Blogging for Money

With 175,000 blogs being created daily it’s no wonder that critics are calling online ethics into question. I recently found an interesting article about blog ethics on the Los Angeles Times website.

The article remained relatively neutral when describing “blogging for money.” Web sites like www.blogkits.com and www.TheBloggingCashMachine.com facilitate the offering of money from companies to bloggers, in order to create a “buzz” about its product in order to achieve what seems like a naturally occurring, word-of-mouth marketing.

Supporters of the trend say getting paid to blog is ethical as long as there are disclaimers noting that compensation from marketers may influence entries, and posts may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. Critics say the industry is polluting the blog world and misleading consumers by blurring the line between advertising and unbiased opinion.

With that said, there are many questions about blogs that need to be answered before I can pick a side. Should blogs be used as a marketing tactic? When bloggers get paid to speak of a product, do they always speak highly of a product or do they raise any buzz? Do Internet users see blogs as a form of advertisement, an online journal or absolute truth? If you have found any studies done on blogs or have your own opinions about the topic, please pass them along.