We wanted to take a moment and address some comments and suggestions we received last week on a sponsored post. I’m afraid we may have given the impression that we don’t care about your opinions by not answering questions within the comment section of that post. Please know this isn’t the case – I simply felt/feel it would be unprofessional on my part to talk about contracts and clients on a post I was paid to write. I hope you can understand that, and know that we really do value your feedback.
Based on your comments, as well as similar feelings we’ve had recently, we’ve made the decision to no longer accept sponsorships from all non-project related sponsors. While we stand by our past sponsored content and genuinely love the products and services, we understand the concerns expressed and want to thank you for giving us the push we needed to make a decision that has been on our minds.
Going forward, we will let our plans and projects guide the partnerships we choose. Two examples would be Ace Hardware and Wagner. These companies help us check things off our to-do list, and allow us complete control over design and execution. We value these relationships and are excited to continue working with them and others as we DIY our way through improving our home. And we hope you’ll stick with us through the process.
Again, we sincerely want to thank you for the “tough love.” We all need it every once in awhile, and we feel blessed to have readers who are so invested and connected to us and our home. We’re excited to return to the focus we once had, and are happy to address any questions or thoughts in the comments below.
There are so many ways to monetize a website without going down the typical path of sponsored posts. This is my first time to your site which I heard about because of your announcement. If I land on a blog with multiple sponsored posts at a glance its game over for me.
To be honest I don’t enjoy reading blog posts about subscription boxes because it’s just a product I would never buy and am not interested in….but seriously people….if your readers put any thought into how long it takes to plan a project, shoot a post, edit pics, write, edit writing, think of new content, AND then give it all away for free…. And then figure a way to make a living off of it. I’m generally always happy for the bloggers I enjoy to have the opportunities that they do. Screw the haters! Haha.
Hi
I just wanted to add my two cents. First off- you two are so nice and must have some very thick skin. I think you are getting nailed for all the sponsored content that has really saturated blogland and you are one of few blogs that actually let negative comments through the feed. My feeling is that the reason sponsored posts have become so annoying to us readers is because at the beginning blogs felt so personal and a refreshing break to regular media. They felt genuine and real.A great escape from advertising and such… But now blogs in general are starting to feel just like the rest of mainstream media, saturated with advertising and sponsorships. I wanted to join in to this discussion because I don’t want you and Chris to disappear like YHL. For lack of readers( disappearing because of non-interest in sponsored posts) or just losing interest in blogging period. It seems the blog world is going through some transitions right now, learning how to stay alive through advertising and keeping their readers interested. I think your new policy is a good step in the right direction and I certainly hope letting go of some sponsorships doesn’t cause you to leave blogging for good. I found you through Housetweaking a few years ago and was Oh so happy when I did. Keep up the good work.
I’m a fellow blogger who also accepts sponsored posts, but I’m also an avid blog reader, so I 100% understand both sides of the argument. I do think your new policy is a great one, though! People come to our blogs for us, so giving them more of that will only be a good thing. :-)
I’m saddened by how negative people can be. I admire both of you for hearing the message instead of the delivery. Words to live by – Grace without truth no one changes. Truth without grace no one listens. Your blog is one of my favorite things. Keep on keepin on! You both are fabulous.