7 Ways Retailers Turn Off Mommy Bloggers

The estimated 4.3 million women who are proud to call themselves mommy bloggers offer a bevy of benefits to brands and retailers. Chief among them is that they're not only tapped into the audience most marketers covet — millions and millions of moms — but their opinions hold great sway with this demographic. Yet some marketers and business owners, and their public relations representatives, aren't just dismissive of mommy bloggers, they're downright unprofessional.

As the CEO of Wendy's Bloggers, a bridge for brands that want to establish relationships with influential mommy bloggers, I'm privy to mommy blogger war stories. Seven mommy bloggers agreed to share their experiences in the hopes that brands and retailers will learn some valuable lessons.

Sterling Silver Chutzpah
"A brand sent me a ring to review that was listed on its website as being sterling silver. It turned my finger green within 24 hours. When I contacted the company to explain my experience, the representative unwittingly admitted that their jewelry regularly discolors skin, but it usually takes a few weeks for it to happen. The brand hoped I'd be able to wear the ring within sufficient time to get a positive review out of me." — Emily Evert, owner, Emily Reviews

They Work Hard for No Money
"A company executive called to discuss the possibility of my writing a product review. I patiently explained the entire process, that he would need to send me the product to use and evaluate, and that he could expect thousands of my readers to read my review.

"His response: ‘You want ME to send you a product for FREE? Are you kidding?’ Then he hung up.

"Needless to say I was speechless and in tears. I had taken time out of my busy schedule (I'm a Mom, too!) and he made me feel awful. I wish he would have politely declined and not been so rude." — Kiley Smith, owner, Cherry Blossoms

Do Your Research
"A PR representative asked me to write a product review and host a giveaway. Over the next few weeks, we exchanged a slew of emails. I gave the rep many ideas for creating an exciting blog post and giveaway that would attract thousands of my readers.

"The day the product was scheduled to ship, the rep sent an email asking for my number of unique monthly visitors. I answered honestly (am I the only blogger who doesn't inflate this number?) and then received a curt email implying that I had wasted her time.

"In my follow-up email I explained that I had a very loyal following and that she was discounting the thousands of fans and followers I had on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media outlets. I never heard back.

"If you're a brand or PR agency, please begin your conversation with questions about numbers if that's what you're concerned with. My time and effort in providing creative ideas and responding to numerous emails are precious to me." — Shiloh K., owner, McKinney Mommas

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What it Means to Me
"My worst encounters are with the hundreds of PR agencies and retailers that expect me to provide them with FREE advertising! Just because I have a family-friendly blog and am a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean I have no education, experience or a large audience.

"Compounding this is when I ask brand representatives for products or samples in exchange for product reviews and I'm made to feel like the silly one! Even worse are companies that want their products back after I post my review. I like to use and experience my products fully so that I can give my readers the best review for their future purchases. How and why would a company want me to return a shirt I've worn several times, an air mattress people have slept on, or a bottle of wine that I've opened and enjoyed?

"Brands that treat bloggers with respect are pleased to provide them with sufficient products to review and keep!" — Marissa Oachs, owner, The Review Stew

Who's Minding the Store?
"My worst experiences are with PR representatives who, during the course of our promotion, simply stop responding to emails. They seem to have fallen off the face of the earth! Sometimes the rep is a flake and sometimes the position turns over. Nevertheless, it becomes my job to hunt someone down so I can finish up my work. Only once have I been properly handed off to a new contact person. Companies that hire these agencies should have better oversight." — Lindsay Frank, owner, Pandora's Deals

This Takes The Cake
"I agreed to write a product review and host a giveaway for a baked goods company. The company was to offer five of my readers a $25 gift card to purchase its goods online. I was eager to receive a shipment to review. The products were tasty, but had arrived via U.S. mail in less than pristine condition. I was concerned and called the company's owner who assured me that the goods would be better packaged and shipped overnight (who sends baked goods fourth class anyway?). I relented and wrote a very favorable review and hosted the giveaway.

"Once the giveaway ended, I provided the owner with the winners’ contact information. It didn't take long before I started getting feedback from the winners: two never received their gift cards; two received smashed goods; and one got a spoiled cheesecake. Two winners took photos and sent the "evidence" to me.

"I battled with the owner for a year. You see, not only was her integrity on the line, so was mine. My review and giveaway netted her a tremendous amount of publicity and exposure which, in turn, brought traffic to her website that resulted in sales. After 12 months of tweeting, emailing and posting about her bad behavior and ethics, at my suggestion, she finally sent each winner a $50 Visa gift card." — Leslie Mayorga, owner, Leslie Loves Veggies

Fade Out
"I participated in a PR group promoting brands and products. I provided well-written reviews and quality images. Gradually they left me behind except for sending emails with requests to post reviews about coupon offerings. It didn't seem to matter to them that their supply of printable coupons was nearly always exhausted so it wouldn't have been a valid post. Nor was there any consideration for my time and effort — no product, no gift, not even a thank you. After awhile, I left them just as they had left me." — Vera Godley, owner, Chat With Vera

Wendy Hirschhorn, "The Mommy Blogger Whisperer," is CEO of Wendy's Bloggers, a bridge for brands to create valuable relationships with influential mommy bloggers and their followers.