In late July, I attended the 10th anniversary celebration of BlogHer, the world’s largest conference for female bloggers. This marked my seventh BlogHer event: Twice, I have been a panelist, the rest of the time an avid listener as both a blogger and marketer. Even after all these years, the women there never cease to amaze me, with their back stories, their passion, their pursuit of truth for a broad diversity of constituencies, their inclusion of topics ranging from parenting to mental illness to autism to politics to technology. Some have chosen to make a difference with their blogs, others simply to make money. The best balance both.
Forever ago, when we became one of the first agencies to enter the world of mom bloggers, it was all about the passion, the self-expression – and not quite yet about brands or bucks. To say it has changed is an understatement of grand proportions. For so many bloggers, making money is the goal rather than the result of blogging. One panel I attended on monetization covered, among other topics, how to multiply the impact of content by turning it into eBooks and webinars, the finer points of affiliate marketing and “mobile optimized templates” for advertising.
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I suppose this is progress. Every mom who is now compensated by a brand will tell you that the opinions she expresses are her own and not influenced by the fact that the company she is talking about is more likely than not these days to be issuing her a paycheck – or more discreetly, a gift certificate.
But as they say, it is what it is, and as long as readers are not bothered by that relationship—and they don’t seem to be—bloggers will continue to be part of the media relations mix. BlogHer’s own research shows that 61% of the general population has purchased a product as a result of a blog recommendation—and clearly, this is what continues to motivate brand/blogger partnerships.
On that note, BlogHer ’14 featured an interesting mix of sponsors, from the expected – toy companies, such as Tiggly, with its combination of virtual and real life play — to brands ranging from Skype to Bridgestone that recognized that, yes, women do make decisions about such things as technology and tires. In fact, Bridgestone got the mix for grabbing bloggers’ attention just right with its No Pressure Zone, where a line formed quickly for a combination of mimosas and massages. A few of my favorites:
Clearly, brands in a range of categories still put their faith in the power of bloggers.
Thank you for sharing this information and experience. How lucky to be able to go to such a wonderful sounding event.
Thanks, Lauri. BlogHer is always a memorable experience!