Taryn -Oh my….i’ve got to stop reading these!:) Just refer back to my comment on your other post (Attention please). I think my comment was like the 200th:). Hang in there!
Laura -How is putting up ads on your blog any different from inviting people into your home for Pampered Chef, BeautiControl, Creative Memories, Premier Jewelry, Scentsy, Mary Kay (the list goes on and on)? Blog guests enjoy the ambiance just like the party goers. Compensation to the hostess (blogger) should not be seen as a negative so much as a necessary in order to host in the first place. If you don’t want to be asked to purchase from the catalog, don’t show up and eat the food.
There’s a certain ick factor, centering around self-promotion and being compensated for services, that doesn’t seem to exist as much for more tangible things.
You are providing a service, whether or not you’ve classified it as such. You are an entertainment blog writer. You write autobiographical nonfiction about your life in a soft copy format. That doesn’t make what you do less ‘real’ and thus less deserving of compensation.
You seem to be someone with integrity, from what I’ve gathered blog-stalking you for almost two years. You seem to be clear about your priorities, so I think that any ad stuff you do will be presented with the same level of integrity we’ve seen so far. Don’t shill for something you don’t believe in, and you’ll be good to go.
Kelley -I love your blog! Props to you for creatively providing for your family.
Becky -I love your blog. Tons of “mom” sayings are going through my head… like, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit!” And, “If you want it to be different, then YOU go(make a blog).” And, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” People can tell you what they want your blog to be, but your blog reflects you life (so well!) So how can people be telling you how to blog, without telling you how to live your life?! Blessings on how real, loving, and transparent you are.
Julie-I need to ask santa for a couple dozen more hockey masks…
Sorry for the drama. Sorry that you have to defend yourself. On your blog. That you write.
This made me think of a post Kristen wrote a while back, dealing with the same sort of quandary… http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2010/07/elephant-on-sidebar.html
I like you. Ads or no ads.
Australian blog stalker -I’ve been a blog stalker for a long time and think I probably represent an average reader – I’ll keep reading even with the blog monetized, so long as sponsored (or similar) posts are clearly labelled as such (BTW, was there a mistake in the wording of the Sara Lee post – cos it said you were going to an ad-free site, but then it was a sponsored post??). One of the biggest selling points about your blog, Meg, is that you post ORIGINAL CONTENT, EVERY DAY. If I can make a suggestion: if you want the blog to remain popular, most readers are fairly loyal and will stay with you, even with your blog monetized, so long as you continue to provide new photos and new blog posts each day. This is key. And if the blog is monetized, I’m hoping the finances are there to enable you to achieve this on most days. I get what you’re saying, that your youngest may not be so willing to pose any longer! And that you have less free time to actually do the projects that can then be photographed and turned into blog content, but hopefully the extra income can be used to drive new content (eg. paying you for the time it takes to produce an original post, or paying for materials required to make something etc).
It’s always a rocky road when you monetize your blog. Don’t sweat the small number of readers who leave. Most stay if you maintain a good quality blog. And your good stuff is truly you and your family. I remember a little while back, Lauren hadn’t appeared in photos for a long time and then there she was one day, smiling. I actually cried! And I don’t even know you and your family.
Hoping this is helpful. If you feel it’s more mean than constructive, feel free to delete. But just wanted you to know that the core of your blog is what people love and they’ll keep reading if you keep it up.
Lori -Meg, you write about “whatever” you want to write about and its all right with me. I just like YOU so I am game for what you want to talk about. I look forward to your growing and changing as you get used to not having little kids any more. That’s where I have been for a while, and it takes some getting used to! But it is so positive too, as you learn to follow some of your interests without feeling MOMMY GUILT! I don’t think of your Sara Lee or Gap posts as strictly adverts…I actually love a good recommendation to save me the trial and error. As long as you believe in the product, I don’t care if you recommend it! I realize not everyone feels this way, but I just wanted to throw my support in…I love your blog and wish that I lived close enough to you to be friends and hire you to take photos of my family!
Patti-THANK YOU for giving to Olga- you are amazing!!! Just wanted to drop in and tell you that personally:) Love, Patti
saj -this is sad. i agree with susan above. i don’t want to read a sara lee advertisement marked as an ad-free blog post.
Amanda Ferguson-Meg, Is this link your new blog location, or is it only for certain blog posts?
I didn’t really understand the reason for the other one is all 😀
Love your blog!
Susan -ad-free?
Meg, I really miss your old blogging days when you just blogged about your family. It seems that lately those types of honest, fun posts are few and far between, and the rest of the posts are about people’s shops on etsy, Sara Lee, or the Gap. I still love your blog, but I really hate that it’s gotten so commercial and “My Charming Kids”-esque.
ky-Meg, I love, love, love your messy house post! I didn’t leave a comment there cos I didn’t want to be the 258th person. Do you really read all the comments??? Anyway, it was priceless and probably my most favourite post ever! I’m so glad you had the guts to be real and make all us other Mum’s feel normal. I only have 2 kids and a small house, but I still struggle with keeping it tidy…every single day! Love the furniture in all the kids’ rooms too! Yes I noticed it behind all the clothes.
Really enjoyed your thanksgiving trip post too! Great photos and I love the fun you all have. There IS something to be said for big families.
Hope you have a great day!
Taryn - Oh my….i’ve got to stop reading these!:) Just refer back to my comment on your other post (Attention please). I think my comment was like the 200th:). Hang in there!
Laura - How is putting up ads on your blog any different from inviting people into your home for Pampered Chef, BeautiControl, Creative Memories, Premier Jewelry, Scentsy, Mary Kay (the list goes on and on)? Blog guests enjoy the ambiance just like the party goers. Compensation to the hostess (blogger) should not be seen as a negative so much as a necessary in order to host in the first place. If you don’t want to be asked to purchase from the catalog, don’t show up and eat the food.
There’s a certain ick factor, centering around self-promotion and being compensated for services, that doesn’t seem to exist as much for more tangible things.
You are providing a service, whether or not you’ve classified it as such. You are an entertainment blog writer. You write autobiographical nonfiction about your life in a soft copy format. That doesn’t make what you do less ‘real’ and thus less deserving of compensation.
You seem to be someone with integrity, from what I’ve gathered blog-stalking you for almost two years. You seem to be clear about your priorities, so I think that any ad stuff you do will be presented with the same level of integrity we’ve seen so far. Don’t shill for something you don’t believe in, and you’ll be good to go.
Kelley - I love your blog! Props to you for creatively providing for your family.
Becky - I love your blog. Tons of “mom” sayings are going through my head… like, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit!” And, “If you want it to be different, then YOU go(make a blog).” And, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” People can tell you what they want your blog to be, but your blog reflects you life (so well!) So how can people be telling you how to blog, without telling you how to live your life?! Blessings on how real, loving, and transparent you are.
Julie - I need to ask santa for a couple dozen more hockey masks…
Sorry for the drama. Sorry that you have to defend yourself. On your blog. That you write.
This made me think of a post Kristen wrote a while back, dealing with the same sort of quandary…
http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2010/07/elephant-on-sidebar.html
I like you. Ads or no ads.
Australian blog stalker - I’ve been a blog stalker for a long time and think I probably represent an average reader – I’ll keep reading even with the blog monetized, so long as sponsored (or similar) posts are clearly labelled as such (BTW, was there a mistake in the wording of the Sara Lee post – cos it said you were going to an ad-free site, but then it was a sponsored post??). One of the biggest selling points about your blog, Meg, is that you post ORIGINAL CONTENT, EVERY DAY. If I can make a suggestion: if you want the blog to remain popular, most readers are fairly loyal and will stay with you, even with your blog monetized, so long as you continue to provide new photos and new blog posts each day. This is key. And if the blog is monetized, I’m hoping the finances are there to enable you to achieve this on most days. I get what you’re saying, that your youngest may not be so willing to pose any longer! And that you have less free time to actually do the projects that can then be photographed and turned into blog content, but hopefully the extra income can be used to drive new content (eg. paying you for the time it takes to produce an original post, or paying for materials required to make something etc).
It’s always a rocky road when you monetize your blog. Don’t sweat the small number of readers who leave. Most stay if you maintain a good quality blog. And your good stuff is truly you and your family. I remember a little while back, Lauren hadn’t appeared in photos for a long time and then there she was one day, smiling. I actually cried! And I don’t even know you and your family.
Hoping this is helpful. If you feel it’s more mean than constructive, feel free to delete. But just wanted you to know that the core of your blog is what people love and they’ll keep reading if you keep it up.
Lori - Meg, you write about “whatever” you want to write about and its all right with me. I just like YOU so I am game for what you want to talk about. I look forward to your growing and changing as you get used to not having little kids any more. That’s where I have been for a while, and it takes some getting used to! But it is so positive too, as you learn to follow some of your interests without feeling MOMMY GUILT! I don’t think of your Sara Lee or Gap posts as strictly adverts…I actually love a good recommendation to save me the trial and error. As long as you believe in the product, I don’t care if you recommend it! I realize not everyone feels this way, but I just wanted to throw my support in…I love your blog and wish that I lived close enough to you to be friends and hire you to take photos of my family!
Patti - THANK YOU for giving to Olga- you are amazing!!! Just wanted to drop in and tell you that personally:) Love, Patti
saj - this is sad. i agree with susan above. i don’t want to read a sara lee advertisement marked as an ad-free blog post.
Amanda Ferguson - Meg, Is this link your new blog location, or is it only for certain blog posts?
I didn’t really understand the reason for the other one is all 😀
Love your blog!
Susan - ad-free?
Meg, I really miss your old blogging days when you just blogged about your family. It seems that lately those types of honest, fun posts are few and far between, and the rest of the posts are about people’s shops on etsy, Sara Lee, or the Gap. I still love your blog, but I really hate that it’s gotten so commercial and “My Charming Kids”-esque.
ky - Meg, I love, love, love your messy house post! I didn’t leave a comment there cos I didn’t want to be the 258th person. Do you really read all the comments??? Anyway, it was priceless and probably my most favourite post ever! I’m so glad you had the guts to be real and make all us other Mum’s feel normal. I only have 2 kids and a small house, but I still struggle with keeping it tidy…every single day! Love the furniture in all the kids’ rooms too! Yes I noticed it behind all the clothes.
Really enjoyed your thanksgiving trip post too! Great photos and I love the fun you all have. There IS something to be said for big families.
Hope you have a great day!