We are expecting a baby girl in less than two months and we still don’t have a name. (Which is a whole other post entirely.)
So, as most people in social media would do, I want to turn to my Facebook fans and Twitter friends to get their suggestions. There is a name for it. It’s called Crowd Sourcing. (Though I like to just think of it as good ol’ fashioned conversation.)
Yet, for the first time, I hesitated to ask the question on Facebook or Twitter. My fingers paused on the computer keys.
Why?
Because PR people, when I pitch them for $25 item to giveaway for example, they want to know how many “Unique Visits” I get to my blog. They never ask me about my Klout score or my Facebook insights; only my “Number of Monthly Page Views.”
Personally, I love seeing my Facebook Page insight chart show high numbers of “People Talking About This” and the large number of “Impressions”. I like seeing my Klout score in the 60s, which reflects my interactions on Facebook and Twitter. (It is important to note that Klout does not reflect my blog interactions since it’s self-hosted. I wrote about my frustrations with that here.) So as someone active in social media, I post pictures, I tweet, I ask questions, I vlog, I share, I listen. Sometimes that includes writing a blog post. And sometimes it doesn’t.
Thus, if I ask the question on Facebook, and not on my blog, I lose the page views stats that apparently are so important for a free Sleepsack.
So here’s the question my friends, what should I do? Should I continue to do what I do and hope the PR people catch up? Or is it me that somehow doesn’t understand the significance of unique visitors. Am I naive to think that PR people should be looking at my total social media influence? Â How can I balance both?
I’m about to head to Mom 2.0 with some brilliant speakers and attendees. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get some “insight” into this burning social media question. Because I need find a girls name for this baby!
It’s such a tough issue, I’m always quicker to post things on the blog because it will get numbers up but in fact, it will not get as much attention as if I were to use other social media outlets. I find Facebook is a much better place to get a conversation going. Maybe the PR people you want to pay attention will take the time to actually understand that?
If the ultimate end goal is just to get the best baby name feedback, I would go with Facebook. I think you’ll get the most responses there. Personally, I like the name Kate. 😉 Also – I just saw that Mom 2.0 is in Miami. I am headed to South Beach tomorrow and will be cruising Key Biscayne tomorrow night. Work-related/ family vacation. Strange coincidence. Can’t wait for some fun in the sun!
Such a good point. Factor in Pinterest influence too which rarely comes up with PR reps too.
I say go with FB and enjoy the naming game!
I’m probably not the best person to answer this, but I’d stop worrying so much about what PR people think of you. Building authentic relationships takes time and it doesn’t always reflect in your blog numbers. Is it that important to you to get the $25 giveaway? Or do you want something bigger? Think about what your real goals are and then decide if it’s the numbers or the authenticity that will get you there. I know you get frustrated, but the fact is that the number of readers your blog has is almost never an accurate reflection of your influence. PR people are either just looking for “eyeballs” (in which case your simple readership is a good indicator) or they are looking for something deeper and will “get it.”
Don’t get yourself in a place where you curtail your normal relationship building to focus on your blog numbers. I’ve seen bloggers do that and it’s not pretty. People trump numbers in life.
Totally agree. Definitely doing my thing but I just don’t understand why so many don’t get it. In the end, it is not a big deal. I mean, I used to work in the White House and write national laws for pete’s sake, so I’m comfortable doing what I’m doing. Still just perplexed at the lag in the field, and wondering if I was missing something in my understanding.
Yes! And since I need a name, I think you’re right!
Oh, I wonder if there is a way to catch up while you are down there! And yes, Kate is a pretty fabu name! 😉
I’m the opposite. I’m more likely to post something on FB than write a blog post about it. Hence, my dilemma. But valid point. I shouldn’t lump all PR folks into the same bucket, just as I don’t want them to lump me in the big Mom Blogger bucket.