Advice for mom bloggers, from mom bloggers.

Last Friday, I had the surreal distinction of being one of the very few men at BlissDom09, a new blogging conference organized by Blissfully Domestic and One2One Network.

I was there representing our client, Little Debbie, which was an event sponsor and which has been doing some recent (and rewarding) outreach with mom bloggers.

But the conference, which truly featured an all-star lineup of presenters, was also an invaluable place to hear real-life advice for bloggers, especially those looking to make money.

A few blogging tips that seemed to come up quite often over the weekend:

1. Be patient.
2. Find a mentor.
3. Set a pace you can manage.
4. Pick your money-makers carefully.
5. Be ready for marketers, whether you want them or not.

Details on each, along with some thoughts from my perspective, after the jump:

1. Be patient.

For every BlissDom09 attendee making a healthy income off blogging, there were probably a few dozen hoping to do the same.

Last year, Technorati estimated that 54% of bloggers use ads and other for-profit tools on their blogs. I’d guess the percentage was substantially higher at BlissDom09, largely because the nature of the conference attracted motivated moms who see blogging as a manageable way to bring in some income from home.

But profitable blogging requires heavy traffic, and heavy traffic requires patience. It requires a blend of great content, networking and hard work. Panelists were blunt about the fact that there is no magic bullet, and you’re probably in for a lot of trial and error before the crowds show up at the door.

Which leads me to…

2. Find a mentor.

You could spend years trying every different way to make your blog profitable — and lose a lot of your readers in the process. So why go it alone?

Blogging can feel like such an isolated endeavor, one without clear rules on which practices are right or wrong. And the elite bloggers can seem like they’re on a pedestal, unreachable by newcomers.

If there’s one lasting legacy of BlissDom09, I think it will be the mentoring relationships that were sparked there, as attendees realized that even the most successful among them were willing to help others learn from their experiences.

3. Set a pace you can manage.

It happens to all of us. You start blogging, find you enjoy it, then set an intense pace that’s simply unmanageable, especially if you have a hectic life. Or maybe you set a leisurely pace of one post a week, then find it hard to pick up speed when you want more traffic.

Several successful bloggers recommended that newcomers set a strong-but-realistic pace for themselves and stick to it.

Nothing depletes an audience like heavy spurts of posts followed by weeks of silence. (For that matter, it also dissuades marketers who might otherwise approach you for giveaways and other perks.)

4. Pick your money-makers carefully.

Here’s where it always gets interesting. Conference attendees were blunt in their questions about how to make money — and how much there is to be made.

Of course the answer depends on you, your focus and your audience.

Blogger Lori Falcon of the popular My Wooden Spoon chronicled the many techniques she’s tried: being paid for review posts, joining advertising networks and using “affiliate marketing” programs that pay you for sale referrals to sites such as Amazon.

Each comes with its own downsides. If you’re paid for a post but don’t disclose it, you risk losing credibility with readers. If you’re paid for a post and DO disclose it, you risk losing the interest of readers.

Affiliate programs and ad networks can come with their own limitations, too. For example. Falcon mentioned that the BlogHer ad network doesn’t allow you to post paid reviews while using their ads.

Obviously, it pays to do your homework and to be choosy about which techniques are going to work best with your site.

5. Be ready for marketers, whether you want them or not.

Some mom bloggers really want to work with marketers. It can make them a little money, drive up traffic and establish a certain credibility in the crowded blogosphere.

Others just want to blog in peace, undisturbed by the pestering PR pitches that can come with online popularity.

It’s up to you to define how you want to involve marketing in your blog and other social sites. But even more importantly, it’s up to you to explain your position clearly for visitors.

A few ideas:

• Include a link or info box on your front page explaining your policies on reviews, giveaways, etc. That should help decrease the number of worthless pitches you get (but sadly, it’ll never stop them).

• Consider creating a “media kit” about your site (or about your comprehensive social media presence). This simple PDF or page can help you get involved with advertising networks, affiliate programs and corporate outreach. Here’s a link for a media kit template from Mom Bloggers Club, which was recommended by many BlissDom09 attendees.

• Build relationships with marketers (or at least the not-sleazy ones). Remember that the person contacting you about Swiffers today could be representing Porsche tomorrow.  Blogging maven Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom suggested responding to all the pitches you receive, in hopes of clarifying what would be a good fit for you. I think Tsh is being overly generous with her time, but she said her approach of using a form letter to reply to misguided pitches has resulted in some profitable relationships.

• Give positive feedback to good marketers. OK, so this point came from me, not from any panelists. But I do believe that if you enjoyed working with a marketer or company, it’s worth sending a few sentences about why you liked it. This can help us justify our blogger-friendly approach with clients and bosses, while also making us love you forever.  

Well that’s plenty of rambling from me. If you were at the conference, please share your thoughts (or links to your own epic roundups).

Today's photo credit: MammaDJane on Flickr. Cocktail party shot by me.

Comments

[MommaDJane]

Photos look great and glad I could share them. Great recap of BlissDom too, BTW the snacks were wonderful. Plus I didn't feel guilty eating so many since they were only 100 calories. ;)

[Michelle Smiles]

Great capture of the message. Hope you enjoyed...must be strange to so literally be the odd man out.

Little Debbie's were a great addition but when you eat as many as I did, the 100 calorie thing becomes moot.

[Bren]

Dave, is that you with the bib on? Lookin' good my friend!

[Allison Worthington {@fussypants}]

Great post, David. Thank you so much. It was a pleasure to meet you.

Seriously, the love between us all and Little Debbie 100 calorie snacks? EPIC.

Brilliant.

PS- I'm out of Nutty Bars.

[Lori Seaborg]

Sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you! This was a great post and reminded me that I meant to add "get a media kit" to my post (and life). :)

~ Lori

[Mommie Daze]

Wish I'd been there. Great info for those of us who didn't make it. Thanks!

[Briana]

Glad I was able to meet you. This is a fantastic recap post. I never really thought to give feedback about the PR reps before reading this but I will now. You are right, that is just as important as ya'll have someone you have to answer to.

I also appreciate feedback from a company on a post I done. I hate it when you never hear back from them after you post or do a giveaway. I makes me feel like I did something wrong. Personally, I want to build on that relationship if all possible. The feedback I have received has been great and let me know that I posted in a way that was true to myself and true to their product/service! I also want to keep the door open to future opportunities and constructive criticism would be appreciated.

My son asked this morning if we had any more little "dubbies". Those were gone Monday morning around 7am. Next time, I'm hiding them in my special spot.

Thanks!

[rachel-asouthernfairytale]

Very well said and organized!
It was great meeting you, thanks for all that y'all did.

Rachel

[CheekySweetie]

Bedazzled jacket and ponytail next time, right? *grin*

You were an absolute pleasure! We loved Little Debbie, (The krispy treats! YUM!), and I truly hope that Little Debbie and Luckie appreciate the wonderful representation you provided. You never once appeared ruffled by all the estrogen, hah!

[bee]

GREAT post! Very helpful... especially for those of us who didn't make it to Blissdom!

[A Cowboy's Wife]

You must have been keeping notes because this is a very good recap of what people should take away!

IT was a pleasure to meet you David and I'm still waiting for you to email the picture! ;)

[Jendi]

That is a great wrap up of Blissdom!
I was amazed at how many Little Debbie snacks were there! If somebody didn't get one it certainly was no fault of yours.
I even had some for breakfast. :)

[David Griner]

Thanks so much for the feedback, everyone. Of course, I can't take much credit, since all these tips came from you guys. ;)

[Nicole aka Gidget]

Nice meeting you and thanks for the yummy snacks! Thanks for the great recap and reminders. Sometimes information like that can be overwhelming, but I liked how you simplified it down to a few important points!

[Nancy]

This was an encouraging post.

Some months ago, MomBloggers had a link to a piece of advice from some pro -- sorry I forget where, but it was somewhere reputable -- who said, if you've got a blog, pull the plug, and if you're thinking of starting one, don't. He said that the only bloggers making real money are those who got into it circa 2004, when they were alone and could get attention. Now, the format has been swamped by pros and there is virtually no way to be seen except by your mom and the occasional surfer.

Of course I haven't taken his advice entirely to heart, but he probably is right for a lot of people. Maybe even most?

[Alexandra]

I'm not a mommy blogger but I really think these tips are relevant to everyone trying to monetize their blog.

Great post! I'll be sharing this one.

[Carrie at NaturalMomsTalkRadio]

Hi "boy's table" Griner. Great tips. When it comes to #2, that one was my biggest piece of advice.

When I came online 6 years ago I searched around for ways to make money with my site, and found a couple of rock stars like Alice Seba and Kelly McCausey, who launched Mom Masterminds (my sponsor!) shortly after that.

I've been blogging for over 5 years and still look to these two women for their wisdom, even while sharing my own on my business blog.

A great mentor can shave YEARS off the learning curve.

[Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam]

well, you know to us women at Blissdom, you were the rock star. Being a public speaker, I started a blog with no idea what one was....thinking it would be a great way to follow up with women that I address. Now, 6 months later, a "little" success, and Blissdom, I have found that it's a wealth of wisdom in a community of fabulous women (with a few men folded in there...just don't keep up with them. :)
Thanks for sharing with us.

[Stephanie]

David, thanks so much for the insightful post.

I wasn't able to attend Blissdom this year so I found your article to be particularly helpful/beneficial. I especially appreciated your reminder that "the person contacting you about Swiffers today could be representing Porsche tomorrow."

I do have a question about the "responding to pitches" piece, however. I get inundated with press releases and I'm always a bit confused about what is expected in terms of a reply. Should I reply to every single one personally? Or with a form letter? Or only reply if interested? What would you suggest?

Thanks again!

[David Griner]

Stephanie,

What's ironic is that I told women at BlissDom that they should never feel obliged to respond to a bad pitch. But Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom said, as I mention in the post, that she responds to all pitches and uses a form letter for the bad ones.

The answer to your question is, nothing is expected of you. That said, if you're interested in what's being pitched, I'd respond promptly and let them know. (Doesn't need to be much of a reply, just a "Sounds good!")

As a marketer, the bloggers I've most enjoyed working with were those who:

A: Respond somewhat quickly (I'm talking within days...I don't expect to hear back within hours)

B: Seem earnestly interested in taking part (instead of "eh, I guess you can send me that if you want").

C: Do a fun writeup/video/etc. I don't want to see the same press release regurgitated over and over. I want to see what you really think. It's great when people get creative with it.

D: Give me feedback, ideas, advice, etc. Some of the best things we've done have come from bloggers themselves (like the BlissDom sponsorship), and I'm always open to new ideas.

All that said, Stephanie, remember that it's your blog, your life and your time. Use it how you see fit. If marketers don't like it, tell them to go start their own blog. ;)

[Stephanie (Adventures in Babywearing)]

This is a great post about the conference and tips for all of us! I met you one day in the elevator- I was one of the Moms there with a baby always attached!

Steph

[Leighann of Multi-Minding Mom/Soy is the New Black]

I met you in the bar at BlissDom and you showed me pictures of your daughter (how the two of you look alike). It was sweet.

Great recap (and reminder). I learned so much at BlissDom from panelists and fellow bloggers.

I have developed some great relationships with PR reps, but am always open to new opportunities.