Though I’ve matched Ted before on the tongue thing, I can’t throw stones, as I’ve been known to make the occasional face.

I think you are right on the money here … it is unavoidable so why mess around and not make sure it is done properly.

The ability for brands to sponsor posts that may even be critical of them is a huge step forward – one sorely needed.

Chris,

I agree that sponsored posts are the way its going to go. The upside for businesses is that they can really do some creative things to help build a buzz about their product or service. Likewise, I think by opening the door to working with bloggers or other web ‘professionals’ (god I hate the term, but don’t know where else to go with it), they’re probably going to get wider exposure or at least have the benefit of working with someone who is well versed with this space – rather than starting from scratch on their own.

And its all about transparency. No doubt. And authenticity… But here’s my question to you, Chris. Is there a difference between utilizing sponsored posts, and using someone (like an agency for instance) to handle their online presence – everything from Twitter, to their FB Fan pages? I THINK I remember you tweeting that you were not at all for ghost-tweeting, but it seems as though more and more people (including Guy Kawasaki I believe) are using additional people to handle their online brand.

Can you give us some more clarification about how businesses should or shouldn’t take this a step further? Thanks for another great post.

@ryancmiller

I have some suspicion that in the end, the consumers of sponsored content will be the ones to sort this all out. They will (continue to) read those bloggers who provide quality information and transparent communications. They will stop reading those that lack one or both of those things. In the end, what content consumers care most about is thoughtful, useful, quality content – and hey – if a brand paid someone smart and thoughtful to create said useful, quality content, who really cares?

It will be critical that bloggers find way to retain the integrity of their content and establish strong working guidelines that they share with sponsors prior to beginning work. I expect they will also have to be prepared to turn down work when sponsors ask them to cross certain lines of content creation. While that will be difficult, those who understand that lost reader trust will cost them far more in the future than one or two lost jobs will be the ones who are able to successfully walk the fine line of sponsored content.