Speedy Spotlight: mother.wife.me

mother.wife.me is a blog featured in this week’s Media Updates. Author Luci McQuitty Hindmarsh is passionate about charitable causes and has clear views on PRs offering to ‘help out’.

Why should people read your blog?
Because it isn’t so much a parenting blog as a life and lifestyle blog written by a parent. 

In my blogosphere everyone is talking about Comic Relief’s 25th Anniversary Red Nose Day and Save The Children’s ‘The Power Of The First Hour’ campaign because many of us bloggers care deeply about using our blogs to support charitable causes. 

What’s your favourite blog and why?
The Bloggess because of her irreverent comic genius – what looks like mindless babble is rarely ever just that. Oh that I could manage this, I am far more likely to just produce mindless babble. 

How often do you aim to post?
I aim to post two to three times per week. Sometimes it goes up and sometimes it goes down, dependent on how inspired I am feeling and how much time I can devote to blogging around being a parent and freelance work projects. 

How do you feel about guest posts? 
Paid for guest posts? Yip, I run these, but I always write them myself because I want to ensure the content is in keeping with my blog and enjoyable for my readers.

PRs offering to write guest posts to ‘help me out’? Nah, I don’t like this. I’ve been approached a few times recently to do this and it isn’t a concept that sits well with me. To me it seems like a bit of a sneaky way to get space for free. If you want space for your client on my blog and you don’t have a story that I can use editorially, then you need to pay me to write a sponsored post. 

How does a good PR work with you?

• The best PRs have a real understanding of blogging and social media. 

• They take the time to at least have a basic knowledge of a blogger’s blog before approaching them. 

• They treat bloggers the same way as they treat journalists, they take the time to build a relationship and keep in touch with relevant media information. 

• PR companies that do this really well include Slam PR, Cohn & Wolfe, Frank PR and Bright Star Digital. 

What do PRs do that’s bad?

• It’s really unimpressive when someone approaches as if they are doing you a favour, when actually they are after something from you.

• Randomly sending through press releases without any kind of an introduction. 

• Assume that all bloggers will happily write reams of words in return for the privilege of being given a ‘free’ product. Product samples are product samples, not freebies. Reviews take time and effort, a great review from an established blogger is something of value.

Editorial information on mother.wife.me, Luci McQuitty Hindmarsh and thousands of other media outlets and contacts can be found in the CisionPoint Media Database.