What's The Blogger PR Secret?

In case you missed Mom It Forward's #GNO this week?

I'll be pounding a redbull at 8:59 pm EST, cracking my knuckles and getting ready for Speed Tweeting at #gno tonight!

BarbaraJones

You missed a Doozy! It was an action packed panel of PR Maven Extraordinares!

Nancy Martira from Ketchum
Barbara Jones from One2One Networking
Krista Parry from Park City Mountain Resort
Rachael Herrscher from Today's Mama

What's the secret to making contact with PR professionals, and what really bugs them?

This seems obvious but don't make me search thru your blog to find oiut how to contact you—It's a crazy goose chase sometimes! —Barbara Jones

The panelists all had some great advice when it came to how to contact a PR Professional. They all agreed, first, make it easy for the company to contact YOU! And a media kit is something you should look into. Here's an example you can look over from Mom Blogger's Club. Also a subscription to ListPlanIt.com comes with several templates and PR 'lists'.

If your email sounds like you are just looking for free stuff, chances are it will end up in the spam folder. —Nancy Martira

When contacting a company or a PR rep., or even just chatting on twitter with a possible connection remember that they are just like you! They get tons of email and have a lot coming at them. The consensus was that you should send short emails, asking first whether you can send an attachment or a longer email. And yes you can send a 'ping', but calling them over and over or too much email isn't a good idea!

What are these professionals looking for? Do I have what they want?

Blog stats aren't the only thing companies are interested in. They want to know what you can do for them in all your Social Media outlets. Remember reporting to the client is the job of the PR professional, so you will need to share some amount of your information to make a legitimate pitch.

Traffic numbers are not the only metrics--promote your social media footprint on twitter, facebook, etc—Barbara Jones

Not every PR campaign is promoting a product, sometimes we're selling ideas. That's when great writers can shine.—Nancy Martira

Okay I just got an email from a representative of a company! Now what?

I say PR is not Public Relations it is PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS—Krista Parry

Bottom line? Don't be afraid to ask them questions, find out more about the product, more about what it is they want to get out the relationship. Share ideas you have for helping them get the word out. Feel free to brainstorm a little with them, they are going to appreciate new ideas, and be willing to listen to their thoughts too!

Think about diversifying your online presence - podcast, video blogging, product review blogs, etc... —Nancy Martira

Why PR needs bloggers? Because PR is storytelling and who can tell stories better than bloggers?—Danny Brown

If you want to host a product review, show me an example of a successful one you have already hosted.—Nancy Martira

Barbara Jones has been quoted as saying ROO is more important than ROI... What does that mean? ROO= return on objective. What is your objective as a blogger? What is the objective of the company or the agency? Try come up with innovative ways to fulfill those goals.

To Mom It Forward Members:

John Sternal has offered up his Public Relations ebook at a 20% discount (code: GNO). From examples of press kits to 'real' knowledge everything you'll need to perform PR for your business.

Oh my gosh, I got the deal! I don't want to screw it up! What makes a good review, article, campaign?

That's a great way to start. Show them that you really know and love the product; you're not just looking for a freebie.—Nancy Martira

The panelists really say it well here:

• You know the media will do stories on things like St. Patricks Day and daylight savings time. So build stories around them!—John Sternal
• I always like for the blogger to be authentic in their review. I don't like when it looks like a copy and paste from email. I brought a blogger out to Park City and some of their review was negative and that's ok. It's honest. —Krista Parry
• PR people are looking for people who resonate with their brands. So make sure you understand their brands just like they should w/ you. —Krista Parry
• What bugs me is saying you'll do the review or the promotion and then half a**ing it--Hi I'm giving away X, leave a comment-ugh—Barbara Jones

What should I do if I'm approached about a product/item/service but it's not a good fit for me?

Pay It Forward--If you get approached by PR, and the situation is not for you, suggest another blogger who could do it!! —Barbara Jones

Think of every email and phone call as an opportunity to create a relationship, even if the product/service/item isn't something you can get behind.

If a blogger I respect points me towards another blogger I will absolutely check them out. I often ask for recommendations. One of the things I love about the Mom Blogging community is how supportive and connected they are. When you connect me with a great new partner, it reflects well on you. Never hesitate to call out good work!—Nancy Martira

Everyone knows someone out there - it helps a ton to be able to say "So and so referred me" - it gets a lot of response. Share your contacts with each other - nothing wrong with asking "do you know anyone at XYZ media outlet."—Rachael Herrsher

Cathy aka CathyWebSavvyPR answered the question:

What quick information would a PR pro love to find on a Mommy Blogger's site?

PR people are hoping to find a match between our client/company/expert's product or info and your reader's interests and needs. The type of information a PR pro hopes to find on your site, includes:

A good About Us page, telling briefly what you and your site are all about (intro to the site and how it works, who your readers are, what niche do you reach, and who the sites author(s) are). A good PR Info page also tells us more reader demographics along with some site statistics/numbers (Readers surveys using survey monkey, and pollcast can provide some info; site stats like Google Analytics, twitter counter, Feedburner RSS reader stats, Quantcast, Clicky and Hubspot Site Grader can help with the numbers).

Also useful are sections on how you like to work: what you will do to publicize the promotion, what you need from us, and notes any success stories you've had (some of this can also be indicated is on a document that we can request - if your readers don't need to know the details.)

At it's best PR/blogger promotions - whether product reviews and giveaways or book promo tours and guest blog posts from experts - can be a win-win situations. To read more you can see the rest of Cathy's article here.

How Social Media Caught Up To Me

Written by Carissa
Co-Founder, MomItForward
Owner, ApricotAlot.com
Blog, Good N Crazy People

I started blogging in February of 08. I began my online business in March of 08. I met hundreds of people in just a few short months...! I've even figured out Facebook, (Jyl forced me!)

I began writing for the community site BoutiqueFlair in July of 08. I think I had submitted a single article when one of the other contributors there sent me a nice email and was so welcoming to the network! Wow I thought... people are so sweet and I felt all warm and squishy inside.

After I replied to this author I got a zippy email back....

Hel-LO!! Carissa, this is ALYSON! You know, your college roommate? The one you set up on a blind date. The one who MARRIED that same blind date! The one you faithfully exchange Christmas cards with yearly and haven't seen in 13 years!!






Alyson of 3Ps In A Pod fame (and the Blind Date)!

Oh my crazy.
THAT Alyson?
Are you serious!

Turns out she's a Blogging Fool and writer extraordinaire and I didn't know it? I hadn't come across her site in my bloggy travels and it took our membership and eventually our contributing to a social media networking site to catch up our real life friendship to our virtual friendships!

Wow? What has Social Media done for you? Do you catch up with high school friends via Facebook? Do you Blog and meet new bloggy friends daily? Is Twitter your social poison? How many Networks do you belong to and if someone asked you how many people do you talk to on a weekly basis... can you answer 4,000!?

Let's take it up a notch and combine it all here at MomItForward. Where mom's are making a difference one social media network at a time!


PS I was just talking with Alyson making sure I could borrow that lovely Tutu pose of her husband... and guess what? She will be heading to Nashville for BlissDom 09! I get to catch up with her in real life... are you going?

Social Media and Group Psychology

Social Media Guru TS_Elliott, tweets her top ten list nightly at NetGenDesign.





How can you get the most from a group experience when using social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, etc.? The norms of social networking sites are somewhat different from the norms of different social situations. Your behavior online should be similar to what is appropriate in the "real world" if you want to build long lasting relationships.



1. Become an active group member. In order to fully appreciate any social networking site, you have to join. You can't contribute anything without first joining and you wont be able to learn about what each site has to offer without trying it for yourself. Your experience with one group (or site) will help you when trying out another one. In these groups, your willingness to seek input from others and to give feedback to others can start a pattern that will allow you to give quality and value to the groups that you are in. If you start this process with reluctance, then the connections that you make may sense your insecurity and have trouble connecting to you.

2. Join a group with the goal of learning. If you find a way to be successful in a social networking medium, you can share this experience with others that are just starting out. It is true that humans perform better at new tasks when they are given instructions. The great thing about social networking sites is the freedom to use them as you wish. By joining a group and learning how it suits you best and then sharing this knowledge with others makes you a leader to new comers.

3. Commit yourself to a goal. If you join a certain social network, why did you join that one and what do you want to accomplish there. Your goals could be different for each site or the same. These decisions affect everything from your identity to your bio. Figure out your goals before you join and commit to a strategy that will help you achieve your goal. If your goal is to get as many friends to join you as possible, then stick to it. If your goal is to only find people that you know personally, then go for it. You may even be one of those individuals who don't want to follow anyone else, but feels like everyone wants to know what is going on with you. Make your plan and stick to it.

4. Remember that trust is not something that automatically happens. You have to earn trust from others in social networking just like everywhere else. Don't expect people to add you as a friend and then automatically answer personal questions or tell you their personal information. This is a fast way to lose friends. In return, do not trust people in an online group like you would in your local church group. Do not give out your personal information without first establishing a rapport and being selective with what you are willing to share. Everything that you publish online is available for public use, even if you think that you have all of your settings made private. Decide for yourself (not based on what others do) what, how much and when you will disclose personal facets of yourself. Higher levels of trust within a group allows members to take more risks which leads to sharing more personal information.

5. Be interactive. Don't wait for people to notice you. Go out there and introduce yourself, talk about yourself and let others know why you are there. Fill out your profile and bio and add all the information that you want people to automatically know about you. That way they don't have to ask you what you are about or wait for you to respond. They can decide right away if you have something of value to offer them. This will allow people to be flexible when making their opinions about you from their first impression. Others will not have a basis for knowing you unless you tell them something about yourself. Don't go to the opposite extreme and overwhelm people with too much information about yourself.

6. Thank others for their contributions to you. If someone offers insight into something that you find interesting, let them know. If someones posting makes your day better, share that with them and others. By appreciating others you are helping yourself and everyone in your group. This is a good way to introduce yourself to people if you have a hard time doing so. Realize that others may not find you while searching through the other thousands of profiles if you do not speak up about issues that are important to you. People like it when others identify with them and this helps them feel closer to you.

7. Listen more than you speak. In a group with many people, there are many thoughts. Understand that your thoughts are not the only ones that matter or the best. If you are joining a group to be part of something, then you have to listen to what is going on in the group. By giving others the gift of your presence you are showing them compassion and understanding.

8. Experiment with new things. Allow yourself to try different things to see how the group responds. If you have some followers or friends and you have a question, don't give up if no responds. Keep asking in different ways or move on to something else. If you do something that works, then that may be a good thing for you to do again. Share what you are learning and new things that you are trying with your group.

9. Do not impose values. In social networking the boundaries that once existed between cultures, demographics, religions, etc. are gone. Anyone with a computer has access to the websites that they find. It is common for people to have different norms from you and befriend you. If this happens, remember you are not there to coerce people to change or judge them for their personal beliefs. You can expose your beliefs and values if doing so will help you and the other members reach their goals. You should never use social networking sites to pressure others about your beliefs. Be sensitive to culture, sex, race, religious preference, lifestyle, age, disability and knowledge of the social networking environment.

10. Be someone worth following. People want to follow other people that offer something of value. There are different ways to offer value. Here are some examples: Listening, Providing Support, Providing Empathy, Providing Validation, Teaching, Providing Tutorials, Entertainment, Providing Knowledge. If you can't get followers or keep losing them, ask yourself what you are offering of value.

If you try to use some of these things, you will see greater success in your goals. You may not be comfortable with all of them. That is ok, try one or two and go from there. To get the most out of the time and energy you have invested into building your online social networks, go through each tip and modify your online behavior and you will be more confident in what you are providing to the members of your groups.

RSVP: Get in the Know Tuesday at #GNO With @JessicaKnows

Increase Your Social Networking MomPower at #GNO!

Are you ready to take social media networking to the next level?

By definition:

Social networking is the practice of expanding the number of one's business and/or social contacts by making connections through individuals.
(photo by womandare2believe)

Why is social networking important? At a basic level and what brought #GNO Gals together... connecting with other moms is fun! We relate to and support each other. We get/give advice and get information from and share tips with each other. On a practical level... because it increases our connections. And, connections lead to opportunities. And, opportunities lead to personal and professional success and ultimately, a greater ability to Mom It Forward.

So, join us Tuesday, January 6 at 6PM Pacific (9PM Eastern) on Twitter for #GNO with Jessica Smith (@JessicaKnows) from JessicaKnows.com where you will learn the ins and outs of social media, marketing, and networking from one of our own #GNO Gals who is truly in the "know."

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