There is a double page spread in “The Times” today entitled “Mum’s the word in cyberspace” all about the increasing popularity of “mummy blogs”. This has taken me a little by surprise. Alice Castle who writes a blog called Dulwich Divorcee was one of the bloggers who went to Disneyworld with me and they have included an article she has written about our experience.
Seemingly the power of the British Mummy blogger is on the increase owing to the relationship between them and PR agencies and advertisers. Companies have recognised that “word of mouth” is a strong force in the marketing world and blogging has given a new and strong voice to a wealth of mothers who spend a lot of time at home with their children. The power of the US “mommy bloggers”, as we experienced when we met some in Orlando is immense. It seems that very little gets launched before the Uber Mommy bloggers have given their stamp of approval. Their websites are full of reviews and adverts, they get thousand’s of hits a day, they post regular podcasts and host endless debates on breastfeeding and tantrums and so on and they have many, many books out. The US bloggers were amazed to meet me because they had never come across an “anonymous” blogger before. As it says in article, “Americans are more open to spilling their guts out to people who they don’t know” – well I guess that is what I do, but I’m not comfortable with posting pictures of my children or using my real name.
When I was invited to become part of the “Disney 7” I was immensely puzzled. I assumed that they felt sorry for me or wanted to write a film about my ridiculous life (not really – obviously) but it was something much more simple than that. Disney is the king of marketing. They took a risk in inviting a random group of women, without their children. I told them before I accepted their invitation that I might not write anything positive because I hated rides and the whole Disney concept and yet they still felt confident that they could make me change my mind. We were under absolutely no obligation to write anything at all if we didn’t want. My main motivation for going was to meet some of the people that make up my new cyberworld in real life. We had such a fantastic time, laughing all the time and free to indulge our common interest in all things blog related – it was really quite liberating.
Up until their invitation, I had never been asked to review anything before. I do review things regularly – books, films, theatre productions, gigs, but only because I’ve paid to go and want to write about my experience. I do have readers buying the books I’ve recommended or watching the films. “The Times” article comments that “what bloggers write ends up being more believed and trusted by readers”. I don’t make any money from my blog. My motivation for starting up a blog were initially twofold. Firstly it was a cheap form of therapy and I hoped to find others going through a similar experience – I had no idea when I started that a strong and close bond would build up amongst a group of us. Secondly it kept me focused and sane and indoors, with my children instead of falling off the curb of life after late nights out.
Since then I have questioned the purpose of my blog many times. Of course it would be great if I could make some money from it but it has been my passion for two years but I am not prepared to compromise it’s integrity by adding adverts that don’t relate to my blog or by writing reviews on child related products. My children are a bit too old for that sort of thing. However, I have friends who have products I’d like to write about and friends in the travel industry and if I can do reviews about those sorts of things then I would be very happy to do so. I suppose the answer is to remain selective and focus on things that are relevant to your own life.
At the moment, my love for blogging is still mainly about the friendships I’ve made and the fact that the world has become a little bit smaller. Comments like this one have kept me blogging. A few posts ago I wrote about “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”:-
Janelle said…
“ah sweet angel…ENORMOUS BEAR HUG. just wish i could astro you over here…take you out onto a big plain, watch the elephants and see new horizons…because you have them…really. you do…the afrikaaners say wat nie dood maak nie maak vet. ie. what doesn’t kill you makes you fat. careful eh? and then my friend tim says what doesn’t kill you makes you stranger…i would stick with your one….BUCKETS and BUCKETS of love darling lulu….XXXXX j
ps: word veri is platudl which is obviously the little word veri man trying to say platitudes”.
She is my friend in Tanzania, who stumbled upon my blog one day whilst ill in bed and then read the whole thing and then it turned out that her family knew my family when we all lived in Africa AND I am going to Zambia in the summer with my father to attempt to uncover the mystery of my Grandfather’s death and I will hopefully meet up with her. It’s not as if I spend all my time writing about my disastrous personal life and when I take a quick peek at which content has received the most hits it emphasises how random blogs can be. Unfortunately STILL at number one is my post entitled “Hairy Nipple Syndrome” (about which I know nothing obviously), followed by my recent Katherine Jenkins post and then worryingly my post entitled “What’s a spit roast?” and then rather sweetly my 8 year old’s Mother’s Day cake entry and then Marco Pierre White’s 30th Anniversary Party.
I felt a bit of a fraud on the trip. I don’t spend a lot of time writing about my children and don’t really consider myself to be the archetypal “mummy blogger” although it did turn out that we all felt the same. The others knew far more than me about links and RSS feeds and how to Twitter. I tried to mention my children at least once. I really don’t know why they invited me. But I’m glad they did. I’ve made lots more friends.
notSupermum
May 28, 2009I read the same article today and was thinking about it earlier. My main motivation for blogging is for a bit of a hobby, making new virtual friends, and an outlet for my general rantings that don’t get an audience otherwise.
I recently started doing the occasional survey for Think Parents which has led to me reviewing some blu-ray films for children which they kindly sent me (plus a blu-ray machine, which I get to keep!). Again, like you, they only asked for honest reviews of the films so I’m happy to do that.
I think it’s important to maintain the integrity of the blog, but when certain products lend itself to what you write about and you would normally choose to buy them yourself then I don’t see any harm.
Btw, I was also asked on the Disney trip but couldn’t go due to work/childcare issues. Glad you enjoyed it!
Janelle
May 28, 2009aw shucks lulu! THANKS DARLIN’! yeah. i remember when i found your blog…with pc in bed and i read and read from beginning to end..it was when you were begging us all to NOT in fact vote for you because if you won you would have to go to the awards with a brown paper bag over your head. oh you made me laugh so much. you still do. keep blogging wonderful You. XXX j ps: word veri degeadwi…WHAT? did a good wee? huh? he gone loopy. clearly. x
Mum's the word
May 28, 2009You are who you are, a British Mummy Blogger. That in itself can cover a multitude of sins. So whether you write about your children once a day or once week, you are not a fraud. You write blogs that people like to read, me included.
So as your friend Janelle said before me, keep blogging wonderful you.
Exmoorjane
May 29, 2009Great blog, Lulu. Like you I was immensely puzzled to be invited on the trip and still struggle with the idea of being a ‘mummy blogger’. Thought I was more of a ‘miserable old bag blogger’ but I’m hugely grateful for being invited and love that Disney invited the people they did. To coin a phrase, you were all AWESOME…..
My Little Brown Book
June 2, 2009I like to think of you guys as ‘mums who blog’ not necessarily ‘mummy bloggers’ which I think can be a bit of a limiting title.
Variety is the spice of life and I think each of the Disney 7 brought such a different set of eyes and ears to the trip that it made for fascinating reading.
xx
Working Mum
June 2, 2009I read the article too (a friend gave it to me ’cause she knew I was a blogger). I think it’s great that these companies are wising up to the fact that there is an army of intelligent, eloquent women out there who could give honest reviews and feedback. I get lots of PR companies asking me to do things, but, like you, I don’t put adverts on my blog as it is not a commercial enterprise, I do my blog as a hobby. If anything came up that I was really interested in and was relevant to my life as a Working Mum (like, for instance, a trip to Disney!!) I would do it for the experience and be honest about it. So, any companies out there need a villa in Tuscany reviewing? 🙂
Linda
June 6, 2009Lulu, I keep trying to comment on different posts and I think your spam trap is stopping me – I'm sorry you have been feeling a bit shit, you are a superstar, that is all. Good day. x