Mer-chandise Review Merson

[Mermaid Saphira]

I would like to pitch to all of you a, possibly crazy, idea. You all know about the people who do reviews on products and companies give them discounted or free items so that the reviewer can test them out? Well, I would like to do this for mermaid related items! Anything from mermaid accessories or jewelry, to headdresses, makeup or tops. So, mermaid company owners...I am your merson! I will test out your products and review them. If you would like to have your item(s) reviewed, hit me up in the comments or a personal message! Am I crazy for thinking of this or is it a great idea, please let me know! PS: If this is in the wrong section, please feel free to movie it ;)

[Ayla of Duluth]

I think it's a really great idea. In theory. It might take a little thinking to organize such a thing, but I definitely support the idea if it gets going. :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

I think it's a really great idea. In theory. It might take a little thinking to organize such a thing, but I definitely support the idea if it gets going. :)

Definately. I apperciate your support ;)

[Mermaid Allie]

OMG CAN I BE A MERSON TOO

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ It was kind of my idea, but if I get it running and am ever in need help I wouldn't mind subbing it out to you :P
Besides, a "merson" is basically someone who is haft human/ haft mer. ;) lol

[Mermaid Saphira]

Any advice on how I would go about organizing and setting this up?
A formal and well written e-mail would be best to ask if the company would like to do a review, right?
How exactly would one go about writing an e-mail to ask if the comapny would like a review?
Small businesses, like ones on etsy, would be good to do as well don't you think?
What do you think would be the most helpful kind of tutorial...video or written with pictures?
Anything else...please feel free to comment ;)

[MerEmma]

I dunno, the people on Etsy have a lot of trouble making money from their products. Do you plan on paying for them? if not, I'm not sure how it will work.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I dunno, the people on Etsy have a lot of trouble making money from their products. Do you plan on paying for them? if not, I'm not sure how it will work.
Now that you mention it, I am not sure about smaller etsy businesses...I am leaning towards more of the people who own larger and more popular companines like oceanika or merbellas studios.

[Mermaid Celissa]

Well, most likely for larger companies, reviews will have already been made. And why would they need more if they were successful?

[Mermaid Saphira]

maybe the way I am wording things is not working out.... I will finish this conversation tomorrow. my brain needs rest :/ lol

[Mermaid Allie]

No I get it! It's for new products. And yeah of course saphira!

[Mermaid Saphira]

No I get it! It's for new products. And yeah of course saphira!

Oh good, you can understand me ^-^

Better worded... I would test the products they very recently released and have not yet gotten a review on and/or products they plan on releasing but would like to have someone get it out there and test it so others know what a great product it is and that they should buy it when it comes out! Make more sense? I tried..

And if all works out, Allie, I wouldn't mind having a few others to help give reviews on products ;)

[Mermaid Celissa]

I'd do it too :P

[Mermaid Saphira]

I'd do it too :P


Sure, We will have to see how everything goes first ;)

[Thalassa]

I think this would be a lot more beneficial for things like "new and improved" waterproof makeup (is it pool-proof, etc) rather than mer-belts, tops, etc. I could see it maybe if a maker wanted to test a new method, or if it's something that has a function that can be reviewed (such as a weight belt or something)...once you get more known maybe smaller companies would be more open to giving you a discount in return for a review from you. I'd definitely write up a few sample reviews before you approach people, just to say, "See? I have experience doing this sort of thing, I can keep a blog/review/whatever going, this is what the review will look like." Other than that, it's hard to say. I've never approached a company about reviews before, the few times I've done it for a company they've approached me.

[ShyMer]

I'm not sure many of the bigger shops would go for free products in return for a review- some have already complained that they get too many similar requests that they aren't interested in. I know sometimes companies will approach blog writers to endorse their product, but they have a following. I think your idea is nice, but what you're doing won't get them any more business or publicity than the review system we already have. I just don't see many people biting on this one.

[Mermaid Annariea]

you would still have to pay for the product, and it would probably end up being a lot of work. but not a bad idea in theory.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Shy... I never said that the product had to be completely free. It could be discounted OR I would be willing to pay full price in some cases

[ShyMer]

Maybe I misunderstood then. I think that if you could build up experience reviewing different things like thalassa said, you'll make yourself look more appealing for product reviews. Maybe you should consider doing reviews for other products as well. You could test out existing products like different waterproof makeups- that way you could practice writing reviews and have a sort of portfolio to show. It could get expensive for you in the beginning, but I think you would need to invest into it to get people interested.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ That is what I was thinking. We will have to see what goes on, I might not even be able to do the project anymore. I will try, but maybe in a few years when I have the time. :)

[Mermaid Photine]

If you mean things with a particular function, as Thalassa said:
From what I see, people here will create something and test it for themselves while also posting it on the forums. That way, they have the thing. If there is a problem with it, they can study exactly what went wrong and fix it in the future while still benefiting from the constructive criticism that the community provides.
I think pretty much all of the makers here are small (not a bad thing!) usually 1 or so people that work for the love of it rather than for any sort of guaranteed monetary gain. Their prices may just cover cost of work/materials. It doesn't seem to me like giving away a product that is meant for sale would be beneficial to anyone but the receiver.
That said, I would really love to see a table or list somewhere of makeup brands and how they hold up in the water. It's not always convenient to scroll through pages of posts to see the debate.
---
Usually, the companies that give out free products are huge. Companies like Betty Crocker or L'oreal or Apple have the ability to give out things because they are getting so much business already. Mermaid companies generally aren't that big.
In your first post, you said "discounted or free," while later on, you said "could be discounted OR I would be willing to pay full price in some cases." If you plan to buy a product and write a review on it, I think that's great! We have parts of mernetwork dedicated to just that! I just don't see how feasible it is to ask for discounted or free items at this point in your plan. As generous as the Mer community may be, we still all want some pretty things for ourselves, and lots of mers start selling accessories, etc. to fund this. Larger companies are run by people who must pay for themselves and also all of the many and numerous costs of running a business.

Perhaps you could get some experience, start a reviewing blog for mermaid stuff that you can find in stores, fabric types, maybe monofins if you or someone you know has experience with different types. Try to establish yourself as a Person who Writes Informative Reviews. Maybe after enough work, you original idea will also be quite possible?

I know that I am usually a lurker, but this post really caught my attention. Please tell me if I am out of line.