I just finished reading an article on paid blogging on BtoB Online. This has been a topic that gets coverage from time-to-time, is debated among the blogger community and seems to be on the increase as blogging becomes more main stream.

So here are a couple of thoughts I have on the subject:

1. What actually is paid blogging? Plain and simple - it’s a paid advertorial. You know the ones you see in magazines or newspapers that “look” like content, but when you look at the bottom of the page you see the words “Paid Advertorial” in 8 point type face.
2. What’s the big deal? Well as long as it’s noted as a paid blog post, I as a reader can determine how much believability I put behind the content.
3. What does concern me… when advertisers have substantial influence over the content written in unpaid blog posts and/or if they have ghost writers pretending to be real consumers but not noting it within the blog. In my view this wreaks havoc with the editorial/sales iron curtain that has long been the history in the media world.
4. What should we do? Nothing. Today I don’t see this as an issue, however if we begin to see the blog space inundated with paid bloggin, consumers might begin to question the authenticity of blogging and dismiss it in entirety.

My recommendation to those who are paying bloggers… keep a watchful eye on what gets posted and the reaction customers might have to it. More importantly, perhaps it’s best if you actually create a blogging strategy that develops dialogue between your company and the consumer.

Your thoughts?

Scott

paid blogging  blogging hp  hewlett-packard