This post was written by Deb
Network and Channel Promotions: Who Do They Benefit?
Many networks have channel or network wide promotions geared towards bringing in more traffic. I’ve always maintained it’s in a network bloggers best interest to take part in these types of promotions, but one reader begs to differ. This excerpt is reprinted with permission:
Perhaps I’m not a team player but I hate channel promotions. All they do is get one or two other bloggers in my channel to visit my blog. I’d much rather take part in a promotion where we bring in the outside world. This is my biggest problem with network blogging. None of the promotions attract outsiders.
I find most channel promotions boring. Recently we had to do a promotion where we wrote up a glowing review about four other blogs in our channel. We had to choose blogs a certain amount of rungs up the alphabetical ladder. The problem was, none of these blogs had anything to do with my blog. My readers could care less and I had my lowest traffic ever. After reviewing these four blogs not one person reviewed mine. So what good is it for me if no one else participates?
I want to blog. I don’t want to promote everyone else’s blogs because this doesn’t benefit me. Channel wide promotions don’t send me any extra traffic and my blog always seems to be the one to get the shaft throughout it all anyway.
I can understand this blogger’s frustration. I’ve participated in many channel wide promotions that didn’t do anything for my blogs either. I do like the idea of helping out others though, so it didn’t bother me too much. Still, he has a good point. Why bother if it doesn’t benefit the blogger?
You’re under no obligation to take part in channel promotions. I would suggest talking about it at your next channel chat or if your channel has a mailing list, bring it up there. Tell your editor why you don’t wish to participate and maybe you can work out a solution together. Maybe if you discuss it with others in your channel you might learn others feel the same way and can work on promotions that benefit everyone.
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4 Responses to “Network and Channel Promotions: Who Do They Benefit?”
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I’m so glad you wrote this. I participated in the promotion you’re talking about and it did nothing for me either but I still blogged about the four other blogs. I don’t particpiate in many channel promotions for the same reason. I bring in more traffic when I promote my own stuff.
Hey, I did that same promo, and I swear I could have written that excerpt above. That promo is the reason I didn’t do the next, and am not doing the current one. I may do another promo, but I was seriously upset about the last one. I worked SO hard on my posts and fit them to my blogs and everything, but not much came of it other than me losing time. Can you tell I’m not pleased.
I have to be honest, there were plenty of network events I didn’t participate in because I didn’t feel they had anything to do with my topic or because I knew they wouldn’t help me in the least. The above mentioned promotion - I did participate in for two blogs, and no one mentioned my blogs in return. So yeah, lame. BUT in all fairness,part of a CE’s job is to help with promotion and it’s hard to think of something that will benefit the whole channel.
“BUT in all fairness,part of a CE’s job is to help with promotion and it’s hard to think of something that will benefit the whole channel.”
Yeah, that’s very true. When you have a mis-mashed sort of channel, it’s very hard to find something perfect for all blogs. I couldn’t do it. I’m not a promo hater, just sort of in discontent. I’ve enjoyed some, and they used to send more traffic my way, so I’m not done with them altogether, but sometimes they’re frustrating.