EditorsJan 16, 2026
Remembering Pete Yantzer for His Contributions and His Kindness Pete’s boundless curiosity extended beyond diamond cut and he was always eager to share his knowledge with others, no matter the topic.
IndependentsNov 13, 2017
The PR Adviser: Are Bloggers Here to Stay?
Yes, says Lilian Raji, though her affirmative answer comes with a few caveats.
Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser who helps luxury lifestyle brands sell more products to luxury buyers.
Hello My Readers!
This month’s question comes from the lovely Marina Paes de Barros with Brumani.
Q. What do you think of bloggers? Do you think they’re here to stay, or will they go away?
A. Fair warning: I’m going to be incredibly honest, as I wouldn’t be a good adviser otherwise. Tissues and kisses for anyone’s hurt feelings.
That caveat aside, let me first say there are some very good bloggers out there. They started blogging when I was still struggling with a former assistant’s insistence of texting me after I specifically told her email only. She’s no longer my assistant, but I’ve since embraced texting just as many PR professionals have embraced bloggers.
This column is not about the hard-working bloggers who’ve exchanged blood, sweat and tears for their success.
It’s about the bloggers who email me, declaring their 300,000 Twitter followers entitles them to receive free products. Unfortunately for them, I use a free service called Twitter Audit, which tells me what percentage of those followers are actually real.
So, to the blogger that emailed me demanding free jewelry in exchange for “exposure” to her 260,000 Twitter followers, the reason I didn’t get back to you, after I spent two hours laughing at your audacity, is because 82 percent of your Twitter followers are fake.
And herein lies my problem with most bloggers today.
This new crop of bloggers have disregarded the price of admission paid by reputable bloggers. Rather than blood-sweat-and-tear it to the top, they’ve paid companies to generate fake followers on their social media platforms. They then email PR people with their bulls and hits numbers and demand we give them the world in exchange for promoting our clients to what amounts to thin air!
Time for a story from the PR Adviser archives.
In 2012, I was hired by the makers of Elf on the Shelf to assist with their holiday PR campaign. To those who hate that elf: I’m sorry to have been part of the problem.
A blogger called me at the height of the campaign and spent 30 minutes telling me how her vast network of mommy bloggers would initiate the most incredible endorsement campaign this side of Oprah’s Favorite Things! All I had to do was give her 100 elf kits, at $45 apiece, for free.
I applauded her desire to contribute to the elf’s already immense popularity
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
but, unfortunately, we’d just delivered the last of our available elves to Anderson Cooper’s now-defunct talk show, “Anderson Live;” I had none left to give. I offered some elf accessories instead as an alternative.
Anyone want to venture a guess at her response? No, no, it was nothing like you’re thinking.
It was far worse.
She spent the next 10 minutes berating me, telling me how ungrateful I was, how her network was so huge that it would help an already-sold-out product sell more. I’d never had a conversation like this before, but I learned that should I ever enter a conversation like this again, I should simply hang up the phone.
Does this illustrate how I feel about bad bloggers?
Now, on to your next question: Are bloggers here to stay?
Well, yes, but it will be impossible for bad bloggers to continue their schadenfreude.
First, because I’m going to teach you how not to fall prey to their nonsense. And second, because the Federal Trade Commission has significantly upped their surveillance of blogger activity.
The FTC is a much longer discussion, so I’ll save that for a future column. Let’s talk now about how to approach blogger requests.
When a blogger contacts you with whatever fantasy they have, use Twitter Audit to audit their Twitter account. If the results yield more than 30 percent fake, pass.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to have 0 percent fake followers as everyone with a Twitter account eventually gets followed by fake accounts. I have fake followers, even though Twitter has long abandoned updating my account and the number of followers I actually have has not increased since 2014. But that’s another story, and one of the many reasons I dislike Twitter.
If their Twitter audit numbers look good, go next to their YouTube, Facebook and Instagram pages.
You’re looking for engagement. This is the single most important thing that gives a blogger value--not the number of followers they have.
Engagement means people are responding to their posts. Are there conversations being had on their social profiles? If you see an Instagram account with 1.2 million followers, hundreds of likes, but no comments, you’re likely dealing with a faker. Save yourself time and move on.
Which brings us to another point--don’t dismiss the blogger with only 1,000 social media followers, and a 30 percent or less Twitter audit. This is a blogger most likely following the tried-and-true path of her successful predecessors. Check out her engagement levels, see if you like what she has to say and, if you do, find ways to work with her now before she becomes a star. She’ll be less expensive.
We’ve come to another end, my dear readers. Let me know what you think of bloggers. Do you think they’re here to stay? Do you have favorites that should be on everyone’s radar? Comment below!
Until next time, lovelies!
Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser who helps luxury lifestyle brands sell more products to luxury buyers. Send questions for The PR Adviser to nationaljeweler@lmrpr.com or contact her at lilian@lmrpr.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Anyone want to venture a guess at her response? No, no, it was nothing like you’re thinking.
It was far worse.
She spent the next 10 minutes berating me, telling me how ungrateful I was, how her network was so huge that it would help an already-sold-out product sell more. I’d never had a conversation like this before, but I learned that should I ever enter a conversation like this again, I should simply hang up the phone.
Does this illustrate how I feel about bad bloggers?
Now, on to your next question: Are bloggers here to stay?
Well, yes, but it will be impossible for bad bloggers to continue their schadenfreude.
First, because I’m going to teach you how not to fall prey to their nonsense. And second, because the Federal Trade Commission has significantly upped their surveillance of blogger activity.
The FTC is a much longer discussion, so I’ll save that for a future column. Let’s talk now about how to approach blogger requests.
When a blogger contacts you with whatever fantasy they have, use Twitter Audit to audit their Twitter account. If the results yield more than 30 percent fake, pass.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to have 0 percent fake followers as everyone with a Twitter account eventually gets followed by fake accounts. I have fake followers, even though Twitter has long abandoned updating my account and the number of followers I actually have has not increased since 2014. But that’s another story, and one of the many reasons I dislike Twitter.
If their Twitter audit numbers look good, go next to their YouTube, Facebook and Instagram pages.
You’re looking for engagement. This is the single most important thing that gives a blogger value--not the number of followers they have.
Engagement means people are responding to their posts. Are there conversations being had on their social profiles? If you see an Instagram account with 1.2 million followers, hundreds of likes, but no comments, you’re likely dealing with a faker. Save yourself time and move on.
Which brings us to another point--don’t dismiss the blogger with only 1,000 social media followers, and a 30 percent or less Twitter audit. This is a blogger most likely following the tried-and-true path of her successful predecessors. Check out her engagement levels, see if you like what she has to say and, if you do, find ways to work with her now before she becomes a star. She’ll be less expensive.
We’ve come to another end, my dear readers. Let me know what you think of bloggers. Do you think they’re here to stay? Do you have favorites that should be on everyone’s radar? Comment below!
Until next time, lovelies!
Lilian Raji is a strategic marketing and public relations adviser who helps luxury lifestyle brands sell more products to luxury buyers. Send questions for The PR Adviser to nationaljeweler@lmrpr.com or contact her at lilian@lmrpr.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
More on Independents
The Latest
FinancialsJan 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Shine in Q3Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, and Vhernier had another successful holiday season, Richemont reported this week.
TrendsJan 16, 2026
Diane Lane's Brooch Buzzes at the 2026 Golden GlobesOur Piece of the Week is Lagos’ “Bee” brooch that was seen on the red carpet for the first time on Sunday.
Brought to you by
How Jewelers Can Fight Back Against Cell JammersCriminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.
CrimeJan 15, 2026
D.C. Rapper ‘Taliban Glizzy’ Sentenced to 18+ Years for Jewelry Store RobberiesTrevor Jonathan Wright led a crew in a string of armed robberies targeting South Asian-owned jewelry stores on the East Coast.
Weekly QuizJan 15, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsJan 15, 2026
Jewelers of Americas’ ‘20 Under 40’ Nominations Now OpenThe program recognizes rising professionals in the jewelry industry.
Events & AwardsJan 15, 2026
Registration for JCK Las Vegas 2026 Is Now OpenA new lifestyle section and a watch showcase have been added to this year’s event.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
TrendsJan 15, 2026
Don’t Double-Dip With This Golden ChipAvocados From Mexico is celebrating those who love to double-dip in game day guacamole with a 14-karat yellow gold tortilla chip necklace.
SourcingJan 15, 2026
Nearly 42-Carat Blue Diamond Discovered in South AfricaPetra Diamonds unearthed the 41.82-carat, Type IIb blue diamond at the Cullinan Mine.
CollectionsJan 14, 2026
Marie Lichtenberg Lassos Leather for New BraceletsThe brand is trading its colorful fabric cords for Italian leather in its “Lasso” baby locket bracelets.
TechnologyJan 14, 2026
“My Next Question” Enters Its Podcast Era National Jeweler and Jewelers of America’s popular webinar series is evolving in 2026.
MajorsJan 14, 2026
Saks Files for Bankruptcy, Names New CEOThe department store chain owes millions to creditors like David Yurman, Roberto Coin, Kering, and LVMH.
CollectionsJan 14, 2026
Boucheron Names Colman Domingo as Brand AmbassadorThe award-winning actor’s visionary approach and creativity echo the spirit of Boucheron, the brand said.
ColumnistsJan 13, 2026
2025 Was a ‘Price Up, Units Down’ Year, Here’s What That Signals for 2026 In a market defined by more selective consumers, Sherry Smith shares why execution will be independent jewelers’ key to growth this year.
CrimeJan 13, 2026
Alleged Getaway Driver Charged in Florida Jewelry Store RobberyIvel Sanchez Rivera, 52, has been arrested and charged in connection with the armed robbery of Tio Jewelers in Cape Coral, Florida.
SourcingJan 13, 2026
Rio Grande To Offer Calibrated Diamond MeleeThe supplier’s online program allows customers to search and buy calibrated natural and lab-grown diamond melee, including in fancy shapes.
Events & AwardsJan 13, 2026
NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Announces Winter EventThe new show will take place Jan. 23-25, 2026.
PodcastsJan 12, 2026
Introducing My Next Question, the PodcastA monthly podcast series for jewelry professionals
EditorsJan 12, 2026
Platinum, White Gold Rule the 2026 Golden GlobesAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco highlights her favorite jewelry moments from the Golden Globes, and they are (mostly) white hot.
GradingJan 12, 2026
Peter Yantzer, Former Executive Director of AGS Labs, Dies at 77 Yantzer is remembered for the profound influence he had on diamond cut grading as well as his contagious smile and quick wit.
MajorsJan 12, 2026
These 14 Macy’s Locations Will Close This YearThe store closures are part of the retailer’s “Bold New Chapter” turnaround plan.
MajorsJan 12, 2026
Jewelers Mutual Acquires AI-Powered Event Insurance ProgramThrough EventGuard, the company will offer event liability and cancellation insurance, including wedding coverage.
MajorsJan 09, 2026
Kendra Scott Taps Activewear Exec as CEO Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
SurveysJan 09, 2026
U.S. Holiday Retail Sales Up 4%, Visa, Mastercard SayThe credit card companies’ surveys examined where consumers shopped, what they bought, and what they valued this holiday season.
AuctionsJan 09, 2026
Christie’s Names New Global Managing Director for LuxuryKimberly Miller has been promoted to the role.
CollectionsJan 09, 2026
Piece of the Week: Lionheart’s ‘Serenity’ Opal CharmThe “Serenity” charm set with 13 opals is a modern amulet offering protection, guidance, and intention, the brand said.
