spam.

Hi lovelies! 
I have had something hanging over my head for quite some time now so I figured I would take it to my blog to vent about it, because, well, that's what a blog is for, right? 
SO - LETS JUST DIVE INTO IT.
So, most of you reading this are fellow bloggers like myself. A lot of you also are trying to grow your following (which is totally fine!) by commenting on various blogs and collaborating with brands to get your name out there. You are in the facebook groups, twitter groups, hashtagging on insta, the whole sha-bang. 
And you know what, I do it to. That's what blogging for profit is. If you hate it, go for it. But PLEASE do not hate on me for trying to get a little extra money in my pocket from doing a hobby that I thoroughly ENJOY.
With that said, let me talk to you about an experience I just had yesterday. 
Lately I have been trying to pair up with various Etsy stores simply because I think Etsy is a wonderful thing and it brings normal, every day people into the business world. I would GLADLY buy something from a small business on Etsy than anywhere else because I enjoy supporting small business. 
So I have been surfing around Etsy looking for products and companies that fit in line with not only my style, but your (my readers) style as well. So I find certain companies (literally, I search for companies that I know I will like and I know will fit well with the So, hi brand) and I reach out to them. I tell them my stats, why I am interested, the whole sha-bang to see if they would be potentially interested in collaborating with the blog.
Some of them say yes (which is so great! I have loved everyone I have worked with!) and some of them have said no (Which I totally understand, sometimes companies are over worked or cannot afford to give products away for free). I honestly do not expect every single company I reach out to to say yes. I get it, some people want to collaborate, some don't. It really is no issue, honestly.
Well, I reached out lately to a shop on Etsy that had various Wedding material because I am really interested in doing a featured post with Etsy shops that are geared toward the "wedding" audience. You know why? Because I'm recently engaged, my friends are recently engaged, and a ton of my readers are recently engaged. It makes total sense to me that I would post a wedding post, so why not pair up with various Etsy shops so I can include their products on the post! Well the response I got back was "Please don't spam" and I just thought to myself, is this what these Etsy shops are thinking? When I think of spam I think of a robot copying and pasting to every single comment board/email it can get to. I WROTE the email, I PROVIDED my reasoning as to why I think it would benefit the both of us, and I OFFERED something in exchange for the product. To me that isn't spam. 
What do you think? Was I spamming? It really irked me because I do not want  these wonderful companies I am reaching out to to think that are just any company. I literally look for products that I enjoy, I don't just pick random stores and message them. I pick stores that will fit with the blog. If I was going out emailing every company I thought would send me free things I wouldn't be fashion/beauty/lifestyle blog anymore. I'd be a toddler clothing, food (which I wish I was but the stars are not aligning for that one), fitness, alcohol, sorority, mommy, interior design, and DIY blog.
So there is my rant. If you have experienced this, please let me know what you think. It makes me sad and kind of discourages me to reach out to companies any more, even though I know I am helping their sales and benefiting them as well. 
I like to think of bloggers and small businesses as partners. They need us for advertisement, and honestly, we need them for content. So why not ask for something simple like a product to review in return for a review post? I'm not fudging what I think about these products, I'm HONESTLY telling my readers what I think. 
What is so bad about that? 
Also, to the Etsy shops out there, please do not think that we bloggers are just out there to get free merchandise. We literally are trying to help you guys too. It's a great way to collaborate and it is beneficial for us both. I'm sure there are bloggers out there who are "spamming" but this blog is not one of them. Just give those blogs reaching out to a chance, actually look at their material, and see if you could potentially gain buyers from those blogs. 
I do everything in my power to help these small businesses out. And so many of them appreciate it, I have actually had wonderful successes with all of the shops I have paired up with (and have made wonderful friendships with). WE are REAL people behind these blogs. Just remember that. We are not grubby robots trying to get every thing you have. 
So. Yea. Hit me with your experiences/what you think because I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has dealt with this. 

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