Posts Tagged "Blogs"

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at SheCon, a new conference targeted to women bloggers.  The panel title was “Get Connected: Building PR Relationships” and the idea was for marketers to offer bloggers a frank look at what brands and agencies look for when choosing bloggers to work with. Having moderated or spoken on many panels that adressed how brands should best interact with bloggers, I was looking to forward to addressing the flip side of the coin: what bloggers should do to make their mark on brands. The format was Q+A. Here are some of the questions, and my answers:

What do brands look for when choosing bloggers to work with?

Numbers. Blog numbers, Twitter numbers, Facebook numbers. Influence too — comments, RTs, speaking gigs, traditional media appearances, etc. — but we start with numbers. And yes, we also understand that there are niche blogs for which numbers are not so important.

Quality. Believe it or not, we really don’t get excited if you just cut and paste our press releases. We really DO want to read about your personal experience with the brand. What did you or your child like? Why?  We look for posts that offer length and depth — that demonstrate that a blogger has made an effort. And we love photos and videos. The better the quality of the review –  how it’s presented, not whether you rave about the brand — the less important those numbers, above,  become. Show us enthusiasm and you’ll get our attention.

What are the biggest mistakes bloggers make when dealing with brands?

I hate it — HATE it — when bloggers don’t do what they say they are going to do, whether that means post a review or show up at an event. Why? Because it makes both of us look bad. You  not only appear unprofessional, but just plain rude–someone is paying for the event meal you said you were planning to consume, or to ship that product sample that is now sitting ignored in your basement. (Then of course there’s all the time and effort involved.)  The agency or in-house PR rep or social media liaison appears foolish if she’s told a client or her vp that x# of moms said they were going to review/attend — and then you don’t.

Remember — as mom bloggers themselves have said so often — it’s all about the relationships. Behaving badly is NOT the best way to launch or maintain one….

Nothing like having technical issues with your  blog when you’re trying to post about…moms who blog. With that as my excuse, I’ll admit to probably being one of the last to comment on the fascinating piece in this past Sunday’s New York Times  about Dooce’s Heather Armstrong, the reigning “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers,” and several other highly successful women bloggers.

There are God-knows-how-many blogs out there now written by moms. Most of them have 1,000 or so unique monthly visitors, if they’re lucky. A few dozen or so have well over 10x that. Dooce, meanwhile, boasts more than 100,000 unique visitors per DAY. So what’s the secret to a successful blog? Based on the Times story and a look at some of the most popular mom blogs, it seems to be the following: 

1. First to market. Armstrong has been blogging since 2001. ‘Nuf said. Pioneering a unique approach is a lot more effective than playing “me too.”
2. A good story. It’s the drama of real life  –  depression, divorce,  death and sometimes,  just dirty diapers – that draws readers to a  story,  whether it’s in the form of a biography, a novel, a television show or a blog. As Lisa Belkin says in her Times article, successful blogs offer ”a daily reality show on a smaller screen.”
3. A distinctive tone of voice. Humor helps; sometimes, so do sarcasm and anger.
4. Strong opinions and no fear of expressing them, regardless of the potential backlash.
5. Importantly, the ability to write well, in an engaging and entertaining way.
6. Hard work.

 Readers, what is your take on what makes a successful blog? Which blogs do you prefer and what draws you to them?  And what do you do to make your own blogs more appealing to a greater number of readers?

It’s not quite Disneyland, but the annual Toy Fair – starting today — in New York City generates its own high-pitched version of child-like fun and excitement. For the past 20 years or so, I’ve joined the crowd cramming the aisles of this much anticipated event which introduces the toys that will land on moms’ must-have lists come the holiday shopping season. It’s here at Toy Fair that companies launch their latest to retailers, traditional press, and in recent years, social media alike. We invite you to stop by the Summit Toy booth, #1973, where we’ll be demonstrating  the popular Backyard Safari Outfitters and Zillionz toy lines. I’ll also be walking the aisles with my colleagues, Julie Livingston, former head of public relations for Toy Fair and now Director of New Business Development at Child’s Play, and Marie Baker, who heads our social media program. We’ve  got dozens of meetings booked with companies who are leaders in the toy industry, to discuss how our combination of traditional public relations, social media and word-of-mouth expertise can help them reach moms.

So whether you’re a toy manufacturer looking for more awareness among moms or a mom blogger interested in reviewing toys, we hope to meet you at Toy Fair! Connect with us at childsplay@childsplaypr.com.

See you there!

Does social media really impact moms’ purchasing decisions? 

Here at Child’s Play Communications, we knew from our experience connecting companies with moms in social media that the answer was yes, but we wanted to offer greater insight into how and to what degree social media influences what moms buy. Toward that end, we commissioned The NPD Group, a leading market research company, to conduct an in-depth survey of moms across the U.S. based on a series of questions we developed.  The just released  “Social Media Moms: How Networking Impacts Purchasing Behaviors” provides a comprehensive understanding  not only of  what motivates moms’ purchasing decisions but also of moms’ overall use of social media. Following are some key finding:

•  79% of all moms in the U.S. with children under the age of 18 are active in social media
•  Of these moms, about one in four (23%) said they have purchased a children’s product as a result of a recommendation from a social networking site or blog. 
•  Online recommendations have even more impact among the most frequent social media users: 43% of active social media moms who use these sites on a daily basis have purchased a children’s product as the result of a recommendation from these sites.
•  More than half (55%) of these moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog.
• 40% of these moms made a purchase because of a  Facebook recommendation.

 The NPD Group fielded an online survey to members of NPD’s online panel and to members of the Child’s Play Communications online panel. The two different sources provided data to create both a holistic view of U.S. moms and their interaction with social media, as well as a deep-dive into the behaviors and preferences of social media moms. The complete survey is available for purchase from NPD.

 Clearly, moms nationwide are making purchasing decisions as a result of the information and advice other moms are providing through social media.

How about you? Have you made a purchase as a result of a social media recommendation? Was it from a blog? What did you buy and why?

The annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair, aka ChiTAG, is the Windy City’s festive, family-centric kick-off to the holiday shopping season. This year ChiTAG was also the backdrop for Child’s Play Communications’ Holiday Bloggers Brunch, our very first holiday-season blogger event and our first Bloggers Brunch to be held in Chicago. Situated at the family-friendly Navy Pier, the event was designed to connect leading companies and brands with mom bloggers in an intimate atmosphere conducive to conversation, networking, and the presentation of top holiday products and services.

The morning portion of the event featured an informative panel discussion with noted Chicago-area mom bloggers including Kris Cain, LittleTechGirl; Amy Mueller, ParentSphere; Maria Ramos, MyChicagoMommy and MJ Tam, Chicagonista.  I was delighted to moderate a lively conversation regarding the most effective ways for companies and brands to engage with bloggers today. There were an abundance of “takeaways” for the audience of corporate representatives and other bloggers, covering everything from how to pitch bloggers to tips for maintaining a positive, reciprocal relationship.

Following the panel discussion, our blogger guests enjoyed a tasty brunch in the sun-kissed Lakeview Terrace room, overlooking the harbor. Conversation was plentiful among the bloggers and our sponsors, including Playtex Baby, MEGA Brands, Backyard Safari Outfitters/Zillionz, Toy State, Restaurant.com, Cold Stone Creamery and In Zone Brands. Holiday makeup applications provided by Mary Kay Cosmetics put everyone in a celebratory mood as did sponsor giveaways and a slew of fabulous raffle prizes including a $250 Target gift card, a deluxe diaper disposal system and holiday toy gift packs. Everyone got to savor the decadent new Cold Stone Creamery layer cakes which topped off the brunch on a sweet note!

Special thanks to all of our sponsors for their support and to the dedicated bloggers with whom we work so closely year round. We’re so pleased about the positive comments that have already come in from bloggers and sponsors alike.

Click here for photos and videos of the Child’s Play Communications Chicago Holiday Bloggers Brunch.

We have a full slate of Bloggers Brunches and other terrific, mom-focused social media activities planned for 2011. Potential sponsors, don’t hesitate to drop me an email if you would like more information (sa@childsplaypr.com). 

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all!