A new service called PayPerPost is causing something of a brouhaha out there in the internets. Advertisers use the service, bloggers sign up and blog about products for cash. The reason for the curtain twitching is, of course, the lack of disclosure and the idea that this could pollute our blogosphere. The bloggers that are taken seriously, linked to, commented on and commissioned to write for commercial publications will likely have more interest in ScooptWords than marketing/PR shoddily passed of as 'user generated content' via PayPerPost. But, one thing's for sure, they've certainly kicked up a stink. Here's some of the reaction I've picked up on,
"We're on the cusp of a tragedy of the marketing commons, and trust and credibility in the "oh so promising" consumer-generated media (CGM) space -- particularly the blogosphere -- are the rapidly depleting resources. PayPerPost.com, which basically pays consumers to write reviews on blogs about brands, products, or companies, is far from the first or only online abuser of the "commons," but it's clearly the most audacious and outrageous. It's also the most unrepentant -- what with the CEO seemingly relishing in every blog byte of negative publicity or criticism about his model," from Consumer Generated Media.
"Is this a bad joke designed to torpedo the blogosphere’s credibility in general? It doesn’t appear to be. If we’re all trying to negotiate a space between Hollywood and mainstream journalism, this is taking things way too far towards the most insipid parts of Hollywood," from Techcrunch.
"I should say that I don’t mind the idea of sponsored posts or being paid to write things about a company - but I’d want to ensure that that type of post was transparent and that the post added some value to the reader’s experience. While I don’t know anything apart from what is on their site, PayPerPost leaves me feeling a little uneasy and I’d recommend caution to bloggers," says ProBlogger.
"I can’t blame them for trying. I don’t think this is evil. I do think this will be a tremendous hassle for blogging because it because it blurs the line between marketing and non-marketing content. I’m also deeply skeptical that companies will pay for a post if the entire concept is in general disrepute — it’s like paying for bad PR. And speaking of which, I don’t think companies will pay unless they can ensure a positive result, which seems like a logistical impossibility," from Publishing 2.0.
For what it's worth, I doubt PayPerPost will last too long, but the idea might. With the blogosphere as large as it is, and representing all walks of life, there will always be those who'll gladly take the unethical, undisclosed buck. Hopefully they won't be the majority or the loudest voices.
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