If you read my blog at all, you know that this type of post isn’t normal for me. This is my family blog, and I like to keep it that way.
However, after receiving yet another not so nice form rejection letter from a company I had pitched for a possible review and giveaway, I feel like I need to say two things:
- BLOGGERS ARE CUSTOMERS TOO!
- PRODUCT REVIEWS ≠ FREE PRODUCT!
BLOGGERS ARE CUSTOMERS TOO!
I think that PR companies get a lot of BAD pitches, and I know there are bloggers out there who don’t view working with a company as a privilege.
However, there are more of us who do. Most bloggers take time to ensure your companies product gets good exposure, honest reviews, and spend hours getting it done. If you receive a personalized pitch for a product review, or even for potential ad space on a blog, please remember bloggers are customers too!
We care about how we are treated, and expect the same common courtesy we give companies. Sending a form letter degrading bloggers for asking for “free product” is just bad customer service.
In the email behind this post, I sent a personal pitch to a company requesting to work with them through a product review/giveaway. Had this particular product worked as it claimed to it would have most likely made it into all of my baby shower gift baskets, not to mention my must-have toddler product list.
I think a lot of companies forget that even though we are bloggers we are also customers. Just because we have an opportunity to review a product does not mean in anyway we will not purchase it. In fact, of all the product reviews I have done, if I loved the product there is a good chance I have bought it since and given it as a gift.
Sending a rude form letter in response is just like having a bad experience in a store. Even though you like what the store sells, after bad service you are most likely not going to continue shopping there.
PR firms and companies need to remember every interaction you have with a blogger, you are having the same interaction with them as a customer.
PRODUCT REVIEWS ≠ FREE PRODUCT!
I love working with companies. I would say 95% of my experiences working with companies have been positive. If they had not been that way I wouldn’t continue to do it.
I have had the opportunity to try things that have seriously changed my family’s life for the better that I most likely wouldn’t have known about or been able to try had it not been for hosting reviews and giveaways.
When I work with companies, I view it as a privilege not an expectation. When I approach companies I never send form pitches and work hard to make my pitches as personalized as possible.
When you write me back telling me you don’t have enough product to give everyone who asks something for “free”, it is insulting. I never asked for free product.
I have no problem with you saying you have filled your quota for product reviews this month, or that you are not doing product reviews at this time. That is different then saying you can’t give “free product” to everyone who asks.
First of all, free implies just that – free. No work, no compensation, no ROI. Product reviews are not the same as free product. Product reviews take time and effort on my part. When I do a product review, there is mutual compensation. While I don’t take money for product reviews, I do see the product as compensation. In return your product and company is getting exposure, advertising, and most times sales.
I take the time to review the product, to write about it, take pictures, and share on several media channels. That takes time and effort on my end. Which in my eyes means the product was not “free”, and that your company is getting something in return as well.
I think Bloggers and PR agencies can work together much better. If both give the respect that you expect in a customer/business forum I know that there would be a lot less “form” letters on both sides which would result in better working relationships all the way around.
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What a huge bummer!!!! Too bad we can’t know who/what product gave you such bad treatment…we would know not to support them!! But, I also know it’s bad decorum to reveal that online as well. So sorry you had such a bad experience with this one. Keep up your great reviews…we are all counting on them!!
Thanks Janet! I will continue to do them, because more often then not I have pleasant experiences working with companies. This is not the first email like this I have gotten… it was just the one that made me finally want to write about it. 🙂
Good bloggers often put way more time/effort into a review than the retail value of the product (not even mentioning how much that product actually costs the company. I know I do. Would love to know the company so I can avoid them.
That is so true Maria – I am sorry, I just don’t feel like it is a good idea on my end to share the names of the companies who have been crappy to work with. As much as I would like to – I am going to be the bigger person here… 🙂
I find it super insulting when they tell you to buy it then review it. I have reviewed items I bought but I loved them that much I wanted to share. You know like sometimes you put in extra voluntary hours at work but you aren’t going to always work for free.
That is sooooo frustrating! I’ve contacted companies saying I HAVE the product, I LOVE the product, and I want to review it on my blog, then asking if they’d like to sponsor a giveaway to gain attention but even with that, I’ve received some rude replies. Ridiculous. Makes me want to throw that product in the trash! ha!
Good for you for being the bigger person. Your hard work is appreciated by me, by the way!
Feel free to send a reply e-mail stating just that!! I have been more then verbal with my opinion on this type of insult. For right now, at least, Mommy Bloggers are THE way to advertise. Disney, Peg Perego, Serta, etc would NOT be doing it if we weren’t offering such HUGE returns for them.
Sadly, I have “overheard” some Mommy Bloggers making the SAME COMMENTS!! Of all people to make those comments~ they should know better!! {It was usually negative feedback about a negative review. Like “What is she complaining about? It was free!”} NOTHING we do is free!! This irks me almost as much as the PR Agencies that e-mail us wanting us to share this ‘amazing opportunity’ with our readers. I even had one tell us that “goodwill” was our payment… {That’s fine for non-profit’s but NOT a big company!}
Keep your head up! It’s a shame we ARE the bigger people here because if we did share the info we could show these people just how long of a reach we have… 🙂 Oh, taking the high road is HARD sometimes!!
I think Tiffany has a great point. I would respond to the email. I would invite them to look at your blog and see that you are a true professional and you shuld be treated like one.
I also want to applaude you for posting this. I have been working on pitch letters and such since I have been back from BlogHer (I need to watch the videos because I feel like my notes are lacking) and this really has helped me as well.
Well said. Time and effort goes into writing reviews and hosting giveaways. In no way are the products for free. It is a partnership between blogger and brand.
Amen to that! So well said and so true! 😉
I always expect great customer service. They never know where their next customers are going to come from. You are so right, bloggers are customers too. I’ve never done a product review or giveaway on my blog because I’m not sure how to go about it. But I would love to one day. I’m sorry you were treated rudely. I have read your reviews and giveaways before and you do a great job. Their loss!
It’s funny, but when we are contacted by bloggers, we try as hard as we can to send a bag for review, even though we don’t actually make a profit yet and our per unit cost is high. We know what a great opportunity it is, and we appreciate all of the work that it takes. As a small company, we focus most of our energy on good customer service. Building goodwill needs to become important again. As a consumer, I am so tired of companies that just don’t care!
Keep up the good work!
Jennifer, The Glo Bag
Thank you Jennifer! You were a pleasure to work with! I know without a doubt Glo Bags are going to be everywhere. I was actually surprised by how much you were willing to giveaway – but it shows exactly what you are saying – you were focusing on the customer. I will tell you it did build a great deal of goodwill with me. I love talking about my glo bag to anyone who will listen, and I must say I people usually don’t talk in the locker room – but when they see how nicely the Glo bag hangs up – most of them have to ask what it is and how it works! 🙂
I really appreciate hearing feedback from a brands side of the perspective too! 🙂
I have not done any giveaways or pitches yet because I am a new blogger, but read this to see what to expect. You taught me quite a bit with your blog tonight and I appreciate the insight you shared!
Honestly if I see a company that doesn’t work with bloggers, or is rude to them I won’t shop with them anymore. I take the opinions of other mom’s much more seriously than some celeb, or whatever their marketing says. I think companies who are rude to bloggers, are being short-sighted. Honestly, social marketing and bloggers are the marketing of today, and if you aren’t on the fore-front of it, you will be trying to catch up.
Yes I have had a few nasty “WE can’t send free products to every begger who asks.” Which to me is rude, insulting, and undoes any positive things I have heard about the company. If I have shopped with that company before, and they are rude to me, then nope. You lost a customer. The thing is I am ok with them not working with me. I get that, and that maybe my stats aren’t up to their requirements, or maybe they aren’t working with people now. One of my awesome companies that I love said they don’t work with bloggers, b/c they have so many requests it is just too overwhelming. So they don’t venture there. Fine. I still shop with them. They were nice about it.