DMMA blogger survey ran on our site, over 114 responded to key focus on paid for promotion and measuring blogs.

1. Blogger Survey
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2. Objectives:
• To engage with and ascertain
requirements of this new industry
channel
• Understand the argument around
whether bloggers should be paid
• Understand how blogs should be
measured
• Define agency ‘rules of engagement’
with blogging community
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3. Process:
• On 17 July 2012 the DMMA hosted a live round table
discussion whereby we engaged in a qualitative
fashion with:
• 5 bloggers
• 2 PR agencies reps
• 2 Digital agencies reps
• 2 Journalists.
• Along side this we live tweeted Q&As from the
discussion and further engaged the digital
community through Twitter
• Collated all questions and opinions that arose
through both the live discussion and Twitter to
formulate the Blogger survey
• From 31 July – 16 August 2012 we hosted the debate
on the DMMA website
• A total of 114 bloggers completed the survey
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4. Who did we survey?
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5. Which category does your blog fall under?
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6. Other:
• Pop Culture Analysis
• Life lessons
• All of the above
• Entertainment
• Green / sustainability
• Humour/observation
• Business / Leadership
• SA Music Scene / Industry
• Business, tech and web
• Politics, philosophy
• Marketing & Media
• Auto/Cars / Motoring
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7. Why did you start your blog?
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8. Do you think an authentic opinion post is more
valuable to your audience than a paid for post?
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9. Other:
• A good balance is necessary
• I wouldn't take payment to do a post I didn't
really "feel", so it would still be an authentic
opinion.
• I will only post if I have an authentic opinion.
• An even mix creates a nice balance
• I don't think it's as simple an answer, I turn
away paid content all the time, it should be
authentic either way
• I try to make my paid posts as valuable and
personal to my readers as my other opinion
posts. I look for an "angle“
• I like to think that my paid posts are still
genuine. I will only post about a brand that I
truly like or use myself.
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10. Measurement
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11. Which metrics do you think should be included for measurement of
your blog when motivating for remuneration?
% of
Bloggers
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12. In terms of being influential in specific spheres: What makes a
blogger influential?
% of
Bloggers
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13. Would you be willing to join a measurement programme in which
the DMMA has access to your stats?
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14. Paid for content
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15. Do you send a report of number of entries, number of Tweets etc
after you have run a paid campaign for a brand?
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16. Would you be willing to provide one if asked?
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17. If bloggers are paid for their work - should they all subscribe to
standardised rate cards?
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18. Other:
• No. Charge whatever you are worth.
• There should be layers of rates according to
twitter followers, content, sponsorship
amount and twitter followers/readers
• Bloggers should not be paid.
• Rates should be dependant on the material
and audience.
• They should be fair in their rate but it should
be based on their own standards.
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19. In regards to reach, how do you think bloggers should be
remunerated?
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20. Other:
• It really depends on the goals laid
out by the client, some of which
cannot be finitely "reached".
• Based on balance of both, as well
as the quality of the work they
produce.
• Based upon a desired goal for the
campaign, whether it be brand
exposure (reach) or engagement
• Overall influence: stats,click
throughs, comments, posts, pings
back, twitter discussions, RT,
Facebook posts
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21. Campaign remuneration: Which is more relevant to your blog?
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22. Rules of Engagement
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23. As a paid blogger, would you be open to being a part of a blogger
listing so that agencies are able to contact you?
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24. Which of the following options would you prefer a brand/agency
representative to employ when approaching you?
% of
Bloggers
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25. When a brand approaches you as a blogger to run a possible
feature, what do you ask for in return?
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26. Would you run a campaign based on a product exchange basis?
Or are you only interested in working with brands/agencies who are
paying in cash?
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27. Would you be willing to tag paid-for posts as “sponsored post”?
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28. What do you think about a self-regulated network or "portal" that
will standardise interactions with brands and advertisers?
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29. Insights:
• In order to receive payment and remain
credible in the eyes of their audience,
bloggers need to keep a balance of the
following pillars:
• Paid for content
• Authentic opinion pieces
• Bloggers are a mixture of the following
digital components and need to be
considered as such.
• Publishers – Content creators & paid
for content
• Social media – 2 way conversation
• Affiliates – On-going influencer
engagement
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30. Next Steps
• Offer bloggers with under 15 000 UB a Free 12 month
membership to the DMMA
• Offer those new members the option of being a part of a
blogger listing from which agency members can access their
analytics and assign fair rates when requesting paid for
content to be created.
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31. THANK YOU
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