How to pay a blogger...

I have started a blog for the magazine I work for. It's fun and allows us to do more timely stories on the things happening around us. It also allows us to publish things we probably never would in the pages of our magazine.

My boss sent me this article via Advertising Age about when and how to pay a blogger and the ethics and code behind it.

When my colleague Sean Corcoran and I researched this topic, we realized that this practice, which we call "sponsored conversation," is here to stay. Some bloggers are journalists and some others act like journalists -- those will adhere to tight ethical standards on gifts. Other bloggers will take money to write anything and have no credibility -- you don't want to pay them, since no one believes them.

I believe what it comes down to is transparency and credibility.


Bloggers like Michelle Mitchell, who writes the popular Alaska-mommy blog Scribbit, has businesses sponsor her posts. They don't necessarily go with what she's writing about...for example, a recent post about Cashew Fettucini Alfredo is tagged as being sponsored by a business that sells baby shower gifts. Had the post been about shower gifts to by that you can find at this store, it would have been fishy.

Mitchell also has give-a-ways that promote certain products and she does her fair share of plugging what she likes. But she's credible because she's established. She's been around for a while. She has her profile up where people can check her out. She's written a book. People believe her. Oh yeah, and she's fun to read!

I think this sort of thing is what blogging should be about. She has made a business for herself and getting the kickback from that is a transaction between her and her clients. When there isn't that transparency and credibility is when problems arise.

I remember when I worked for Inc.com and we would put together gadget gift guides and holiday gift guides...we were never permitted to keep ANYTHING sent to us to review. The thought being that because we got something for free we would write favorably about it. This is less journalism and more public relations. And it's not fair. I don't care how much you pay me -- I will not endorse something that goes against my morals or values. If something is terrible I will not promote it...unless to say how terrible it is.

I would love to be able to have my own slew of bloggers out there that I could pay. But right now the money just isn't there. So it's up to me and our interns to do it. Which is fine.

The safest way to get yourself or business out in cyber world is to hire a professional web marketing person to help you. There are people out there that will help you boost your web presence. My friend Nicole is one of these people. It is her job to put you on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, help you start a blog, whatever! Online marketing guru's are way more credible that hiring some dude off the street. And they have price sheets, accountants, statistics, and clients to vouch for them.