Recently I had the opportunity to hear Molly Fletcher speak about athletes and the branding and social media services she provides her athletes. Known affectionately as the female Jerry McGuire, I quickly fell in love with her directness and service minded model she uses to sign some of the most prolific athletes as their agent.
I was most interested in how Molly talked a lot of the importance of an athlete’s brand and how she helps her athletes develop and establish a brand that goes beyond the 2.7 year average career of a professional football player. Turning your Twitter and other social media tools into a marketing machine. Being strategic with your message and building relationships to establish sponsorship and other partnerships all with the help of social media. Considering branding and channels long after your professional career ends.
Something I think bloggers particularly mommy bloggers can learn a thing or two about.
As someone who has been a business blogger long before I became a mom to Ryleigh, I’m fascinated and often disgusted with the industry. And if you are a mommy blogger you may hate the fact that I’m writing this post but that goes for daddy bloggers, blogger bloggers, business bloggers, and everyone else in between. By reviewing products and services for free or for little to no compensation, we are allowing ourselves to be taken advantage. We are feeding the cheap marketing extravaganza. Feeding the marketing monster And for that I’m ashamed.
You may remember when I drove a car that rhymes with” heavy” as part of a blogger promotion. I watched as the third party PR and marketing company made thousands of dollars while me and my blogging counterparts sold our souls for a free ride and a couple measly gift certificates. My breaking point came when several members of the PR team went on separate out of country beach vacations. Celebrating their new big contract while the rest of us were left to do the dirty work.
You may get a call to review an iphone app for employee appreciation like I did this week. Or maybe you received a free blender for a product review. Theses promotions and trinkets will likely not make millions or a me millionaire, a thousandaire, or even a hundredaire. They will in fact not likely pay the bills, and I am frustrated with those that nickel and dime in exchange for a blogger utopia filled with fame, fortune, and an occasional coupon clipping class at Wal-Mart.
But before we can expect PR and corporate marketing reps to change their illusive and cheap pitching ways, it starts with us. The mommy bloggers, the daddy bloggers, the business bloggers, and every blogger needs to be more, demand more, and act more. Saying no and changing perspectives and expectations before we can begin to say yes and be treated like an actual marketing opportunity instead of selling our soul.
I’m just taking a page from Molly Fletcher and her own playbook. Her words really resonated with me and I wonder if we can be and do more as what I believe is part of this new information revolution.
Are you with me?
Photo Credit Kimberly Kinrade.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there!
I’m a podcaster and blogger firmly enmeshed in the world of self-publishing. I’m currently working on aggregating a bunch of unique, funny, and interesting posts from around the web into a podcast that is available for free on my site: Http://BlogsAloud.com
I came across your post while doing my research and would love to produce it as a straight read on my podcast. So I am contacting you to get permission
Your blog, info, and pertinent details will be linked in the show notes so please don’t worry about losing attribution.
My site is http://allisondduncan.com. Check it out to see the sort of things I discuss!
Please let me know if this is acceptable to you.
All the best,
Allison Duncan
Jessica – I completely agree!!! Not sure how it will get resolved because there are so many things free on the internet like yahoo mail or cost only pennies – - think Skype. add FB..but somewhere you draw a line when they want your expertise..and you want compensation..just not sure where or when u draw that line
I agree with you in much the same way I refuse to use my twitter connections to do cheap marketing for others. I work at the relationships I make (and treasure them!) and I’m not going to just give that away to someone for a few coupons, etc.
Word! and thanks for the comment, Lauri.
JMM
You are so right. I was recently contacted by someone who asked me to blog about online gambling. They would pay me some small amount of money to insert links to gaming and poker pages. For 24 hours I wondered how I could write a post about gambling, something I’m opposed to, on my blog. I finally told the guy I couldn’t do it.
You’ve given me a lot to think about. I do think most of the opportunities for blogging cheapen blogging, and lately I’ve been trying to remember that before I was a blogger repeatedly typing “Click here,” I was a writer…Sigh. Have fun in San Diego, Jessica. Knock ‘em dead!!!
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