Sleepless Nights

Author: Veronica

  • Why you shouldn’t sell your blog space for peanuts

    I’ve been blogging for a long time now and slowly, with the rise of mummyblogging in Australia, I’ve found myself on the lists that PR companies seem to share around. This means that I get offered some things that are interesting, a bunch of stuff that is totally unsuitable and have my inbox regularly filled with press releases that appear to want me to regurgitate them here for my readers.

    But here’s the thing:

    This space is not free.

    Sure, it’s only pixels on a computer screen and so therefore, if I decide that I love your charity/business/company and want to promote you for nothing, then I can.

    However.

    This space was built on trust capital. My trust capital, to be precise. My readers visit because I give them something that they’re looking for. Maybe that’s escapism, or an amusing story, or a diatribe about facebook. For whatever reason, visitors trust that the posts I put up here will contain good value.

    I’ve noticed recently a decline in high-value items for review. I’m not bemoaning this, I’m just stating it as fact. Instead of items that I will actually use, I’m being offered $15 kids shoes that I could buy myself, or cereal, or small value items that can be sent out cheaply and easily.

    It’s a natural evolution of things really; it’s easier to send 50 bloggers a small item than it is to send 5 bloggers a decent trial selection of product. Mass marketing at its finest.

    It’s nice to receive a few products in the mail that my children will eat or drink, something that I may decide to buy myself later on down the track.

    But I can’t seem to bring myself to write 200 words about a product that costs less than $10. In fact, the latest thing that arrived in the mail had a dollar value total of $6 and I was left wondering: Is this what I’ve sold my soul for?

    Sure, the product is great. The company is fantastic and one I’ve supported in the past. But I can’t get past being expected to promote something through my social media channels that I could have bought for the cost of a cup of coffee.

    I offer a sponsored post option here on Sleepless Nights. It’s in my media kit and while some businesses are hesitant to pay real money (but it’s so expensive, can’t we just have an in-post link that stays on your blog forever and ever for $40?), others have seen the value of dealing with engaged readers and have paid up promptly. It’s this that makes me so hesitant to sell my space for peanuts.

    And, I don’t think you should be devaluing yourself like that either. Giving away a $5 gift voucher, or writing about a food item that is worth less than a sandwich at the local bakery, it’s a bit ridiculous. You are worth more than a $10 product, and so is your trust capital.

    Sure, it’s your blog and you can do whatever you like with it.

    But if you sell your soul for peanuts to begin with, don’t expect businesses to start paying you anything more later on down the track.

    ***

    ETA:

    The ever lovely Zoey and I were discussing this earlier in the week and she’s got things to say about not selling your space for nothing too. You can read about her thoughts here.

  • Watching the weather come in.

    Watching the weather come in

    Also seen while outside freezing my nipples off: a murmuration of starlings.

  • FINALLY, a Mother’s Day gift

    I’ve been a mother for nearly six years now and I’ve never received anything for Mother’s Day. I should scream and wail about this fact (and I’ve been known to), but Nathan is hopeless at gift buying and I accept this.

    Last year was the worst year, as I expected to receive at least a token item that Amy had made for Mother’s Day, plus a little something from the school Mother’s Day stall – only Nathan didn’t hide the present well enough and Amy ate my chocolates and the dog ate the handmade necklace and card.

    I may have been a little grumpy about this.

    Okay, I was a lot grumpy and rather upset.

    Bygones.

    Amy has matured a lot in the last twelve months and while I’m not confident that leaving her alone with chocolates is a great idea, at least I know that the card is likely to make it home to me.

    This year however, Ferrero Rocher offered to send me a Mother’s Day Hamper from their new online Boutique. Knowing that it was probably my only chance to get chocolate for Mother’s Day that I didn’t have to buy myself, I agreed.

    My only complaint is that there aren’t enough of the white coconut-type chocolates in this hamper and that I was forced to share the mini ferreros with my children.

    If your children are too little to make things and your husband is terrible at gift buying like mine, you can buy your own Ferrero Rocher Mother’s Day Hamper here.

    —

    I was not paid for this post, although I did receive the chocolates above for free to review. I can happily say that I am making my way through them as I type.

  • Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves… + giveaway

    Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves: The snotty truth about motherhood is an eBook by the lovely and very talented Kellie O’Brien. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy to read and review, and eagerly settled down in bed the other day for a bit of light reading.

    Kellie is funny. Her take on motherhood made me giggle and remember only too well my first few months of parenting Amy.

    Taken from Kellie’s column in The Advocate, you can see why Kellie drew such a big following and had strangers in the street wanting to meet “Baby Ella” and congratulate Kellie and her husband.

    Below, Kellie talks a little bit about the ebook:

    Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves is definitely funny and I would say a must read for mums-to-be, or new mums. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I had to keep stifling my urge to send Kellie emails filled with commiserations and “I have so been there” type thoughts, as I reminded myself that Kellie now has a second daughter and knows exactly what she is doing.

    Heh.

    It can be purchased here.

    Kellie O’Brien can be found blogging at Three L’il Princesses, or on twitter here.

    And! Because Kellie is lovely, she is offering one lucky commenter a free copy of her eBook! Just leave a comment below to enter.

    Entries close 1st May.

    —

    I wasn’t paid or compensated in any way for participating in this virtual book tour. I did receive a free copy of Kellie’s book.

  • The many faces of my stomach. 21 weeks

    This is also the post in which I start wearing proper maternity wear and remembering how comfortable it is. Why was I not introduced to maternity leggings a MONTH AGO? Internet, you’ve been slack.

    Even better, the leggings were super cheap, because I refuse to pay anything over $20 for something I’m not going to be able to wear again. So, pffft to you, boutique maternity wear stores, with your $150 jeans and $80 tshirts.

    I also made the move to a maternity bra this week. While they’re not as supportive as my adored regular bras, there is something to be said for both being able to breathe and not ending the day with underwire marks.

    Fetal expansion is well underway, with last week’s ultrasound showing both that the baby is a GIRL, and that she is growing perfectly on track with my dates. This is something that is both fantastic, and confusing, because the other two kidlets always measured between a week and two weeks behind. It’s possible I am actually a little further along than I think I am – but it’s not a huge issues. She will be out when she’s ready.

    Exhibit II – my belly button is popping out. The upside of this is that my belly button is sparkling clean, all of the time. The downside is that it feels weird and the kids like to poke it.

    While I don’t have any new stretch marks, you can see the ones left by Isaac and I’m sure they’ll start growing again soon. If I’m really lucky, they’ll continue on the same path and I’ll end up with stretchmarks that look like flames. Or zebra stripes – I can’t quite decide which.

    Stomach is also a strange shape. I blame those pesky internal organs, who insist on rearranging themselves around the baby.

    Internet, I feel very large for 21 weeks.

    New this week is reflux that is so bad I can’t physically function until it eases. I’m on a PPI for the floppy gastric system, but even Nexium is having a hard time keeping on top of this. Antacids are vaguely helpful, but the sensation of someone stabbing me in the breastbone and twisting the knife is not something I’m enjoying.

    If you’ve got any remedies for reflux, I’d love to hear them. Otherwise, how is your Sunday going?