Members of TwitterMoms routinely receive emails that promise them a chance to win a gift card in return for posting about a particular promotion. Writer Crissy Page of the blog Dear Crissy finally got so stymied by the fine print that she turned to her Twitter followers to find out what the deal is. In other words, why doesn’t TwitterMoms just call it a contest, if all you get is a chance to win?
Crissy’s tweet started up a conversation about the whole thing, and eventually Megan Calhoun, who owns TwitterMoms and runs the promotions, joined in with uncharacteristic pique. Her answer to tweeters, including Crissy herself, was to refer them to the terms and conditions of specific promotions, or to her lawyers.
And that’s what prompted Page to post about TwitterMoms on her blog. “The last thing I want to do is criticize another blogger’s choices,” said Page, when I spoke with her last week. But Calhoun’s reaction via Twitter was enough for Page to summarize the debate in a way that couldn’t be done in 140 characters. Readers had plenty to say in over 100 comments with reactions on both sides of the fence.
As users understand it, TwitterMoms will ask members to write a post on her own blog about a particular subject, with various verbiage and a widget that promotes a paying sponsor. The first 50 bloggers, say, who write a qualifying post and leave a comment saying that they’ve done so will be rewarded with a gift card. Some members have had what they consider reasonable success with this model. Lori Pace, who has participated in many of the promotions, said she is “in no way, fooled by the fact that it is a contest! I actually enjoy entering and if I get in for the gift cards, I am happy.”
Calhoun eventually apologized in Crissy’s comments for her skittish behavior, citing senstivity toward criticism of the TwitterMoms campaigns. She still doesn’t call the campaigns in question “contests,” but in an email to me she explained “it’s challenging to balance the complexities of FTC compliance, sponsor demands for quality blog posts with limited budgets, and our overall mission to maximize compensation for our members. The best format we’ve found is an open call for submissions in which a set number of posts will be accepted on a particular topic, up to a limit set by the sponsor’s budget. We champion this approach, despite certain limitations, because it maximizes earnings for participants more effectively than pure random-chance contests — in which an unlimited number of people compete for a chance to win prizes.”
What do you think? Does it matter to you what the posts are called?
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I’m always amazed that people will go for stuff like this. It seems sleazy and cheap to me.
I’m with Suebob. It seems like a lot of work without even a promise of pay.
To be quite honest, it sounds like a very lazy solution to “balance the complexities of FTC compliance, sponsor demands for quality blog posts with limited budgets” as put above. If quality blog posts are what they want, then a speed blogging CONTEST is not the answer. Why not take the time to do what you’re paid (much more than the bloggers) to do and hand select bloggers that have a proven history of quality content and give them time to write it?
I do apologize if my opinion sounds harsh but the reality is brands are being done a disservice when they align with TwitterMoms campaigns and weakening the voices of mom bloggers in the process.
Heck yes it matters. If you only have a chance of being compensated for a post, then it’s a contest.
Is anyone actually fooled by this garbage? The winner in this scenario is the advertiser who potentially gets hundreds of inbound links and they only have to pay 50 of those bloggers… maybe. Under what scenario would a reasonable person agree to do work for a client and advertise for them for free in the hope they “might” get paid? Twittermoms sounds highly unethical to even agree to such a thing. It takes advantage of mom bloggers and gives corporate America more power while they stand on the backs of hard working moms.
I call foul on Twittermoms and any group that offers a gift card or gift cards to only a few who enter. Have you ever seen a posting about who won the gift cards? No, neither have I.
Hi, I am the Lori referred to in this post. Just wanted to pipe in and say that I have received several gift cards and links to “gifts” that have really come in handy around holiday time. They are technically contests. The posts must be genuine to qualify for the cards. You can’t just post junk or plagiarism to get a card. But if you make a real effort and get in while the post numbers are in the “required” area, you will get the card. The site tells you that the 1st 50 posts get one and it is easy to track how many posts have already been submitted. Generally, once that post limit is reached, a blogger goes on to the next opportunity that interests them and does not enter the “have a chance to win” part of the deal. But every post I have done has ended in a gift card or code to use on a website.
On the flip side, I see the frustrations with the “rules” and the comments. I have second thoughts about doing any more posts if it is, in fact, jeopardizing my credibility or reputation. Or my blog!!
This is a great post and I appreciate being included!
Unethical if you ask me. And Twittermoms is doing nothing for all the members who they are supposedly supporting. As others have said if they actually cared about the value to members and their reputations they’d do sponsored posts with a selection of members. And be paid in cash, not gift vouchers.
Not to mention that by any standards those gift cards are hopelessly undervaluing the worth of a sponsored post.
WOW . . . very interesting …