Influencers

Thank you Matthew. It’s good to hear that I wasn’t too far off point! :)

And good to hear from you Jon! Working with folks like you was what I really enjoyed! I love how much you thought about cooking gear and how you constantly thought outside the box and strived to improve it. I still have the Snow Leopard system, and my favorite, the Epicurean stove! It amazes people when I showed them pictures of the muffins I have baked on the trail and then tell them about your stove!

And wow, it has been a minute since I have heard those names! I was able to connect to most of them, and got to even hike with Brian. That does bring back some memories. I also remember Sarah, but IIRC, I think I knew her more from the Backpacker.com forums. It took me a bit to make it over to the BPL site…

I agree with you though Jon, there are influencers, and then there are influencers, and they are not the same! Fortunately, they can often times be somewhat easy to distinguish, especially now days since there is so much focus put on them.

Anyway, glad to see you still around! I figure with the bug I have now (again) I will be lurking around here more often. I have spoke with a couple of friends about possibly doing a loop in the Sawtooths next summer, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself!

I like gear. I like gear reviews. I buy gear. I don’t buy personalities or image. Unless it’s Wildbeare. I make an exception. I search out videos that demonstrate products that I’m interested in. I look for details that exemplify my intended use. I find what does influence me are the algorithms. While they also can be useful, I get bombarded with ads, all for the same product. A precursor to YouTube and the Internet was a publication from Consumer Reports. It was many years before I realized they mostly only represented the major brands. Outdoor Gear Review is limited as well. BPL is a good source. In many ways, we are all influencers here. The trap is we all gush over our own gear, often with little exposure to other gear. It’s the influencers that have the exposure. They become a valuable tool in making decisions. You have to look everywhere. Trust some sources more than others, then use your brain. I appreciate the influencers. They have a job to do. As with every job, there is a downside. There’s good people and bad people in every profession. What works in our favor is that the good outweighs the bad. Most people want to do good.

There can be no influencers unless there are those who are willing to be influenced.

Nick has a great website with good info.

We could call him a influencer :)

I believe Nick had a small aluminized tyvek tarp.  Now I have a small tarp.

Good to see you back, Chad.

Phillip Werner is definitely one of the writers that didn’t stop. He often was a reason I didn’t quit writing, even when I was not feeling it (when I was knee-deep in raising babies and toddlers).

FYI – I get these emails about once a month –

I appreciate that Phil takes the time to engage with his readers.  It doesn’t have to take much.  He seems like a good guy with helpful reviews and I hope his reach only grows.

Jon, that they didn’t proof read their pitch was an obvious red flag

“AI, write me a letter to send to outdoor gear manufacturers asking for free stuff”

and this is what it wrote me

“Subject: Collaboration Opportunity: Gear Review and Social Media Partnership

Dear [Manufacturer Name] Team,

My name is [Your Name] and I’m an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for [Specific activities, e.g., hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, kayaking]. I’m writing to you today because I’m a huge admirer of [Manufacturer Name]’s commitment to quality and innovation in outdoor gear, particularly your [Specific product or product line you admire, e.g., line of backpacks, waterproof jackets, trekking poles].

I’m actively building a community around outdoor adventures on [Platform(s) where you have a presence, e.g., Instagram, YouTube, blog] under the name [Your Handle/Blog Name]. I share my experiences, gear reviews, tips, and photos/videos with my growing audience of [Approximate number] followers who are also passionate about exploring the outdoors. My audience demographic is primarily [Describe your audience, e.g., young adults interested in backpacking, families who enjoy day hikes, etc.].

I’m particularly interested in testing and reviewing your [Specific product you’d like to try]. I believe my audience would greatly benefit from an in-depth look at its features, performance, and durability in real-world conditions. I’m confident that a review on my platform would generate significant interest and exposure for your brand among a highly engaged target audience.

I’m proposing a potential collaboration where I would receive [Specific product you’re requesting] in exchange for:

A comprehensive and honest review on [Platform(s)]. This would include [Mention specific content you’d create, e.g., high-quality photos and videos, written reviews, social media posts, etc.].
Promotion of your brand and product across my social media channels, including tagging your company and linking to your website.
[Optional: Mention any other ideas, e.g., a giveaway of your product to my followers, a dedicated blog post series, etc.]
I’ve attached my media kit [If you have one] which provides further details about my audience demographics, engagement rates, and previous work. You can also find examples of my content at [Link to your platform(s)].

Thank you for considering my request. I’m excited about the possibility of partnering with [Manufacturer Name] and sharing your exceptional gear with my audience. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Email Address]”

Dear [Influencer/Reviewer],

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding potential collaboration opportunities. We appreciate your interest in our brand and products.

However, we regret to inform you that we cannot provide free gear in exchange for a review. As a business, we have a finite supply of products and resources, and we must prioritize our partnerships and allocations carefully.

While we value reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations, we believe that providing free products in exchange for reviews can create an expectation of biased or artificial endorsements. Instead, we focus on building genuine relationships with our customers and partners who share our values and passion for [industry/market].

If you are still interested in reviewing our products, we would be happy to discuss potential purchase options or other collaboration ideas that align with our brand values and policies.

Thank you again for your interest, and we wish you continued success in your endeavors.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Company Name]

AI vs AI

Chad, yes, the Backpacker Forums indeed. If you want to feel old, my youngest just turned 13 this week. Ack……

Youngsters.

Well, my oldest will turn 28 soon ;-) I had kids late to stay young. Lol.

Thinking about Jon’s posted email example (and the rest of this thread): Is there a middle ground between “free” and “full price” for review gear?

Would some kind of discount program take some of the sting out of buying gear for the reviewer, as well as mitigate the cost of supplying gear for the maker?

Maybe something as simple as a one-time coupon code? Or maybe a “used gear” price?

EDIT: Aren’t “influencers”, by definition, people with no specific talent? Like the Kardashians? Reviewers are a different thing, aren’t they?

Subject matter expert in one area (not  backpacking, ha) and forehead slapping at what passes for “common knowledge”.  I’d argue influencers are often just the most skilled at confirmation bias.  Why I hate the upvote system, it makes it cumbersome to find constructive input when searching.

Getting “deep” (double ha), the internet has been a fascinating confirmation of Plato’s argument of the dangerous of democracy (but like the saying goes, maybe its the best of all bad systems).

After a few videos, many reviewers are looking for new material to stay relevant. In turn they get further and further away from what they actually know.  When it’s their livelihood, it becomes a struggle looking for new stuff. They copy each other and give faulty reviews.

You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.

Some are good for a few videos and that’s it. They need to concentrate on quality rather than increasing subscribers. Gear Skeptic sets a good example.

All this conversation about free equipment brings up another element to the business.  Like Jon, I get regular requests, but in my case to “review”  (read “promote”) products on our website and blog.  It’s mildly amusing, since we don’t do gear reviews, and only mention in passing specific gear we use. And our site is non-commercial–no advertising, no promotions, etc. All we do is talk about backpacking, how much fun it is, and how people can do it even if they are a little bit afraid of lions and tigers and bears.

I am willing to bet that none of the companies that have contacted me have ever spend more than about three minutes on our site.

Most gear reviewers just don’t have time to actually try out the plethora of items for multiple days and nights needed to develop a credible opinion. Often they set up a tent, try on a pack, lay on a pad, etc simply to take photos or makes videos. Then they parrot the manufacturer’s claims or repeat whatever another guru has said about a certain piece of gear. One prominent YouTube gear shill says he’s camped out “a bagillion nights” when you know the guy probably just started backpacking a few years ago.

I think this guy nailed it:

Always like him for his fact based reviews and studies.

I didn’t know what an ‘influencer’ was until I started reading this thread.

Hey, have you ever considered coming to Quatar on a re-furbished plane, free, except for,  you know, your soul? contact us…well, me, since I had a brand new 747 donated to me in exchange for writing this…contact me an we’ll set this up quick as you can say ‘quid pro quo’. signed, d. Crump, if you get my drift.

what if you had no soul?