For the last week or so, I have been reading about the whole situation with Elle Darby – the influencer with over 80k followers on Instagram and 90k followers on YouTube who asked for a few nights’ stay at a Dublin hotel in exchange for a review on her social media channels. I won’t name the hotel because I am loathe to give them any more publicity but a quick Google search will catch you up on the news. In fact, most of the major news outlets have carried the story in one form or another and I’ve seen discussions about it across my own social media accounts including quite a few private Facebook blogger forums and Twitter.
Oh dear. I admit it’s not so much the reaction of the hotel that has floored me. The hotelier in question is clearly a bit of an arse: a wanna-be Katie Hopkins / Piers Morgan-type who enjoys stirring up controversy to his own advantage, basking in the media attention it provides. He’s admitted to wanting TV fame and he clearly quite enjoys being as ‘politically INcorrect’ as possible. I think his reaction was ridiculous – rather than a simple no, he decided to post Elle’s email on his Facebook account with her name not very well disguised – within minutes the witchhunt began. It was also clearly over-the-top: he’s publicly banned all bloggers from his establishment as well as sent Elle a multi-million Euro invoice for the publicity. But, given the type of person he is, well, then I’m not entirely surprised.
What did surprise me, however, was the reaction of the general public. Why the hell did I continue to read the comments on these articles? Perhaps I’m a masochist here, I don’t know but I couldn’t help myself.
As a result of this story going viral, over and over, I saw the same kind of vitriol about bloggers and influencers. That we are all freeloaders, that we have the audacity to ask for things for ‘free’ when good, hard-working people have to earn money to do the same. That it’s disgusting and tacky and that Millenials are all self-absorbed entitled narcissistsΒ who wouldn’t know how to earn a living if it bit them in the arse.Β Comment after comment after comment saying bloggers don’t do ‘real’ jobs. Who the hell do they think they are asking for free things?
I hesitated to write this post. I hesitated to even get involved in all the publicity surrounding this for fear of drawing some of that vitriol myself. But I really just wanted to set the record straight. I am a blogger but, surprise surprise, I am not a Millenial – in fact, I turn 45 this week. Having worked since I was 16 years old, I have decades of experience under my belt working for other people. I only started working full-time as a blogger for the last 3 years.
Previous to that I have worked in retail, in sales, in customer service. I was a Legal Secretary for a while, there were a few years when I was the head estimator for anΒ architectural company and long ago, I ran a call centre. I’ve been a barmaid and a waitress, I’ve worked in sales, in marketing, I was a Product Manager, I’ve been a content creator, I’ve been an editor. I’ve done lots of different kinds of work in all sorts of different industries and sure, in comparison to other high-stress careers (doctor, firefighter, nurse, teacher, social worker), perhaps I had it easy at the time. But the sad truth is that all those various jobs that I did hold in years past seem to carry a lot more respect than what I do for a living now.Β The truth is, I work harder as a blogger than I’ve ever worked for anything in my life.
Is blogging even a “real job”? The fact is, the industry is relatively new. I’ve been blogging for nearly 8 years now and even 5 years ago, it was barely seen as any kind of career. There’s been a huge shift, there’s no doubt about that. PRs, brands and marketing executives understand the power now of “influence” (and yes, I cringe at that word but well, it is what it is). The whole idea that someone can start a career from their bedroom writing about something they love and turn it years later into a career – well, that’s baffling for a lot of people. I get it. I worked for years doing things I didn’t love because I knew that was just the way to get by. I didn’t have any hand-outs as a kid, I didn’t have any real connections. Hell, I didn’t even go to university in this country. My options would have always been limited. I had to work.
Starting my blog opened up a world of opportunities, yes. The fact that I enjoy what I do, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that I don’t work hard. I think that’s where the confusion is as well. So many of us (me included – for years) work jobs we don’t love because we have to. The idea that someone can make money from something they love to do – well, that hardly seems fair, does it? And god forbid the person in question is just a young girl. How dare she forge a successful career without actually deserving it when so many can’t or aren’t willing to put in the work to make it happen? (And just in case there is any confusion, yes, that is sarcasm.)
And yes, whatever ignorance may be out there – it’s work. It’s hard bloody work. And it’s never-ending. Here is a list of skills you need to be to be a successful blogger:
- A writer
- A researcher
- A photographer and photo editor
- A website designer
- A social media expert
- A marketer / PR exec
- An SEO expert
- An entertainer
And ya know what? Most of the people who juggle all of these well-respected-jobs-in-their-own-right learned these skills on the fly. They learned it because they had to because it was the only way they could make a success at what they were doing. They do all of these many jobs and learned to do them on their own time and on their own dime. Many of them are doing this now and still juggling a full-time job as well – so basically working two full-time jobs in tandem.
There are no paid holidays, no maternity leave, no sick pay. They may get a free hotel from time to time but I can guarantee it is not a holiday of fully unplugging and relaxing – not when you need to create content, take pictures, ask questions and take notes the entire time you’re there. Oh and share it all on social media as it happens too. And then when you get home, the work continues, pouring through photographs (sometimes in the hundreds), editing them, creating a post that others will enjoy reading, scheduling the post, creating emails for your subscribers, scheduling it on social media, creating Instagram posts and promoting it – the list goes on. And I can assure you that Santander do not accept hotel stays or a moisturiser or a free cushion as payment on the mortgage. So bloggers, while providing coverage for brands and maybe receiving the odd gift in return for that, need to also figure out how to earn money too.
Because I can guarantee you that this girl – with her thousands of followers across Instagram and YouTube which I promise you is no mean feat – is a hustler. I have absolutely no doubt about that because even if her niche is different from my own (she’s more a beauty/fitness blogger where I concentrate more on interiors with a bit of lifestyle and travel thrown in) getting that kind of following is HARD WORK. I worked for free for years and years. I still do it – I still create a load more content that’s unpaid than I do paid. It’s part of the job and I’m okay with that.
But you can’t simply drum up a large audience without putting the work in. Without creating content for free, without sacrificing so much time and energy because you have a dream and a passion. Anyone who runs their own business will know this. And yes, blogging as a freelancer is a business at the end of the day. Of course, it’s enjoyable and yes, there are perks to the job but nothing – I repeat NOTHING is free.
No one is providing free hotel stays or free clothing or beauty products or homeware for nothing in return. I spoke about it in this post but brands want something in return for that investment. They want to reach more people, they want their products to become well known. They want the influencer – who has a trusting audience who believes what they say because overΒ months or even years, they’ve gotten to know the blogger/YouTuber/Instagrammer as a real person – to provide a service. And that exchange of product and service is a transaction. It’s no different from a journalist being asked to write about a stay in a hotel to sell papers (and no, the journalist doesn’t pay for their stays either yet no one is crying that the review will be biased) or a magazine where a beauty journalist is provided the latest makeup to review in an article (because they didn’t pay for the product either). It’s common practice in the industry and across PR and marketing. After all, the best way to market to an audience is to find out where your audience hangs out. And these days, a lot of that audience are reading blogs or on social media. It’s the way of the world now – many businesses know how this works as do influencers. It may not seem from an outsider’s perspective to be fair or right but it’s the norm.
At the end of the day, Elle was offering a service. She has spent years putting the work into her following and approached a hotel for a collaboration. Should she have done her research on who she was approaching? Yeah, probably. Was she pushing her luck asking for a multiple-day stay during a busy time to an unknown hotel? Possibly. Do I think she’s a bit naive? Yeah, probably. But my goodness, how many bad decisions did I make at 22 years old? PLENTY. And yet, I didn’t have to face the kind of backlash, hatred and death threats that this girl is going through right now.
What can we take away from all of this? I think more than ever, transparency and communication are key. As bloggers and brands are learning, these kinds of collaborations can indeed be incredibly successful but we also know that that usually means that the audience of the brand and the audience of the influencer align well. That means research needs to take place on both sides to ensure that the right influencer is found for the product they’ll be promoting. It has to not just feel authentic but be authentic. Approaching a hotel who is known to be controversial was a bad move on Elle’s part and she’s paid for that mistake dearly. But to tar every influencer and every blogger as a freeloader is utterly ridiculous.
And don’t get me wrong: of course, there are ‘bad eggs’ out there. There are those who buy followers. There are those who are dishonest with their readers. I don’t know enough about Elle to make that judgement (admittedly, I’d never heard of her before this media circus) but I doubt highly she’s done enough to deserve the kind of hatred that she’s received. She made a mistake and is paying a far higher price for that than she deserves. And sure, she’s got some new followers now as a result of all this but I’m not sure she’d tell you it was worth the cost.
I can only hope that in time, people come to see what influencers or bloggers or YouTubers or Instagrammers are more than just what they show on their pretty channels. I hope that someday people can show a little respect for someone who decided to forge their own way in this world and clearly had some success in doing so. I hope that in time, people will realise that just because something looks easy, doesn’t mean that it is.
As someone who has been a communications officer in the non profit sector for more than 23 years earning a stable income for doing more or less what you do (well also book publishing and live tweeting events … but basically this) … I take my hat off to you for making it a success without earning a salary. It’s a lot lot lot of work and your blog is really beautiful.
I take exception to blog writing being seen as less than any other form of writing … if your writing is attracting an audience it’s because you are a good writer. In your case you’re also a wonderful web designer and photographer.
People literally seem to get their knickers on a knot about anything these days, meanwhile actually nasty trolls fly under the radar.
Yes to all of this!!! I’m always surprised at the anger that seems to be just under the surface whenever anyone talks about “influencers” and it only takes the tiniest thing to set them all off baying for blood! In my own experience, even people I know respond to finding out that I blog with a “isn’t it well for some” kind of attitude for the most part, even though I work bloody hard and really only earn pocket money. I think it’s exactly as you say, people are jealous to see someone doing what they love, especially when it’s a young person. They choose to believe that it’s just luck that got the person to where they are and that anyone could do it, rather than admit that they themselves don’t have the talent or determination and that’s why they aren’t doing it! I don’t know the blogger in question, but I saw the email. She made a polite business proposition, he’s a dickhead trying to create click bait. Makes my blood boil.
Some people are scared of their own ignorance. And they mask it as hatred to protect themselves. Sadly, it happens all the time. I hope this whole situation benefits Elle in the long term with lots of new subscribers and opportunities.
Well say d Kimberly and Iβm so glad you followed your heart and wrote this post, speaking out may sometimes cost but ultimately you will feel better for speaking your mind honestly and anyone you will want to know will respect you for it as always.
Thereβs no such thing as a free lunch, thatβs the truth! I have massive admiration for successful bloggers such as yourself, I definitely donβt have the commitment to spend so many hours in the persuit of entertainment and education of others. I applaud you and other successful bloggers who do, you deserve any little perk that comes your way. Jane x
Hear, hear Kimberly. Everything youβve said in this post is bang on! Poor girl. There is so much negativity on social media for all kinds of things. Itβs such a shame that people want to spend their time being haters and trolls, instead of doing something positive with their lives. Iβve recently started blogging and I know itβs seen by others as a little hobby, and if I do ever start earning a wage from it, I suspect that wonβt change. I think a lot of it comes from peopleβs perception of someone who works from home. My husband and I have our own company and Iβve worked from home for the past 13 years. Because I donβt physically go out to work, I feel that Iβm viewed by some as not having a βproperβ job. On the odd occasion that my husband is at home during the day instead of out βon the toolsβ, he gets comments like βyou not working today?β even though in reality heβs doing paperwork, ordering materials etc. Good on you for outing the haters and giving a bloggers side of the story. xx
I signed up for interiors. Create another blog if you want more than 140 characters
Or you could have just stopped reading after the title (less than 140 characters) if you’re not interested. Just an idea…
Yes, you and many other bloggers are influencers, but you are also teachers. You help people in ways that you will never know. There are people out here that look forward to blogs and get excited to learn something new. I wish you all didn’t need to have such a thick skin, but in this world of people like Trump, unfortunately you do. There are so many good and caring people in the world that are not making their voices heard..but the idiots sure do speak out. I am really glad that I can happily read wonderfully written blogs, by smart people!
Well Said! Iβm glad you spoke up about this.
An interesting post Kimberly. Itβs true that the blogger in question has done nothing to promote the blogging or (urgh) influencing industry but I think she should have checked herself before asking for a long stay in a popular city on one of the busiest weekends of the year. She was perhaps over confident in her own ability and very naive in asking for what she did.
I agree that us bloggers are tarred with that same brush but this will blow over soon enough. I agree that since I started my blog Iβve had to learn an awful lot about things I never knew before and as a fellow mid40s something itβs not been that easy for me to pick up. But I enjoy the process and I hope one day my blog is as successful as yours. Thanks
Fantastic post Ms D, beautifully written. I’m with you all the way on this one!!x
Totally agree with everything you’ve said Kimberly. Blogging successfully is certainly not easy x
Agree! The situation you described was unfortunate BUT…speaking as a blog reader, as the blogging product has grown and changed it can sometimes seem a bit like a big series of commercials. I get that very few people would or could stick with it for very long without monetary gain, but I do find myself moving on pretty quickly from many obviously sponsored posts. That said, I love your space here on the web and will continue to drop in regularly.
Kimberley, I admire you so much. You write from the heart so intelligently always . You are a columnist or journalist in a new world media and yes your post is important as people are still very ignorant. Well written and I completely agree , people have no idea of the hard work that goes into what you do. Happy Birthday btw ! I turned 45 a few wks ago !!
I take my hat off to all you hard working bloggers. I love the content you put out there Kimberly. This situation really tells the story of how careful you have to be when looking for a product or business to align yourself with. The owner of that hotel is a master at gutter press type statements and his followers appear to share his mindset. He has previously caused outrage to breastfeeding mothers, and has said he would like to shot a vegan at close range.
So beautifully put Kimberly. I still marvel at this industry that we find ourselves in, pinching myself that we get to enjoy such wonderful opportunities and yes, perks – but at the same time know how bloody hard I (and all the amazing bloggers around me) work day-in day-out to create content that people are readily consuming and by all accounts, enjoying. As you say, being a blogger requires a myriad of skills and expertise that we’ve all taught ourselves over the years, eager to learn, to connect, to engage, and I would also agree that I pour more of my heart, soul and time into my little corner of cyberspace than any other ‘job’ I’ve had. It’s so difficult to explain to an outsider, to find the right answer when someone asks if you’ve “had any free holidays lately?” when the real answer is “Never. I’ve never ever ever had a FREE holiday, I’ve aways been working, pretty much 24/7 on the trip that they perceive as ‘free’.” Sorry, that turned in to a mini-rant. Basically you’ve said everything I’d like to say on the subject, thanks so much for sharing xx
Well said Kimberly. You are spot on as always. I’ve been blogging now for nine years. At the beginning 7 days a week. It was around 5 years before I was even offered anything like a ‘free product’ or payment. And for that 5 years I had another job too. Just like you. It makes me mad too to think that we’re thought of as ‘freeloaders’. Great post. xx
Very well said Kimberly! I have a day job and work on my blog in any spare hours – guess which ‘job’ involves the most work? Spoiler alert, it’s not my day job! Oh and by the way, when I have a bee in my bonnet about the blogging world, I also have to let it out whether it relates to my normal content or not!
Well said Kimberley.
Oh, and I apologize for misspelling your name.
Totally agree! Well said. I think there’s some wacky statistic around that goes something like this – apologies if I’ve got it wrong – 40 years ago 40% of jobs done now didn’t exist. Well done to a 22 year who identified a market and had the guts to go for it, she’s ahead of her time and forging a path that leads straight to the future where even more jobs that people will do, don’t exist now.
Spot on. And beautifully articulated. Thank you for writing this. I actually was a teacher for many years and let me confirm that this is still the hardest that I have worked! Ultimately, I do think that people resent success- especially when it all just looks like fun and games! They donβt appreciate the hard graft behind that facade. Great piece!
There are so many different facets to this story, and it keeps changing. But I wholeheartedly agree with what you’ve said
I couldnβt agree more, Kimberly! I also couldnβt help read some of the comments on the original post and the viciousness was truly astonishing. I think that thereβs a big problem with people not understanding what it is that bloggers actually do and just how much time it takes to create content that people will want to read. A lot of people seem to think that blogging is just a matter of taking a picture or two, writing a bit of blurb and working 10 minutes a day (but only when you feel like it). And the few people who understand that thereβs more to it, still think we should do everything for free just because we enjoy what we do.
What I really wanted to say though, is that it works the other way around, too. I donβt know about you (or any other bloggers) but Iβm constantly bombarded with companies and agencies (who mostly also donβt bother to find out my name) who want me to share promotional content or want to provide me with a βfreeβ pre-written guest post for me to share with my readers. Overall, I think there are a lot of misconceptions and itβs important to be open and honest. The more people understand things, the more likely they’ll be to accept them.
Kimberley: Thank you for such a well-written post. Perhaps the so-called “author” from the hotel could take a few lessons from you? What an ass!
Very succinctly said, Kimberly! Well done for writing about this xxx
Great post-Kimberly! I completely agree with you. I don’t actually think she did anything wrong. She offered a contra deal (unfortunately to a complete idiot) to add content to her blog and in turn offer them free publicity. Contra deals are very normal, especially in the luxury travel market and is common practice in so many industries, so I am not sure why people are so up in arms about a blogger doing the same. As an entrepreneur and new blogger myself, the time and work it takes to build a following and learn the skills needed to run the whole business, especially digital skills is phenomenal and never-ending, but worth it. People seem more than happy to label bloggers freeloaders and then in the next breath make a request for a blogger to promote their brand for free! It’s just what suits society at the time and is completely hypocritical. I also believe that a lot of it comes down to jealousy because someone is doing well, seemingly living a life of luxury and no work (which we know is not true) and earning money in a completely different way to what they are used to, whilst they are stuck in 9-5 jobs which they probably hate. I think the majority of people that say they are freeloaders, if they spent a day in the blogger’s shoes they would soon change their opinion on that, not everyone is cut out for the level of dedication and drive needed to keep putting the work in to build on and sustain their influencer and even business status. As for the hotelier, he is extremely rude and over the top, blatantly looking for publicity and his response was completely uncalled for. He could have just politely declined or even ignored it completely if that’s how strongly he felt. After all the poor woman is only 23! Keep up the great work Kimberly, there are loads of us who completely appreciate the dedication and work that you and other bloggers put in. x
Not much else I can add to your already apt and well-considered post honey, I do find it hurtful to read those vitriolic comments but they come from a place of misunderstanding. I’ve been in the blogging world for 10yrs now and so much has and continues to change, I just hope this sparks a movement for greater levels of transparency, support for the industry and better recognition. Because IT IS a full-time job!
I have several issues with your article, mainly that it’s written from entirely one view point: that of a blogger. I’m a small, creative business owner, I’ve been self employed for 5 years – that’s 5 years where I and I alone am solely responsible for my income. And as you say, ‘free toiletries and hotel stays don’t pay the mortgage’. You know what else doesn’t pay the mortgage? Exposure. “Hey, mortgage provider, I’m afraid I can’t make the payment this month but I was featured on a insta-story of a person I hadn’t heard about but apparently they’re famous and have 90k+ followers… what? You won’t accept that??”. I have been approached by ‘celebritities’ and even well know fashion companies asking for freebies in exchange for ‘exposure’. And as I sit here in my measly home with bills upto my eyeballs I can’t tell you how much that order, which THEY could more than afford, would have made a massive difference to my family if they’d only been prepared to pay for it. Not their exposure, which leads to diddly squat. But their real hard cash which would have paid for my daughter’s school trip. Or the car MOT. Or my tax bill. Or any of the other hundred mini expenses I have as a self employed person. And don’t tell me for a second she didn’t know who owned the hotel – the owner is well known for his social media savvy. She knew exactly what she was doing approaching him and hey, now you know who she is! Job done! She probably has an even bigger swell of social media followers now so she can blag yet more free stuff. If a brand or hotel thinks you’re good enough at what you do they want to offer you something for free, how about you wait for THEM to approach YOU! That way, no one is offended and those who think exposure or Influence is some form of currency can talk amongst themselves.
But the exposure does usually lead to sales which equals income to pay those bills. Itβs call advertising. Whether itβs exposure on a blog or an ad in the newspaper.
So they, who also need an income to feed their family, should just wait around for a business to come to them??? They are doing there job as well, if the business doesn’t want to work with them, they can just stay no. The vlogger was just doing their job.
This!!!! Exactly this!!!!!! Perfect. Nothing more to add!!
Couldn’t agree more Kimberley, great post.
Lyn x
The Lavender Barn
I have to disagree with you here unfortunately. Whilst I totally agree with bloggers/influencers approaching business with collaboration ideas I think it should be done in a professional and polite manner which I’m sure you yourself do. When I first heard about this the day after the hotels post my immediate thoughts were the same as yours – that of utter sympathy for Elle, however after hunting down the hotel’s facebook page and actually reading the email for myself I could see why the hotel owned would be p***** off by her email. As it was in an extremely cocky/expecting tone and her comment about her collaboration with universal working out extremely well for them made it sound like she was saying they’d be falling on their knees otherwise when in reality you can almost guarantee she made absolutely zero impact on their custom rates. I could also see absolutely no reference to Elle in the email and it was she herself who announced to the world it was hers. Others are right here she’s definitely worked this in her favour as has gained another 10k followers since this. As I say though I definitely agree with bloggers/influencers approaching businesses with ideas but it needs to be done correctly as if that’s the tone of all her emails then she is just asking for this to happen eventually.