Following on from last weeks great advice from mom bloggers who successfully work with PR, let's get to it:Don't sell yourself, or your audience short. Only give your honest opinion. If you lie, your audience will eventually figure it out (after all EVERYTHING can't be the most fabulous thing ever) and they will leave. If you have no audience the companies won't be interested in you any more. . . everyone loses.Not every blogger is born to morph into a review blogging-butterfly....if reviews aren't your thing- be honest- there other ways to work with a brandMake the company ship the prizes. "It's my policy to have the company do order fulfillment-I will provide you with the name of the winner when the giveaway is complete."Saying yes to every pitch is not the road to "big time blogger" status... its road to sleepless nights of writing about toothpaste and posts that readers are probably skipping overImportant Reminder: I, also, wanted to let you know that I was asked by a good friend who is a PR rep in the mom blogging world to do a monthly twitter chat. The Blog Frog will be there participating as well. More info to follow but save April 5th at 9 pm EST for our first ...
PR Mondays: Good Advice Part 1
I reached out to some amazing bloggers that I am happy to have as friends on your behalf. I asked them, "What is the one thing you wish someone had told you when you started working with PR?" and boy did they deliver! From post worthy comments to some of the best one lines of advice, here is what those who have "made it" have to tell you as you start this journey:Brands need you!... you don't need brands!Don't be afraid to ask for a giveaway when you are doing a review. Keep it simple "My policy is only to do a review if I do an associated giveaway. Would you be able to provide one for a giveaway?"Remember-your time is worthwhile-you should only do things that give value to you and your blog.Its ok to not like a product- brands that do social media right, appreciate your honesty and try to use your feedback on improving their product... and if they don't have that outlook with their reviewers, eh- Who needs them?Your readers come back to your site because of the content you write about, if its not relative- its ok to say no. There will be plenty, and I mean PLENTY of relative pitches coming your way. Don't get side trackedDo not agree to review a product and then drop the ball. ...
Go Away Snow
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How To Host a Blog Giveaway
I know I promised you great advice from my blogging buds this month but I am going to break from that schedule due to some computer issues I have been having this past week.Last week, my real life friend, Lori, held her first blog giveaway. She had lots of questions and I think that makes a great topic for PR Mondays.Giveaways, hmmmm, lots to say. First off, I almost always charge to run a giveaway these days. Do a few and realize how much time they take and you will too. BUT, when you are first starting out your blog (or you are having a particularly slow month) running a giveaway at no charge can be a real benefit to you and your loyal readers.There are two (at least) schools of thought on giveaways: keep them on the DL so that your loyal readers benefit only or go all out and use them to help promote your blog. I understand the point of few of both camps and have been in one or the other at various times but I am going to talk today about running a giveaway as a way to promo your blog.So, if you are growing your blog and currently do reviews for free, you may want to consider running a few well placed giveaway. If you are doing a review for something cool, just ask the PR rep ...
Skechers Shape Ups Not What I Hoped For
I rarely write reviews on this blog but I am writing this one because EVERYWHERE I go wearing my Sketchers Shape Ups women stop and ask me if they are worth it.I bought mine as a New Years Day present to myself and planned to write a review on them because I know so many people are curious: at $100 plus a pop, do they work? I held off writing the review this long because I wanted to give them a fair shot. So, do they work? Yes and no. If I wear them to the mall or Costco I do notice my calves are a little sore the next day which tells me they are doing something. I never felt any difference in my thighs, butt or abs as the ads claim. And I haven't lost any weight simply by wearing them and walking around normally.They ARE super comfy. Once you get used to them it feels like walking on air. They were a little weird to get used to. I kept feeling like I was going to roll an ankle but I never did.I did learn not to wear them on a treadmill. Just too fast to get the kind of step needed in for them. Also, they are not the greatest in snow or icy conditions (duh, I know, but I live in Denver so you never know what the day may bring) They are cute and stylish (at least in my ...