This isn't a topic I normally write about but I feel inclined to say something. I've been a blogger for over 10 years. I started blogging before sponsored posts were even a thing - when putting ads up on your blog was considered "selling out". I've watched the brand-blogger relationship grow and develop into something great, and now I'm watching it fall. Back in the day, brands contacted bloggers because they were good story tellers. Blogs were full of personal anecdotes, tutorials, coupons, recipes and other rich content. Bloggers could take a brand's product and organically weave it into an everyday post. Readers saw bloggers casually talk up certain products but didn't notice an actual advertisement. What readers saw was how products A, B or C fit into every day life. Bloggers created a personal connection with products. As the brand-blogger relationship grew, brands began to see bloggers as influencers. Stories of using products in every day life were leading to increased … [Read more...]