I'VE been reading about how PRs are engaging with bloggers lately and some of the discussion has either been sparked by or led to mentions of a recent trip I shared with six other so-called UK 'mummybloggers' to Walt Disney World.
The trip was the subject of a feature in The Times by my fellow member of the so-called Disney Seven, Alice Castle.
You can also see this forward thinking post from travel journalist Jeremy Head and this interesting piece by Manchester's Sarah Hartley.
I'm included because of You've Got Your Hands Full, our blog for multiple birth parents, which has gained more than 11,000 returning readers since being launched in 2006.
Susanna, from A Modern Mother, recently shared guidance for PRs wanting to contact this group of bloggers and I have been meaning to add my thoughts on her excellent post for a while. The one point I disagreed on was that I write for other people, not for me.
My number one piece of advice? Don't assume anything.* Mums are as diverse as any other group of women. The bloggers with me on our recent trip were:
Laura from Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy - a brilliant writer who has me laughing out loud. A skilful blogger whose posts and comment streams have had me in stitches. An aspiring writer who deserves to be widely read.
Erica from Littlemummy - a committed and enterprising young woman. An inspirational blogger whose passion for learning new things has brought her many benefits. I've worked with lots of aspiring journalists as a trainer and mentor and Erica's nous and passion for new media would put many of them in the shade.
Becky from Englishmum - Her posts get 50+ comments. I think that speaks for itself. Hardly surprising when yet again, they are likely to have you laughing out loud. It's a wonderfully entertaining read. Better than a lot of stuff that's supposed to be funny printed elsewhere.
Alice from DulwichDivorcee - a national newspaper journalist, sub-editor and novelist. Writes like a dream. Just love her stuff. Seriously, check out this post about her unrequited love for a cartoon mouse if you don't believe me.
Jane from Diary of a Desperate Exmoor woman - A force to be reckoned with. A big-hearted cackler! Straight talking with an awe-inspiring turn of phrase. Author of more than 20 books and renowned national feature writer. Exactly the sort of woman you want sitting behind you to make you cry with laughter when you step off Expedition Everest.
Lulu - from Family Affairs - yet another writer of the 'laugh out loud' variety. Wicked company. Has built up lasting friendships through her blog which is read at home and abroad. Modest with yet again, a brilliant sense of humour and writes with searing honesty.
Why am I listing these ladies here? Well because I hate the way the term 'mummyblogger' and some of the discussions centred around it, to me in any case, seem to somehow assume that we all have the same narrow focus of home life. We don't.
I've just been reading Noble Savage's take on a recent BBC programme about working women. It's as intelligent and thought-provoking a post as anything I would read in a broadsheet. Why shouldn't it be? But what makes it better is that she is engaging with her commenters, having a discussion, strengthening a debate.
It's interesting to me that all bar one of the Disney 7 (as Laura called us) were either pretty anti Disney or at best apathetic about it before our trip.
Jane's first post would make even the most hardy PR wince. But since our return, we've blogged, tweeted and Facebooked about it, still laughing, and shared tips and memories from our readers.
This 'ripple' effect must be a PR dream. When I attended JEE Camp, Ross from the Lichfield blog sat down next to me and joined in our conversation, telling me someone he followed on Twitter was a 'mumblogger who'd been invited to Disney. I smiled as Craig McGinty told him: "You're sitting next to her."
But it's a serious point. The message had spread. Lots of contacts have told me they enjoyed my tweets from Disney. Some responded while I was out there - more conversations were unleashed. (I didn't do it that often, honest!)
I've now started a blog, with two more great 'mummy bloggers' Camilla Chafer and Keris Stainton, all about places to go and things to do. Both colleagues are also freelance journalists and I think that's another important point. Three of us on the Disney trip have pitched or written pieces for newspapers about it.
The new blog is called Have a Lovely Time and the thinking behind it is that too often snooty newspapers think we all have bucketloads of cash to spend on activities or that we can all zip off to the South East at a moment's notice.
It's also grating when I read pieces in the mainstream press that tell me I must be 'sick' of my kids so here's a list of 20 things to 'keep them happy.' I'm very happy to spend time with them and try and have a lovely time together, thanks very much.
I love the new blog Experimental Mum, where the family are trying out all sorts of weird and wonderful experiments. That’s' what I call a good read!
Jeremy Head said to me he reckons the 'mummybloggers' could be a force to be reckoned with. Too right. Let's bring it on! Mums are talented writers with great research skills and very often aren't afraid to speak up for what they believe in.
* My second piece of advice? Don't tell me, as one PR did that they are looking for children to take part in a campaign but they don't want ugly ones. Thing is, as a mum, I sort of don't think of kids as ugly. Not ever.
ALSO - whatever you do, don't forget the dads!
Think you know Mummybloggers? Think again!
*This post has been adapted from www.freelancewritingtips.com
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