Hi,

Just for sharing, cause as I go deeper into my job in brand marketing, I think Malaysian bloggers are being ripped off.

I know that bloggers blog for interest, as a hobby. But when they take up invites and reviews, I think they should know this:

1. Bloggers might have receive invitation for a certain restaurant's opening, or launching of a certain product from a PR/Advertising/Online Marketing company.
2. It seems ok, as there will be food provided and some gift bag. Looks good?
3. But do bloggers know that, for each blogger's attendance, and write up, the advertising company charges hundreds to thousand at the brand owner?

Eg; I did a launching for my product in last year. PR and advertising companies came over to tender for the contract to handle the launch.

Here is part of the quotations :

RM20K for ensuring 15 bloggers attendance and blog posts. - I asked for a breakdown, and was told 5 bloggers will be their suggested 'Key Opinion Leaders' and their prices are >1K each. (To be fair, I don't know did these KOL really get RM1K from their end.)

How about the rest of the 10 bloggers? The person told me, "Oh.. the rest are cheaper ones, and we will handle and follow up with them. By the end of the day, we promise you will get 15 bloggers and 15 write-ups for RM20K. THEY WILL COME AS LONG AS THERE ARE FREE FOOD."

I was like
As a blogger myself, I am surprised how bloggers were being presented as part of a quotation, but in reality they get zero share from the PR companies' billings to brand owners.

It's okay for all to attend the invites (since some restaurants are really what you would like to try), but just keep in mind that you are being traded as a commodity.

My colleague was charged RM2K for a write up by a Key Opinion Leader, RM1K each for the other 3. These are famous ones, and I am sure every one had read their blogs. Fair and square, they get paid. Again, I don't know how much the online marketing company ever pays them, even if 10% from the charges.

My personal thought is, the blogger should be compensated for their travel expenses, man-hour put into photography and writing the posts, rather than just free meals and labelled as 'free-foodie."

The media (journalists from newpapers) who attended, are smart enough to only feature the launch, IF they have empty space in their papers. If no, it's just a come-and-go event for them, not compulsory for them to do a write-up. Where else, the bloggers will be pressed for write-ups, boasting about how good the restaurant or the products are.

If you ever receive an invite, just 1 or two days shy from the event day, reason is probaby the PR/Advertising companies could not get enough number of bloggers or some bloggers back out. You are the reserve soldier.

https://mustsharenews.com/food-bloggers-paid-reviews/


This post has been edited by lowlowc: Aug 16 2017, 06:21 PM

Can't disclose, or my company will come after me.
But major brands. (plural)

Sadly this has been going on since the start, bro. And many veteran bloggers do realise it. That's why companies like (you-know-who) needed to diversify to sell Instagrammers instead. I'm not sure how that's doing now though but I would imagine it's the same business model.

This post has been edited by tonYe: Aug 19 2017, 11:43 AM

Yes, it's been going on for a long time. But you will be surprised how I only know about it, that bloggers were traded like 'slave' for a free meal. It's okay to just give free food to bloggers, but on the other hand, they use the blogger's name to earn money.

Imagine you left your house key with someone for keeping, and the person advertise your house in Airbnb and earn rent money from it. In return, they buy you roti canai.

Sorry for the ranting. Probably because recently, people just keep emailing asking for free collaboration with me, for a few coffee, tea, rice and bun, some even ask for my CPM CPC in the very first email when they contacted me. I always ignore people who ask for my reader statistic. Because I know they will use it to boost their quotation to clients.

This post has been edited by lowlowc: Aug 18 2017, 08:21 PM

There are also those who still thinks that bloggers are like mainstream media. PR agencies get paid to work with mainstream media for their client but they don't pay the media. Difference is those media people are paid by their employers whereas bloggers are pretty much not getting paid at all unless they have millions of traffic every day to earn from Google Adsense.

No worries, I understand your frustration. This is the injustice I felt a few years ago when nobody else cared 'cause they were too afraid of losing their privilege with these agencies. And now they've grown up. Some quit blogging to go make an actual living. Some still copy and paste press releases to get freebies and attend events. And those like myself are rare — who still believes in sharing opinions honestly and not boot lick everyone.

I'd only collab or write free for subjects that my readers and myself are interested in. Agencies who asked for stats would usually offer to pay. I'd name my own price, however much they want to quote their clients is up to them — which is why I hardly get any offers anymore haha... But I don't care as much anymore. I've come to accept blogging as a hobby, a space to voice my opinions and promote things I'm passionate about, and I'm not willing to sacrifice my principles for more. So have fun, do whatever we want, and take a selfie

Agree. I am ignoring all the emails regarding free collabs unless it's something that will attract readers.

I hardly ever collaborate with local clients. That is due to the asking rate that I am getting from overseas.

But yes, no matter what there are still people who would go and accept these free collab (considering all the old timers wouldn't do)

So far only received one hotel and one restaurant free makan kind of invite.

Let me guess, a 4/5 star hotel nearby PWTC?

This post has been edited by lowlowc: Oct 9 2017, 12:40 PM

A hotel somewhere in pj which I never heard of .

It's not a bad thing and stay this way. Blog what you like and don't let them 'pimp' you out.

Also, just a word of caution (ignore my nagging if you want )if you're approach by newswire, please tread carefully. I was approached and they tried to sweet talk about how collaborating with them will increase my Search Ranking.

No matter how i flip it, see it up, down, left, right. The only winner is the newswire. They receive money from their client - restaurateur, business owners and corporates to publish their press release in your blog. Then in return, they will have your articles published on other blogs, so your article gain exposure. But for Google, it will be seen as duplicated contents. And what Google do best? Scrap out duplicates. Instead of moving up the search result, your blog post will fall to the bottom.

This post has been edited by lowlowc: Nov 3 2017, 05:35 PM

Thanks bro. Will keep it in mind.

Thanks for the info, just knew that.....i myself got invited last minute to a few restaurant before as well by KL PR Agency. For that time i just went without charging them...as usual, in return they gave us freebies bag, vouchers & etc

But now i'm starting to charge for every food review, but mostly focus on instagram & fb....closed down my website due to too much to maintain...

You are right, there are people who are willing to go just for free food & freebies....these are the one that spoling the market.

Is it true that hotel don't pay bloggers with cash? I was told here in Sabah that the hotels only pay the bloggers with food vouchers, room etc....

What do u guys think about FB & insta instead of website/blog? I think it's easier & also faster to viral via shares.

This post has been edited by darrenwks: Nov 23 2017, 10:53 AM

looks like ur company hired the wrong marketing personnel

So far, I have not receive any hotel review invitation paid in cash. Mostly were asking me to stay at their hotel with a free buffet. So far I have not attended any of them due to weekdays stay (wouldn't want to waste my annual leave for free hotel stay).

I had only took a sponsored trip by an overseas hotel. They paid for my air flights, free stays and include all meals. I thought it's fair enough even though they didn't pay me any cash. Plus, the invitation was done by the hotel PR itself, means no advertising agency pimped me out in the middle.

If the hotel is where it won't cost you much to travel (or they are willing to reimburse your travelling cost), and worth your recommendation to your follower, it's okay to review them without payment.

Viral wise, Insta and FB are fast. But (just my opinion) as a marketer, I always demand blog write up + insta and FB from agencies. It's not worth it to pay just for people to post a few pictures in Instagram. I need to get the product info out there (why people should buy my product, how is my product different from other competitor) not just visuals. Besides, Insta and FB number of followers are easy to fake.

Not really... Because I am a blogger, I know when advertising agency are bluffing me with the blogger (they call them key opinion leader or influencer) price. Eg; I was marketing high grade cooking ingredients and the agency proposed that I pay for Instagram key influencers who were in their 20s, have followers of >50K, but most of their instagram pictures were they in sexy bikini. I said no.. I want mummy bloggers or proper food blogger, not bikini girls with high write up fee just because they have a lot of followers. Basically, I save money for my company. Ok.. ok... I know some might argue , maybe the bikini girls are good with food cooking post, but I still think they will be better fit if I am selling alcohol or snack products.

This post has been edited by lowlowc: Nov 28 2017, 04:21 PM

haha..then u hired the wrong agency. Mind to PM me what agency that you are using so i cant avoid hiring them

Thanks for the helpful info.

Do you just name them(hotel) the price package when they invited you?

Says like if they invited you for a food tasting which you find it very worth your recommendation to your followers & you would actually review themfor free, would you still try to send them the price package to see if they are willing to pay you?

Will you review them if they are willing to pay but the food isn't special/unique?

If you find it not worth to review, how do you usually reject them without sounding harsh & rude?

No, I don't name my write up price. For reviews that I am not interested to do, I will just decline them, regardless they're willing to pay or not.

But for reviews that I am interested to do (and won't cost much expenses - travel, tolls, parking fees), I will do for free, without proposing any fee at all.

One thing I take into consideration also, is how sincere they are in the invitation. Another thing I learned as marketer; PR or advertising agency will blast out dozens of emails to many bloggers at once, and see who reply them. They're casting the net as broad as possible and doesn't matter to them what kind of fish they caught for their client as long as they can 'pimp' them.

I frequently receive emails that goes "We are opening soon at XXX and appreciate your attendance. Please RSVP by tomorrow". I will be like WTH?? Someone is near their dateline to deliver number of bloggers and now chasing me to attend food review? This kind of email, I won't ever bother to reply. Sometimes, they will even come to my FB and say it's urgent and I should reply them ASAP.

For invitations that show sincerity but you're not interested, just reject them like someone in your office ask you out for a drink - have other projects on hand, unable to fit the schedule bla bla bla.

Hahaha thanks! But usually if those marketer, pr & advertising agency invite you last minute, you name them any price they will also accept right

Oh! You've got a point! I should have done that!