{"id":27974,"date":"2011-12-18T23:38:54","date_gmt":"2011-12-18T23:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=27974"},"modified":"2011-12-18T23:40:04","modified_gmt":"2011-12-18T23:40:04","slug":"staying-real-credible-with-mom-bloggers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/staying-real-credible-with-mom-bloggers\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Real, Credible With Mom Bloggers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ <![CDATA[\n                         google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">The following is by G. A . &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken, President of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.markencom.com\/index.htm\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.markencom.com\/index.htm', 'Marken Communications']);\" ><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">Marken Communications<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"> Inc. He has kindly given us permission to republish his thought-provoking article. As with everything that we publish at AlienBabelTech, the opinions expressed are solely those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and the <strong>opinions of the rest of the ABT staff.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"> \u2013Mark Poppin,<\/span> <span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">ABT Senior Editor<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Blogging Moms<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/kjZnGW0clNs1NRPiUVoxKkQjN4XyRLmWBgD654ZnQjAe0MJxN3h15pxOBQCSo0eil8mijVa0o8IjKdFsL3XILMxvbVm_w2tCv8RXXcj-bDoah84-oLo\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cFor the first time in my life, I got people respecting me. Please, don&#8217;t ask me to give it up.\u201d \u2013 Erin Brockovich, Erin Brockovich, Jersey Films (2000)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When we talk about social media, most folks think first of Facebook. \u00a0Heck, with 800 million users it\u2019s the biggest walled garden on the planet.<br \/>\nThere are a lot of sites we visit first when we want undiluted company, product information; however, when we\u2019re looking for information from real people, real users; we\u2019re like a lot of folks and turn to the blogosphere.<br \/>\nThere\u2019s a better than 50-50 chance that the search will take us to a female\u2019s blog.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s not planned. It\u2019s just that there are more women on line than men. Then too the blog often has a heavy dose of what we guys seem to lack\u2026common sense.<br \/>\nAs Brenda said, \u201cYes, it&#8217;s called accountability and&#8230;\u201d<br \/>\nOf course, we\u2019ll get information, assistance from anywhere, anyone we can\u2026we\u2019re not proud. \u00a0It just seems that female bloggers are more intent with their online activities&#8211;especially when it comes to blogs \u2013 reading, posting.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/vUFeAOv5-lgSB6C5fXLXYLmMxHKVQi3LtLOw1Sg-1DpuxVrpDpuMW3ISMEbxSHOhVClb3hgvZQhhP4m56eye1OFL9NEoKxLYwVrkPpKyLeKXsfshvpw\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"276\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Casual vs. Business \u2013 Females are heavily involved in a complete range of social media activities including Facebook and others. \u00a0A great many are also finding their voice by reading, posting to and publishing their own blogs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The blogosphere is an excellent means of getting information within a specific subject community and at the same time obtaining a variety of information.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Focused Information<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/_yPAG5rRGRRsVC6lP6aFkdLeRfvh-JO-nJglOjMoxIDumkcqoAccFvmkse6gzhHZPoPd9eDgv1cX2yO7rjOa_MEi2rJtbARkSlHt__cksvZO3sfv5_M\" alt=\"\" width=\"565\" height=\"414\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This is because unlike a specific company\u2019s website or sites devoted to special subjects like gaming, cars, health; the bloggers covera range of topical information.<br \/>\nSource \u2013 Forrester<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Wide Ranging \u2013 Mom bloggers cover the spectrum when it comes to including information\/news in their blogs. \u00a0While they may provide extensive information on work\/home balancing, parenting; they also disperse valuable, real life experience information on technology and products. \u00a0Source \u2013 Forrester<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The whole subject came up at a recent marketing\/communications conference where speakers were talking about how to leverage today\u2019s social media to improve a company\u2019s reach, influence and obviously sales.<br \/>\nAll of the \u201cexperts\u201d explained how you could do so much with Facebook, Twitter and the other \u201cbig gun\u201d sites.<br \/>\nBlogs? \u00a0So yesterday.<br \/>\nMom blogs? \u00a0Not even mentioned.<br \/>\nErin looked at the presentations and simply said, \u201cGet out of my face!\u201d<br \/>\nWe found it strange because we were pretty sure that:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0All of the speakers had moms<br \/>\n&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some of the speakers were probably moms themselves<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">But few organizations know how to work with them.<br \/>\nWe asked one of the marketing\/communications speakers about his experiences in working with mom blogs and with his analytical crown shining he said, \u201cHey look at their Klout numbers. \u00a0They just don\u2019t have the reach, influence we need.\u201d<br \/>\nThat\u2019s an excuse not a reason.<br \/>\n<strong>Missteps Hurt<\/strong><br \/>\nHe probably heard about the guy who referred to a female \u2013 maybe a mom, we\u2019re not sure \u2013 in a derogatory manner and had his stupidity spread across the blogosphere\u2026and beyond.<br \/>\nHe probably recalled Gelett Burgess (author of The Maxims of Methuselah) and understood what he meant when he wrote, \u201cThe fear of women is the beginning of knowledge.\u201d<br \/>\nWe admit that even after being married to one for lots of years and working with hundreds of others, we agree with Freud\u2026we just can\u2019t figure them out.<br \/>\nBut that doesn\u2019t mean we shy away from them because:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\">&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They make up more than half the world\u2019s population<br \/>\n&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They control\/influence over two-thirds of the purchases (at least in the U.S.)<br \/>\n&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0American women spend about $5 trillion annually\u2014over half the U.S. GDP<br \/>\n&#8211; \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In other words, women wield incredible purchasing power<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Suzanne Kantra, CEO and founder of techlicious.com, recently noted that women who used blogs were more than twice as likely to do so when they were seeking information, advice and recommendations than were women who participated in social networking.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/OMuQAx5eVK94V-ba2s03y6CViJTFR_C3X9pt5fCbgNz_ARDSlLkLtrLKVd2gy-flALRzexgKhbQ-Vk_sIFinYyBaHd65qOTbUnaeawDlES2SVk9NgSw\" alt=\"\" width=\"535\" height=\"195\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Growing Voice \u2013 Women around the globe have found that researching, writing, reading, posting to blogs not only empowers them, it gives them undiluted facts on products, services, usage and company\/brand service, support.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The female\/mother segment has become so important that CES has its own Mommy Tech arena \u00a0and holds seminars on working with mom bloggers. (Shapiro \u2013 CEA CEO \u2013 is brave labeling it that because mom bloggers really dislike that tag.)<br \/>\nYou can get another good dose of reality on the importance of mom bloggers by attending their annual BlogHer conference. \u00a0Better yet, send a female member of your team because guys tend to stick out in the crowd.<br \/>\n<strong>They\u2019re Serious<\/strong><br \/>\nIt quickly becomes obvious that mom blogging isn\u2019t some casual fill-in activity. \u00a0It\u2019s a lot more than a hobby.<br \/>\nAs Ed Masry commented, \u201cThis is a whole different ball game. A much bigger deal.\u201d<br \/>\nFor many of them, it\u2019s all about providing information\/opinions, community building, reviewing products.<br \/>\nAs with any medium the key is getting to know the blogger, her coverage\/interest areas. \u00a0Sure, that takes time and a little work; but it\u2019s worth the effort. \u00a0That\u2019s because it is simply a different type of editorial coverage with a whole lot of personality involved.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/GaeKA93PMeFxpd0a18kQJ10wCALza5dFrvNNnP_P1yCHxBAi71OXHu6a8-eWQ9FEy6N9ZRgY45Wc4GNVIat220f9r6J7_BuHsthwBCUkdjR4LQTfBiM\" alt=\"\" width=\"496\" height=\"229\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Reviews \u2013 Mom bloggers focus less on a product, service \u201cgee whiz\u201d technology and more on how it is used out-of-the-box as well as features, benefits that mean something to females. \u00a0They are especially interested in \u2013 and cover extensively \u2013 service and support.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That\u2019s why product reviews are such a big part of the mom blogger\u2019s efforts \u2013 reviewing and telling you the good, bad and the ugly.<br \/>\nBecoming involved with mom bloggers is similar to being involved with any member of the media.<br \/>\nIt seldom starts like an email we recently received, \u201cDear Sir\/Madam\u2026Congratulations\u2026\u201d<br \/>\nYeah that feels real!<br \/>\nThey not only have names, they have a special bond with their readers.<br \/>\nThey write about things they\u2019re interested in and their readers are interested in. \u00a0They write about products, services they\u2019ve tried, found useful, believe in.<br \/>\nCommitted<br \/>\nWomen are probably more enthusiastic about reading and writing blogs than their male counterparts.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/xe-nORojv0IgcfDlWHA0o_a967oFcRywI2kutink0qeFWJVIMjkqCaMbmwNQ2EA3jIIHbU7_XhRZl6SC4xfBbziMufospYdDNrZlsVWuruWX2XT4-jg\" alt=\"\" width=\"417\" height=\"311\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Busy Lady \u2013 Kathleen Maher, Editor-in-Chief of Tech Watch, is also a consultant to leading technology firms around the globe, researcher, blogger, hostess, wife, you name it. \u00a0Her husband captured this photo in the JFK American Airways lounge as she moved easily between her smartphone, iPad and notebook.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>We\u2019re pretty single-minded and focused on the task\/activity in front of us; but mom bloggers tend to steal time from other media to spend more in the blogosphere and on social network sites.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s probably an over or understatement but the female\u2019s\/mom\u2019s blogging activities seem to be a reflection of the education level and their broad social media involvement.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/TAUc3vhKf9znzPJk5ZknrfXZRNY7uprHIGs9mvtwwv00mhZG9bPG9PgQH4m6Fc_ITR9fzbsVAbj3eFU9-t7MGbOVUizp3gzQKsNNJ9wHfD2wSV-MPEM\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"404\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Welcome Break \u2013 Females view social networks and blogs as places where they can learn, connect with people, expand their horizons and just enjoy themselves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If approached professionally, female\/mom bloggers will share information collected on their blogs.<br \/>\nAs Erin noted, \u201cOh, I got numbers comin&#8217; outta my ears.\u201d<br \/>\nThe outreach to these bloggers \u2013 when done right and professionally &#8212; is a win-win for everyone involved: the brand, blogger, audience.<br \/>\nDone improperly and we\u2019re reminded of Abraham Miller\u2019s, Unmoral Maxims, quote, \u00a0\u201cWoman is the only creature in nature that hunts down its hunters and devours the prey alive.\u201d<br \/>\nAuthority, Sharing<br \/>\nIncreasingly, women have found a healthy source and outlet for their expression with social media for their fun, entertainment, community, connection.<br \/>\nMore than one-half (53 percent) of the US female Internet population participates in social media and more than 55 percent of them use blogs.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s important for companies\/brands to keep in mind that the mom blogs are run by business women, and their time is just as valuable as yours.<br \/>\nThey can be extremely influential if you understand the rules.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/jaoR_e6VoYii7je9IU3Avh4tET-mU2-kZbpPdteq5gduQ_r-0UAjYNNjlfinzvm6dvtCWeMfRls6oq8gzL999yRvwwD_EcCKdamCLP9Nfgsf8QNefg4\" alt=\"\" width=\"253\" height=\"199\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Just remember what Erin said, \u201cBut I know right from wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"center\"># # #<\/p>\n<p><strong>by: G.A. &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> President<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> Marken Communications Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong> <a href=\"mailto:Andy@markencom.com\">Andy@markencom.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; 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A . &#8220;Andy&#8221; Marken, President of Marken Communications Inc. He has kindly given us permission to republish his thought-provoking article. As with everything that we publish at AlienBabelTech, the&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":396,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2533,7],"tags":[1354,5008,5010,5011,5009],"class_list":["post-27974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abt-news","category-technology","tag-facebook","tag-female-bloggers","tag-female-social-media-activities","tag-focused-information","tag-moms-blogs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27974\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}