Never, Ever Disrespect Your Readers
I’ve come to the conclusion that a significant number of bloggers disrespect their readers.
What I mean is that they will write something for public consumption, but in the back of their minds they really aren’t concerned about what their readers think. Specifically, the information that they’ve shared is sloppily written, poorly researched or just plain wrong.
FTC Fights Back
Perhaps the best example of this practice is something that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is in the process of addressing: paid endorsements. You know, those infomercials designed to pass as objective product reviews, while offering nothing more than gushy praise of a product.
The blogger may think that he can pull a fast one, but adept readers know when they’re being played for a fool. Importantly, federal employees working for the FTC know what is going on and will soon be threatening to fine advertisers – and may go after bloggers too. Look for the same sort of “snitch brigade” on the level of that which was formed by Google to rat out paid text link peddlers to emerge.
But why wait for a government mandate to change the way that you blog?
I’m not against produce endorsements as I do them myself. However, I always tell my readers when a product has been supplied for my review. Furthermore, if compensation is given beyond the supplied sample, I share those details too.
It isn’t possible for every supplied product to receive your highest grade. If you regularly gush praise for each product reviewed, then you diminish your value as an objective reviewer. People will know that you can be bought which means that your review will be ignored.
Worse, if you regularly review products and offer the same bland positive pitch your audience will disappear. Sure, your chorus of followers will remain, but that’s because they’re doing the same thing that you’re doing – disrespecting their readers.
Honest Reviews…Please!
I no longer visit blogs which regularly run product reviews and which aren’t being honest with their readers. No, I don’t usually challenge the blogger directly, finding that their excuses do nothing to remedy the problem.
I’m not the only one who takes dishonest reviewers to task. Esther Schindler offers excellent tips in her article, “How to Write a Product Review,” which outlines three (four) questions which reviewers should ask when writing an article:
- What does the product promise?
- How well does it achieve those goals?
- Is it a good value? for whom?
Schindler offers sound advice on how to construct a review, no matter its length. I appreciate her advice that it is “…the reader who matters, and ultimately it’s only the reader who matters.” If you’re writing for the advertiser or for yourself, then your review misses the mark. People want an honest review – do not try to fool them!
FTC Rules
I’ve written this article on the heels of the FTC’s announcement last week that they were cracking down on paid endorsements. I mentioned that the FTC has “…yet to issue guidelines on how bloggers must disclose paid endorsements,” but Mihaela (Mig) Lica responded by offering a link to an eighty-one page FTC document – Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. No, I haven’t read it yet, but I will do so as I formulate my own product review policy going forward.
I have mixed thoughts about the FTC getting involved, not liking government involvement all that much while understanding that the same restrictions long imposed on print media probably should apply to the internet as well.
What is unfortunate is that some bloggers aren’t willing to police themselves even when their audience tunes them out. That the federal government has to take action is indicative of where we’re at – in need of some sort of oversight to correct blogging deficiencies.
Photo Credit: Billy Ruth
Tags: advertising, bloggers, disclosure, Federal Trade Commission, paid endorsements, product review
Marketing | Matthew C. Keegan, 13 Oct 09
By LD Jackson, October 13, 2009 @ 5:29 am
Above all, we must be honest with our readers. I have readers who do not share some of my political views, yet they visit and comment on nearly every article. One of them even told me he prefers my blog, even though he doesn’t share my world view. I believe the reason behind this is the fact that I am honest with them. Even though I generally do not do product reviews, unless it is software related, I think the same honesty principle applies to news and political articles. If we lose the honesty that needs to go in our articles, we don’t have much else to offer.
Good article, Matt.
.-= LD Jackson´s last blog ..Dogfighting: The Movie =-.
By Matthew C. Keegan, October 13, 2009 @ 5:39 am
I like this saying — honesty is the only policy. If all bloggers followed this outline, then people would trust what they read. These days, I scrutinize everything, insisting on full disclosure when a product is being reviewed.
By Lillie Ammann, October 13, 2009 @ 3:42 pm
I agree completely that bloggers should follow the “honesty is the best policy” principle. However, I was surprised to learn that the FTC ruling requires bloggers who write book reviews to disclose they received a free copy of the book to review. It never occurred to me to make such a disclosure since that is the standard practice in the industry. Publishers send out review copies of their books to print publications and blogs, but that doesn’t mean they will necessarily give a favorable review. I don’t write a lot of reviews, and I don’t write completely negative reviews. When someone asks me to review a book, I let them know I will be totally honest, but if I don’t have something positive to say, I just won’t write the review. I’ve never had that happen, but I won’t write a dishonest review, and I don’t want to trash a book either. I’ll point out the negatives if I can also point out some positives.
I don’t have any problem disclosing when I’ve received a review copy, but it doesn’t seem quite right that bloggers have to disclose they have received an advance reading copy (not even a published book), when print reviewers don’t have to make any disclosures at all.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog ..Freelance Rates Survey Reminder =-.
By Matthew C. Keegan, October 13, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
You have raised some valid points, Lillie.
I, too, will review books from time to time, obtaining a press or review copy which I will then read and comment on. Over the past several months, I’ve been reviewing reference books from The Princeton Review (TPR) and posting my reviews on SayCampusLife.com.
Well, it turns out that only in my recent review did I mention that I was offered a copy by TPR; it seems I neglected that point earlier. Still, I am like you — I generally have a good idea what a book is about first before I agree to review it. A reference book is, of course, quite different from a novel or short story.
One more thing — did you know that we’re supposed to declare these “gifts” as income with the IRS? I’m not fully acquainted with the guidelines, which means one more thing I’ll need to get in order quickly.
By the way, I think some of the FTC stuff is nonsense. We should be able to preview books as long as we offer disclosure. I know you don’t try to fool your readers!
By Jan from BetterSpines, October 14, 2009 @ 12:32 am
Hi Matt. You say “I no longer visit blogs which regularly run product reviews”. I’m the same. I want to read meaningful articles about subjects close to the writer’s heart. Paid articles are so obvious, and so meaningless.
.-= Jan from BetterSpines´s last blog ..Chiropractic care and mesothelioma =-.
By Matthew C. Keegan, October 14, 2009 @ 3:39 am
@Jan from BetterSpines
I should probably qualify the word “regular” Jan because that can sound so limiting.
Regularly should be defined as “once per week” or more. I know writers and editors who review books rather frequently, but they don’t fall under that category — that’s part of what you do.
What I am referring to are those “paid articles” you mentioned which are, in fact, paid reviews. Agreed — they are terribly obvious as well as meaningless.
By Bryan, October 18, 2009 @ 9:17 am
Reader should also be honest in making comments. Some readers always leave good comments because getting their comment approved is what they are after.
.-= Bryan´s last blog ..Firefox 3.7 New Look for Windows XP, Vista, and 7 =-.
By Matthew C. Keegan, October 18, 2009 @ 11:42 am
And that is fine with me, Bryan. I don’t try to figure out the motives for why someone leaves a comment, rather if their comment flows with the thread and/or adds value to it, then it gets my approval.
By Alicia Mergo, November 12, 2009 @ 4:47 am
I have to fully agree with you! I think that it is obvious that you can disagree with readers that gives you their voice about your work. And every voice is precious. But disrespecting people is always a bad move. Showing somebody that you think you are better than him is just a sign of not very healthy mental condition in my opinion.