In a recent interview, lifestyle maven Martha Stewart spoke out strongly about her opinion of bloggers. And it wasn’t a good one. She was quoted saying, “Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors and writers at Vogue magazine. I mean, there are bloggers writing recipes that aren’t tested, that aren’t necessarily very good or are copies of everything that really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create kind of a ‘popularity’. But they are not the experts and we have to understand that.”
Clearly Stewart doesn’t understand the value of bloggers in her line of work, and I don’t think she realizes that her PR firm undoubtedly pitches bloggers on a daily basis in the hopes of reaching further into her audience pool. Insulting an entire group of people you use as a channel to promote yourself and your business probably isn’t the best idea. Ultimately she’s not doing herself any favors by cutting off one of her largest resources. According to a BlogHer study, blogs are the number one trusted source of information and advice for women in America. In addition to their blogs, bloggers also have huge followings on social media sites, making it easy for information to go viral, which is key when looking to get coverage on a new product or recent press release.
Stewart seems to have forgotten her roots. Not everyone starts their career as an “expert.” She wasn’t born a huge celebrity and expert in her field. She worked her way there. Sure, most bloggers aren’t trained chefs or editors at Vogue, but who says they can’t be one day? Who says the editors of Good Housekeeping or Life & Style didn’t dabble in blogging before getting their big breaks?
My point is, Stewart wouldn’t be where she is today without bloggers and the women who follow them. Most of the bloggers who have previously promoted Martha Stewart as a brand are women who are in fact just like Stewart herself, and more importantly for Stewart, they’re the women who are – or were – buying her products.