Some of my posts are sponsored, and so are some of my in-post links. Many blog advertisers these days require that you don’t disclose the posts’ sponsored status within the post, and that may rise some ethical issues.
I have no problems with not disclosing within the post, because unless I have a very good reason to rave about a site or product, I won’t.
I usually don’t rave anyway – I give my opinion, if called for, but mostly, I try to be neutral, while informing the reader about the site or product. Granted, I won’t accept to do a review of a site or product I hate, I wouldn’t want to accept payment for a slagging. I’d rather be neutral and informative, if I can.
Whether I found the site I’m reviewing through random surfing or via a ppp company is irrelevant, as long as I give my honest opinion.
Some of my in-post links don’t require a review, and I think those are by far the most fun to do. The challenge, for me, is to come up with an anecdote or a snippet from my own life, and get the keyword into the post in context. The anecdotes and life experiences I use in those are always genuine, and it sometimes takes a twisted mind to make them work. If I’m stumped, I’d rather do a post talking about how stumped I am, than write a “review” about something I can’t relate to.
I have acquired a somewhat liberal approach to the matter – for one, I don’t think that my readers are stupid. I’m quite confident that they’re capable of spotting sponsored posts and links, if they’re at all bothered. No one is coercing anyone into clicking on anything, and if what they read is genuinely “me”, it shouldn’t make any difference whether the link is sponsored or not.
I know that some blog readers find sponsored posts a pain in the backside. I quite enjoy a well written one, and I’m always curious to see what other bloggers have come up with for keyword that I’ve done too. I like doing it, and I enjoy the creative side… The puritans among the web surfers might tell me to channel my creativity towards something more worth while, but this is quite all right at the moment, thank you.
As for the ethical side of things… I get umpteen unsollicited offers by e-mail every day to market products that promise
1. a major penis enlargement or
2. large sums of money for doing nothing.
Now that, to me, is questionable, and something the people in the back row are making huge amouts of money on. Which is, of course, what sells, since the products themselves are worthless.
Google, the great moral guru in the sky, allows anyone and their mother to publish ads for “make money online and be a millionaire within 15 minutes” scams, but slaps small bloggers who sell an actual commodity from their blogs – links, reviews and advertising space. I recognize their right to do so, but the morals and logic escape me…
Digressions aside – I will continue doing sponsored posts, whenever I can. Apart from being fun, it also pays my phone and web hosting bills, and I’d love it to pay for electricity too, sometime in the future.
Oh, and if anyone comes over a get-rich-quick scheme that doesn’t involve selling get-rich-quick schemes, please let me know. I might write a review. For nothing.
Stumble it!
