Bloggers and Brands 3

[CookingUpAStormTonight]

New thread I hope.

[Mamaslave18]

I’m getting fed up with most of the bloggers I follow now. DMBL40 is just constant ads now and showing off her new sleb friends.
I also follow Gold is a Neutral and yesterday she was blatantly trying to get free stuff by posting about all of the things she wants to change in her house but can’t afford to.

[hopeishere]

I agree i view it all as a sales pitch now!!

[UtahGirl12]

I must say I still enjoy following some fashion bloggers, but with far more awareness now, mainly thanks to these MN threads about the ads. I was a bit naive before that and did occasionally get sucked in to spending things I didn't particularly need or want. My favourite by far is DMBL40. I find her very transparent, and that she has taken feedback from sources like this seriously and implemented changes she needed to make. My body shape, height, lifestyle and income are nothing like hers, yet I continue to follow as I thoroughly enjoy her writing. She brings a bit of fun into my day, and I can also empathise with her posts about her son with ASD, which are generally heartfelt and emotional. I can appreciate Midlife Chic but find her writing style somewhat worthy, which puts me off a bit, but I do check in on her blog now and again. I am particularly enjoying her recent capsule wardrobe advice.

[Rainbowknickers]

Love motherpukka she really helped when I was having problems at work part-time working mummy does so much for her warriors the unmumsy mum is so funny but sick of mod/fod-its all about the ads very grabby and don't really fit with the brand-really pity the kids who will end up either narcs or bullied

[MissHenty]

I see Emily Norris is currently at Center Parcs and is posting on stories a lot and has posted photos too. Presumably there’ll be a vlog coming up. No mention of #Ad so far or whether the holiday has been subsidised or not? I am suspicious because every one of her posts about the holiday is more like a sales pitch. Not even the odd “shame the car park was busy” or “shame restaurant was full” etc etc. Wish Emily would be more transparent with things like this about what the underlying arrangement is with Center Parcs. Very frustrating.

[ABuckToothedGirlinLuxembourg]

I’ve been wondering why beauty brands choose to work with bloggers that openly admit to having Botox, especially when it’s anti ageing products that they send them.

[MissHenty]

Just read through this entire thread (but not the two that came before it). I think unmummsy mum deserves a mention and some credit. As soon as she started doing adverts she has put #AD at the start of any blurb - so it is crystal clear what is an #Ad and what isn’t. And she did that before these discussions kicked off on Mumsnet. Very impressed with her and feel like she actuallly treats her followers with some respect and honesty.

Contrast that with FOD who, after that Martinhal holiday (which was never labelled an #Ad), suddenly posted some nostalgic post about the holiday, with the word #Ad hidden between 17 other hashtags. It’s so sneaky and disingenuous of him I was shocked. I don’t know if he’s since decided to be a bit more transparent as I then unfollowed him.

I also got fed up with the fact FOD would joke about being tight and complain about the cost of an ice cream for his children. But the next day would be encouraging us to think we all neeed to buy new cars, have better holidays etc etc. Sickening consumerism.

What I would say is that you get so involved with these Instagrammers lives. FOD and SV (who hasn’t really been mentioned in this thread yet but was so rude about MN), I was watching their stories every day. Since I deleted them I haven’t missed them. I thought I’d suffer some withdrawal (seen as we hear such a lot about so many details of their lives and get so attached). I actually have just found its been brilliant to unfollow these people.

[Ididnthearanything]

Thanks for explaining the #af. I've only seen it very recently and wasn't clear what it meant. I suppose it's a step in the right direction. It would be even mor helpful if it was known what it meant. I'm not sure where I've seen it but I have and was curious. I'll try and remember.

[JessicaPeach]

I mean very occasionally!! I’ve hovered over unfollow too, I followed her in Dubai originally so it was useful. Lots of non disclosing going on on that page though, the skiing holiday felt like an advert but sometimes it’s hard to tell advertising from over tagging

[AdiosPeaceOfRoast]

Readers that would know to look for an #ad or even #af (wtf? ) are likely already aware of influencers being salespeople. The people being taken in by it are those that won’t think to look anyway.

[ElspethFlashman]

I unfollowed her a while back. Its basically her family photo album. Which is fine, but im not that interested in looking at pictures of my own kids every day, let alone someone elses!

But fair play if shes using something to denote affiliate links.

[JessicaPeach]

Mum of Boys and Mabel uses #af occasionally.

[IsThisAWindUp]

Who has used #af? I haven't seen that anywhere, it must be a new thing. It's hardly clear and transparent if nobody knows what it means.

[Lazypyjama]

I actually unfollowed MOD and FOD today. I find them extremely boring. They both try so hard to be funny and they are not natural comedians.

[megansmandstop]

I would assume #af is to denote an affiliate link yes. #ad is something different; an agreed for post in exchange for real money (as opposed to a product) with a specific brief about what to feature, what key words to say, when to post it to maximise audience etc...

An affiliate programme is something the blogger signs up to and will earn a small percentage from any sales directly linked the the buyer clicking through from their page to buy the item. They probably get sent the money every month or so in a chunk (perhaps someone can advise?)

So, not an advert.

[Ididnthearanything]

I haven't deleted Instagram yet but getting close. It's an addictive, pain of an app.

Can someone explain this #af on some posts, particularly swipe up ones. Does it mean affiliate link? Why have they changed it from #ad?
Apologies if this has already been explained and I've missed it.

[ABuckToothedGirlinLuxembourg]

We all wanted transparency, but I know that now we’ve got it from a few of them I for one am shocked at the sheer volume of gifted items, and ads. I really didn’t realise just how much of this was going on.

[MadameGrizzly]

All the stealth advertising on Instagram just makes me feel like I'm being treated like a fool.

[User80656448969]

Yes @madameGrizzly! I hadn’t noticed that until you pointed it out, but something did feel “off” about the images but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Totally agree at the clickbait comment. One blogger mentioned on on this thread earlier is the worst for that.

[MadameGrizzly]

I've noticed the website name/brand is typically cropped out in those types of 'look what I found! swipe up!' affiliate links so you are obliged to swipe up.

It's clickbait. No different to a clickbait Daily Mail heading. That's why it doesn't sit well with me, so I purposely never swipe up on Instagram. There's nothing I need to buy so desperately that I'm willing to be treated like a punter.

[WhatIfYourArmBursts]

If the link was specific to that item or a single visit to that website from that link I would be ok with it I suppose. But because it stays on your computer for a longer period of time it feels like a phishing exercise and I’m not keen so I actively don’t use. They are a bit spammy.

[ABuckToothedGirlinLuxembourg]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on all these look what I’ve found on the internet... I’m not buying them....but swipe up for my affiliate link stories that keep popping up? Now some do say they are affiliate links, but if you’re not buying them, why should we? I’m not liking them at all.

[FacebookAteMyBrain]

I don’t follow CLTS. She’s not someone I could ever envisage being friends with in real life for lots of reasons and I suppose that’s one of my benchmarks of whether I waste my time looking at their “squares” or not.

[megansmandstop]

Paintbox I said something similar way back on the first thread. The instagrammers mentioned here HAVE to show their everyday lives and families because that is their USP; allegedly they are normal women, just like us, bumbling along, juggling work and kids, but trying to look stylish along the way. Without that, who would they be? They don't have a prior media career, they're not print journalists, or former fashion editors, or retail buyers, no. They are just mums from the 'burbs with time on their hands to start an Instagram account or blog about clothes (largely, for the ones discussed here).

Except, "normal" women don't go to swanky breakfast lunches, or take their children to film premieres, or have ten leather jackets, fifty floral maxi dresses, multiple designer trainers, bags etc. Since their profile exploded and the likes of Gleam took over, they no longer have a credible USP any more. Hence the selling of their souls mentality of flogging as much "stuff" as possible before the bubble bursts.

[Fruitbowl2]

www.pressreader.com/uk/grazia-uk/20160816/283016874108244

I posted this on the other thread. Grazia mag article featuring MOD/FOD MP.

Interesting that in August 2016 they were pretty clear what their aim was, just it being transparent wasn't.

To be fair though, MP says they misquoted them.