Today I got yet another email asking me to “partner” with a business for free. Have a read of this if you are a business embarking on a blogger outreach program and do the opposite. I can’t even make this shit up.
Hey Mums,
Talkative Limbs (the name’s been changed) is expanding to blogging and we’re interested to offer you
the partnership to team up with us. The opportunity will involve writing a
parenting article every fortnight featuring on our blog under your name
with links/info and all social media accounts pointing towards yourself.
The choice of topic is up to you, so feel free to write about anything
that interests you. From this opportunity you’ll be able to increase your
brand’s awareness and leech some of our rapidly growing traffic base,
after 3 weeks we are already up to 2000 unique visitors and we plan on
hitting 10,000 by month 2’s end. As there are numerous benefits this will
be a non-paying gig, but those that can see the benefits realise how
valuable this opportunity is. We’re currently close to filling all the
opportunities available so we’d need to hear back ASAP as it will be first
in best dressed. Once the spots are filled we won’t be opening up anymore,
as we want to keep the benefits available to a select few who we can
establish a relationship with at Talkative Limbs.
Regards,
Talkative Limbs.
Here’s my reply
Hey Talkative Limbs,
Thanks for getting in contact, but unfortunately I will be declining your “offer” to work for free for your organisation.
In fact, I’m unsure how you got my email contact on your database, but I’d appreciate it if you removed me for a number of reasons:
1 – I’m not that keen on being lumped into a group email with the welcome “Hey Mums”. Have you actually checked if all the people you are emailing are actually Mums and how does this make me more or less qualified to contribute to your site? Also I’m more inclined to be open to partnership opportunities if the person contacting me knows my name and has read my blog.
2 – I don’t even know what Talkative Limbs is and nowhere here do you explain what your business is. The assumption that I would work with anyone simply for extra clicks on my website and visa versa is contrary to why I blog in the first place – not to simply sell advertising space, but to make real connections with people.
3 – Writing is my livelihood and as like any business (like yours) I expect to be paid, for not only my articles, but also for access to my blogging community who I’ve worked darn hard to make real connections with.
4 – Website engagement does not pay my bills. And while we are on that point, I’d be requiring payment from your business seeing that my unique visitors are substantially higher than what you are recording.
5 – I like to work with people who have a positive and enriching relationship with bloggers. *refer to points 1-4
If you’re keen on learning how you can better reach out to bloggers in the future, I’d be most happy to help or point you in the right direction of some other businesses/blogger outreach professionals who could advise you.
Have a nice day.
In case you’re interested, I am very open to blogging partnerships, just not ones with Talkative Limbs. I love working with brands and organisations to deliver interesting content. I do not work for free, unless it is for charitable organisations who I believe in. I’m also keen on getting to know each other first, so the partnership is meaningful. Blogging is about building community not website hits. If all you care about is the number of uniques, your Facebook likers or Twitter followers then you’re wasting your time. You might make some cash, but you would’ve sold your soul.
For me, blogging is whole lot more than that. This is Why I Blog.
bigwords x
Great post Bianca. I hate these emails too with the enticement of clicks. I love your response and fully support your stance of wanting to be paid.
Thank you Rashida x
Emailed it to them as well, with my declining words.
Snore. So annoying this people. Your response is gold. x
Snore indeed!
Nailed it. My talkative hands are applauding you.
Your talkative hands are very lovely x
Good response, I’d love to know if they get back to you!
I get emails like this too frequently for my liking too. As well as requests to work on mentoring websites for free (mentoring sites that charge members, but don’t pay the mentors). sigh.
Will let you know if I get a reply x
Good on you Bianca – did you get a reply?
No reply as yet…
Amen sister! Do let us know if and how they reply x
Beautifully written as always Biana. I love how they word it as if they are doing you a favour!! Unfortunately this type of reach out is far too common but hopefully people will start to learn – eventually. Can’t wait to hear if you get a response.
No response as yet. Thank you x
Bravo. Your response is gold. I don’t understand these people.
Thanks Vicki x
HELL YES. I love what you said (Firstly, the name talkative limbs is freaking hilarious), and I especially loved that you called them up on addressing you as ‘Hey Mums’, and whether or not being a mother would make you more qualified.
It’s hilarious that companies like this try to turn their desperation around by calling it an ‘offer’.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
I’m pretty sure many people on their contact were neither Mums nor women. Insulting all around really. I prefer to go by the name of Bianca. Thanks for your lovely comment x
BigWords- 1, “Talkative Limbs” – nil.
I will be interested to hear if TL is able to even the ledger.
Given the ignorance of the initial email i think
1. that’s highly unlikely and
2.you will be lucky to get a response……
I am very doubtful of getting a response either. Thank you for reading x
Fabulous reply, the more of us that say no, will hopefully one day see companies realize we don’t do this for free! xx N
Apparently “Mums at home” will do anything for a little free publicity. Gah.
Great response! I would be interested to know what they say in reply to your email and if they can justify their original request. Keep us posted!
I sure will. Thanks x
Love it. Great response. I wonder if they pay attention to such responses or just click delete.
Me too. Doubt they’ll reply x
PERFECT response.
I got it and have only just begun blogging again THIS WEEK!
Ridiculous! It’s not hard to spend your time reading and getting to know a few bloggers rather than lumping us all in with a “hey Mums”.
Even a simple google search on blogging partnerships would have shown them this was not going to be well received by many!
Nice to see you back blogging again. Hooray x
I love that point out your audience is bigger than theirs- take that Talkative Limbs!!! People can be real dicks but what’s a bit sad is that their are obviously bloggers that say yes. Why don’t they know their worth?
Even if I had 1 unique a month, I’d still value my words x
Very very well written. We do not ask for much, even taking a little effort to address us by name is more than sufficient to make the email a tad personalised.
I hate being treated as a newspaper 😀
Yes, simply finding out our names would have been so much better x
Awesome reply….everything you said is so spot on!
Thank you x
What a great response!
Cheers x
This is magnificent.
Thanks x
Great response! Not being in the business of blogging, is it usual to refers ‘leeching’ of visitors? Doesn’t sound great (and I suspect they are the one who would hope to leech from you)!
Leeching was one of the bits which got to me the most. GRRRR! x
Haha, nice one. I wonder how they address it when they are targeting people with no children? “Hello person. Would you like to write our website for us, for free? PS nice work on the response. I just hit the delete button but it’d be nice to educate them a little every now and again.
Hello Person – hahahaha
Great response to a very average email. Interestingly, I tried googling them and got a warning page from google – very dodgy!
Dodgy indeed x
I’d high five you if I could. Bloody great response and very well said. Next time this happens to me I’m going to take your example and be just as clear. Well done xx
I got your high five! Thanks x
I can’t believe you bothered to dignify them with a response, I would have just deleted it. But good on you for telling them as it is.
I think it was a matter of stars aligning and waking up grumpy! x
Nailed it. This post is awesome. I feel like cutting and pasting and responding as you did.
Thanks!!
GOLD! Love it – what a great response!
Teehee! I admit I had a bit of a giggle while reading your response! If I could high five you (even though I know that is SO outdated now apparently) I would! 😀
You go Glen CoCo!
Silly company. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and I agree that this is an excellent way to respond to these people.