Make Some Music & Make a Difference This Week
May 31, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 6 Comments
Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how:
- Commit to do one act of kindness each week based on the week’s challenge.
- Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
- Grab the SOS button at the bottom of this post and put it on your blog or social networking site.
- Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s music-related giveaway by clicking here.
- Join #gno to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.
10 Ways to Make a Difference This Week
Here are 10 music-related ideas that will make a meaningful difference this week!
- Teach your children your three favorite childhood songs. Perform them for others.
- Play an instrument with your child or sign your child up for music lessons.
- Share your musical talent(s) with others—to friends or family, over the phone or skype to loved ones that live far away, to strangers: at a nursing home or to a homeless person.
- Dedicate a song on the radio, on Twitter, on Facebook, or on your blog to someone you care about.
- Share the gift of music with someone by sending them an iTunes gift card, a CD, etc.
- Find out your dad’s 10 favorite songs, download, and burn them onto a CD for him for Father’s day.
- Send a loved one a letter/message with the words to a song that sums up your feelings for him/her.
- Set a great tone in your home by playing music in the background.
- Make up stories about classical music (or other wordless songs) and tell them to your children as the music is playing.
- Dance with your children!
This week’s SOS Challenge is sponsored by Diane Birch and S-Curve Records. What else can you do to Make Some Music? How has Making Some Music for others made a meaningful difference this week?
RSVP for #GNO: We’re Talking Music With Diane Birch & S-Curve Records
May 31, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 4 Comments
#GNO is talking music in celebration of singer/songwriter, Diane Birch’s, record release Bible Belt from S-Curve Records. Join Diane and her producer, Steve Greenberg, along with the #gno gang here this Tuesday night.
- What: Girl’s Night Out (What’s GNO? Click here to find out!)
- When: Tuesday, June 2, 9-11 p.m. EDT
- Where: Tweet Grid (use #gno hashtag)
- Topic: Music
- Who: @dianebirch , @steviegpro
- RSVP: Enter your twitter URL/ID in the list below (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_momIF). If you would like to include your blog, please enter it next to your name. Make sure to include your twitter URL in the URL line. Please do not enter your blog URL there.
Remember to enter to win this week’s giveaway—an iPhone 8GB, a $50 iTunes gift card, and an autographed Diane Birch CD. Click here for details. Check out the widget here.
Giveaway—Win an iPhone 8GB, $50 iTunes Gift Card, & Autographed Diane Birch CD
May 31, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 117 Comments
Mom It Forward has a summer full of fun giveaways planned and is kicking it off with the mother load of all prizes this Tuesday night, June 2. Sponsored by singer/songwriter Diane Birch and S-Curve Records, this giveaway not only gives you the gift of music, but also supports one of five great causes that you can read about here.
Giveaway Prizes
Three winners will be randomly selected to win one of these prizes:
- Grand Prize: iPhone 8GB, 2 Diane Birch concert tickets, an autographed Diane Birch CD
- First Place Prize: $50 iTunes gift card and autographed Diane Birch CD
- Second Place Prize: Autographed Diane Birch CD
Entry Requirements
To enter to win, you are required to do the following two things and leave a comment on this post by Monday, June 8 at midnight EDT, including a link to your blog or social networking site, your e-mail address, and information about your extra entries, if applicable:
- Write a post on your blog or social networking site about the concept behind the Discover and Donate widget.
- Post the Discover and Donate widget on your blog or social networking site.
To receive extra entries (for a total of three extra entries):
- Tweet about this giveaway, including this link: http://www.dianebirch.com/charity/index.php.
- Click here to join the Mom It Forward Facebook group.
- Post about this giveaway on your Facebook wall, including this link: http://www.dianebirch.com/charity/index.php.
The Fine Print
No purchase necessary to enter this giveaway. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Family members of Diane Birch, S-Curve Records employees, One2One Network, and the Mom It Forward team are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Monday, June 8 at midnight EDT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered.
Family Picture Stolen and Then Found 5000 Miles Away. Copyright Infringement?
May 31, 2009 by Danielle Smith · 2 Comments
My family is…well…kind of noticeable in the Czech Republic. And not because we asked for any notoriety, but simply because we posted family pictures on the internet.
Here is the basic story…
This is a family picture we took this past October. I posted it on my blog and Facebook to share with people I care about. We loved it so much, we used it as our Christmas card.
Apparently someone else loved it so much, they swiped it, and used it to advertise for a high end grocery store—in THE CZECH REPUBLIC. That is nearly 5000 miles away from where I live. Note the langauge at the bottom of the ad.
An old friend from college (who I’m recently back in touch with thanks to Facebook) lives in Prague—and nearly scared his wife half to death when he yelled out in surprise as he drove down the road. The picture is life size—maybe even bigger.
I have felt a variety of emotions about this….this intrusion into my life. I have been alternately flattered (really? Of all the pictures they could have stolen, they chose ours?) to confused (how did this happen?) to offended (who do they think they are?)
But what has been most amazing to me since I shared this story is the outpouring of opinions, shared thoughts and feelings, suggestions and offers of help.
Some moms offered to ask husbands/cousins/friends for advice on what I should do. Some didn’t wait to ask if I needed anything, they called ‘people in the know’ and then emailed me with advice and additional help. Many suggested I laugh it off, some yelled SUE!, others said, “I’m not sure there is anything you can do, but it is a good picture.”
Ninety-eight percent of the people (mainly moms) who contacted me are not people I have ever met—they are people who reached out, hoping I wasn’t too scared. They wanted my world to feel small and comfortable again—not big and unknown. This is what moms do, don’t they?
For that, I am grateful. I’m proud to be a mom. I’m proud to call so many of you friends.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward – as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children
From a Spider Bite to Leukemia—Mom’s Plight in Dealing With 3YOs Cancer Battle
May 28, 2009 by Danielle Smith · 1 Comment
In an instant—snap your fingers—life as you know it can change.
Just ask the mother of two behind www.ManicMother.com.
It has only been a week since Beth’s youngest son, Ezra was bitten by a spider (or tick). Not long after, Beth noticed her son was lethargic and limping. Back to the doctor. Another X-Ray revealed abnormalities in his bones.
Within 24 hours the family is told their sweet 2 year old has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). But wait! Wasn’t it only a spider bite? In less than a week, Ezra has had surgery to have a port placed in his chest and he has endured two rounds of chemotherapy.
And yet, he is still the darling, curly-haired boy he was last Wednesday.
Thanks to a renegade spider, Ezra’s cancer—for which he had shown no symptoms— is caught early and has NOT spread to his brain or spine.
It is as Beth takes stock of where life is getting ready to go, that she recognizes she cannot do it alone: a childhood forever changed, potentially 3 years of chemo treatments, a family with one car who might need to get a sick child to the emergency room at a moment’s notice, the need for an immaculate home to keep Ezra safe and healthy.
So, she writes.
She is honest. She knows what her family has, what they are capable of and what they will need from others. So, she asks for help.
And, she receives.
And that is how moms ‘mom it forward’ a little every day. They recognize the time to give and the time to accept help.
You can visit http://www.manicmother.com for more details about Ezra and for ways to help.
Know a “Mom It Forward” mom—someone who inspires you, gives back to others, is changing the world one mom at a time? Nominate her to be spotlighted in our “inspiring moms!” section by writing us at momitforward [at] gmail [dot] com.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter and ChicksWhoConnect. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward – as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
RSVP: Marketing to Women & Moms Using Social Media Part II—The Brand’s Perspective
May 25, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 24 Comments
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a brand representive—a “Wal-Mart 11 mom,” a “Hanes mom,” or a “Fishful Thinking Faculty Member or Ambassador”? Curious about what mom-involved campaigns include, how these moms are selected, and why businesses are finding it so advantageous to involve them not only up front in focus groups, but as representatives for an extended period of time. 
What are the results businesses are getting from these campaigns, how does the mixture of moms and social media help them get the word out faster, better than traditional advertising?
You can learn the answer to these and many more questions by joining us here this Tuesday night.
- What: Girl’s Night Out (What’s GNO? Click here to find out!)
- When: Tuesday, May 26, 9-11 p.m. EDT
- Where: Tweet Grid (use #gno hashtag)
- Topic: Marketing to Women and Moms Using Social Media (from the Brand’s perspective)
- Who: @barbarajones (from One2One Network), @johnflandrews (formerly of Wal-Mart and now of MARS Advertising, @levitanl (from Mr. Youth), @lindsaylebresco (from Graco), @mattyb123 (from Mr. Youth)
- RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_momIF). If you would like to include your blog, please enter it next to your name. Make sure to include your twitter URL in the URL line. Please do not enter your blog URL there.
Handmade Pillows Comfort Mothers Who Suffer Early Pregnancy Loss
May 24, 2009 by Danielle Smith · Leave a Comment
Maureen Day knows what it feels like to experience the joy of pregnancy and the heartbreak of losing that unborn child.
Already a mom to 4 children, Maureen found out she was expecting a new baby in the summer of 2003. She and her husband shared the news with the family – kids ranging in age from 7 to 20 years old. While it was a surprise, everyone quickly embraced the idea.
But their happiness was short lived. In September, Maureen discovered the baby had no heartbeat. She was surprised by the depth of the emotional pain that came with losing that child.
For weeks, she worked her way through the greiving process, only to find that she wanted to come up with a tangible way to help other mothers suffering as she was. And so it was that she created HeavenBorn – a non-profit project that provides booklets and handmade pillows to women who have suffered an early pregnancy loss. The simple booklet provides information on how to handle the physical and emotional challenges of this grief. And, the hope is that the pillow will provide a tangible source of comfort.
Maureen hopes to take moms through the stages she believes will help them to cope with their loss: feel, grieve, hope, remember. She creates the pillows by hand with the help of some generous women. It is her goal to make these pillows available to all mothers who experience this type of tragedy.
Many of the HeavenBorn pillows are now being given to mothers in local hospitals at their time of loss. HeavenBorn exists solely based on donations and volunteers who donate their time to create these small tokens of love. If you would like to donate your time…or you are interested in starting a HeavenBorn chapter in your area, email Maureen at Maureen@heavenborn.com.
Know a “Mom It Forward” mom—someone who inspires you, gives back to others, is changing the world one mom at a time? Nominate her to be spotlighted in our “Be Inspired!” section by writing us at momitforward [at] gmail [dot] com.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter and ChicksWhoConnect. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward – as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
10 Tips to Raising Service-Oriented, Giving, and Charitable Children
May 21, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 2 Comments
Growing up, I remember feeling frustrated when my parents dragged me from service project to service project, forcing me to give up precious time with my friends and, let’s face it, even more invaluable time sitting on the couch watching tv LOL! I was convinced my parents were service-a-holics. And what that meant for their six children, especially me being the oldest, was a life of indentured servitude… or so I thought.
Now, with two children of my own, I have realized that my parents taught me one of the most powerful lessons a parent could teach—a knowledge and a love of service. So, now as I “drag” my own children from project to project, I have wondered what, exactly, it was that my parents did that helped me turn my drudgery for service into a passion.
Here are 10 tips I have extrapolated from their parenting that I hope to instill in my children.
1. Serve With Your Children. Serving side by side with your children is one of the most powerful teachers of how to serve all while bringing the family closer. While kids may complain, the bonding time you share sticks in their memories as a positive experience. When they have children of their own and search for ways in which to bond with their children, they will want to repeat the positive experiences they had as a child and the cycle will continue.
- One of my most memorable service projects as a child was a family picnic where my dad did all the service. My dad was the president of our local Rotary Club and they were raising money to wipe out Polio. I was 10 years old and remember the hot Arizona day, watching my dad prepare the dutch oven luncheon for the event and him talking to me at length about Polio, explaining why the Rotary Club was focused on raising money to eradicate it, and the importance of my participation. I felt important! I didn’t do a thing but talk to my dad and eat the picnic lunch, but I felt I had made a huge difference for mankind.
2. Talk to Your Children About Giving and Sharing. When you are not able to serve side by side with your children, share in detail your experiences after the event. Specifically, help them understand the need, how you helped to meet the need, and why your giving and sharing was so important. If you can, take pictures or video and share it with them. Your excitement for your volunteering will be contagious!
Family Service Project at Assisted Living Facility
3. Choose Service Activities Your Children Are Passionate About. Service activities come in many shapes and sizes. Identify what is important to your children and choose activities and causes that fit with their interests. Some suggestions include animals, the environment, children will illnesses, an illness a family member suffers from, etc.
4. Choose a Cause That Taps In to Your Child’s Talents, Skills, & Abilities. Does your child play a musical instrument? Does she like to do arts and crafts? Is he good at weeding or picking up trash? Can she make homemade greeting cards? Can he sing in a group? Nursing homes is just one example of a place that allows kids to visit and share who they are with others. This act of sharing and giving boosts self esteem and helps children learn that their talents, skills, and abilities can be used for good.
5. Tie Everyday Tasks Into Service. Make service an everyday activity and giving a constant thought by reinforcing these concepts in simple things like sharing toys, taking turns, secretly doing a sibling’s chores, giving family members hugs and kisses, etc. You can do this by saying things like: “Johnny, great job at sharing your toys with Billy. That shows that you are a giving person.” To help kids recognize the many ways to serve, create a Giving Chart, where they identify either in written or drawing format things they can do on a daily basis to serve those around them.
Cousins Creating Treasure Boxes (Gratitude Charts)
6. Show Gratitude. Helping kids recognize and show appreciation for things they are grateful for is an important aspect of service. Involve your children in gratitude activities such as keeping a gratitude journal or art book; going on gratitude walks; keeping a Daily Gratitude Chart on the refrigerator where you, as a family, can list your blessings; and having activities such as sitting in a circle and sharing what you are grateful for about the person sitting to your right. Check out Fishful Thinking for their Grateful Sayings activity.
7. Add an Aspect of Giving to Holidays & Events. The Christmas and Hanukkah season is a terrific and natural time to give to others, but you can add a touch of service during many other events as well. For example, many people are now donating their birthday gifts to charity.
- When I was 11 years old, my parents enlisted our help in doing the 12 Days of Christmas for a family whose mom was dying of breast cancer. Together, we picked out all of the gifts, items that would help the family feel joy during the holiday season. We created a strategy for how we would anonymously deliver the gifts. Then, we created a schedule of which family member would take responsibility for various tasks: wrapping the gifts, delivering them, etc. Each day, we huddled together after it got dark to work on our tasks and carry out the project. I will always remember that as one of the best Christmases. Not surprisingly, I don’t recall what I received for my gifts that year.
Kids Bowling to Help Fight Poverty in Africa
8. Serve even when you’re away from home. What a better way to get to know and bond with a destination location than to serve it or its community? If you’ll be away on a long trip, you can arrange a project through an organization. Nearly every major city has a homeless shelter or rescue mission, for example. For shorter stays, simple tasks like picking up garbage at a park and smiling at strangers on the street can make a big difference. Before going on a trip, plan as a family by answering the question: What can we do to give back to the towns and people we’ll be visiting?
- When I was 12 years old, my parents gave me the wonderful opportunity of visiting their friends in Costa Rica for the summer and encouraged me to do a service project before I left. I planned and ran a bake sale with the help of some of my church friends. I raised a whopping $30, which felt like a million bucks! Once I arrived, Silvia, the mom of the family I was staying with, took me all by myself to the grocery store where we purchases items for three families—food that would help them survive for 6 months. The most memorable part of my summer was delivering the food to the three families, crying with them as they humbly accepted it, and gaining a stark realization at the age of 12 of how other people suffer and that I had the power to make a huge difference. I count that as one of the most fortunate experiences I’ve ever had and thank my parents for ensuring it happened.
Decorating Tree at Center for Abused Children
9. Do Unto Others as They Need You to Do Unto Them. What’s valuable to teach your kids about service is that everyone needs to be loved in different ways and that finding out and meeting their needs is most important. While some people need your undivided attention, others need a quick smile or hug. Still others may need a meal brought in (and yes, kids can and should help with that!) or their houses cleaned. When you look at a person and ask yourself and your child: What need does that person have and how can we meet it, you are getting at the heart of selfless service.
10. Emphasize the Role of Money in Charity. Giving includes all sorts of things, many of which do not cost a cent. A child can donate old toys, clothes, or art supplies to organizations that need them. But, since charities also require money to operate, volunteer opportunities and causes that require money offer a wonderful way to teach children about its value. For example, just as you can teach kids to save by reserving a percentage of their allowances for a savings account, you can also have them put aside a specific amount for a giving account. Turn this into a craft activity where they get to decorate three cans or envelopes, labeling them: “Spending,” “Saving,” and “Giving”.
For some great child-oriented service projects, read http://www.parents.com/family-life/work-money-politics/volunteering-philanthropy/10-kid-oriented-causes/.
(Top photo used with permission from Flickr.)
Mom Donates Her Gift of Photography to Families, Children, and Charities
May 21, 2009 by Danielle Smith · Leave a Comment
Inspiration comes in many forms, but for me, right now, it has taken the shape of a petite brunette. She is sitting across from me calmly drinking ice tea as she talks about her drive to ‘give back’. Photographer, Gina Kelly works with more than 20 charities in the St. Louis area. That’s right, 2-0.
The questions are galloping through my mind, leap-frogging over one another to spill out of my mouth first: How does she find the time? How does she choose who she works with? Does she have a favorite? How does she give…is it time, talent, or money? Why does she do it?
Gina Kelly’s story is amazing. Any given week you can find her photographing (for free) a Mother-Daughter Tea or Bowling Event for little girls with Down Syndrome, flying to the Dominican Republic to document and participate in charity work with the Albert Pujols Family Foundation, (Gina will head to the Dominican for the third time next week) snapping priceless family moments, taking pre-school class pictures, catching a bride and groom in their perfect moment of love, or donating her time to tell the stories of previously homeless teenagers.
But to understand Gina, you need to know where she has come from and how hard she has worked to get where she is.
In the 1990’s, under the tutelage of several well-known photographers in the St. Louis area, Gina explains, “I got a great foundation.” She learned the ropes, paid her dues and honed her own innate talent for getting the best shots, developing a special rapport with her subjects and working quickly. But the chance to use this talent professionally was jeopardized by her personal situation.
A victim of domestic violence, she survived an abusive marriage, only to fall in love with a man who would eventually kick her and her two young children out into the street. A mere 8 years ago, Gina was a homeless, single mom.
The photography business she had started on her own had to close as she needed to make money to support her family. Gina says, “Prayer was huge. I did whatever I could. I painted baby rooms. I gave piano lessons. I worked part time at a local deli.”
But, she continues, “I started thinking about getting on my feet. I was absorbing like a sponge – (trying to understand) how is he or she successful?” Gina began working with another local photographer, “(This woman) enabled me to financially get on my feet and try out new stuff.”
This new beginning for Gina allowed her to blossom into the mother, photographer and giver she had always wanted to be. She explains, “I needed someone to light the fire within.” Her epiphany: the realization that ‘to give would be to receive’. “Prayer was huge. I prayed about my husband, about my home and it all happened,” she says with reverance.
Her philosophy for photography became, “It happened and you caught it (on film)”
This philosophy, combined with her desire to give, paved the way for Art by Gina, which opened in 2001. With this company, Gina has focused mainly on children, maternity and family portraits. Early on, she began ‘doing little things’ to help others. She realized, through work with her daughter’s Girl Scouts, her son’s day care, and a few local preschools that many families couldn’t afford pictures. She wanted to help. Gina explains, “I started throwing in coupons, giving some portraits away for free.”
She continues, “Almost all of my giving is kid based. I did that purposely. I donate where my heart is.”
And her heart continues to grow. Her life has become a beautiful circle. As she has continued to ‘give’, she has been blessed with more work, amazing connections and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. For Gina, this means, a greater opportunity to give of herself.
To continue this giving tradition, to allow for opportunities to help others and to continue sharing her talents, Gina started a second photography company in 2003. Lace Images focuses mainly on weddings, corporate events and charity. Each photographer who works at Lace knows ‘giving back’ is part of the job. They regularly donate their time and talents to charitable events around the city.
This is a woman, a mother, a photographer who gives back, not by writing checks, but with her own time and talents. In keeping with her desire to help kids, Gina was recently walking through The Covenant House, a home taking teenagers off the streets. She noticed that the walls were bare. When told that there was not yet enough money to put anything up, Gina did what she does best, she offered to help. Her suggestion: use photographs to tell the real-life stories of the teens that had been saved from the streets. Gina did it for free. One by one, she has taken these teenagers to the areas of the city where they were found, photographed them, and documented their current triumph.
Also, touching Gina’s heart: The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the Kurt Warner Foundation, the Pujols Family Foundation (benefitting Down Syndrome), Young Moms of Down Syndrome and the St. Louis Family Church (benefitting inner city kids).
I think we could all take a page out of Gina’s book to begin a new chapter in our lives.
Know a “Mom It Forward” mom—someone who inspires you, gives back to others, is changing the world one mom at a time? Nominate her to be spotlighted in our “Be Inspired!” section by writing us at momitforward [at] gmail [dot] com.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter and ChicksWhoConnect. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward – as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
@ClassyMommy Shares Tips on Working With Brands: Know Yourself, Find a Niche
May 20, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 5 Comments
The chatter on last night’s #GNO made my head spin. I think I’m still recovering from the stimulating and informative discussions on how brands are tapping into Social Media Moms as we enter the “New Age of Brand Evangelists.” Clearly, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to this hot topic. Tweeters asked how bloggers and brands connect in the first place and wondered what triggered the relationship. Is it traffic stats, influence, twitter followers, or something else entirely?
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I think all of the above are important, but venture to guess that the “something else entirely” is the essential ingredient that triggers the lasting or more formal relationship with a brand. (And I think it goes without saying that bloggers obviously need to work with brands they are passionate about and are a genuine fit for their lifestyle, tastes, beliefs, family, etc.)
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For me, vlogging has been the “something else entirely” factor which has created my more formal relationships with brands. Before I ever imagined companies would send bloggers free products I started Classy Mommy to write about all my favorite finds and the gazillion products on the market for Moms and babies. Back in 2006 the one thing I did that was different and a natural fit for my style was start doing “video reviews” of products.
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Circa 2006: My 10 month old daughter tests organic baby food for one of my first videos. At the time the word vlogging was not even in my vocab, but for those who know me in real life, you know I talk alot and enjoy the camera so “vlogging” was an instinct for me. 3 years later, I still don’t use any script and find being myself on the fly is my best strategy for a fun video.
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This month, since I’m a professed microwave chef, I’m working on a vlogging campaign for Healthy Choice to showcase their products. Clearly, I’m still being myself as I let viewers in on the dirty little secret that is my jam packed freezer. I mean really have you ever seen a freezer like mine? I’m a disaster and my crazy kids are a pretty good match for my crazy freezer!
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And vlogging was the reason Wal-Mart asked me to join their 11 Moms campaign last summer as they were looking for Moms willing to share money saving tips on YouTube. This video I created about saving money with rechargeable batteries, probably also caught the eye of Energizer as I’m now a brand advocate for Energizer Rechargeables. So for me, I definitely think vlogging was the “something else” factor to trigger my brand relationships.
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Just like a a blog post incorporating a brand needs to be genuine, so does a video. I’m still doing the same thing as when I started messing around with the camera 3 years ago, but I have learned that my best videos are super short – cause even I don’t want to watch myself chattering if I start going over 1 minute!
Know yourself, your blog, your niche, and how you are different from everyone else. Are you a heavy tweeter? Really funny? An expert in living green? Do you have a large family? Wild kids? Love to vlog? Take phenomenal photos? In my experience, I see companies reaching out to bloggers based on how they differentiate themselves and how that particular angle might be a fit for a specific campaign or brand.
