The recent Maytag campaign through Mom Central recently created a lot of drama. I watched both sides and kept my comments to myself. However, as a woman of color I feel the need to speak up. Please feel free to skip this if you don’t like ranting or have time to read cause this is going to be a long post. OH AND YEAH I Didn’t even feel the need to use proper grammar or edit this before posting so please be warned! (ITS 4AM SORRY ) After i get some sleep I might edit if not oh well..
I heard few bloggers felt the need to pull the old race card. 
why oh why! Do we have to pull out the race card people!? I know and will be the first to say racism is still alive, but EVERYTHING that don’t go your way has to do with the color of your skin! So, before I go on let me say I TRULY SEE BOTH SIDES! However, after thinking about it more and more I have to call THIS ONE BS! The funny thing is a couple of the bloggers that got selected was actually women of color! (CONGRATS DEE I SEE YOU DOING YOUR THING) Please also keep in mind they only picked 25 bloggers for each campaign and had over 500 apply! Yet I have still not seen anyone state that or even acknowledge that it was not just white bloggers accepted! But that just shows me that people are quick to speak on things they don’t know. Guess what I applied, and my best friend Jammie also applied and she is white and we both got the rejection emails. Let’s be real, there was a lot of bloggers that got the rejection letter LMAOOO! THAT’S OK! That’s just how this type of stuff goes. What I don’t understand is you glance at a list and you just assume all of these bloggers are not woman of color? Last time I checked we shouldn’t feel the need to keep announcing that “WE ARE WOMEN OF COLOR” all over our blogs and social media networks. Plus let’s be honest here how many times are we asked when we apply for campaigns our race? NONE, WELL I TAKE THAT BACK. There has been a few time when the campaign was looking for ONLY WOMEN OF COLOR BLOGGERS or giving us first dibs! However, we didn’t see anyone calling the race card or saying that’s unfair and question the company on that. HMMM
I have worked with Mom Central for years and have been a part of some great campaigns. Heck my first big campaign came from them when I was just starting out. Guess what it was? The Frigidaire test Drive campaign! I was totally shocked to be picked. I mean let’s be honest do you know how many people apply for these big campaigns? Here I was picked for this awesome campaign when hundreds of other bloggers also applied. I will be the first to tell you my traffic sucks compared to many of these bloggers so I really didn’t think I stood a chance. However, that was also around the same time I was busting my butt and making sure I was being seen in other social media outlets and proving myself as a blogger.
I also know many other great bloggers of color that do tons of big campaigns. I still get many great opportunities and pitches daily and I am far from being active in blogging and social media like before. However with my schedule and for other personal reasons I decline more pitches then I accept. I know that sometimes outside looking in it looks like “white mommy bloggers” get the bigger better opportunities but let’s be honest here ladies, there is way more white mom bloggers then us! Yes we are out there, but are we doing all we can to be seen without screaming I AM A WOMAN OF COLOR PICK ME? Is our traffic and fan base comparable to these bloggers? Are we networking with each other? Are we active in social media? Some the answer is of course and guess what they are the ones you see with the bigger opportunities and trips! Let’s also not forget how many of our sisters have been in PAID TV and print ads thanks to their blogs (Some reason they are being overlooked by the ones that want to complain. PLEASE GET OUT OF YOUR CIRCLE. WE HAVE SOME WOMEN OF COLOR BLOGGERS DOING BIG THINGS! STOP OVERLOOKING THEM and give them some support and praise) Then we have those that can’t truly admit their traffic and blog is not comparable in companies eyes. Trust me most of these bloggers have numbers ALL ACROSS THE BOARD and anyone knows they are most likely going to be a better fit. I don’t care what anyone says, I still think most of these campaigns are a number game especially when you have such a limited number of spots open like this campaign.
Also let’s get back to the networking part. I have always said that we don’t support each other like we should! This is one of our downfalls. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to build friendships and network with other bloggers like me and it just didn’t happen. These same bloggers expect us to come to their blogs but do you think they come to ours? Do they share opportunities with each other or even recommend you when companies are looking for referrals? THE ANWSER IS VERY VERY FEW UNLESS YOU ARE ALREADY IN THEIR CIRCLE!
Luckily I found support and advice from other bloggers and message boards that are more than willing to help and network with new bloggers. One is Momdot. I have been a member of the Momdot forum ever since I started blogging. There is even a section just for sharing pitches with other bloggers! I think there are maybe 5 ACTIVE women of color on there! The ladies there was always giving me tips, sharing opportunities and even referring me to companies.
Over the years I have been able to make friends and network more on my own off the boards. However, sadly I can honestly say that I speak to like only 10-15 women of color bloggers regular on social media and consider them friends.(If you are on my personal FB I am talking about you guys!) THIS IS SAD! Why are we not working with each other and showing these companies we are out there willing and ready to work with them. Let’s face it we have competition but if we are not going to stick together and go after these opportunities why cry about it when we don’t get picked!? I learned really fast that you get as much as you put in.
So before you go blaming companies, questioning how they pick bloggers and pulling the race card make sure to ask yourself are you doing what you should as an Influential blogger to get these opportunities!? ARE you networking with other bloggers, active in social media, driving traffic to your blog and most important are you willing to refer others when you can’t take certain campaigns? Trust me I am always referring other bloggers when I decline but I refuse to refer someone who won’t even take the time to say hi every once in a while! Truth is if other bloggers don’t see you how do you expect companies too?
Also I want to say congrats to all the 50 bloggers that was picked! 
Please know most of your fellow bloggers know that you deserved it and your hard work don’t go unnoticed. I feel it’s wrong that you and the 2 companies have to defend yourself over this! We are adults we all should know by now life is NOT FAIR! Get over it people, let this motivate you to work harder and improve on things you need so you can get picked next time.
