Buenos Dias~
Happy New Year & Best wishes to ya for 2018!
I know, I know. Where the HECK have I been these past months?! Gomenasai. My blog has been on hiatus for various reasons that will be covered in later posts. I had however intended for my first post of this year to be about my facebook recently hitting 5 MILLION VIEWS!
Yet, fate intervened in the form of my mentor, Elayna Fernadez ~aka~ The POSITIVE MOM quote retweeting a video posted by a vlogger named ELLE DARBY.
I was immediately drawn in by the video & the core message that it had to deliver to all us bloggers, vloggers & social media influencers. I knew then & there that this HAD to be my first blog post of the year, that NOW was the time to come out of hiatus. To ensure that this incident was covered by Alfonzowords & that emphasis is placed on Why EVERY Blogger should care.
Here's a quick breakdown of the incident if you haven't heard:
- Elle Darby sent an email to the owner of the Charleville Lodge Hotel in Dublin
- The 22-year-old asked for a free stay in exchange for social media promotion
- Owner Paul Stenson poured scorn on the request and posted the email online
- Ms Darby responded with a YouTube video saying his actions led to her being bullied by online trolls
DEAR SOCIAL INFLUENCER, YOU SHOULD CARE BECAUSE THIS COULD LITERALLY HAPPEN TO YOU, TO ANY OF US.
This type of email/query has been an unwritten method that most influencers, especially the successful ones, have used. Whether it be to collaborate with brands, receive discounted offers or free merchandise as well as free vacations. I collaborate with dozens of different bloggers every single day & comment on many blog posts that are reviews about hotel stays or luxury vacation treatments.
Are they ALL freeloaders with no self respect & dignity?
Let me assuredly say that I have mad respect & love for all those in the service industry especially those in hospitality. This post isn't about them but rather about the business & how social media influencing ties in. Here's my thinking. ELLE has +80 000 subscribers on Youtube & +75 000 followers on Instagram. Her highest viewed video so far has +835 000 views! So if she were to post a review of her hotel stay & at the barest minimum, out of allllllll that following, the hotel gets 10 NEW Guests. Does that not mean a ten fold return on the investment of letting her stay there for "free"? Does that not in turn have a compound effect on increases & bonus cheques for said "staff & housekeepers"?
And Now for the video response from ELLE DARBY:
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FIRSTLY I just have to say, MEGA CRAZY Love to Elle for somehow finding the courage to not only stand up for herself but also for the blogging & influencer community. Because after scrolling through the negative comments across the different social media platforms, I honestly am in AWE of her bravery & stature. It's like a tsunami of hated all directed at her. Are we really going to let her face it ALL alone? Or can the vision of us all standing behind her in support & solidarity come to fruition? or is the hashtag #BloggersUnite all for show & nothing but a side ways glance?
Let's tackle some of the common negative comments I've seen so far:
{in sarcasm} that no-one knew who/what Universal Orlando was before her
Everyone KNOWS what the Hilton is, everyone KNOWS that Disney World is, everyone even KNOWS what Two-Ply toilet papers is. But what Influences them to go there or go here? Or to to buy Two-Ply even...
It's stimuli. It's fascination. It's a change in perspective.
The WHOLE reason I found out about this ELLE DARBY fiasco was because I follow my mentor online & anything she throws attention to is Worth my time & effort to view.
Get a Real Job, Live in the Real World:
A 100 years ago, YOUR "job" could've been looked down upon and not treated as a "Real" job. A 100 years from now, Influencing could be considered a normality while something else could be considered "not a real job".
I, however do not consider Influencing & Blogging a "job". I consider it a business of self employment. You are your own boss, you work your own hours, you pay your own expenses & salary. A real business with real potential & real rewards.
It's stimuli. It's fascination. It's a change in perspective.
The WHOLE reason I found out about this ELLE DARBY fiasco was because I follow my mentor online & anything she throws attention to is Worth my time & effort to view.
Get a Real Job, Live in the Real World:
A 100 years ago, YOUR "job" could've been looked down upon and not treated as a "Real" job. A 100 years from now, Influencing could be considered a normality while something else could be considered "not a real job".
I, however do not consider Influencing & Blogging a "job". I consider it a business of self employment. You are your own boss, you work your own hours, you pay your own expenses & salary. A real business with real potential & real rewards.
{in sarcastic disbelief} She outed/exposed herself by attaching her name to the post.
Ofcourse she did! That was the ENTIRE intention. Because prior to her even posting the video & Paul's barely concealed screenshot, plenty of "trolls" as they were, found out her name & commented across all her social media about the video. So instead of shrinking back, she stepped forward and released the video with her response & reaction. It's NOT the be all & end all of comebacks. Nor do I endorse everything she says. But she did it in the moment & said whatever she needed to in order to clear her heart & her mind of the negativity she'd received. There's a beautiful nakedness to her honesty & that should be respected.
She's spoiled & entitled & the whole blogging community is this way too
As stated above, most influencers do approach brands. Yes, we do get approached but sometimes the situation calls for specificity. In this scenario ELLE was planning on a romantic getaway for her & her bae during the Valentines Rush. Any ONE of our emails & query messages could be USED at ANY time by any troller to publicly ridicule & judge against. This is why I believe that Every Blogger needs to care about the incident.
A similar incident happened to me now that I think back. Not nearly to this kind of level of outcry but similar none the less.
In the Spirit of ELLE, I'm going to be brave & "expose" the situational scenario that occurred.
Back when I first started blogging, I had attached to the bottom of my emails "donations are appreciated", an innocent enough remark however one taken all too personally:
This is just to illustrate in my experience of the situational scenario & response but to also point out that this was NOT the general consensus. As stated, more often than naught, people were willing & even initiated to pay to be featured. For a variety of reasons, such as no influence base, no time to do the marketing or admin, humbly supporting their social media friends and so on. None of which are negative reasons but all understandable ones & somewhat even smart ones. Such as writers just being published who have full time day jobs. or Business owners & start ups who want to place focus where focus belongs, on their business & its sustainable growth.
I'd also like to point out, that whether or not my site remains a "free" site or a "blogspot" site, is my personal choice & preference & reflects nothing towards the "earnings" nor integrity of a blogger.
Futhermore, those people &/or businesses that were rude or arrogant towards me in the beginning have now been trying to get back in contact with me to do "social media influencing" for them. {fact not opinion}
Brilliant post by @sirenabergman !!! She covers every point of the @elledarby incident quite eloquently & at the same time Firmly stating Facts, not just opinions. I hope this serves to enlighten those that had negative things to say about our industry & elle herself.
Here is a video stating that Paul is a Hypocrite while providing proof that He, HIMSELF has stayed in places for free or received special treatment due to his "influence".
She's spoiled & entitled & the whole blogging community is this way too
As stated above, most influencers do approach brands. Yes, we do get approached but sometimes the situation calls for specificity. In this scenario ELLE was planning on a romantic getaway for her & her bae during the Valentines Rush. Any ONE of our emails & query messages could be USED at ANY time by any troller to publicly ridicule & judge against. This is why I believe that Every Blogger needs to care about the incident.
If I didn't do it justice here is an EPIC BADASS Tweet THREAD response to the Elle Darby uncalled for hatred & discrimination:
Tweet is by Riley J. Dennis
Tweet is by Riley J. Dennis
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I've seen a few people on my timeline ~dragging~ this girl super unfairly so this thread is me defending her https://t.co/EEyGqtMeDY— Riley J. Dennis (@RileyJayDennis) January 21, 2018
In the Spirit of ELLE, I'm going to be brave & "expose" the situational scenario that occurred.
Back when I first started blogging, I had attached to the bottom of my emails "donations are appreciated", an innocent enough remark however one taken all too personally:
This was my polite & firm reply:
I'd also like to point out, that whether or not my site remains a "free" site or a "blogspot" site, is my personal choice & preference & reflects nothing towards the "earnings" nor integrity of a blogger.
Futhermore, those people &/or businesses that were rude or arrogant towards me in the beginning have now been trying to get back in contact with me to do "social media influencing" for them. {fact not opinion}
Brilliant post by @sirenabergman !!! She covers every point of the @elledarby incident quite eloquently & at the same time Firmly stating Facts, not just opinions. I hope this serves to enlighten those that had negative things to say about our industry & elle herself.
Here is a video stating that Paul is a Hypocrite while providing proof that He, HIMSELF has stayed in places for free or received special treatment due to his "influence".
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Paul Also created a video in partnership with Jen Hatton Sketches
Where they proceed to illustrate all the very worse parts of Social Media Influencing & those that take advantage of backhanded methodology. i.e. buying followers or apparently being nonchalant at an event & still getting paid.
Again I feel like they have both been posting in a way that conveys this is GENERAL Influencer behavior especially in the context of the ELLE Darby Scandal. I also feel that this is NOT the General consensus nor commonly known behavior of a blogger. If you take the time to look you'll the see the majority of Real & Tangible followers with Real & tangible interaction. Even if it's each other commenting on each others work in support.
Influencer Marketing when used in the correct context, can be very lucrative & rewarding. And just like any job or business you love doing, you HAVE got to put in the effort, the passion & the work! Are you up with us all odd hours of the night writing our blog posts in advance? Are you there when we're in sweltering heat with our cameras taking all kinds of angled pictures or DIY'ing an At-Home Photoshoot studio? Are you there when we spend hours & hours of collective replying & interacting with our following to ensure engagement on our social media? Are you there when we're mostly seated at our desks for the entire day at times, creating content & providing admin for our clients? All the while still making time for family & other priorities at home?
- We get to travel the world {without or without a review}
- Eat the craziest & best foods {without or without a review}
- Stay in the best hotels {without or without a review}
- Drive the latest models in cars {without or without a review}
- Brands send us "FREE" clothes &/or merchandise to test out {without or without a review}
- Marketing departments want to collaborate with us to create a Social Media Campaign
- We meet, interact & even befriend powerful figures in society. I.e Les Brown
- We interview celebrities about their upcoming projects.
- We're invited to glamorous parties & exclusive screenings.
Louis Cole has over a million followers a piece on both youtube & twitter. He posted this Today!
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@elledarby I saw an article about you, I don't know you but hope it puts your mind at ease that as a fellow 'influencer' my experience is that all the big hotel chains not only offer free stays but pay influencers to promote them. I hope this educates other people reading this.— Louis Cole (@funforlouis) January 21, 2018
Know Your WORTH!
You earned your blog/website, you earned your content, you earned your following, you earned your influence, you earned your exclusivity & you Most assuredly Earned the RIGHT to quote potential client's in kind.NO ONE, young or old, rich or poor, white or black, gay or straight, angry or calm, man or woman, christian or Buddhist, over weight or under weight, scientific or artistic, green eyed or brown eyed. NO ONE can ever take away your Worth. Only you Know it & only you control it.
I've come a long long way since the blog first started & a lot of my success is due to knowing & finally accepting my worth. I Still have a ways to go & I remain ever coachable towards there always being A Next Level to reach for. I will always be grateful & humble for what I have.
Lastly I'd just like to send MASSIVE MEGA TONS of Love & Positivity Elle's way! Those comments can be so so draining even for the strongest of strong. You are a true ROCKSTAR & you have a forever fan in me. Thank you, Arigato & Gracias~
I'll leave you with this quote:
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{Title & Link Here}
Truly sorry the post was so long today & I already love you if you've read this far. But any one who knows me will tell you I don't work with word counts & rebel against limitations. The posts are, as they've always been, as long or as short as Needed.
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© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words
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© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words
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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres
