So how un-journalistic is it to write commercially sponsored blog post? This blog was accepted just now by a new service called Bloggerwave and my first assignment is to review the company itself. So it’s high time the question gets addressed right now.
Bloggerwave is one of many companies (most of them originate in the US) that pays bloggers a fee for writing posts (reviewing) commercial products and services.
The company does not only focus on the US market but will also lend a sympathetic ear to bloggers and advertisers on the other side of the pond. Bloggers located in European countries can now sign up and write reviews of products and services in their native languages. Bloggerwave’s minimum pay for completed and approved postings is $10.
The concept of paid blogging is new in Europe and most self respecting reporters will scratch their heads before they embrace it wholeheartedly. It’s the “good newspapers are not run on advertiser’s money” debate all over again.
But this time, it’s not big ad corporation versus editorial staff. It’s companies doing direct business with the people who you might formerly known as the audience; You and I. Advertisers are after honest, even critical, reviews, they say. Whether or not that proves 100% true, remains to be seen; I recently wrote an critical review about Spock and it took ages for them to approve my post. That was a good test, because if I had been inclined to remove the post, I would have been doing something that I actually regretted.
The new mercantilist economy that’s emerging will only slip down the slope if we let ourselves down here. A rule of thumb is that that a paid post should add both informational and cool value to your readers. If you have any thoughts about this issue, feel free to comment!