The Blog DoggerWould you pay a blogger to write about your company?

The blogosphere is alive with chatter after K-Mart gave bloggers a $500 gift card to write about the store

It might be the future of online marketing—but is it ethical?

Last week, Izea, a Web 2.0 marketing company, launched a campaign for K-Mart that gave six influential bloggers each a $500 gift card to the store. In exchange for the card, each blogger agreed to write about their shopping experiences at K-Mart.

Chris Brogan, a member of Izea’s board of advisors, was among the bloggers to accept K-Mart’s offer. He wrote a glowing post about the experience. It reads like an advertorial.

“The shopping spree was for $500, and I went just a hair over at around $567,” he wrote. “But, if you look at what I SAVED, I saved over $200 during this experience.”

Brogan didn’t disguise the post as editorial content. A clear disclaimer sits above the post along with a small tag saying, “Promotion.” Still, his peers have criticized the practice.