March 14th, 2012

What is a Gender Reveal Party

Gender Reveal Party

With over 60% of pregnant women finding out the gender of their baby during the course of their pregnancies, Gender Reveal Parties and Gender Reveal Baby Showers are growing in popularity. It is especially popular for second time pregnant Moms looking for a unique way to celebrate the birth of other children. Since many second time Moms don’t get a baby shower for subsequent children (for obvious reasons), having a Gender Reveal party is way unique way to celebrate the joy of a new life.

Despite waiting to find out the gender of our first child, we wanted to know earlier with this baby and decided to have a Gender Reveal Party. Between space planning and other factors, including a health scare, we thought that it would be fun to find out in advance of the birth of this child. Yet, I wasn’t too excited with finding out in a doctor’s office, so this was a fun option I discovered.

The concept is that you have an ultrasound (usually standard procedure during the course of pre-natal care) and during that appointment the technician doing the procedure usually can tell the sex of the baby. However, instead of telling you, they write it on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. You bring the envelope to a bakery who then bakes a cake (cupcakes or even cake pops) with either pink or blue cake/frosting on the inside. You have a party, cut the cake and voila – you find out what you are having! Another idea is to give the envelope to a friend who buys either pink or blue helium-filled balloons and places them in a large box. Then you open the box and see what floats out!

We also thought it may be good opportunity to support a local charity. In lieu of gifts, we are encouraging our guests to bring a pack of diapers to donate to charity. Anyone who brings a pack, will enter to win a fabulous prize. We also suggested folks bring something pink or blue depending on what is their guess for the gender of this baby; if we find out the gender is a boy, we are going to donate all the pink items to charity or vice versa.

In reality though, as a Blogger, I live my life online. I talk about my pregnancy, my family and my dogs on this blog, on Facebook and on Twitter, to name a few social media spaces! So it seemed to be a natural flow to share this experience with my online family too. (That’s you!) So on the night of our own Gender Reveal Party, I’m also going to be sharing the festivities on Twitter, Facebook and this blog. The really cool thing is that anyone who follows the fun will be the ones to get all the presents! So click here if you would like to learn more! Trust me, you are not going to want to miss this!

For all of you who are pregnant – whether you are team green, blue or pink – may you all have happy, and healthy pregnancies!

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Image from Vintage Confections. Perfect place to order unique lollipops like those shown above for your gender reveal party!

Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this post.

 

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March 14th, 2012

Gender Reveal Twitter Party

After making the decision to have a Gender Reveal Party to find out the gender of this baby with which I am currently pregnant, it was a natural progression as a Blogger to make it a fun online event too. If you don’t know much about Gender Reveal Parties, you should definitely read my post here. However, I was so excited when Magic Beans wanted to partner with me on this online baby reveal event.

magic beansMagic Beans is sponsoring my online Gender Reveal Twitter Party! If you don’t know who they are, they are a baby gear and toy store with five locations in Massachusetts. If you don’t live local, they have an amazing online store too. Baby registries, birthday party registries, the best gear, the hottest toys; they have them. Which is why they are named in the Best of Boston Guide and on Boston.com’s A-list, to name just a few amazing accolades. Follow them on Twitter as they always have tons of magic happening at @MBeans. They are giving away some amazing prizes during the Twitter party too, such as this awesome set from Sage Spoonfuls and a goody bag with tons of items that will blow your baby-socks off.

Plus, I am so excited that the Best Baby Gear Guru Jamie (otherwise known as the @TheBabyGuyNYC on Twitter) is wrangling the Twitter party. Even though he appears on the likes of the Today Show, I am super honored that he will be here. His awesomeness will make the Twitter Party a blast! Trust me on that one.

punchbowlAlso, Punchbowl is giving away a $100 premium membership that we will give one lucky person during the Twitter Party. They have some fabulous online invitations specifically for Gender Reveal Parties and Showers (and other parties and events too!) Check out my post on the invitation I used and how the Punchbowl website has really helped with party planning. I am so excited that they are participating because they are a local company too. They are on Twitter at @Punchbowl.

Tiny Love – the amazing baby gear line – has donated a fabulous Twitter giveaway! Woot! Do you want to know what it is? Well, you’ll just have to read my post. But let’s just say it will get your groove on. (Hint, Hint.) Follow Tiny Love on Twitter at @TinyLoveAnn.

The spal-licious people from Spa Week are also sharing a $50 Gift Card with a Twitter Party participant because all pregnant Moms need some pampering too. Don’t want to wait? Then check out their listing of $50 spa treatments at participating spas across the country for Spring Spa Week (April 16-20)! Follow them on Twitter at @SpaWeek and @SpaWeekGiftCard

Another fabulous giveaway is from Sage Spoonfuls. I’m so excited about this one! This is an amazing company and product that you have got to check out. The Giveaway is their “Let’s Get Started Package” – a 19 piece ‘Made in the USA’ system with everything you need to make and store your own fresh, natural homemade baby food with ease!  It comes with the Sage Spoonfuls Book—Simple Recipes*Healthy Meals*Happy Babies, an Immersion Blender with a Food Processor, 12 BPA-free 4 oz Storage Jars, 1 Pack of 60 Labels, 2 stackable Storage Trays and a Pocket Guide. Totally BPA, Lead, Phthalate and PVC free! Follow them on Twitter at @SageSpoonfuls!

Happy Baby is joining in on the fun with their yummy baby and toddler products! They are giving away a yummy bag filed with Happy Baby goodies. Everything from their munchies, puffs, and squeezable purees (that are great for Moms too). If you can’t make your baby food, their products are great for on-the-go! You can check out my review here and follow them on Twitter at @HAPPYsuperfoods.

goldenview
There are other fabulous companies have been a part of the process- like Goldenview Ultrasound! They have locations in Boston, MA , Chicago, IL , New York, NY and San Antonio, TX  and offer prenatal 3D Ultrasounds and 4D ultrasounds. They are the ones that identified the goods of this baby, if you know what I mean, and you can read my experience here. They are giving away a free 3D/4D ultrasound to one lucky Mama-to-be during the Twitter Party! Check them out on Twitter at @Goldenview.

No baby party (online or in person) is complete without a lovable GUND. GUND is giving away a Nurserytime Lena Lamb to one lucky winner! This cuddly lamb’s head, body and mouth move as she recites 5 nursery rhymes to the little lamb in her arms. Lena comes with 3 replaceable AA batteries and features an on/off switch on her hand, and retails for $40. In addition, GUND will offer other great giveaway during the Twitter party such as a Lolly Giraffe, Comfy Cozy and Huggy Buddy (ladybug or bumble bee). Each retails for $25-$35. No matter what you win, GUND, a division of Enesco, LLC, is known worldwide for its top quality, soft and huggable plush designs and gift products. Award-winning GUND products appeal to all ages, from infants up, and are perfect for both play and collecting. For products, to purchase an item or to find your nearest retailer, visit www.gund.com or follow them on Twitter at @GottaGettaGund!

Every Mom has heard of MAM. (My son loved the pacifiers in particular!) So it is super sweet that one lucky Mom to be will be gifted with a fabulous basket of MAM goodies, like these:

Follow them on Twitter at @MAMBaby.

Whether you are a Mom now, or soon-to-be Mom, you will really appreciate not having to go to the grocery store the first week you bring baby home. But everyone needs to be fed, right? Which is why Peapod is the best baby gift. Order online while the baby is sleeping, and they deliver your order and put it away. How baby-licious is that? How about winning a Peapod $50 gift card. One person will win this fabulous new parent prize! Follow them on Twitter @PeapodDelivers!

Ooh, ooh (excuse me while I jump up and down), I just found out Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham is donating the cupcakes for my in-person party. They will be the ones to make the cupcake with either the blue or pink buttercream on the inside! Not only am I excited to see which it will be, and share the cupcake reveal with you during the Twitter Party, but I’m also excited to polish off one of those bad-boys! I wrote a review about them when they first opened and have been a big fan since. Follow them on Twitter at @TreatCupcake.

The details: the Twitter party will be on Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 8-9pm ET. Follow the hashtag #pinkorblue to win prizes, talk babies, gender reveal, registries and more. Follow me @CharChronicles, @MBeans and @TheBabyGuyNYC in order to be eligible for the giveaways! Of course, I’ll be posting lots of pre-gender reveal party blog posts where there will be even more opportunities to win goodies and get excited for the awesomeness so like my page on Facebook to stay on top of all the action! Including an opportunity to win a $100 prize by making gender guess on my post here!

So mark your calendars, set the alarm, stay connected and let friends (especially pregnant friends) know of the fun by tweeting using this link!

You don’t want to miss this!

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November 10th, 2011

McDonald’s Social Media Magic

Sign outside McDonald's Plaza, one of the four...

Image via Wikipedia

Every business deals with poor customer service. The larger the company, the more customer service snafus occur. It is the nature of the beast, or the business if you will. Yet, how the company handles it, especially in today’s realm of social media, is where the company can shine or fail.

McDonalds is one of the largest companies out there. With over 32,000 franchise locations, 400,000+ employees and 62 million customers a day, there is significant number of point-to-point contacts with those customers on a daily basis.

I admit I rarely go to McDonalds. Not out of disregard for the company or the food, but solely for the fact that I am at home more often than. This one day, however, I found myself traveling with a toddler that fell preemptively fell sleep. An unfortunate timing: he had a full belly of yogurt and crackers, but my stomach was rumbling. Especially since it had been a long morning, and we had been on the road for 3 hours.

A drive-thru was my only option and I knew there was a McDonalds nearby. After waiting in the drive-thru line for over 15 minutes (couldn’t get out of the car due to said sleeping toddler) I quickly scanned the (confusing) menu with the tiny print on the billboard as I attempt to communicate my desires through the little black box.

As I drove up to the pay window, I asked the employee about the pricing of my meal since I thought the price was $4 and not $8. After several rounds of “I don’t know” why the price is different, he finally gave me an answer (value meal vs. single items). However, he made it clear that he did not like my questions and proceeded to snap my change in my hand, slam the little window, and stomp (literally) to an office and (based on the hand gestures), complain to someone about me. While I get that all the time from many blog haters, I was in shock. I was hungry, I barely come here and I get an employee that is off his rocker. As I drove to the food window, I asked that employee to please get a manager as I could not get out of the car. Someone came over and I mentioned what had occurred. She handed me a free burger card as an apology.

As I drove off shaking my head, I reached into the McDonald’s bag to placate myself with fries as least. As I bit into a cold fry, I tweeted.

Within hours, I had two McDonalds social media representatives tweet me back saying how sorry they were about my experience. “Wow”, I thought. Someone was listening. Someone cared that I had a bad experience and cold fries. They wanted to know what happened and when I told them, they passed the details to the restaurant general manager: to improve, to learn and to prevent. They also sent some free coupons for a future visit.

In the few months since the incident, I have not been able to stop thinking about the fast social media response and the forwarding of the information to the restaurant in question. A winning combination that other organizations should make note of in their social media strategy. Furthermore, it is not just the “poor service” response plan that amazed me. All companies with a social media presence should be scanning Facebook and Twitter for questions too because it is never good to hear stories of no response when a consumer asks a question of a brand. Both levels of engagement (crisis management and proactive management) build positive customer relations and customer loyalty.

Next time I have a sleeping toddler in the backseat and a craving for fries, I know where I am going. What about you? Tell me about a positive customer service experience you had, and one person will receive a handful of McDonalds free product coupons valued over $10.

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Rules: (Gotta have them)

Leave a comment about this post; US entrants welcome. Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so I can contact you if you win. (Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK!). For your safety, please do not put your email in the actual comment. Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded. Entry period closes at 11:59PM ET, Monday, November 14, 2011.
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One lucky winner (drawn randomly via “And the Winner is” WordPress plugin) will receive the coupons. No substitutions and the winner will be notified directly via e-mail who has roughly 48 hours to respond and claim their prize. They then will be listed back at this post using first name only. A minimum of 5 people must enter in order for the Giveaway to occur. Winner must comply with all rules mentioned here, or a new winner will be selected. Charlene Chronicles has the final decision on the winner and is not responsible for wrong email addresses or notification being tagged as spam. Full legal disclosures can be found here.
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Image used with permission. I received no compensation for this post. I sincerely appreciate the Mc-Awesomeness of McD_EasternMA and Amanda_McD, as well as the great Alison at their Boston-based PR company. The coupons I received I am giving away to one of you.

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October 27th, 2011

Making Your Blog Social

Tips and Strategies for Promoting your Content.

As I mentioned in my recap of the Wordcamp Conference in Boston, I sat in on a session where the focus was on making your blog functional (see my post here) and on a session where the focus was making your blog social. Not Buddypress kind of social, but a discussion about content marketing. Being social (i.e., marketing your content) increases your web presence and sharing your blog posts grows your market; whether your goal is to sell your stuff, create a community, increase awareness of a cause or get more followers. It hopefully improves your social experience and the social experience of those who are on your site. It basically was a reminder that if you blog, you probably should Tweet and post on Facebook push your content, because if SEO is important for those that do a Bing or Google search for a topic and land on your blog, you need to be proactive too, if you have one of the above goals.

Some ways to do this are to create blogs that also have video content on YouTube or photographs on Flickr or Slideshare. Then you use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to spread the information you created. With that one blog post, you have broadcasted in 5 social mediums. If time is a factor, there are a variety of plugins that can automatically do that for you via your WordPress blog, like Network Publisher.

Another way to promote your content is to have a subscriber list, but make sure to note it is free. Remember, not everyone understands that that your “Subscribe to my Blog” is a free thing. Especially since a lot of websites are beginning to charge people. Also be upfront with the information about your subscription list: How often will you be emailing them? Will you sell their information?

Lastly, have buttons at the beginning or end of your post to make it easy for your readers to share your post. Plug-ins or tools like the Facebook Share, Tweetmeme, Twitter Retweet, Sexy Bookmarks, Add to Any, Socialize, Facebook Like, to make sharing your blog post super easy. Just don’t make it too busy or have too many buttons. That may actually hurt your goal. Pick one or two plug-ins, or one or two buttons where you most want to have your content shared. And as always, back up your blog before you install any new plug-ins. While these are some examples, they may not work for all. Always review to determine what plug-in is right for your blog, both in the social sense as discussed here, but in a technical sense too!

So what do you think? Do you currently use any of these plug-ins? Do you have a plug-in you love that is not list here?

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October 27th, 2011

WordCamp Boston

The logo of the blogging software WordPress.

Image via Wikipedia

What I did on my summer vacation.

So this one time, at WordCamp….

I went to camp this summer; minus the mosquitoes and smores. (Bummer on the latter.) WordCamp was an informal day and a half Boston conference in July that focused on everything WordPress. Casual users (aka: me) to core developers got together to participate, share ideas, and get to know each other over a common platform: WordPress. There were some great sponsors too, like Zemanta, !Oomph, VaultPress, ISITE Design, and .tv.

There were five main tracks: (1) How To, (2) Development, (3) Education, (4) Strategy, and (5) Advanced Development. The How to Session focused, for example, on how to use WordPress as a Blogging platform. The Education track contained sessions on how to use mobile WordPress on campus. Development and Advanced Development were for folks who create WordPress plug-ins and themes. The Strategy sessions were for businesses interested in figuring out why blogs are the core to any social media strategy.

I stuck with the How to segment. Though some of the things I already new or had taught myself, it was great to learn about new plug-ins, be reminded why I use a certain plug-in in the first place, and overall get a refresher on things like SEO. The crowd in these sessions was a mixed bag of social media experience. Some did not know what was SEO (Search Engine Optimization: How to get your stuff found on the web) and others chatted about Child Themes and .php files like it was the daily weather forecast.

All in all, there were some great takeaways to share if your are a WordPress user. The first post will be about Tips and Strategies to Promote your Content. The second post will be about Top Tips for Blogging in WordPress. Like me, you may have this plug-in or already know this tip, but hopefully there are some that are new for you. Even if you are not a WordPress user, there may be some concepts to look into on your own Blogging platform.

Overall, here is one item that I loved about WordCamp.


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October 26th, 2011

Are you accurately listed on Foursquare?

If you are a small business, there is a lot of talk about having a business presence on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. There are lots of seminars teaching you strategies on searching for mentions of your business on Twitter so you can respond to comments via Tweet, or to review your stream on Facebook to handle questions or concerns. Yet, there is little chatter about a presence on Foursquare and what you are doing about mentions of your business on that platform too.

Foursquare has grown from 1 million users to over 10 million users in one year. It is growing exponentially every day and is touted as a top player in the social media space.

If you are not familiar with Foursquare, read my past post here, but the general gist is that your business can be listed by anyone on the Foursquare application, which is primarily used as a smartphone app. (Though access can also be through their website.) Then everyone who visits your business can “check-in” and leave a ‘tip’ (i.e. a comment) about your business or their experience in your store.

Question is: are you reviewing those tips? If there is an error in your business listing or if it is incomplete, are you fixing it? Here are some examples, and some ideas, on what you can do to ensure you are putting your best Foursquare foot forward.

First, check your basic business listing on Foursquare, either through the app or the website. Is the address correct? Does it have all the information you would want to provide a customer like a phone number or twitter handle?

Here is one business listing that looks good.

mbeans 4sq
Here is one business listing that has errors.

Parlor 4sq

It is easy to update any inaccuracies on Foursquare.com. If you are the business owner, you can even ‘claim’ the venue to add information, as well as add specials and deals.

Second, what comments have people left on your Foursquare business listing? This shows some good comments for a local business.

comments 4sq

But the comments for this business are not as good.

panera comments 4sq

If this was your business, you could gleam a lot of information, such as perhaps staffing more employees during lunch or upgrading WiFi.

All in all, take a minute to look at your business listing or listings on Foursquare. Ensure consistency across your brand and periodically check to see what people are saying about you so you can respond and improve your business each day. Not only is it a good social media strategy, but it is a good business strategy too.

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Image Credit: Photobucket

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October 21st, 2011

Klout and Self-Hosted WordPress Blogs

Image representing Klout as depicted in CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

Klout Klash

As many of you know from my previous Klout post, there are new ways to give Klout. However, there are new ways to add Klout too, and that is by linking your various social media channels into your Klout profile, such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, and more. There is even the ability to add your blog.

Um, maybe.

I have a self-hosted WordPress blog and I was super excited to see the WordPress emblem on my Klout profile. In addition to adding my YouTube channel and my LinkedIn profile, I went to add my WordPress blog.

Until I realized I couldn’t.

Apparently, if you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, you can’t add it to Klout. (Ironic that this post, on this blog, about Klout, won’t get me any Klout points). However, if you have a free WordPress blog (meaning you don’t have your own domain name like CharleneChronicles.com but rather CharleneChronicles.Wordpress.com) you can add it to your Klout profile.

Let’s just say that is not sitting well with many folks. Here is a stream I came across when looking for a solution.

Klout5

Apparently, there isn’t one.

Klout6

And the answer given by this particular employee is rather…non-helpful…don’t you think? Many people thought so. Here is one ‘customer’ response, if you will.

Klout3

Another commentator also thought that the reasoning (albiet a short one) from the Klout employee didn’t make sense.

Klout2

The Klout employee responded again.

Klout

Needless to say that second official Klout response didn’t go well. Here is one of the many responses.

Klout4

All in all, there are two issues here. First is the quick, non-specific, responses from Klout. Big no-no number one. The next is the issue is about self-hosted WordPress blogs not getting the same Klout push as WordPress hosted blogs. While I don’t agree with the whole “I’m better than thou…” comments, I do agree with the gentlemen above who said that until both sides (self-hosted and WordPress hosted) websites can be supported by Klout, Klout should have left all ‘blog platforms” off the list so there is an even playing field.

What do you think?

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September 2nd, 2011

What is Klout?

Image representing Klout as depicted in CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

Klout measures your online influence based on your ability to drive action online. Every time you tweet, post, or otherwise create online content, you influence on some level.

Klout measures that level and gives you a Klout Score from 0-100 with 100 being the highest. Then it defines you further. Are you a conversationalist? Are you an activist? Broadcaster or specialist?

In the past few months, a Klout Score has gone from using data via Twitter and Facebook to including LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare (and more) to measure the people you influence, how much you influence them, how influential they are and how you influence overall. It makes sense, since these additional venues are key in the social media realm as much as Twitter and Facebook.

As a result, companies are beginning to take notice of Klout scores in offering and selecting key individuals as part of their brand campaigns, so Klout is an online tool of which to take notice. It appears to be here to stay. Companies like Mashable and TechCrunch agree. In the social media world, many are obsessive about their Klout scores as they are with their Google analytics.

Another tool in Klout is the +K feature where fellow Klout users can give you Klout kudos for your online areas of expertise. To learn more about that feature, see my post here, but it has given even more social media credence to the Klout experience. =K is all the rage, just as +1 for Google.

All in all, Klout continues to grow. Question is: are you a part of it yet?

 

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September 2nd, 2011

How to Give a +K on Klout

What is a +K?

If you have seen tweets like this, you may wonder what it means or how to do it.

If you are not familiar with Klout, then see my post here, but a relatively new way to show your Klout is to show that you have online influence on a certain topic or are otherwise considered an authority in a particular area. It can be important to show your expertise with brands or companies for various opportunities. Currently, those topics are generated by Klout’s algorithms, but Klout has mentioned that it may to let users submit their own topics in the future. But generally, this is what it looks like.

These are the topics that Klout has determined I am an influencer in and fellow Klout users have given me +K in those topic areas. You can see where I have gotten more +Ks in one area over another in the progress bar on the right.

So here is how to do it.

First, you need to sign-up for Klout. Second, you need to link your Twitter and Facebook accounts to your snazzy new Klout account. Ta Da! Now you have Klout.

Then, look for people you know to give them your +K. One of the easiest ways to find someone is to type in their Twitter handle (example: charchronicles) in the upper right corner of your Klout page.

When their profile comes up, under where it says Influential about, click “See all” link.

Then select one of the topics associated with that profile and click the +K button.

You then have the option of tweeting or posting your +K gift. Klout users get an allowance of five +Ks every day that they can give to any user in any topic and they can give a +K to the same user on the same topic once every seven days. Ta Da! Easy right.

So how about giving me some +K love. ;)

 

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August 1st, 2011

Conference Swag

While this post applies to a variety of conferences, it focuses on the BlogHer Conference. Often known as “SwagHer”, BlogHer can have an amazing frenzy for giveaways and free stuff, and the free stuff can be rather impressive. However, it is important not to be ‘Swagreedy’. While I previously posted about maximizing Brand/Blogger connections, as well as how BlogHer is like a Marathon, here are some tips and advice on how to deal with all the ‘Swagness’.

Bloggers

  1. Don’t go crazy. Seriously. There are legends about knock-outs and knock overs in the pursuit of swag.
  2. Be respectful. Remember to have decency and don’t dismiss it in the pursuit of an iPad2 giveaway.
  3. Remember the Brand and not the booze. Love to hear about all the parties happening at BlogHer, and many of them involve Mojitos and Margaritas. Yet, if you are stumbling drunk or slurring your speech in front of a Brand, they most likely won’t want to work with you. If you are at BlogHer for the booze, then fine, but if you are at BlogHer to make connections, maybe cut out a drink or two. Just sayin’.
  4. Take only one at a time. Or as my Mom would say, “Keep your hand out of the cookie jar”. Your eyes might pop when you see the awesomeness, but try to reign it in. Take only one gift bag or one freebie. Unless the Brand is unloading stuff onto you (wicked awesome), don’t assume you can freeload.
  5. Invite Only. Ugh. I admit it. I hate knowing there is some fabulous party that I was not invited to where the swag is going to be swagnormous. However, I am not going to crash the party and neither should you. Be respectful of the fellow Bloggers or the Brand throwing the party.

 

Brands
  1. Expect more people than you expected. Unfortunately, some people won’t have read Point Number 5 from above so expect party crashers and people taking more than one of anything you have.
  2. Invite all types. I have noticed more of this occurring this year. While the top Bloggers are “top” for a reason, Brands that focus only on these individuals for party invites may be missing out on a very influential blogger or a rising star. Depending on your Brand, a variety of Bloggers may be good for your overall reach.
  3. Don’t have us jump through hoops. While it may be good traffic for you, having Bloggers ask people to vote for them will just make everyone mad. BlogHer is an intensive two day conference where we are there to connect and learn. Not enter a popularity contest for a Kindle. Same issues as tweeting to win. One tweet is great, but contests based on the number of tweets during BlogHer has the same effect as voting. Also having Bloggers like you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, send out a Tweet, fill out a form, and drop off a business card will not have many of us entering your giveaway. We don’t have the time. Pick one or two options and allow us to move on. We will appreciate you that much more.
  4. Make entering easy. If you do have the ‘Like’ on Facebook option, have computers set up to make it easy and make sure to clear it after each entry (we appreciate the respect for our privacy). If we have to fill out a form, make it super simple too. We are Bloggers after all and not accustomed to using a pen.
  5. Have practical swag. What your brand may think is super cutesy, may be super awful. Brands should periodically head to the Swag Exchange at BlogHer. What do you see in the bins? Is your swag there? What does that mean? Last year, there were a lot of bright orange logo mouse pads and wind-up logo alarm clocks sitting in the Swag Exchange. No one wanted to lug home a huge metal alarm clock with a brand name on it and what bright orange mousepad would work in a home office? Also consider other travel issues: A lot of playdough was confiscated by TSA last year as people flew home from BlogHer.

 

All in all, we should all keep it in check; it is a professional conference in a struggling economy. While it can be fun, it should always be kept in perspective.

 

Charlene is also the Founder of The Social Toast – a website and UStream show about all things in the realm of social media. 

 

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Image Credit: Jen_Rab via Creative Commons

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