Now the striking thing about this is that psychologists have known this for 30 years. Psychologists have known about the negative consequences of incentivizing everything for 30 years.We know that if you reward kids for drawing pictures, they stop caring about the drawing and care only about the reward. If you reward kids for reading books, they stop caring about what's in the books and only care about how long they are. If you reward teachers for kids' test scores, they stop caring about educating and only care about test preparation. If you were to reward doctors for doing more procedures -- which is the current system -- they would do more. If instead you reward doctors for doing fewer procedures, they will do fewer. What we want, of course, is doctors who do just the right amount of procedures and do the right amount for the right reason -- namely, to serve the welfare of their patients. Psychologists have known this for decades, and it's time for policymakers to start paying attention and listen to psychologists a little bit, instead of economists.
Quoted from Barry Schwartz's talk on Using Our Practical Wisdom speech for TED TV, Video Below:
After watching this video I couldn't help but compare it to the world of blogging. What? You'll all scratchin' your heads and thinking..."where on earth is she going with this now?"
This sentence in particular struck a HUGE cord in me: Psychologists have known about the negative consequences of incentivizing everything for 30 years. My ears are still ringing from the BOING of it!
Think about it...how many bloggers do you know who start out blogging for the sheer joy of writing and creating something that they want to share? How many overcome their HUGE fear of failure and fear that now one will read what they are writing? Just about every blogger that I know of...especially those bloggers who had absolutely NO background in network marketing, website design and/or had been previously published.
BUT then after about six to nine months, you start wondering why no one is leaving any comments on your posts. You start to compare yourself and you start looking for everyone's "FRIENDS" and "FOLLOWERS" buttons on their sidebars. You start to wonder why they have so many friends and why you have few to none! I know about this because I've been there...done that ;) So then you start comparing their blog designs and their content to what you are offering and tell yourself that basically "their blogs are NO better than yours"...so why?
What really PUSHES you over the top and turns you into a whine ass...is when you see that other blogs have PAID SPONSORS! OMG...talk about low blog-esteem ;) You also see that these sponsors offer all sorts of giveaways and you figure...SO THAT'S HOW THEY DO IT! They give incentives to gain FRIENDS and FOLLOWERS!!!
So you decide to HOST your own giveaway and you look for a theme to celebrate: your 1st Blog-aniversary, your 100th post, your 100th friend, your birthday, Christmas, Fall, 1st Pink what-ever!!! The list goes on and on ;{ AND what do you learn...many new friends, followers and subscribers hop on-to your giveaway. They follow all the RULES to earn this wonderful incentive...ONLY to fall-off the band-wagon as soon as the giveaway ends and the incentive is awarded ;{
Which leaves you feeling disheartened and less than and asking yourself...why don't they like me? WELL guess what folks...I JUMPED off the wagon a while ago and removed my GOOGLE FRIENDS button from my sidebar. I figured that if new readers found my site and they would ONLY read my content based on how POPULAR I was then quite frankly...THE HELL WITH THEM!
AND NOW, I declare that, from here on out...I WILL NO LONGER HOST GIVEAWAYS as incentives for friends, followers and subscribers. I will blog for one reason ONLY, which is, to offer content that I hope inspires my readers as much as it inspires me.
I've made up a small badge that I'm going to put on my sidebar, with a link to this post for all my future readers to understand why I've taken this pledge. Now some bloggers really enjoy hosting giveaways and that is great if that is what they want to do. AND I love to participate and to win in many of these giveaways...nothing beats being a WINNER ;) However, I only enter those that are hosted by bloggers that I regularly follow and support WITH daily/weekly/monthly comments on their posts that I'm interested it. In other words, I'm an active participant of the blog and NOT the giveaways only.
Making this pledge has lifted a huge weight off my blogging shoulders. It has brought me the RELIEF to be me and to stay true to what blogging is really all about for me.
How about you...do you need some relief?
Feel free to make the pledge and to add this button to your sidebar. I only ask that you link it back to this post as well so that all of our readers understand our true intentions.
Amen, Roberta! I was just talking to a friend on the phone just now (who also has a blog) about challenges that provide incentives. I like challenges because they help me stretch creatively, not for recognition or prizes (not that I've been chosen recently anyway LOL!)
As for providing blog candy on my own blog, you are correct! The vast majority are there to win and you never hear from them again. I did make a FEW new friends via blog candy on my blogoversaries, but I no longer do that for the same reason. False followers. I choose to follow the 130+ blogs I currently follow because their words and/or art inspire me; hopefully the same is true for my followers.
Posted by: June Houck | January 31, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Well said Bobbi! I just had a conversation about this topic with a gal I follow and I think we both agree with you. This post has inspired several well thought out comments by your readers, so well done, you have inspired thought.
Posted by: Cortney Lyon | January 31, 2011 at 12:16 AM
I've not done a giveaway as yet on my blog, but I have always blogged for the sheer enjoyment of writing--and my blog is so very eclectic that I may never amass a large following. Sometimes I think I should split my blog into the different topics that I post about the most--a stamping blog, a reading blog, a writing blog--but then I wouldn't have time to post on any of them on a regular basis. I'm sure the mish-mash of topics scares some folks away. Your post makes tons of sense to me though...and it's funny, I may participate in "blog hops", but quite often don't enter the giveaways unless it is something I REALLY would like to have. I guess I'm just wired differently from most folks.
One last comment--I seldom follow heavily sponsored blogs. I'm surrounded by way too much crass commercialism as it is without choosing to read blogs that are chock full of ads. That's just me though. I'm strange. I don't tweet or use Facebook. I'm more interested in the quality of my relationships (both online and in real life) than I am in the quantity of people who "follow" or "friend" me. As a writer who will be seeking a publisher soon, that may not be a politically correct thing to say, but I can only be me and I must follow Shakespeare's lead, "To thine own self be true..."
Posted by: Linda | January 30, 2011 at 11:52 PM
I think everyone has to do what makes them feel comfortable on their blog. I know what makes you comfortable Roberta but it is not all for me. I no longer ask anyone to be a follower to win if I have a giveaway but leave a comment only because I don't want just a number. If CSN offers $40 or $65 to someone reading me if I do a giveaway I do it. I like CSN and I like to let someone enjoy the gift certificate especially because it didn't cost me anything. I know I can write this because you are a friend and are always interested in what I think and that's blogging to me. I read blogs that have ads because some people out there really need the money...some obviously don't but it is my choice to go back. I have tried some meme's and go back to them and others, well, been there done that. I'm glad you have found what works for you and hope to read more. Take care.
Posted by: Donnie | January 30, 2011 at 09:54 PM
No matter what you do I think your real attitude comes through on your blog and that is what brings people back. I've been going through a bit of the followers feelings but at the same time I'm trying to find ways to inspire so I think I've already taken your pledge, in my own way. When things quit being fun is when its time for me to think again.
huggles
Posted by: Rita Ackerman | January 30, 2011 at 09:50 PM