UGH! It is 5 pm on Monday and I still don't have my PR Monday Post up. I usually write it on Sunday but we spent the weekend unsuccessfully furniture shopping. This AM I ran to Boot Camp, then ran home, picked up one kid for an appointment, dropped him off, turned right back around and picked up the other. Spent almost 4 hours at the eye doctor and ordering glasses for them both. Looks like the youngest is blind as bat. I feel like a great mother. I swear his eyes were checked two years ago. Then it was off to grab something to put in their growling stomachs and back to Barnes and Noble to get Romeo & Juliet in a version Con could half way understand and A Tale of Two Cities, both need to be read ASAP for K12. PHEEWWW! I am exhausted just typing all that and I still have dinner to make. Which brings me to why Dustin's guest post could not be more timely!Spending Too Much Time Online? 5 Tips to Master the Virtual Balancing ActIf you are reading this post, it's probably safe to assume that you enjoy spending time online. You're probably a busy parent, and you may even be a fellow blogger.Do you sometimes feel like maybe you are spending too much of your time on the internet? I ...
PR Mondays: Good Advice Part 2
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. ...
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 ...
PR Monday: Straight Talk From PR
Hey everyone! In Feb I am going to use this space to highlight straight talk from PR reps. I sent out a survey to some of the reps that I really respect and enjoy working with. In the interest of getting the most candid answers from them I am going to post their comments as anonymous. Lets face it, I can blab all day long about what I think but wouldn't you rather know what they have to say?So, here are a few questions and answers for them.How does a mom blogger gain your attention? What puts them on your radar?"If a mom blogger reaches out to me directly, I always make sure to check out her blog. I also discover a lot of great bloggers via Twitter. Whether it’s a new blog post on recipes or an industry-related article, I’m always reading everything I can (or that time allows!)""Honestly, someone who I know and interact with via Twitter, my blog or who emails me to keep a relationship going. If I know you, know you write great content and are fun to work with, I’ll likely include you in all the outreach I do for my clients and also recommend you to my colleagues.Beyond that, bloggers who are regularly included in other high-profile campaigns (Walmart Eleven Moms, Lifetime Moms ect) ...