Honest Blogging

Hi there Health Blog Helper readers! My name is Allison, and I blog about my experiences as a new runner who is trying to lose weight by eating whole foods at  Eat Clean Live Green. When Matt asked if I would be interested in writing a guest post, I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about one of the aspects of blogging I feel very strongly about: being an honest blogger.

Since this post is going to be all about disclosure, you should know that I am a relatively new blogger, but these opinions are formed as a combination of my experience blogging and observation of many long-time bloggers.

As food and health bloggers, product reviews and promotions play a major role in our posts; we're frequently taking pictures of products and talking about whether or not we liked them.

Does it matter whether or not you paid for it yourself? Absolutely. The fact that the product was free is going to be a contributing factor to the review.  In the same way that when I read a political article on CNN, I want to know the reporter’s background, because there is no way  background/bias can be completely left out of the article, the fact that a product sample was free can't be completely left out of the blog.

Should you mention that a product was free? Absolutely! Disclosure creates trust with your readers. And readers who trust you are the readers who will keep coming back.  How do I know this as a relatively new blogger? Because I've been reading blogs for a long time, and I know that the blogs I keep going back to are the ones whose opinions I trust.

How do you disclose your relationship with a company ?

• An easy way to do so is to have a disclaimer on your blog… somewhere. It doesn’t need to be on every post, as that would both bother frequent readers and be disruptive to your posts, but it should be visible enough so that someone who is curious can find it.
• Mention when you get a free product, and the first time you review it.
• Include a list of sponsors/affiliates in your disclaimer; it doesn't make sense to say Check out this book on Amazon (which I am affiliated with) every time you link to Amazon
• Display a badge on your sidebar, such as the Blog With Integrity badge.

Other ways to create trust with your readers:

• Review products you believe in. If your blog focuses on eating whole foods, reviewing something like a lean cuisine isn't going to add up.
• Would you spend your own money on the product?
  • The occasional ‘no’ will speak volumes for your readers. If you think a product is expensive, say so! (Especially as someone on a grad student budget reading your review, I know I'll appreciate it!)

What about repeats? You get a sample pack of 24… and don’t want to list your disclaimer each time. Understandable! One suggestion is to use the word sample. I’ve never seen a sample you have to pay for, so if I read a product was a sample, I know it was free.

There isn't a right or wrong answer for many of these issues, but in my opinion, the more disclosure the better. Some bloggers seem to be afraid of transparency, but you need to remember as a blogger you are selling a brand: yourself. Create consumer confidence in yourself!

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Is there some aspect of blogging that you do particularly well or feel strongly about?  Want to write a guest post for Health Blog Helper about it?  Send an email to healthbloghelper@gmail.com with your ideas!