"I Hate Sponsored Posts" Part 2: Too Much of a Good Thing

First off, today is my 2000th post! TWO THOUSAND!! Also, thank you SO much for your response to this series! I was really nervous about how it would be interpreted. If you missed last week, you can get caught up here.

Essentially, for the past 8 months I listened and talked to other bloggers to find out their opinions on sponsored posts. I took 4 of the most common responses and am sharing them with you, as well as my thoughts, as someone who writes sponsored posts. Last week, we talked about sponsored posts in general. Today, we're talking about the number of them.

"It really turns me off as a reader when a blog is nothing but sponsored posts. Or all free stuff--like every post is sponsored. I immediately stop reading blogs like that."

Think about why you watch your favorite tv show. Do you watch it for the commercials? I'm pretty sure the answer is NO. Many of us watch shows on Netflix so there are no commercials or on DVR so we can skip them.

What if that tv show changed from mostly show to mostly commercials? Would you be less likely to tune in? Definitely. 

So why are some of us letting our blogs turn into commercials?

They are there to know about you, not a commercial. 

Commercials are loud. They stick out. They beg to be noticed.

This works well in the television advertising world. But in the blogging world? Not so much.

But--

I have had a few occasions where I either had 2 sponsored posts back-to-back or 2 or 3 within 1 week (I generally post 5 times a week). This was always, always due to a scheduling conflict, usually with the brand moving up or moving back a post date.

How To Fix It:

The biggest giveaway that a post is sponsored? How it's written! It comes across as fake, as an ad. A good sponsored post should be a natural extension of you and your blog. It shouldn't be obvious. It shouldn't sound like a commercial. It should sound like YOU.

If it feels wrong, if it feels fake, then maybe that approach or that brand isn't the best fit for your blog. And that's what we'll talk about next week.

What do you consider to be a good number of sponsored posts per month?

Extra Elle:

• I had a great weekend--the weather was nice, so Charlie and I spent as much time as we could outside. 
• I also continued my annual tradition of watching the Oscar Shorts (just as it sounds, short films nominated for an Oscar)--something I have done for the past decade.
• I also had a Pjs and Prosecco Oscar party. I LOVE to dress up, but this was a nice change. Just hanging out with the girls and talking about the red carpet and the show. They left about 10. Was it my suggestion to play Oscar film charades? ;) I made it the whole show. Coffee was a must the next morning.
• HAPPY MARCH!