I just came across this story and had to ask all of you BlogWorld blog readers your thoughts on it. Especially those of you who have ever helped spread the word for a certain brand via your blog and/or social media channels.

It comes from the Fashionista who questions Vogue’s selection of bloggers for their new “Influencer Network”.

Here’s the jest of it.

Vogue has launched the Influencer Network where advertisers can use “Vogue-appointed panel members to extend the reach of their products through social media”. The panel members are asked to talk about these products on their blogs and social media, and according to the Fashionista, they are not compensated for it. What’s a little iffy to the Fashionista, are the bloggers they chose and are calling influential.

So, what is Vogue’s selection process for this “network?” According Plagemann, criteria was devised to identify “the highest caliber of people in this sphere of influence.”

AdWeek highlights a few of those chose and to call them “the highest caliber of people in this sphere of influence” is a stretch. A sampling of four participating bloggers has us a little concerned about what Vogue’s marketing team considers influential.

You can read more about a selection of the bloggers they chose here. What the Fashionista is asking is:

• Is the word “influencer” being used a little loosely here?
• Is the caliber of bloggers chosen not quite as high as one would expect for Vogue because they are not compensated?

Thoughts?