When I was younger I never would have imagined that I would be a “creative blogger”. Especially because the internet didn’t even exist! But here I am…blabbing away to perfect “strangers” on an almost daily basis. But I am so grateful to be able to have this opportunity and great blessing to be able to share and interact with you all.
(My Family)
As a woman and a mother, I have appreciated the interaction I have with other women and mothers. I find that overall we have the same goals and interests for our lives and our children. Raising children and being a woman in today’s world is challenging. As young mothers we are bombarded with conflicting information, criticism, and judgment, usually from other mothers. So it can be nice when you find a group of women that are supportive and encourage your efforts.
I also have enjoyed learning from other women and mothers. Learning about products and ideas that have helped you in building your families and homes into bright spots of love and encouragement to help buoy your children up as they face everyday challenges.
So when I started getting asked by others to share their companies or products, I was pretty excited but also very humbled. As my blog grew, I began to get more and more requests and soon became overwhelmed with so many to choose from. To deal with it, I made some pretty strict guidelines for myself. I feel a great obligation and responsibility to my readers and feel like I owe it to them. After all, the only reason I am in the position I am, is because of them sharing my site with their friends and families.
I would NOT post about anything and everything. I wanted to keep my site from becoming one big commercial. I wanted to share only those products that I would actually buy, unsolicited, and use in my own home. A product that I could stand by and recommend full heartedly.
(only a few of the amazing friends I have made blogging)
I am not sure why I felt so strongly about this, but I think it is because I have met some AMAZING people through this blog. And even though I don’t know most of you, I realize that you are real people….with real families and struggles. And just like most people I know, you have a desire to raise your families with the best of intentions to the best of your ability.
We are really all in this together. And from my experience, it really does “take a village” to raise a family. I know that if one of my good friends recommends a product or a solution for something I (or a family member) is struggling with, I am most likely going to give it a try.
(High School friends and Moms I admire and look up to)
So with that in mind, I have really tried to use that as a guideline for what I share and promote on The Idea Room.
One of the earliest Brands I began working with was Blog Frog. I was a Community Leader in their Seasonal Celebrations Community and loved the interaction it gave me with lots of other women. I really enjoyed it because it gave me a way to discuss a wide range of ideas and questions of “everyday life” with REAL women and moms. It was real women sharing real concerns and solutions for one another.
Recently I was asked by Blog Frog to share some advice for Brands who are wanting to work with bloggers such as myself. I have three things that I would like a Brand to know before working with The Idea Room.
1. Get to Know Me and My Readers
Many times I will get a scripted email with my name and email address pasted in. These almost always get deleted. I get so much email and these are usually the first to go. Get to know me. Spend some time on my site. If your product isn’t relevant, it will not be a good fit.
2. Have a Product That is Relevant
I write about things I generally love and use. If I buy something somewhere, I will share where I got it with my readers, because I WANT to. I do this because as a mom, I LOVE when someone shares with me where they found an amazing product that has helped them or that has helped to create a lovely home atmosphere.
3. Be Flexible With How I Share Your Product
I have worked with some companies that have strict guidelines about HOW I share their product with my readers. As a creative blogger this is really frustrating for me. Be willing to be flexible and work with the blogger and you will get a more organic post and a REAL review for your product. There have been a lot of products that I would have loved to share, but didn’t because I didn’t want to have to “sell” it to my readers. I value my readers and their time and don’t want them to ever feel that I am using them to sell or push a product. But, if I do genuinely love your product, I would love to have an opportunity to be able to share a great product with them.
I have had a few Brands that I have been able to work with because I truly love their products and know that my readers will too. They have allowed me great flexibility in sharing their products in a natural and organic way.
If you’re a brand looking to work with online influencers, learn more about BlogFrog’s Brand Solutions here.
As a part of the BlogFrog Influencer Circle, I have the chance to create meaningful, authentic content for brands I love. If you’re a blogger interested in new opportunities, join BlogFrog’s Influencer Circle and check out some of the top brands already working with BlogFrog.
Now, I’m curious. What do you love most about blogs and blogging?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogFrog. The opinions and text are all mine.
