Bloggers and brands 2.

[Merriboo]

continuing the discussion from the previous thread about transparency and disclosure (or lack of) by bloggers

How was AB exposed as a fantasist??!

Lily pebbles topshop haul (again...oh that high commission must be so tempting!) and cushions (again!) and a paid partnership to rival the special k. (A money manager!)

I follow Deciem on Instagram and there is a post from the owner today saying he wants to engage directly with consumers via their social platforms and is cancelling any other marketing strategies. Interesting and maybe things will shift and there will be more transparency and authenticity as that it what people ultimately want.

@anyalovesrose - was it the inference that it was ghost written that was hurtful? I can imagine it is hard to take negative feedback and most authors say that.

I think though, that it’s not surprising that readers might suspect at least some ‘influencer’s’ books have been ghost written and that it might impact their choice of whether to buy.

@AdioPeaceOfRoast
What was ghost written?! My book? If you think for one minute I would pay someone else to write my book then you’re very very wrong. I’m sure it goes on with autobiographies but I can assure you that I put blood sweat and tears into this book

Who is MOD?

Did you write it all yourself? I mean its pretty mind boggling to me that you manage to hold down a very demanding job, have four children, run an online blog and highly successful IG page, post on mumsnet, and write 2 books. I mean if you did, fair play to you, that is pretty incredible.

OK sorry x-post. That is impressive.
I read DillyDilly's post that she was querying whether it was ghost written because we had discussed that particular issue earlier in the thread. I think you read it in another way.

@Itsbeenalongtime
Yes I did, I wrote every single word and curated the design element down to the tiniest of detail. Although my blog has been somewhat abandoned in the last year and my running trainers are covered in dust but something has to give 😉

Lol all these blogger like to post about #selflove #bodypositive "real queens fix each others crown" etc etc when they all passively aggressively slag each other off.

I wasn’t inferring it Anya, I meant was that what you had been hurt by, as that’s what had been suggested earlier - about influencer’s books in general.

For what it’s worth, I respect your hard work in writing it and the design looks beautiful. I think it’s a good thing that you’ve said it though, as honestly, I think it is often suspected because of others that have been.

@Itsbeenalongtime
What @dillydilly said was ‘now I know why’

Know what? What because I wrote a book in a short space of time I used a ghost writer?

anyalovesrose
Here is the @dillydilly post - llyDillyWed 24-Jan-18 14:12:45

I see MOD has previewed her latest book - it’s an illustrated journal covering the weeks of pregnancy where you can write your own weekly thoughts with some words of wisdom included from herself.

I had thought she seemed to write that book pretty quickly, now I know why.

When I read the comment, I didn't think ghost writer, I thought it was a reference to the fact that it was a journal, not a book as such, so reducing the amount of actual words. I don't know if I am right but it is certainly how I read it and would hate you to be upset when you have shown such energy and enthusiasm.

@anya, what she said was "I had thought she seemed to write that book pretty quickly, now I know why." - ie a book written by a ghost writer could be written quicker than if you were holding down another job, had 4 children blah blah blah. We were aware Gleam set up a publishing arm so the expectation is that influencers will be doing more and more book writing in future. You can understand in this context then maybe why people on this particular thread may wonder if you wrote your book singlehandedly because I am sure not all of influencers will. But as I said, impressive that you did. Anyway thats the context that I read the comment in anyway. Nothing more.

I read it the same, less words, quicker writing. Which does stand to reason doesn’t it.

OK there are at least 3 different ways of interpreting that post . I think everyone should move on

I think what’s happening, to a certain extent, is that consumers or followers of influencer content were a bit slow to catch the change from amateur blogger to where it has been monetised, and it sometimes then makes you feel a bit stupid when you’ve commented in good faith with a recommendation for something (when you actually thought the blogger was looking for one, vs selling you something ).

So that’s then made people a bit wary of, for example, books they’ve then found out were ghost written. Clearly, based on this, yours isn’t, but I think that’s where the general thought process has come from.

That's right, when the commercial aspects have only been gradually revealed to consumers - the holidays that turned out to be paid for advertorials, the shopping trips that turn out to be paid-for partnerships, the new amazing just-discovered brands that turn out to be gifts - it creates an element of feeling that everything you see is not necessarily what you think it is.

@ithasbeenalongtime - that’s exactly what I meant. It’s not that there’s an intent to be hurtful, but it’s a reasonably understandable reaction on follower’s parts when they’ve been burnt / felt gullible before.

I saw that another of the bloggers is doing an ad with that babysitter app.
Are we really meant to believe that she would leave her Kids with a stranger?

I apologize if I upset you MOD. It was an idle thought really. I remember you saying you were starting to write book number two and a very short time later that you’d finished it and at the time I wondered how you wrote it so quickly. From what you posted on IG earlier, I got the impression most of the book was journaling pages, lots of illustrations with a lesser amount of writing by yourself- which would explain why you were able to write it so quickly. Ghost writing didn’t come into my thoughts at all.
Best of luck with the book, I’m sure it will be another success.

@DillyDilly
Thank you I appreciate that. I know I haven’t always been as transparent perhaps in the past but I’m really trying to focus on why I originally came to SM back in 2011 and what’s important to me. I’m hugely passionate about midwifery and very proud of my books

@anyalovesarose All ok then. I wasn’t questioning the quality of the content of your books at all.

A model recommend is now moving into interiors! New house so I guess she needs new stuff. I wonder how transparent she will be with what will be gifted. It’s a genius business model really. She’s moved from beauty to baby to house!

Go Deciem - already a fan, and now even more so!