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Category Archives: Blogging

Building Success: Using Bing Webmaster Tools

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As part of my preparation for BlogHer PRO, I had the opportunity to speak to Duane Forrester, Sr. Product Manager with Bing’s Webmaster Program. He will be leading the lunch Keynote titled, “Lunch, and Keynote Brought to You by Bing — Growing Your Audience and Influence with Social + Search”.  Forrester explained to me the details of his personal journey: to share with others how to build success and how to leverage your business assets to become successful. He also believes that to deliver a quality product you need to have customer interaction.  His two books, “Turn Clicks Into Customers: Proven Marketing Techniques for Converting Online Traffic into Revenue” and “How to Make Money with Your Blog: The Ultimate Reference Guide for Building, Optimizing, and Monetizing Your Blog” detail how a business can increase customers and generate revenue with blogs.

 

We discussed many different topics related to blogging and one was of particular interest. Forrester discussed the new features of the Bing Webmaster tools including the “Link Explorer, SEO Analyzer/SEO Reports, and updates to current tools such as our Keyword Research Tool (beta), and our URL Removal Tool.” Bing Webmaster tools (available to anyone) detail standard info including queries, your site’s ranking and where you were shown. The tools also send alerts and when combined with Bing crawler you can proactively manage bandwidth by time of day. Another option is to set controls that someone else manages for your website. With Link Explorer you can not only see who is linking to you, but also who is linking to your competitors. BingBot offers the ability to have a crawler fetch your blog’s URL then have a search engine assess the code on the page and come back with a status. For example, you can watch out for signs of hacks in your websites such as really long links. Forrester shared important advice for all bloggers: we should get to know what “normal” code looks like on our website so we can spot when it has been hacked.

 

In addition to all of these tools, Bing is now the first search engines to provide SEO advice to users. This is accomplished with SEO Analyzer, which scans a URL then shares what SEO work needs to be done.This tool helps you know what SEO work needs to be done now, helps you learn more about SEO from a trusted source and can help you test fresh areas of your site quickly.
When I checked out the Bing Webmaster Tools online, I was happy to see blog posts from the Bing Webmaster blog that explains key product areas. For those who want to find out more, there are Bing Webmaster Guidelines blog posts and  free recorded webinars . The Bing Webmaster Getting Started Checklist is a great place for the user to start outlining the process and tools to build workflow. This checklist covers areas such as how to configure your site reports and data, Webmaster diagnostic tools and SEO Analyzer.

 

Here are some of the blog posts that are great resources not only for Bing Webmaster tools but also for SEO and reporting:

 

For more information, check the BlogHer Pro live blogs.

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  

 

BlogHer ’12: How To Prepare And What to Wear

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BlogHer’s 8th annual conference will be held in New York City on August 2-4, 2012 and for the sixth consecutive year I am heading out to join in the fun, connect with my fellow bloggers and hear about the latest blogging & social media tips, tricks, trends and strategies. As I shared in a recent post about what people learned from previous BlogHer conferences: “Because blogging is an isolating activity – BlogHer also invigorates me by connecting with the amazing network of “BlogHers”!

 

I will be speaking this year (i.e. getting my geek on) at the BlogHer 12 Geek Bar.
Check out the schedule and make sure to sign up for some great sessions. I am leading the discussion titled, “ Managing Social Media Via Mobile: Android OS — Maximize your mobile device to get the most of social media! Learn best practices, top apps, and security precautions you need for Android”. ANDROID OS users – PLEASE SHARE your favorite ways to use social media on your Android device by commenting on this post. I also look forward to hearing tips from others at the conference.

 

Because I’m a BlogHer veteran, here are my tips for how to prepare and what to wear to BlogHer 12 – NYC version!

 

STEP 1 – “The Schedule”:  The first step is to confirm all of your travel arrangements including hotel and transportation. Many of us made plans months ago (especially those of us traveling to New York City). Five weeks before BlogHer, I always like to circle back and confirm my travel arrangements. One year, I realized that I had made an airplane “reservation” but not purchased the tickets (luckily I still was within the month before so I made a new plane reservation).

 

The next step is review the BlogHer12 agenda and start putting together your schedule. Check out the official BlogHer ’12 party plan and update your schedule with some nighttime fun. It is important to make sure you plan time to visit the BlogHer Expo to see the exhibits and interact with the sponsors. Those who want to start early can attend the BlogHer Evening at the Expo Hall event the night before the conference. If you are new to BlogHer, there are official parties every night that offer additional opportunities to network. Those who have been to BlogHer before may attend one of many other social events that go on around BlogHer as well. But my key piece of advice is to network as much as is comfortable – but not overdo it.  Don’t pay attention to all the crazy plans that everyone else is setting up – create a schedule that works for you and allows you to connect with the bloggers most important to you. Also make sure to reach your hand out and introduce yourself to people you don’t know and make new connections.

 

 

Step 2 – Take Your Schedule Mobile: To prepare for the busy conference schedule, make sure your personal schedule is not only organized but also on your mobile device via an online calendar or mobile app. One important mobile app to download is the official BlogHer12 mobile app that is available via iTunes for iPhones or the BlogHer12 app for Android phones on Google Play. The CrowdCompass page will also have other mobile apps that are available for BlogHer12. For those with Windows Phones, The Windows Marketplace also has great mobile apps for networking.

 

I also like to have “backup” paper printouts of my schedule just in case my battery runs out (but some prefer not to use paper). On the topic of batteries – I suggest everyone bring a mobile battery charger because batteries can run out and you will not have time to charge during the day. I will do another post on battery chargers – but I am always happy to help people find one that works for them. The key is not to buy the cheapest – but buy the one that really works. While there are budget friendly mobile device battery chargers that work well, the key is to test it before you leave for the conference and keep the packaging/receipts just in case it does not meet your needs.

 

 

Step 3 – Prepare Your Networking Materials: With all the technology available to share contact information, I still prefer good old fashioned business cards. Therefore, my next tip is to make sure you schedule time to print business cards before you leave for BlogHer. I usually print around 500 to have enough for passing out to old and new friends and at the BlogHer Expo hall. Some of my colleagues prefer to print even more. At past conferences I have seen bloggers use creative ways to share their own professional brand by giving away branded screen cleaners, business card holders, bags, bracelets and tee shirts. I have also seen creative business cards that fold and have headshots printed on them. When preparing materials for BlogHer, it is important to comply with the guidelines for sponsored bloggers.

 

But there are also technology options that can enhance the sharing of contact information. For example, if you print a QR code on your business card then those with QR code readers can scan it to load your contact information. Or even have your QR image on your mobile device to share. Many mobile apps (even SMS applications) share contact information, but when sharing contacts via mobile devices it is also important to consider the security implications. I will cover some of my recommendations in another post  and please do share your favorite contact sharing mobile apps if you have some recommendations.

 

 

 StI'll be wearing cute shoes to BlogHer '12ep 4 - What to Wear: When attending a conference one of the key questions is what to wear. For social media conferences, all outfits should be camera appropriate for all the pictures and instant uploading that takes place. Personally, I also focus on comfort for my feet to survive all the walking of long days in big conference halls.
I’ll admit it… I love wearing heels. I’m always on the hunt for comfortable, stylish shoes and went through years of trying different brands of shoes with heels. I have even tried to find comfortable flats and stylish sneakers. While sneakers are of course the most comfortable, I did not want to give up on my search for the perfect pair of heels. Luckily, several years ago I bought my first pair of Sofft shoes and they passed many years of walking miles at the Consumer Electronics Show. After I had already decided that Sofft shoes were my comfortable and stylish shoe of choice and filled my closet up with different pairs, I did get the opportunity to review some of their new 2012 Spring Summer shoes (disclosure – I received shoes as part of that review, but all of my words are my own). I had already been a Sofft Shoe customer for years before the review opportunity.

 

Here are 5 of the 7 pairs of Sofft Shoes I have purchased over the years…

 

 

My clothing strategy is to plan something comfortable for the day, that can withstand the heat of New York City in the summer -but also has layering to adjust to air conditioning indoors. Sometimes I will bring a dressy top to change into if I don’t have time to switch clothes before the night events. I also bring some dresses to change into for those nights I feel like taking it up a notch. I try to choose outfits that fit within my personal style, but also feel comfortable when I am sitting on the floor at sold out conference sessions. I have also learned that just because I love silver sequin tank tops together with a jacket does not mean that it photographs well on me (sequins can accentuate a twin mom’s tummy). I realized that for my shape I like to have solid black or jewel tones, throwing in accent pieces with patterns that works for photographs. I also like to layer with either a shirt, wrap, sweater, jacket. Lately I have been obsessing over the look of women’s tailored jackets over tee shirts as a great way to have outfits with clean lines.

 

 

 

Step 5 – At the conference, have an open mind to learn, network, have fun and meet new people: Go to BlogHer 12 with an the goal of learning, networking and having fun. Set a goal to not only connect with old social media friends but also meet new ones. Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. Check the pictures of some of the social media BlogHers you read about online but have not yet met and introduce yourself. Take the time to meet new people and ask them about their site and interests. At the same time, try to catch up with your existing social media friends because social networking is not complete without the “live” connection.

 

I look forward to connecting “live” at BlogHer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media Training: To Time, Jamie Grumet, Mashable and Lemmings Following Along

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In a perfect storm of posts lately, “mommy blogging” and “attachment parenting” have become the hot topics of conversation.  I have not blogged about my own personal stories for some time because I have been focused on helping one of my children through his own “perfect storm” transition in his life. A transition that will not be a part of any of my blog posts. Why? Because it is not related to my social media niche – it is personal.

 

What has snapped me out of my self imposed personal “opinion” writing seclusion? It seems that while everyone embraces the new world of sharing – many keep forgetting some basic media 101. Media 101 are the rules I use to engage in the social media sharing world. I am not saying I have it down to perfection – but my personal “media” rules do help guide me in this new environment where the lines between news and opinion have blurred. So I thought I would my personal opinion to Time Magazine, Jamie Grumet, Mashable and everyone else that should consider developing their own Media 101 rules.

 

Media Training 101:

 

  1. Dear Time Magazine -  While I really appreciate you including me in your 2011 Time Top 140 Twitter Feeds list (seriously – I do appreciate that). And even though you forgot to include me this year (maybe you left my out by accident), I am still a regular reader of Time magazine and have the online site included in my daily RSS feeds. I also understand that journalism is journalism,  and while it may seem tempting to be provocative with your cover photo and your headline – I suggest in the future you just pick one and not both. It is kind of like accessorizing with fashion – it you are wearing an over-the-top beaded dress that has bright colors, you need to tone down the accessories to let the dress shine. Of course I think every problem can be solved with a fashion metaphor. Another good tips is not to use the term “mommy enough”. All moms that raise their kids in a loving environment are “mommy enough”. Enough said.
  2. Dear Jamie Grumet – You should feel proud that you are raising your kids in a loving way. Don’t ever let anyone judge you for that. It is great to see the parent blogging community come out in support as well (including MomsLA).  But when you talk to journalists, reporters and those in the news business – realize their job is to be provocative and to start conversations. Sometimes they do that in a way that is detrimental to you and your family. It is not personal – it is just the business. I like to consider what my kids will think when they are older before I pose for public pictures with them. But of course – finding that balance is a moving target as they get older. Currently it seems everything embarrasses my 13 year old. Also, the internet likes to make fun of things in something that is called “Internet meme“, which can be a magnifying force.
  3. Dear Mashable- You have enough amazing writers that are moms, so when posting about “mommy blogging” please get input from one of them.   Also – don’t use the color pink and aprons in infographics talking about moms, that is so 1950′s. From a term standpoint, the appropriate one to use is “parent blogging” because Dads are also a big part of the blogging community. The real story is that parenting is challenging and isolating at times;  parents started blogging as a way to share, get information and interact with others. While many parent bloggers have created businesses around their blogging, it started out as a passion and still is so for many others. The parent bloggers that have businesses from their blogging either have a professional background related to their niche or a new found talent that they are taking to the next level.
  4. Dear blog readers – Please don’t become lemmings and take the bait when journalists become provocative, that is their business (i.e. to get people to read their article!). MommyPsychologist brought up the lemmings concept and I agree. We can’t forget that part of journalism is provoking conversations. I think in situations that are offensive, it is important to state our objections by commenting. Or share your perspective with a blog post that creates the image you want. Sabrina Parsons from Forbes shared her version of an attachment parenting picture: her with her baby in a sling. Most of, don’t buy into the mommy ways – parents need to not judge each other (I agree with Christy Matte on that one).  But in many situations, humor is a good way to respond.  For example,  MamaPop blog did a good job of using “humor” to respond to the Time breastfeeding cover controversy. Humor is also another good way to parent (laughing is good for you!). Update: MamaPop also snagged an interesting interview with Dr. Bill Sears!

 

While it may seem that I am being a lemming as well to jump into the controversy discussion, I view this as sharing my opinion on media interaction (and throwing in some of my own humor). I did not take the bait, I feel that every mom who raises their kids in a loving environment is enough. I have to admit – the controversy did bring up some amazing blog posts. But when it comes to using humor,  Jenny Lawson (a.k.a The Bloggess) is the Queen of finding appropriate respones to outrageous media questions.  Next time I will ask her to share her media 101 rules. Or maybe Taxidermy and Media 101 rules.

 

 

 

Intel “What About Me?” – Picture Of Your Digital Life (Twitter Party)

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sponsored post

Like many entrepreneurs these days, I share my professional brand and parts of my personal life online using various social media platforms. While my main focus online is to curate the most relevant tech information , I also consider myself a fashionista who has found stylish heels that can make it through a week at Consumer Electronics Show (fashion), clueless in the kitchen and always looking for easy recipes (food) and a number one fan of her twin sons’ Little League baseball team (sports).  But I do wonder what a snapshot of my digital life would look like. That is why I was excited to try a tool created by Intel called “What About Me?”. The tool captured a snapshot of my social media life in an infographic to represent the topics and updates I share.

 

 

So, what would a snapshot of your digital life look like? Here are the steps to create your own digital snapshot:

 

Step 1: Visit the “What About Me?” page and follow the prompts and approvals to add your Twitter, YouTube and/or connect with Facebook:

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Wait until it processes – and run a mouse over the circles to have some fun while waiting.

 

 

 

 

Next, click on the results and see your digital life. There image has different areas that cover the topics, stories, popular updates, pictures, mood, connections and when you clock in.  The areas represent different types of updates – but it mainly covers Facebook. There are also buttons to share the results on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Google+ and save as an image.

 

 

 

 

What shocked me about my results? Here is a video where I talk about my “What About Me” tool results – please share yours!

 

 

Update 5/18: party concluded on May 17 7pm pst. Winners were announced on Twitter:  $50 Best Buy gift cards went to @simplyandreah , @immortalb4 , @helyn4, @littlecrunchy and @paramedic_mom.  $250 Best Buy gift card to @thattweetthing.

 

5/17/2012 Twitter Party info:

Please join co-hosts @IntelEdge @LittleTechGirl @TechMama as well as panelists @TechSavvyMama @Tech4Moms @scrappinmichele and @c2cmom for a Twitter Party where we share our results and discuss how we use social media.

Details:

Intel “What About Me?” Twitter Party
Date: Thursday May 17 5-7pm pst (7-9pm cst and 8-10pm est)

Co-hosts: @IntelEdge @LittleTechGirl @TechMama  Panelists: @TechSavvyMama @Tech4Moms @scrappinmichele and @c2cmom

Hashtag: #IntelSocialButterfly
Create a snapshot of your social media life by visiting this link http://bit.ly/JNQUwk  to create your own infographic. Then share your results and how you use social media during the Twitter Party.
Prizes are: Five (5) $50 Best Buy gift cards and (1) $250 Best Buy gift card will be randomly awarded.
To qualify for the prizes please follow 3 steps: (1) please RSVP here (link will be added TBD) , (2) tweet out your What About Me? image with the hashtag #Intelsocialbutterfly and (3) participate in the Twitter Party.
For details and contest rules visit Little Tech Girl and TechMamas (click to bottom of this post link for contest rules).

 

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Intel. All opinions are my own.

 

 

Also check out CoolMomTech ‘s also post on the What About Me tool

 

 

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY TWITTER SWEEPSTAKES Official Rules:

 

Continue reading →

 

Moms Gone Wired Article in Dallas Observer News

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This morning I saw a tweet with the name "Moms Gone Wired". At first I did not see the link to the article, but then a Twitter buddy of mine (Bonggamom) pointed that out that the article mentioned TechMamas.com along with other blogs written by moms.

The article titled "Moms Gone Wired: One Woman's Journey Through the Mommy Blogosphere to Gain Parental Prowess and Free Stuff" is written by Alice Laussade. While the term "free stuff" in the title misses the point (of my journey at least) – it is great to see coverage of the journey many moms have made through blogging. My journey to create TechMamas.com was to have a place that I could start a discussion on parenting, technology and gadgets. My technical background before becoming a parent helped me see that the "tech – mom " voice was missing from online discussions. But that was 2005 and blogging was just starting to catch on. Now I am proud to say that in 2010 that there are many moms that are now utilizing blogs to re-create their careers and get their voices heard online. Just looking at my about page and to the network of amazing moms I have met through Silicon Valley Moms Group, BlogHer and other social media (reflected on my many Twitter lists created to keep track of them) has made my journey completely worthwhile.

Even if I had to give up the small amount of free time a busy mom of three boys has – including exercising regularly – and became dependent on the second shift after the kids go to sleep to keep up with everything.

My participation in blogging and social media has opened up career opportunities for me in a way that is flexible with my schedule as a mom. The key for me is that I am passionate about the topics I cover (parenting, technology, gadgets, social media). I am passionate enough that it has been fun and interesting keeping up with my blog reading through my RSS feeds and Alltop, Twitter, Facebook and organizing my info on Pearltrees. "Free stuff" is worthless to me;  relationships, networking and information are important to me.

Yes, sharing information for the good of the people – that is what Dooce, I and the other not so secret sect of power moms do with our blogging…I type that with a bwa-ha-ha-ha" Dr. Evil laugh similar to what Dooce responded when asked in the article "if she plans to use her powerful power mom powers for good or for evil".

I also type this while realizing if I don't head out the door in the next 5 minutes I will miss yet another opportunity to exercise because I just "had to" write a blog post. If I am going to be a super hero power mom I need to keep in shape. But I need to do that while making sure I pick up my kids at carpool time. Can I meet that challenge?

 

Organizing Online Content With Pearltrees

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While on the Traveling Geeks trip to Paris, we had the opportunity to meetup with a French company called Pearltrees. This was our first stop on what was a busy day meeting an exciting group of French companies. Beyond hearing about the companies, I was just happy that I made it on and off the Paris Metro without losing my ticket.

Pearltrees is a collaborative way to share interests online. I was intrigued by the concept of a new way to organize (in real time) my content and find additional content online. I also appreciated the visual nature of Pearltrees, each unique content link is considered a “pearl” while groupings of pearls are “pearltrees”. I even imagined using Pearltrees to organize the links I share on Twitter and my other social network platforms, to bring life to archived posts on my blogs that have related topics, find new content and organize interesting conversations that take place online. To better understand the functionality, I started using Pearltrees.

Here’s the process I followed to explore Pearltrees:

While on the Traveling Geeks trip I decided to use Pearltrees to organize some of the posts about our trip to Paris (I plan to add more):

TravelingGeeks

After returning to California, I went back to my Pearltree to find a picture to use on my post of the Traveling Geeks group meeting. I revisted that Pearltree to find more pictures for this post.

Traveling Geeks Paris 09 - a set on Flickr

Not finding the pictures I wanted in my own Flickr set, I then searched Pearltrees for more Traveling Geeks content and found Pearltree stories in English. From that, I found fellow Traveling Geek Olivier Ezratty’s Picasso albums.

Some photos...

I could of also found that Pearltree via a Google search for Traveling Geeks. Here are the results when I performed a Google Search on “Traveling Geeks Pearltrees”:

“Traveling geeks !!!! by PED – Pearltrees
PED created the pearltree Traveling geeks !!!!. Check out: Pearltrees Beta Launches on Wednesday: Will Let You Archive the // down the avenue: Pearltrees: A …
www.pearltrees.com/PED/1501612/ - Cached”

I checked those albums and found these pictures of the Traveling Geeks meetup with Pearltrees. The Traveling Geeks getting ready for the briefing. The briefing started with an explanation of how Pearltrees works from Patrice Lamothe. The Pearltree team and one their workspaces.

My next step will be to create some posts with tips on what I have learned about Pearltrees. More to come..

Disclosure: I met the Pearltees team while on the Traveling Geeks trip to Paris/LeWeb where I first started using Pearltrees. Disclosures about the Traveling Geeks can found here. After using Pearltrees, I wanted to learn more so I spent some time using it. Recently I started advising Pearltrees.  What I blog about are my own opinions.

 

Who Says You Can’t Be a Geek, Mom, Blogger & Athlete?

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As TechMama’s compatriot blogger and co-mom-geek, Beth invited me to blog here all about how I’m a semi-finalist in this awesome contest sponsored by Microsoft Office to win a trip to the Olympics. Needless to say, I’m really psyched.

It actually doesn’t end there – the grand prize includes a trip to the Consumer Electronics Show and a brand new laptop! You know I’ll be blogging about that too. But to win, I need votes. As many votes as possible. Every day. It’s easy to register and vote. Just go to OfficeWinterGames.com and I’m the last one on the list of women bloggers.

I first laced up ice skates at age five, and my parents tell me that the look on my face told them I was hooked. I never had Olympic aspirations – I knew I didn’t have that kind of talent – but I also never lost my love for skating. I kept at it, even after college, and I’m proud to say I’m a national adult figure skating medalist.

Meanwhile, I started using PCs in grade school, became a programmer, sysadmin and tech project manager and began writing about tech in the 90’s, usually using MS Word. I began blogging in 2003. I’ve been called an expert live blogger and tweeter on many occasions covering a wide range of events and topics. I started blogging about figure skating for BlogHer last year, and it’s been a lot of fun.

While I have never been able to attend an Olympics, I have watched every moment of Olympic figure skating since I can remember, and I’ve sat on the edge of my seat for hockey, speed skating and skiing as well. I will blog my tail off up hill both ways in the Canadian snow for Microsoft Office if I win this contest. Please help me get there!

 

Just helped friends customize their blog, that was fun!

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Many parents who consider themselves non techie are now either reading, setting up blogs of their own or trying to understand blogging because their tweens/teens have blogs.

Luckily, I started blogging over 4 years ago and now my son, who is 10, is just becoming interested in blogging. Today I had to the honor of helping dear friends – that are going on an AMAZING year long sailing trip – finalize their blog. For anyone that is interested in following a family that set sail for a year – click here to see the blog: Mitgang/Gottesman Sailing Voyage Aboard Whatcha Gonna Do .

They had done a great job of setting up their blog and picking a simple background with text that is easy to read, but I helped them add some important details: categories, setting up RSS feeds so their friends can subscribe to their blog and other details. This was my first time using Google Blogger and I found it easy to use. I started blogging on using the blogging platform "Typepad" and have been using that ever since. I also have blogger friends that use WordPress. There are also other platforms to use as well.

So now I decided to work on a post that will help beginners understand how to create a "basic" blog. My first step is to do some research. I will be posting soon with details, please add any hints for beginners creating a blog to this post. One thing I will be looking into is – how to set up controls if it is your tween/teen setting up a blog (public versus private).

More to come…

 

FTC Guidelines Are Out: FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

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Following CNN has helped me stay on top of news, and this morning it was from KuhnCNN – Eric Kuhn's tweet about FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials  that let me know they came out this morning.

Update 3pm pst: Eric Kuhn also posted on the CNN Political Ticker website about the FTC guidelines. There are numerous other articles popping up including on the New York Times (which mentions fellow blogger Linsey Krolik). 

Here is a link to the press release on the FTC website: FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials . Here is a link to the PDF Text of the Federal Register Notice for FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials.

For background here are some posts written when it was first announced the guidelines would be coming. I wrote a post on TechMamas.com about blogger relations to marketers: It's Not About The Review, It's About The Relationship & Relevance . Eric Kuhn wrote a post on the CNN blog titled "'Mommy bloggers' vow to avoid ethical conflicts". Susan Getgood from Marketing Roadmaps posted before the guidelines came out, with good points on what bloggers should do and Linsey Krolik shared her thoughts on social media law and mommy bloggers liability on the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. There have also been multiple other articles, including this one in the New York Times.

The hot question of today is: What do the FTC Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials  mean for bloggers? As I read the legal jargon of the guidelines the first people I turned to are the gals from BlogWithIntegrity.com. We are all still reading the guidelines and am sure there will be many posts. Here are some of what I think are the key items in the PDF Text of the Federal Register Notice for FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials (understanding that I am still reading through them myself).

I am going to insert parts of the guidelines to help identify key points (assuming that I can publish those parts under the fair use guidelines – but if not – happy to take it down). It is important to read the full PDF Text of the Federal Register Notice for FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials to understand the "whole" picture:

The clips below are excerpts from the PDF Text of the Federal Register Notice for FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

Overall:

"the other commenter noted that the Guides should not “inadvertently regulate everyday word-of-mouth communications among actual consumers regardless of whether such communications take place in person, via e-mail or in new mediums such as blogs or social networking Web sites.”

"This commenter stated that even if consumers participate in advertising sampling programs, their online comments about a particular product should not be considered commercial speech and these consumers should not be deemed “endorsers” when they are free to say whatever they want about the product (or not say anything at all) without the advertiser having any control over their statements."

Whether a speaker is considered "sponsored"?

…"if the speaker was essentially “sponsored” by the advertiser….circumstances that will determine the answer to this question are extremely varied and cannot be fully enumerated here, but would include: whether the speaker is compensated by the advertiser or its agent; whether the product or service in question was provided for free by the advertiser; the terms of any agreement; the length of the relationship; the previous receipt of products or services from the same or similar advertisers, or the likelihood of future receipt of such products or services; and the value of the items or services received. An advertiser’s lack of control over the specific statement made via these new forms of consumer-generated media would not automatically disqualify that statement from being deemed an “endorsement” within the meaning of the Guides. Again, the issue is whether the consumer-generated statement can be considered “sponsored."

Whether the speaker is considered to be providing an "endorsement"?

"The comments correctly point out that the recent development of a variety of consumer generated
media poses new questions about how to distinguish between communications that are
considered “endorsements” within the meaning of the Guides and those that are not."

"The Commission does not believe that all uses of new consumer-generated media to
discuss product attributes or consumer experiences should be deemed “endorsements” within the
meaning of the Guides. Rather, in analyzing statements made via these new media, the
fundamental question is whether, viewed objectively, the relationship between the advertiser and
the speaker is such that the speaker’s statement can be considered “sponsored” by the advertiser
and therefore an “advertising message.” In other words, in disseminating positive statements
about a product or service, is the speaker: (1) acting solely independently, in which case there is
no endorsement, or (2) acting on behalf of the advertiser or its agent, such that the speaker’s
statement is an “endorsement” that is part of an overall marketing campaign?"

”Thus, a consumer who purchases a product with his or her own money and praises it on a
personal blog or on an electronic message board will not be deemed to be providing an
endorsement…"

"In contrast, postings by a blogger who is paid to speak about an advertiser’s product will be covered by the Guides, regardless of whether the blogger is paid directly by the marketer itself or by a third party on behalf of the marketer."

"For example, a blogger could receive merchandise from a marketer with a request to review it, but with no compensation paid other than the value of the product itself. In

this situation, whether or not any positive statement the blogger posts would be deemed an “endorsement” within the meaning of the Guides would depend on, among other things, the value of that product, and on whether the blogger routinely receives such requests. If that blogger frequently receives products from manufacturers because he or she is known to have wide readership within a particular demographic group that is the manufacturers’ target market, the blogger’s statements are likely to be deemed to be “endorsements,” as are postings by participants in network marketing programs. Similarly, consumers who join word of mouth marketing programs that periodically provide them products to review publicly (as opposed to simply giving feedback to the advertiser) will also likely be viewed as giving sponsored messages."

BLOGOSPHERE: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS? WILL YOU BE DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY? Please comment with your thoughts.

I will just keep on disclosing. As I have more time to read through the document, I will add my own thoughts…

Disclosure: This is not a paid post, that is unless the FTC starts paying bloggers – which they would never of course. This is a reaction I had to turning on my computer this morning and seeing the chatter all over Twitter about the FTC guidelines and trying to understand them myself. Hope I disclosed that correctly.

 

TechMama hits the Red carpet for MUST SEE movie: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

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Cloudy_with_a_chance_of_meatballs When I found out that Sony invited a group of moms to LA to get photo/video tips while using Sony Digital Imaging products, I was very excited to use the Sony cameras and camcorders. I was also told that we were going to the premiere of the new Sony Pictures 3D movie came out THIS WEEKEND: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs“. 

I enjoyed reading the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book to my children when they were younger, and spent the week before the trip asking my sons and their friends what they liked most about the book. They all remembered numerous vivid details in the book, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The images of falling food was obviously so rich for these kids’ imaginations. Lucky for them, and for parents who like to sneak in some hidden learning with the nighttime “read me a story” request, there are also weather-related Language Arts and Science lessons tied into the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book and movie. Scholastic published an interview with the book authors Ron and Judith Barnett.

After seeing the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” at the premiere (See disclosures at bottom of this post) last weekend – I had a MAJOR epiphany. The movie not only has amazing 3D graphics and animation to give viewers a “real taste” (yes, pun fully intended) of what it is like to experience falling hamburgers, a spaghetti tornado, a Jello palace, candy rainbows and other food fun – but it also has positive messages for kids and adults alike and geek
surprises along the way. One geek surprise in the film that is also on
the Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs website is a poster of Nikola Tesla,
who was a real life inventor and electrical/ mechanical engineer. Next
time I see the film, I will be looking to find more surprises. The movie is one of those feel good movies where the only violence is against gummie bears, geek (including science and math) is cool for boys and girls, the main characters all struggle then improve communication to their loved ones, selfish is NOT cool and the most important things in life are family/loved ones, as well as embracing your true self.

On a personal note, I reached an epiphany with the help of the “story” behind the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and the interviews with the Directors and cast. My ten year old son is bright and like many of his peers inspired more the technology of movies and movie making than by his 5th grade homework. He can figure out the intricate features of my and my friends’ digital cameras faster than any adult. This inquisitive 10 year likes to spend time explaining to my 6 year old twins – while they are watching shows or films -  what is real versus what is computer generated and how it is done. One of the first things he did when he received his new MACbook was to play with iMovie, create green-screen movies and then attempt to explain the whole process to his family and friends. “Look mom, I figured out how to use the green screen function“. To that, I said “Later, I am cooking dinner“. One morning while I was asleep my son found my DSLR camera tripod and figured out how to use it for the his digital camera to take videos with the timer function. The first thing he said to me that morning was “the video quality is much better when I use a tripod“.

Then, I attended the movie premier and witnessed the main characters of the film “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) and Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) struggle to embrace their true self. Flint’s father also struggled to support that journey. Another message in the movie was that math and science, along with other fundamentals, are important to master if you are going to “save the world“. This helped me see that I should be more active in supporting my son’s interest in the production side of video/films. I decided to hand over one of my camcorders and a memory card to my son so that he could take and manage his own videos. I set aside time this past week to discuss how to edit videos and tied in the less-exciting school work part of his life by explaining that he needs to do his homework if he wants to go to a college and study filmaking. Best of all I explained to my son that if he is going to save the world, I mean master the art of filmaking, that mastering math, science and language arts now in school will help give him the fundamentals he will need for future success.

I then used Twitter to share my epiphany with the film’s directors, Phil Lord responded with:

Cloudywithachanceofmeatballs

The Writing/Directing team for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is Phil Lord and Chris Miller. We had the chance to interview both of them during press rounds the day before the premiere. The first thing I learned was not a big surprise: when they were younger, both enjoyed writing plays and creating short films. They met in college and realized they have similar interests. During the interview they were funny, completely engaging and witty as they explained that the movie production was a team effort – with over 500 team members (or “cells” in an organism as they called it). Each day on the set was like a food fight as they had to build each part of how food falls into the overall animation. When asked what hints Phil Lord and Chris Miller would give to kids, a few were “math/science is cool”, “school is important”, “Be comfortable with who you are”, “Embrace your inner wierdo/geek”, “Do something original and do it boldly”. The last hint “Do something original and do it boldly” is what resonates for me as a way to describe the effort behind creating the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”.

The RED CARPET PREMIERE

Techmamas_red_carpet

Armed with a Sony A330 DSLR
camera that we each had use of for the weekend and my smartphone (for
live Twittering) I and the other moms each had our own spot on the red
carpet to catch the action. We loaded our pictures to the Flickr group Sony Mom Event 2009.

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