Bloggers and brands 2.

[Merriboo]

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

I really like ED but she is also prone to the odd self-pitying post about people being 'unkind' on IG. She did a lovely post this week about a mental health charity which was brilliantly written but which segued into a section about nasty comments on IG, which I just felt detracted a bit from the rest of her message. I don't want to read about people who make a business from their presence on IG moaning about how hard they have it. Just block and move on. I think a lot of people (not just readers) are having a bit of a love/hate thing going on with IG at the moment though. Facebook have ruined it.

I agree @DillyDilly. The comments on that post are predictable in that there are plenty of "F*ck the haters" and "can't believe other people can be that pathetic!" comments, which of course she would have known would follow. If the point of the post was to promote the #flexappeal campaign, it has failed miserably.

That sums it up for me dilly. I saw your original comment and understood straight away what you meant. It seemed a bit like a deliberate misunderstanding so the "oh everyone is so mean to me" narrative could be used. She's obviously an intelligent woman but seems to have been totally sucked into the instagram black hole.

Shitty post from MOD. Why bother coming on here and engaging in an issue that was quickly resolved, only then to fire a cheap shot to drum up likes and sympathy. I can't stand this 'Woe is me...so hard done by' attitude. It's banal.

I would be interested to know who questioned her working PT, because I am sure there are a lot of people on this thread would be the last people to question the validity of PT or flexible working. I can't see there was any mention of it on the other thread she was on either. Does anyone have a link?

@Ithasbeenalongtime I'm not sure where it was questioned, either. There were two Instamum threads on here a while ago. Link to the first one:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/3016248-To-be-fed-up-of-Instamums#71443161

I find it interesting that out of all the comments that were addressed to MOD, the one she chose to address on her Insta was something that had never been said in the first place...

Also, I hate this idea that mums should unquestioningly support other mums no matter what. It's a ridiculous notion.

I've skim read both threads now. This is the only comment I can see that she may be referring to "It's a shame that good midwives like MoD aren't working more at the jobs they're trained for. I see this as more of an indication of how fucked up the NHS is than a reflection on them personally." How do you get from that to someone apparently saying the NHS is wasting its money to employ her? That comment isn't saying that at all.

I can't actually read the Insta comments - just a list of platitudes, haters gonna hate, jealous yada yada yada......... I do think these bloggers are consciously playing into two quite different markets with their blogs being better written and more in depth than the Insta gloss and no substance approach. Have zero respect for the bloggers who use Insta to whip up a hate frenzy against anyone who dares to comment, disagree or take issue with them. I had never heard of Mod before this thread and do think she wrote well for her audience. Not now. Cheap tactics.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3045216-insta-mums it was on this thread. Not sure if that's what she's referring to though with regards her work days, the facts don't add up.

Why does she say on that recent thread that she doesn’t work 1 day a week she works 3, and then make a big thing about only working 1 day a week on her IG and having to justify that to people? 😳

adidasgirl I also had a very bad experience with the initial bag from SWYC and they were exceptionally rude with appalling customer service.

I had bought 3 bags and a necklace. The letters on the bag peeled immediately before it was even used. Can’t believe they even sent it out. They didn’t return messages until I posted publicly on one of their posts. No apology just said “send it back and we’ll fix it then”.

They were very stroppy when I queried a refund for me having to post it back. They fixed the bag although the letters are coming off again. They also never sent a refund for the postage like they said they would. I can only presume it’s a hobby rather than a business and they just like to schmooze with blogger friends.

Very annoying that IGers promote this stuff without disclosure. Crap quality doesn’t matter if you didn’t pay for it!

Not sure what MOD is referring to either with her work days, I have a vague recollection of a post here where someone said something about her working as a midwife one day a week, she replied she actually worked three days a week (even though she had definitely said before on IG that she works one day a week in a midwifery role) and now on her Instagram earlier she again said she worked one day. It’s mad altogether !!

The SWYC bags are terrible quality. I said on the first blogger’s thread that I’d also been stung for £63 for a bag that fell to pieces, and they also completely ignored my feedback. If they were genuinely interested in setting up a business properly they would respond to feedback but instead they keep churning out the same crap bags enabled by bloggers who get one for free and probably only use it a handful of times, so quality is irrelevant to them.

@Ithasbeenalongtime Wasn't just me then who had the same issue.
They are so flimsy.Shows what a good photo can do though.
What an absolute waste of money that was.
I gave mine to my local charity shop when I was having a post Christmas sort out.
Still disgusted that rather than answer my questions they blocked me.

@TheLuckyMrsPine I posted on their page and they blocked me.So I then put a comment on SV's insta and she brushed it off.She asked if I had spoken to them.I told her I had been blocked on insta and they hadn't bothered replying to my emails either.She didn't bother replying again.

It just seems such an odd way to run a start up business doesn’t it? Surely repeat custom is vital to any small business. That’s what makes me think it’s more of a hobby. Or a quick money maker rather than a business.

@TheLuckyMrsPine Exactly.If the bags had been what I thought they were then I would of been buying 3 possibly 4 more for birthday/Christmas presents.
Ignore and block when asked a genuine and polite question is not the way forward.
They all preach about 'Supporting independent retailers' but what incentive when they produce shoddy goods and don't rectify or acknowledge the problem when there is one.

I would have bought another too if the quality had improved and feedback taken on board. I came to the conclusion that they have adopted a crash and burn business strategy and don’t care about repeat business.

Surprised at SV and the peeling bag. Thought she 'only ever worked with brands she believed in'

Do people actually like watching "Crap I bought in Poundland" vlogs or ones showing people cleaning?

@AdidasGirl I might start one called 'Oh look, I'm at another fucking soft play'.

@scampiesandchips At least, a vlog I can relate to.I will 'like and subscribe' immediately.

Maybe Pom Bears will want to work with me??