Home: Message List - Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

gurubomber — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:49:26 GMT

Definitely some good input here. Another thing to keep in mind is that while this is not an uncommon practice, it is not a long lasting solution. In other words, individuals willing to take this right are obviously looking for a quick fix solution and I consider this approach cutting corners at best. Eventually this type of activity will result in duplicate content and more importantly, worthless content. Keep in mind that search engines (Google) operate from a "purists" standpoint. Their sole purpose is to provide the most relevant, reliable and unique results for every given query. Once someone begins to provide duplicate and worthless content the search engines are pretty damn unforgiving. Believe me, I know the "dark side" very well, but I've been born again! Trust your gut, strive to be able to look yourself in the mirror after every day and keep in mind, in this field....in these days...slow and steady really does win the race.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

creativeiads — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:50:41 GMT

Consumers are smart enough to quickly realize that recommendations coming from bloggers are just paid or paid but honest recommendations. But I have heard about companies starting to pay twitterers for twitting. So the trend will continue to pay for marketing in the form of blogging, twiterring, etc.

Mike Varavooru,
http://creativeiads.com

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Bankerboy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:14:31 GMT

Among other things, I own and run a niche hobbyists social/business networking/auction website. I recently told a long term member of my website to start writing articles relating to the hobby and that I will pay him. The advantage here is that the man already knows what to write about and likes writing about the hobby. Now he is getting paid for it. As long as he doent misinforms other members, I am ok with him blogging for money. So no, I dont think its unethical to pay people blog.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Carlitos11 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:42:48 GMT

Ok thanks for the write back. I can see it both ways. If a blogger makes it noticeable to the viewer that it's a sponsored posting. But how is Googles bots going to know what to trust and not to trust. So in return Google might feel scared about the PageRank alg and just make everyones blog less important in the PageRank world.

If a blog post nothing but Paid-Postings then they will eventually loose there popularity and eventually PageRank would fade.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Iwrite — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:26:54 GMT

Months later and I still think it is all about disclosure. I don't mind a blogger being paid as long as the fact that they are being paid is out in the open.

What I have seen recently is companies posting videos on YouTube that appear to be unpaid but in reality are agency produced work. Is that or joining Myspace or Facebook as a person when in reality it is a company any different? I don't think so.

The nature of the web is such that there is not going to be anyway to police these practices. Consumers will have to have the final say as whether or not this behavior is acceptable. We can call it wrong but as long as consumers don't say anything, it will not stop.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

amspcs — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:41:52 GMT

Very good question. Lots of good points made about ethical vs illegal. For me, that's a non-existant
grey area. It's all about honesty in my view. Honesty is like being pregnant...you either are or are not, not much middle ground. If you cheat, you are dishonest. And dishonesty is WRONG. Means do not justify ends.

AMSPCS
amspcs@juno.com
www.MerchantServices-help.com

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

DomainDiva — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:46:30 GMT

I can't picture anyone fake posting about our product. Our industry is SO SMALL that something like that would be noticed immediately.

I was in a UTA business class and the instructor asked the same question, if it is legal but unethical does that make it right?

The answer is no. There are many 'legal' things that people participate in that ruin lives and businesses. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 legalized bucket shops again and set the stage for the financial mess we are in now with the credit default swaps and derivatives markets. That was legal, approved by congress and the senate. Was it ethical? Read the bill and pages 261 & 262 will show you in writing that what they were doing was not ethical. The CFMA gave get out of jail free cards for breaking state and local gambling laws.

I can see hiring a blogger to talk about your company, your business what you are doing, handling problems etc., but this posting for more ad clicks and to trash other businesses should be prohibited.

Eventually, as Lighthouse pointed out, these unscrupulous people loose, unfortunately the damage left behind is sometimes never undone. If it is un ethical it is also illegal. A business person cannot have two sides of the same issue as their moral compass.

For those of you who do not know what a bucket shop is/was please read: Reminiscences of a Stock Operator written in 1923, by Edwin Lefevre. Still considered THE book about trading, (OK so along with Alexander Elder who wrote about the psychology of the market).

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Carlitos11 — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:02:50 GMT

This question just keeps coming up. I think is currently working on a solution so that it won't help in the SEO. Instead of writing a whole article here. I agree with the statement found http://sitesourcepro.com/articles/16/. Another harsh view on it can be found http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/sponsored-conversations/.

I hope they will find a compromising solution. It should probably be handled between Google and the pay-per-post advertising firms. Some rules set.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

Iwrite — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:21:06 GMT

MotorDoc and Lighthouse are right, unethical is no illegal. A lot of the major advertising agencies have been and still are working on taping into the power of blogs and social networking sites to do just this - influence potential customers. Some of my friends are getting paid to blog for companies.

The reception on Myspace and Facebook have been mixed - it is a matter of how it is done. But when it has gone bad, it has gone real bad. however, when it has gone well, it has gone very well. I think it is a matter of the message and the level of honesty of the blogger.

I think it is ethical to pay a blogger and let the public know that you are doing so. The problem comes when you try to pull a fast one on the public, online or off-line it is never ethical to attempt to do this, never. The potential for harm to your brand outweighs the potentials for increased business. You only get one reputation.

Re: Is Paying For Blogs Unethical?

MotorDoc — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:07:13 GMT

Lighthouse,

I couldn't have said it better.

Howard