This morning the Today Show did a Digital Mom segment on Melissa of the ConsumerQueen.com, followed by Ann Curry interviewing Wendy Piersall of SparkPlugging and Terri Walter of Razorfish.
It’s obvious that Ann Curry understands social media and mom blogging, so kudos to her and the Today Show for doing an excellent segment.
Blogging as work, not a hobby
However, I was a little concerned that they started off positioning mom blogging as a great way to get free stuff. I too get that attitude from friends who tell me, “I want to get freebies like you.” Then Melissa said, “You know what, it’s a lot of work.” And it is.
I tell my friends that they must learn how to set up and market a blog, that they must write frequently (and like to write – most people don’t), and that they have to develop relationships with publicists, marketers and companies. I also tell them that I’ve been blogging for almost five years and am finally at a point where I consider myself a social media professional. A light goes off when they realize that blogging is work – and then they stop asking me about it.
Sponsored conversations
When Ann asked Wendy if women can trust a mom blogger who gets freebies from companies, she said that bloggers need to disclose, have transparency, and write from the heart. After all, if you don’t write about what you’re passionate about – whether that’s raising your kids or couponing – you’re going to get bored with blogging and your readers are going to get bored with you.
Getting started in the blogosphere
So how can you get started blogging, Ann asked? Just jump on in, Wendy said. Use free online resources to learn how to blog, be patient, pursue your passion and network with other sites/bloggers. But realize there is a lot of grunt work to blogging, too.
I hope that Wendy follows up at SparkPlugging and points people in the direction of blogs like CopyBlogger and Problogger and maybe resurrects some of her old “how to blog” posts and resources.
Remember folks, blogging is not a get rich scheme no matter how much those “you too can make money on the Internet” marketers tell you it is. If you want to make a living doing social media, you have to work hard and be dedicated to achieving your goals, just like at any other type of job.
Instead, think of social media as a gold mine for building relationships, making a difference, changing lives, and pursuing your passions. That's where the true wealth lies.
