Common Blogger Terminologies and Lingo

I always get questions from my non-blogging friends who like to read blogs on what some blogging terminologies mean. I thought I might as well do a little post so I can refer them to this post whenever they ask and I do hope some people also find it useful. I am pretty sure I would have missed out on some terminologies so please do leave them in the comment box so I can update this post. I don’t know why writing this post made me laugh though; I guess it just made me realise how much of a world the blogging community has become.
P.S. I don’t guarantee that my interpretation of some of these terms are accurate so please do correct me if you notice any errors. Also, I would be explaining these terminologies with reference to beauty blogging because that’s what I do but they do apply to other types of blogging. Right let’s dive into it…

PR Sample- These are products or items which Brands or Public Relation (PR) executives send to bloggers in hope for a review, consideration or mention if the bloggers like it. Most brands and PRs do not bother you about posting on products unless there was an agreement beforehand to post within a specified period. I only accept PR samples I know I would like or I am willing to try. If I have a negative feedback on a product, I would always email the brand to let them know and find out if they are happy for me to still write about it. I would rather write no review than write a negative review but again, I am not obliged to write about any PR sample sent to me. I always do my own research on the brand and email the brand to know their expectations so  I know we are all on the same page. Many times, I turn down PR samples that have so many conditions attached to them because I am not about that life!! If I really want a product, I would rather purchase it with my own money and post on it whenever I feel like. I love to be in absolute control of my blog and the posts that appear on it. (Hope that does not sound arrogant but this blog is my little escape so I don't want anything stressing me out on it)

Gifted PR Samples: Gifted PR Samples can be given to bloggers via different ways but I feel there is a lesser expectation to post on it than regular PR samples. Many of the Gifted PR Samples I have received were given to me at blogger/press events in the goody bags. Sometimes, brands and PRs send you gifts just out of their own volition like birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc and I believe they don't expect you to post on them but if you do, they won't mind. I always declare these gifts if I ever feature them but I personally don’t think bloggers are obliged to do so because they are gifts (unless there is an expectation from the brand to post on it which is something different, I guess).

Courtesy of (c/o)- I don’t see this phrase very often but it basically means that the product or item being shown was sent to the blogger by a brand/PR as a PR sample. I have been told that it could also mean that the product or item was borrowed to the blogger for a short time by a brand but I don’t know much about how that works in reality.

Sponsored Content- I am going to be honest and say I don’t know too much about sponsored contents but I would share what I know. Sponsored content means money (and products) have been provided to a blogger/vlogger to mention a product or create content. In blogging, sponsored content means Brand Z has paid Blogger A to mention Product Q in a blog post (the blogger may have full control) or the Brand has pre-written a post for the blogger to post on their site (blogger has limited control). I hear that some brands request to see the blog post before it goes live even when the blogger has full control or when the blogger has written the post themselves. Other times, it could be that a brand pays a blogger so that they include a link to their website or product in a blog post. In the vlogging or YouTube land, there are many ways to produce sponsored content. A brand could pay a blogger to produce a video (create specific content for the brand), appear on the brand’s channel or video, mention a brand’s product in the video, etc. I am sure there are many other ways but I think it is most important to always declare any sponsored content. I feel like if your readers trust your integrity and you declare your sponsorships, they would not frown at you producing sponsored content. I have not done any form of sponsored content in the past. It’s not something I frown at as long as it is a brand I love, I have full control and it is fully declared to my readers as a sponsored content.

When you see “AD” in the title of a video- The video is sponsored and there would usually be a declaration at the top or bottom of the description box in the video. Please note that only UK vloggers/bloggers have to declare an  AD in their title. USA vloggers do not have to declare this in the title of their videos but they usually add an FTC declaration in the description box of their video. Sometimes the term AD can appear in a section of a video to indicate that only that specific section in the video is sponsored.

When you see “Sponsored Content” on a blog post or video- A brand has paid for this post or video in one way or the other.

When you see #spon or #ad in an Instagram Post or Twitter Post- A brand has paid for this specific tweet or Instagram post.

Haul- I am sure many bloggers know what a haul is but it is essentially when a blogger has purchased some products and shows them in a post or video. I absolutely enjoy reading haul posts (and watching haul videos) because it gives me an idea of what’s new. It’s also a chance for bloggers to give first impressions of products and I prefer it ever so slightly when bloggers have tried the products (even if it’s just once). 

Blogger Events- I think this is really straight forward but it is usually when a brand organises an event for bloggers to attend and learn more about their products. These events are usually to showcase new launches or an overview of a product range. I like these kinds of events because you get to network with other bloggers and meet amazing people. Blogger events could be dinners, teas, lunches or any format whatsoever. 

Press Events- These are basically similar to blogger events but the difference is that both bloggers, journalist, beauty enthusiasts and editors and other members of the press world are invited. Some of these events are drop in sessions which I prefer as you can go in and leave when you want to. It is also a chance to meet other beauty enthusiasts apart from bloggers and you can network really well in these kind of events (at least in my opinion).

Blogger Mail- This is quite a new kind of post and video and I really enjoy them. Blogger Mail is basically a blogger or vlogger talking about some PR samples they have been sent in the mail to them for consideration. I really enjoy reading/watching these posts as it’s a way to see what’s new in the beauty land. Blogger Mail is also similar to New In Beauty Launches Post but sometimes the New In posts are products bloggers purchased themselves. If you see Blogger Mail as a post, majority or all the products are PR samples.

Dupes- I love me a Dupe Post because it gives me a chance to try similar products at a lower price. A Dupe is a more affordable product (usually beauty product) which is very similar to a high end one that costs a whole lot more. Some products are outright dupes of high end products but I do find that some dupes may only share similarities in shades and that’s it. Most times, the quality of high end products are better than some more affordable dupes. However, I have some dupes that I actually prefer them to the high end version.

Affiliate Link- These are links to products which you find on many blogs where the blogger gets a fraction if sales are made. There are different affiliate links companies like reward style, Linkshare (now Rakuten), Shopstyle, Skimlinks, etc. I always indicate at the bottom of my post if affiliate links are used and I don’t see any reason why I should not. There is no cost to the reader who clicks on the link to purchase a product. The money you get is really small, like when I mean a fraction, I mean like 5-10p. Most times, you only get a fraction of this money if the reader makes a purchase and other times, you get a fraction if a reader just clicks on it. Many of these affiliate links companies have a high threshold like (£50-£100) before a pay-out is made and believe me it can take a while before 5p amounts to £100.  However, Skimlink pays out at a low threshold of £20.

 Some common phrases you may see on blogs and what they mean

“ I was delighted when product A landed on my desk/doortsep”- Product A is a PR Sample

“ I was delighted when product A appeared in my post box”- Product A is a PR Sample

“I was delighted to be given a chance to try out product A”- Product A is a PR Sample

“ I was pleased to be asked to partner with Brand A”- Brand A is sponsoring post/video

“Compensation was provided by Brand A”- Brand A is sponsoring post/video

That’s pretty much it!! I hope you enjoyed this post as it is a little different from my usual post. Again, I am no expert at these terminologies and I am always learning new terms every day. Do let me know in the comment box any new terms you think I need to add to this post…xx