I Am Not a Brand
This is one of those posts I really shouldn't publish because it will make me some enemies. Fortunately(?), there are already plenty of people who don't like me, so they can all commiserate together. I'll even introduce them to one another.
It won't be the first time I've done that.
I'm publishing it despite the fact that it will get me in trouble with some people because I've reached the point where I'm 100% clear on what I want. The whole thing has been very muddy in my head recently, so it's a relief to find myself absolutely certain.
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I found myself sitting in a room listening to an incredibly smart and successful woman provide tips on how I could more effectively "build my brand."
All I could think was "I am not a brand. I am a person."
I looked around the room, desperate to make eye contact with someone who appeared to be thinking the same thing.
I didn't find anyone. I was fully immersed in a group of people who are very actively trying to "build their brand."
There is nothing wrong with that, by the way. Nothing at all. It's just . . . not me.
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"With as much traffic as you get, you could be making a lot more money if you did things a little differently." A wise person once uttered that very true statement.
I knew he was right. I've known all along that there are ways that I could be making money from this site which I blatantly ignore. For example, every single day I delete about 200 emails asking me to post about this product or link to that service or talk about this great new thing.
Often, there is an offer of money to do it. I delete the emails anyway.
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I'm not sure how many people know this, but unemployment compensation is most definitely not a replacement for the income you get when you're employed. In my case, unemployment is roughly 1/3 of what I was making before my position was eliminated.
The little bit of money I make from this site has been an enormous help these past few months while I've been looking for a new job. ENORMOUS. It isn't anywhere near enough to make things painless, but it has been enough to occasionally buy groceries. $100 here and there has done so much to lessen the blow.
It's very tempting to reply to an email offering you a few bucks in exchange for a post when money is tight. Yet, I haven't done it. I couldn't.
But every time I hit that "delete" button, my head hurt a little bit.
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There are a bunch of criteria that I have always used when deciding whether or not to work with an ad network or run a sponsored post or work with a brand. For example, some of you may have been around when I broke up with Google AdWords. An ad for baby caskets had shown up in my sidebar and HOMEY DON'T PLAY THAT. I didn't just block that ad, I deleted my AdWords account, thereby forfeiting the money I had already made for the entire quarter.
I didn't regret the decision one bit. Nor did I regret it when I broke up with another ad network for displaying autoplay videos in my sidebar. I find autoplay videos to be one of the worst diseases the internet has. I'm sure many of you hate them as much as I do. I don't care how much they pay, they don't belong here.
And then there are sponsored posts. I have a ton of things I consider when I evaluate them. I have to know that I can be honest with my thoughts. I have to feel like the post fits in with my overall goals for this site. I have to feel 100% OK partnering with that brand. I actually enjoy sponsored posts, but they need to be genuine. And sparse.
If I have mentioned a product or brand here, you can be absolutely certain that I genuinely like the company behind it and believe in what they are doing. Every review that has appeared in this space has been completely honest. Carefully worded, perhaps, but definitely honest.
It has been really tempting to loosen my standards while money has been tight. I haven't done it, but there has been lots of turmoil in my head over that stance.
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"I bet I can get them to pay me to write about that," she whispered across the table.
As she was saying that, I was thinking, "I wonder if there's a way that could help Liz." Liz is a friend from a zillion years ago who is currently smiling through a very rough situation.
It was in that instant that I knew. I knew without any doubt whatsoever that I am doing things the right way for me.
I may not be a brand and I may not be monetizing this site as well as I could be, but I feel right about the legacy I'm creating. Together we've made Christmas better for hundreds of kids. Together we've helped save a life. Together we've changed lives. Together we have made the world a better place.
I am not a brand. I am a person. I'm an incredibly fortunate person who happens to have readers who are willing to help me leverage this site to do something much more valuable than cashing a few checks.
Thank you.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Reader Comments (29)
I like that this is how you approach your blog. I like you.
One of the many reasons I read your blog is because I don't ever feel like I'm being advertised to. I love your photography. I love hearing you tell the stories of Alexis. And I love that I'm not being bombarded with media. And that thing you do for kids, that's pretty cool too.
like this. like this a lot. I'm definitely not making $ blogging although little opportunities have trickled in. I struggle with the whole brand concept and fear if I embrace it my creativity would be sucked out. What I do is my creative outlet, a little bit of therapy and a legacy for my circus at least to understand me better when I am a crazy old woman
I love this. It's your blog and what you do with it is your decision. I don't see how this could make anyone not like you. If anyone does, then they probably weren't worth having around anyway. I respect how you handle your blog. Keep staying true to yourself and I promise you'll gain a whole lot more than someone whose blog is filled with money makers.
You are awesome. The end.
Very well sid, I have been thining about the brand topic and your perspective is is very good on it. Thank you
Amen, sister. To all of it. Paid stuff can be fun, but I feel like- for me- it would be very un-fun if I started doing everything that came along. I delete more than I respond, and I'm okay with that. It's the right choice for me for sure. I just want to write about my goofy kids and my mostly happy little life :)
you just rule. that is it.
This is your blog, so do your thing - no matter what that is!
I came for the Steelers, and stayed for the humor and photography, plus that cute kid of yours.
There will always be people who don't like you, but there will always be plenty of others who do. :)
Exactly why I love your blog! Well done!!
Exactly. You're a pretty great person, too. Money isn't everything. You are clear about your legacy and your mission in blogging. Not everyone is. A lot of folks blog ONLY for the money - which annoys me and I stop reading. I can also tell that if you recommend something you truly have had a good experience with the brand/product (I cannot WAIT to order new glasses!). That, my friend, is called integrity. You have it in spades. And you're passing it on to Alexis.
I've stopped reading a number of blogs in the past few months, I don't want to read about a brand someone has created for themselves. I think people love your blog because it is real and honest. I love that your sponsored posts aren't just a list of all the things that are so awesome about the product that were simply copied from the sponsoring company's checklist whether you liked it or not.
Happy that you found some clarity this week.
Dude. I love you. This is awesome, and you are an awesome person (not brand).
Maybe I'm just being thick, but I don't see how this post would tick someone off. Seems perfectly fine to me, and well within your rights. We can blog however we wish... it's one of the last frontiers where you get to completely make up your own rules.
As for me, I've done absolutely nothing to monetize my site. I just don't want to deal with the hassle; I jus' wanna write. And I would never do a sponsored post... unless, of course, someone actually offered me one... ;o)
I'm at a "thing" where people are REELING that I don't have ads or affiliates. I make my money elsewhere, occasionally I make it from my blog but I keep telling them that my blog is too personal to sell spaghetti sauce that I don't even buy myself.
Like others, I can't imagine how anyone could get upset over this. You're absolutely right, you are not a brand! You are a human being and a mother; simply trying to help your daughter grow and learn. And I commend you for that.
And that is exactly why I like your blog so much!
First, I love you for writing this. I love that you always remain true to the reason that you write this blog. It's for Alexis and that is apparent every single day. That is something to be proud of.
The whole "brand" thing kills me. There are bloggers that are so married to their "brand" and they don't even realize it. I got into a disagreement last night with a blogger because they were trashing a product while endorsing their main sponsor. That's not cool. I honestly just don't understand basically selling your soul for a sponsor (or extra money or a paid trip to a conference). I'm glad that doesn't happen in these parts.
I often say that the only thing I have is my integrity. The only person that can take that away from me is me. Thank you for putting such an eloquent point on what I have been saying for years. I lost you for a while but came back because I always enjoy your posts. Stay just the way you are!
Well said
so well said... i think about it all of the time but then there is this smidge of guilt when an "opportunity" seems to be there... constantly have to ask: at what cost???
I'm confused - people thing there's something WRONG with that?!? S'ok. You stand there and be amazing all by yourself. :)
This is why you are awesome and why people will stay loyal to reading YOU--not a brand, not a website, but a person and a very real, very honest life. Maybe it's not a money-maker but it's something to be 100% proud of!
That is wonderful.
I think it is cool that those who choose to do so can make money blogging. In a way I'm a bit jealous. I like money! I've played with a few blogs over the years: a personal blog, a lifestyle blog, a fiction blog. In each case I considered ads. In each case I chose not to use them. Would I have reconsidered if I started to get so many readers that I thought I might make more than a few cents? I don't know. I don't think so, but we never know what we'd do in a situation in which we get there. You are in that position. You have made your choice. Particularly in these last few months I would understand if your position had changed, but I'm selfishly glad it had not. I like to read a person's blog more than a brand's.
Here's the thing -- you have an IDENTITY, not a brand. You are who you are. You do what you do. People read the heck out of you. And I think that what a lot of people are searching for when they're trying to establish their "brand" are really searching for an identity, but one that makes money for them. I'm not saying that it's wrong to make money from a blog -- heck, I would if I could. But when I see conferences that are all about "buidling your brand" it just feels false to me, like it's ALL about the money. If they had a conference on building your identity, to me THAT would be a session I'd want to attend.
I know it's trite to say "I miss the good old days when we all blogged for the love of blogging," but it's TRUE. I do miss it. Everywhere I go it's about building your brand and sponsored posts and click like if you want to share this on FB or retweet this. If I really like something I'm going to tweet the link or share it on FB. I don't need the little links and stuff. It just feels like trying too hard.
This is why I adore you.
This is why I miss you when I don't read you.
THIS
Thank you for saying what I feel, but saying it better. I haven't done many reviews at all lately because I needed to just be myself. A person. Not a brand. Just me. Just us. That's good enough for me.
thank you for being you. because you? are truly a fantastic person and talented writer / photographer.
love you man.
p.s. i hate this brand bullshit. kuck!