It has finally happened (again), brands are now reaching out to me. Oddly enough it’s not through my YouTube channel but instead through my blog. I am struggling with the idea of accepting the products and reviewing them. The product offered meets my criteria- it’s something I use regularly, it’s a product I’m familiar with and can I say that I like. But’s it’s something that I have not yet reviewed.

Made with Phoenix Water Soluble Oil Paint Sticks

Why?

I don’t know.

I just looked at my review manifesto and realized that some of my thoughts have changed about reviews. My thinking has changed due to what I think of review flooding; where brands flood YouTube with reviews at specific times. It builds hype and demand.

It’s a really effective marketing technique.

I’ve always spent time on using a product before posting a review. It’s a core part of my reviews. I do first look videos as well as full reviews. They are 2 different ways of looking at a product.

​I have decided to dip my toes back into reviews, mostly because it’s a sure way of getting views up on my YouTube channel. The channel really does feature as part of my retirement plan- I really do want to get it remonetized.

Also reviews are a core part of my blog and channel- getting good recommendations out there is important. We artists tend to spend so little on ourselves and it’s so disappointing to spend money on something that ends up being trash.Made with Meeden Soft Square Oil Pastels

I decided, as I wrote this, that I’d write back to the company offering the paint markers and give them my review guidelines and see if they want to still send me the products.

It is interesting to see these brands make demands when they send free products when in the past they were just so happy to get product reviewed there were no demands. I read an article about how reviews used to happen, I didn’t know that in the past that brands would pay to have their products reviewed by magazines and newspapers. Roger and Ebert were paid by the marketing teams of movies! I believe that Consumer Reports were the first to remove money from the equation.

I am still debating if I’d do a sponsored product review. I love Meeden and Phoenix products but I have yet to dive deep on reviewing them here and on YouTube though that is planned. Would I accept a sponsorship by Meeden or from Phoenix for reviews? I don’t know.

As I explore this in my journal and in my head I am wondering about expanding my channel and blog and this Ko-Fi account and how do I make it work to fund my work as an artist? Is my goal to leave my DayJob* and become a full time artist**? Does the blog and YouTube have a role in that future?

These are big questions to ponder as I start doing reviews of free product sent to me.

* Yes

**Yes

*** I think so, yes?