How to decide your fees/charges for reviewing a hotel/restaurant?
This is for all my blogger-mates who frequently review services and hotels. What do you ask in return for reviewing their business if it is in your hometown only? Any lead would be appreciated [Smile]
Ok. After reading half of the thread, I got bored. 
In India, the scene is very strange. The food bloggers get invited to review the service & food. The bloggers feel honored & that they belong to elite class and eat free food. In retun they write blogposts & post pictures. They don't understand that they are being exploited by these hotels/restaurants.
As long as such bloggers exist, others much deserving people won't get anything more than just one time free food. If you demand something more, you'll get a reply saying others are doing it for free!
Another thing is that these exploiters (hotels, restaurants or any other product related company) expect the same from much better bloggers also. They treat all bloggers equal irrespective of their readership, google/Alexa ranking or popularity. I must say they don't know how to promote their product/service. 
I have been fighting a lone battle by refusing/ succumbing to these tactics in travel field. Now some people have joined me & I am sure we'll have a something concrete very soon.
You are a crusader!
Do see what is happening in other review categories too, for instance, book reviews.
so if someone does free review they are being exploited or they are not deserving...and someone said earlier those who do paid review might be doing false easy bucks praise...phew...!!!
btw....love n really envy ur travels....offtopic
ND So, conclusion is that one shouldn't do reviews on their blogs 
r....conclusion is let everyone do their own thing...dont poke ur nose into what other does...instead focus on ur own thing
Wow Nisha, your approach towards this earned my rerspect! ... BTW, another corner where struggling bloggers are getting exploited are so called "book review programs" [Sigh]................
Reviews are not free, ND. We be in touch with PRs so that we can show how good or bad a product is, and we need direct communication to address certain issues, problems, cons, pros and suggestions on behalf of readers. In many cases, we get products well before they hit the markets so that we can release the content at the time of launch. PRs do it because they want product exposure to a wider audience. In reality, nobody is doing any favours to anyone. Problem comes when writers don't understand the actual scene and people exploit it. They call you for exposure and you go for content. Its a win-win. Ethics, honesty, personal code of conduct comes later.
I agree with Nisha, but I don't think a lot of genuine bloggers make demands unless they really need something because they know its not 'technically' free. I got some stuff from the company to test other hardware. My benefit is that I get resources, and their benefit is that their brand gets exposure. But just like bloggers, the wrong crowd get jobs into marketing and PR. The influx of bad people in writing and PR field made a mess of things, and hence this is the end result. A lot of these people I've observed who show such trends are usually from sales background. Not all folks from sales are like this, but yeah- most of them are.
True, but in the end such review sites eventually shut down considering they have competition within their own 'circle'. Its bad and more serious when genuine reviewers have to shut their site because of such nuisances. Be it baba ramdev's thick goo or dabur's chavanprash. Many of these companies don't care how their product is promoted once they give money to a 3rd party marketing/PR agencies- unless it backfires miserably. Some promote genuine content and associate with proper reviewers irrespective of the viewerbase, with the philosophy that genuine buyers know BS when they read one. Some promote mass PR garbage, more the better "Rs. 1,000 for 10,000" promos kinda deal. If people can't differentiate good food from bad- and/or stale, they shouldn't bother about food reviews. There have been many times where a run-off-the-mill-locally-known restaurants serve good food with fresh (or fresh-ish, considering some can be stored for even longer period) compared to those over-hyped POS. Unless they make an effort to learn what is good food and know what they're eating, they shouldn't do this. When they do, they start doing shit like this. I never understood reviewing service and food though. What's good today, doesn't mean it will be good tomorrow. User reviews makes way more sense than this to be honest.
people eat food since the time they are born...wouldnt they be aware if they are eating good or bad food..regardless of being paid to review or not....?
False reviews are not acceptable. However, if a review reflects your perception, your likes or dislikes, then it should be fine.
Awww did you really review a dabur product for 1000 bucks PL? [Grin]
So who are food bloggers? Those who cook, eat and write about the entire experience of cooking and the taste (chef)? Or those who eat and comment on the taste?
Those who pop stuff in their mouth and say if its good or bad. There are variants of food reviewers, like any reviewers. One is a no-BS type who knows what they're eating, if its fresh- and what to say. Another who is diplomatic to a point that he/she confuses everyone with fancy words and what not. Some who do little bit of both but with clarity. Another one (the worst kind) who can't differentiate that a burger is actually from McDonalds which is cut into pieces and held together with a toothpick (yes, exactly like in a particular youtube video that probably floated around FB).
Narasimha, I think both of them fall into food-blogger category....
Roshan, there is always a few first and few last benches in a classroom... irrespective of where you sit, you're a student of that class... you can take you professor's notes or plug in your ipod... still you're a student only... you'll earn grades A++ to F, till then you're a student of that class and none can question on your being a student of that class... [Sigh]
In any case, this is happening in Mumbai
This is indeed an interesting thread as it is trying to talk of blogging and bloggers in ways that bloggers do not visualise their work or abilities.The lovely facts and the sordid ones seem to be co-existing here. So is the case with bloggers. Just as their posts talk about their opinion, each of us is free to interpret blogging in our own way and according to our perceptions and priorities.
Someone once asked, 'How many types of bloggers are there?' I said, 'As many as you can conjure up.' Which is true.
A blogger can be young and aiming to monetise.A blogger can be young and not aiming to monetise.A blogger can be young and interested in writing creative and analytical posts and yet aiming to monetise.A blogger can be young and interested in posting a rapid-fire text from a press release and look for money.
...and the list can go on and on and on as you keep creating categories here.
The only common thing that links all this blogger diversity is that they blog. I do hope, like many of us might, that blogging remain as diverse but gets to add more and more of involved creative thinkers who love writing.
you know..i have 2 other blogs not registered in IB...in one i write analytical/realistic ( not creative) book/product reviews...and in other i simply post pictures -- mostly food pics with barely 1-2 lines, and these food pics are self paid ( atleast till now...)...rest creativity blah blah i keep for the blog registered in IB....So there can be diff type of bloggers in same individual....so the blog where i simply post food pics with not much writings...if i do same style in future for some restaurants too,...does it become frivolous?...just cos i dont choose to write much in them?
Well Nandini, posting your pictures is not frivolous. that is also some kind of a record-keeping of your era and future generations (if this record survives and is accessed by them) are going to find it all very interesting... you know why? Because you don't have any vested interest lurking between your posts. I mean, there are historians who are paid to project history in a certain way... but you are reflecting the world as you are seeing it. So it is simply beautiful. What you are doing is real blogging.
This is just my opinion, so don't get offended. My mom gave a place on rent to a person who runs two spa under the same name (at least to my knowledge) and I remember they and some PR had talks about how to promote their business locally. The PR's opinion about bloggers in general was negative, and its vindicated considering the way bloggers in mass do things and wearing a 'pro' walla cloak. Same thing is done by tech bloggers and hence I stopped calling myself as one in the hopes that I won't be pre-judged with that crowd. Unfortunately, now the same bunch started calling themselves 'tech reviewers'! :P
The way I see it, if a reviewer gets money for reviews- its hard for me to trust it. I wouldn't call that person a reviewer just so that other real reviewers get downgraded. First, its obviously going to be staged to please you, experience/taste might differ when you go as a 'regular' person. Regular people who trust your 'reviews' might be ripped off in reality. If you give a disclaimer that its a paid review (do people do that here???) then it might be different- but people are going to take it with a pinch of salt anyways. You can use the words like 'experience' or 'overall experience'. Just don't call it a review with this kind of a setup or arrangement. You're reviewing a service, and food- eventually the service behind the preparation of the food. There have been many places where so-called food bloggers said the food is good and gave high praises, but in reality its garbage to a point if I have to ask if people can differentiate raw from cooked, boiled, overcooked, etc. I've seen some bloggers spamming in PR-centric facebook groups like media movements and frankly, its sad. Its bad enough as it is that mainstream and not-so-mainstream publications sabotaged and degraded the status of reviewers in general, its even worse when the mass is behaving no different from Paris Hilton, who out of no where became a DJ and claiming that she got 1 billion for a DJ stint. If you plan on doing this, don't. Or else situation will emerge where one blogger exposes (or 'exposes') about another blogger and its just going to be a mess. All PR agencies and marketing guys know that majority of Indian bloggers promote their content with other bloggers. If you do get offended, or anyone else is- try to understand from my perspective. Prevention is better than cure.
not talking about reviews but generally...in some function recently..i found the biriyani simply yummy, but my friend who was with me...didnt like it at all......now i guess everyone has their own taste buds/views on things...so i guess they see, hear, feel, taste differently.
Good point Roshan. I make it a point to mention somewhere in my post why am writing this... like if it is for Indiblogger GV, I mention that too. Rationale of quoting a fee for the review was "time is money" and the rest I already mentioned above to reply Arvind. Thanks for explaining things..... [Smile]
Yes ND... someone aspires to be Kalam... someone to be a LDC... someone to just sit over his/her pensive a$$ and blog... so, you're right too [Smile]
The 'business' of reviewing restaurants, chefs, food, service, and anything that is edible is witnessing a massive saturation. Everyone wants to join this gang and get invited to fine dining events... and most don't even blog. I've met a few who whispered, 'I only tweet!' Aha! So getting to gorge some delicacies can be had for a few tweets too now. Yes, food reviewing is inundated with idiots who know nothing about food... and nothing about how to write about it.
@Rio Bucks? Of course you'll be served bucks but it can be quite a risk, you see. :)
...but seriously, I don't think most of these so called 'food bloggers' are there for money. They are there for the opportunity to get invited to and have fun eating all the things they could otherwise have only imagined or seen in pictures. I know some food bloggers may get offended by this description of their clan, but then did I call everyone a leech? No.
So, food blogging is currently dominated by the least talented people and some of them have gone and started groups on Facebook too. Their sole aim is to keep up the charade of serious food blogging and keep getting invited for free lunches and free dinners. There are a few who are in the super rich category and have contacts in all the right places in the food and restaurant business... such people are here because they love being hailed as the 'leader' of food bloggers. No, they never blog about anything... I mean, clicking a few pictures and then sharing them on their group doesn't entitle them to much, does it?
The truth is that like the menace in food blogging, even fashion, beauty, and technology is being invaded by the incompetent and the gloriously vociferous idiots. They manage to get all the attention because they shout the most... and probably copy press releases and pass them off as posts.
Blogging is great if you just sit and write a nice creative piece that is unique to your style of writing... and it is fine if it is about cooking or beauty culture or even smartphones.
They are there for the opportunity to get invited to and have fun eating all the things they could otherwise have only imagined or seen in pictures.
oh...man what else you expect them to do? i'd love to be in their shoes...lol food bloggers donot have to write long creative/thoughtful stories do they? eating and posting pictures is best way to tempt others to the food and spread the buzz :D in any case why bother wat others are doing? everyone has their own way of doing things....even a tweet might have value...cos more than blogs i get tempted at some yummy food pics that someone tweets most of the times.
I agree to Arvind's observations & notion... that's why I quoted a fee so that I could really devote time on a review and not just few tweets or 300 words of sugary praises [Smile]
If one is directly monetizing the actual content, its practically a sponsored article. Atleast that's how I see it. No matter how you say it, that's the reality of things. If there are people who charge a 'fee' for reviewing, you will find people promoting a place without any actual experience for a fee in the name of a "review". Therefore, the whole thing should be avoided. Stick to ads, affiliate sales from e-commerce sites. Call it "indirect monetization" or whatever you want to. Have concepts like "mention a code that your readers will know in a restaurant, and get a free drink" kind of a deal. Learn to monetize without putting yourself in a position that the content is influenced based on your need to earn. Grow mass readerbase to a point that everyone will want to be in touch with you and/or run ads of their place in your site. If one cannot do this, one should quit the concept of reviewing. atleast this way you're not compromising.
Ok point taken Sir.
Thanks for the lead Rio... mailed them my expectations and they didn't revert back as I anticipated [Wink]
Interesting thing is, starting from blogging-forums to companies, all are looking to get their fields ploughed without feeding bullocks... and here bullocks are bit literate that's how all these cold sweats wetting the nappy [Grin]
If it's only about free dinner I get it plenty from mutual-interest keepers... So, if I've to hang my camera and get into a hotel I'll obviously need payment for my hours spent [Smile]. Now if it is like I'm traveling somewhere and I've to pay handsome hotel bill and they agree to make it free for a review that's another story, like you regretted about your UK hotel payment [Grin]
You mean reply. The meaning of revert is to back to its previous/original form/setting/situation/plans, etc.
Hahahaaa Pramod bhai... like when I came to know that a blogger friend received a tablet from a known brand to blog about it (of course promotional), I sincerely wished to get a pair of boots and a tent for two from some videsi company so that I may do the same and experiment more in my next trip [Grin]
Roshan bhai, you went by the book and I had gone by keywords like "trend", "usage", "acceptable", "sounds ok"... I didn't fail you see... [Wink]
What an idea! To be or not to be a 'food freak'... :)
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