I’ve been sitting on this topic since I went to the conference in Nashville, you know Blissdom. I really didn’t learn a whole lot there, but the networking was amazing and things that I already knew where impressed upon me in greater detail. It’s over three months later and I’m with P&G and Walmart and we’re discussing what they want those of us that they brought out to Portland this week to do for them. I’ll have another post with the exact details on all that and what I’m doing later, but I need to share with other bloggers what everyone in the blogging community is trying to say, what companies are trying to say; Quality Has More Value than Stats!

Brands want bloggers to tell a story; some brands, yeah, all they want are as many links on as many sites as they can get for free. So if you are a review blogger and you just want free stuff then write up a review and give them a good text link. Oh and that brings up another post entirely, do not use the word “here” and link to it.

Now, I don’t want you to think that I am a hypocrite, because I’m not. I do take on way too many reviews and host a heck of a lot of giveaways, but things are changing. Trends are changing and if you want to grow as I do, you’re going to have to change your ways. I’m going to have to change my ways. Yesterday, I read Lori’s article (she writes at A Cowboys Wife) Why I don’t read or refer your blog, and I felt like she was talking to me. 80 % of what I write is a review or giveaway. I do poor my heart and soul into all of my reviews, and they almost always include a funny family anecdote, but if you don’t get past the title “Product Review” or “Giveaway” then you aren’t going to read it, I’ll admit, I’m not reading your blog for the same reason. When I go to a blog to return a comment, if I can’t find a non-giveaway post then I feel trapped, because I don’t really want to enter your giveaway.

Just to start changing my site, I’m taking advantage of the theme and all reviews and giveaways can only be found by scrolling down to the bottom of my site or by hitting the review, giveaway button. I want my personal stories to be the first thing you find on my site and of a brand/product/company is lucky enough to be considered mostly personal then you are going to find a very endearing story to go along with it. Just recently I did a review for Lands’ End, and I labeled it personal because, I loved it so much that I shared my struggles with my weight, finding a swimsuit every year, and why I hate most swimsuits. I made a connection and more people commented on it than most of my reviews. Ultimately, this is the kind of connection that brands want from bloggers. I’m sure that the larger brands would prefer if I took on less, so their products received more of a spotlight and that everything won a personal post; all I can say is just have patience with me, change is a slow process, and your product has to actually make the cut.

I’m also working with KitchenAid, they would not work with me unless I could guarantee connections with the brand. I own my own KitchenAid, I purchased it and an attachment for it. I love it and use it all the time. It was very easy to make a personal story, because we cook as a family often. So my story was about being in the kitchen with my daughter making ice cream. You know what my daughter said to me that day, she said, “Mommy, it’s a good day!”

Make every day a good day, poor quality into your reviews and make them more about you, what your readers want to read, and connect your readers with the brand you are proud to represent. There are ways to throw in details without just listing the product details on a press release. I want to thank Lori for slapping me in the face virtually!