Saturday, October 31, 2015

Weight loss blog credibility

I read healthy eating and weight loss blogs every day. While some of the posts are based on personal experience or on new research, I see many that appear to be designed to generate buzz, sell products, and keep consumers “tuned in.”

Bloggers who accept ads participate in marketing. Many of those who successfully lost weight and initially started blogging to share what worked for them, choose to monetize their blogs by advertising weight loss products and services.

Most likely the ads are for the products that pay best publishing rates, not necessarily the ones that had been used by the blog owners.

How important is it for you that the person who renders weight-loss advice to you is struggling with or used to struggle with weigh issue himself?

Do you consider this factor when you assess his credibility and value of the advice received?

3 comments:

  1. Blogs are becoming the main source of knowing about things. For me it is important to know if bloggers are paid for posting any specific information. It helps me assess their credibility.

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  2. I’m not really a fan of sites or videos that are trying to sell me something. I know that people can lose weight without having to buy stuff. For me, it was mostly learning about how to control myself and what is an appropriate amount to eat.

    If a blog or site is selling something, I prefer to be told in advance and the message be upfront. Detecting a sales pitch while I’m reading an article is a sure way to get me to leave, so just be honest!

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  3. It is absolutely crucial for me to know that the writer had personal experience with losing weight and keeping it off. I have no desire to be the pawn of some marketing ploy to enrich a CEO somewhere. I don’t read many blogs anymore and I recognize that eating clean (food in its most natural state) works best for me. Sugar is my nemesis so I know what works. Having the willpower to do it is the tricky part!

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