Who’s got your back?
I went to high school with one of my brothers, Steve, who is just two years older than me. Here’s a classic scenario from those good old days at Clayton High: I’m standing at my locker – talking, flirting, what have you with some boy that had trouble written all over his face (and body) – and from out of nowhere, Steve appears.
“What’s going on here?” He would bellow. “Are you okay? Is he bothering you?”
I’m not kidding.
He drove me crazy and the boys away. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized this protection wasn’t actually a bad thing. I mean, what a concept? Someone watching out for you, able to swoop in just when you need them…hmmm, sounds oddly like a comic book I read somewhere…
How does it translate to being a freelance copywriter? Who’s got your back in the social media realm? The answer really speaks to the beauty of networking and being a genuine part of the conversation.
Because of social media, there are actual places you can go to be around people that understand your situation – like a local writer or tech listserve, a mom’s network such as Mom Bloggers Club or your own blog that builds community with conversation, comments and subscriptions/feeds. You can also cast your net somewhere like Twitter where word of mouth is fast and the conversation is faster. My experience with all of these examples is that most of the people using them are incredibly helpful, supportive and there to connect.
These people will help you navigate new proposals, pricing, finding the perfect word, tech breakdowns…and you’ll do the same for them.
When you participate in any networking group, online or off, you build relationships, and you make an impression. The quality of your relationships will span the range. There will be those you won’t get along with at all. Some people will actually become really good friends, trusted colleagues. And, you’ll find everything in between – acquaintances, fast & powerful encounters, steady contacts. As do most experiences, it’s got the makings of the classic bell curve.
Strong connections will be made with the most unlikely characters because the usual filters (class, clothes, environment, location, culture, etc.) aren’t present. No one is to be discounted (unless they behave badly) because you can’t predict where the jewels will be found.
Pay attention to the people that become the really good friends, the trusted colleagues, because they’re the ones that have your back. They’ll notice a typo in your last post, they’ll tell you what ‘LMAO’ means, they’ll be there if you need to share really bad news or really good news, they’re supportive – they’re real because you’ve been real with them. And, it’s likely, if required, they’ll show up at your locker and by your side.
Filed under Blogging, Critical Copywriting, How To, Networking, Social Media | Tags: Blogging, copywriting, freelance writing, Mom Bloggers Club, social media, social media etiquette, social media relationships, Twitter | Comments (10)blog redesign: an advertising deal
Yes, you are still at the Writing Roads Blog, aka. Blogging Roads!
Last night my dear designer, Leslie Tane, surprised me by expanding my blog into three columns with a new theme called Amazing Grace, a lightweight, super-optimized WordPress theme packed with features (SEO, Adsense & Widget Ready) created by Vladimir Prelovac. I was thrilled as I’ve been itching for some more elbow room!
One impetus for this space-making was that I’ve been approached by several vendors looking to advertise. As many of you know, I’ve been on the fence about the advertising thing…or, at least, I was. Now, I’ve definitively hopped over to the advertising side.
Here’s why:
- As long as I feel good about the vendors, why shouldn’t I provide them the opportunity to promote themselves.
- I’m not forcing my readers to read the ads or click on them. This is optional and you won’t have to wade through them in order to get to the posts.
- Okay, most people don’t say this out loud, but I’m going to: I work really hard on this blog. Why shouldn’t I receive support? There is no reason! I deserve it. You deserve it. We all deserve it!
A Deal for My Peeps
For the first two weeks (starting…NOW), I’m offering a deal on advertising. If you are connected to me on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, or if you’re a friend of mine on Twitter Moms or Mom Bloggers Club, you will get 20% for one year.
125 x 125 pixel ad
- standard rates = $30/month or $324/year (10% yearlong discount)
- special discount price = $24/month or $288/year
125 x 250 pixel ad
- standard rates = $45/month or $486/year (10% year-long discount)
- special discount price = $36/month or $432/year
If you’re interested, please email me directly: julie (at) writingroads (dot) com. Payments will be made via paypal. Also, if you want to advertise, but don’t have your ad widget, I’ve got some great designers lined up that can help you with this, just let me know. Looking forward to promoting your business!
Filed under Blogging, Marketing, Networking, News, Politics, Social Media, The Business | Tags: advertising discount, blog, blog advertising, blog monetizing, Blogging, Facebook, freelance copywriter, LinkedIn, marketing writer, Mom Bloggers Club, Twitter, Twitter Moms | Comments (4)the power of MOM
I know that moms are powerful. I am one, I have one, I’m married to (the best) one, I’m surrounded by many in the real world and the web world. But, still I’m blown away by what moms are doing on the internet.
I will not attempt to cover all of the phenom moms that exist in the world within this post…I’m just going to highlight a few that are on my current radar screen:
Twitter Moms Moms who tweet: find, follow, lead, learn, love and share. Megan Calhoun started a social network, oh, a few weeks ago for moms on Twitter. Over 1,800 (and growing at a rapid pace) moms have joined in that time – forming groups, supporting each other’s lives and businesses, networking, laughing. Amazing. One of the most entertaining functions: #GNO, or Girls’ Night Out – an online tweet meet. If you’re a mom and you tweet, you must check it out. Follow Megan on Twitter @twittermoms.
Mom Bloggers Club Jennifer James supports the mom bloggers of the world with her social network. Over 1,800 moms meet up with the common connection of blogging. Conversations are alive and well via many groups and the site runs sweet giveaways. Jennifer also runs The Mom Salon which is a comprehensive catalog of mom bloggers…submit your blog today and get listed in the soon to be realeased, revamped directory. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @mombloggersclub.
Jessica Smith hails from Wishpot, Jessica Knows (her blog) and Chief Mom Officer.org. Honestly, she does so many things, it’s hard to keep track. But, after being hired as the Chief Mom Officer (CMO) for Wishpot (a very mom-style shopping/search/cart), she created Chief Mom Officer.org to help companies attain and leverage the untapped professional experience of mothers to build their businesses – how smart is that. Follow Jessica on Twitter @JessicaKnows.
The MOMocrats blog was started by Stefania Pomponi Butler, Beth Blecherman, and Glennia Campbell because, as mothers, they wanted to participate in and influence the 2008 presidential campaign. Their tagline: Rage against the McCain. MOMocrats is a serious political force doing incredible grassroots work online and in the world – it’s where moms get political (and don’t you all know that this mom is all over that!). Yesterday, Michelle Obama guest blogged, how’s that for going to the top political mom? Follow MOMocrats on Twitter @momocrats.
I could go on and on and on…but I’ll save some other cool moms for another post. If you take the time to peruse these women’s sites and accomplishments, you’ll be busy for days and thank me for not adding more.
Bottomline: these women are powerhouses, they have grabbed the internet by the horns and demonstrated gumption, creativity and kindness. That’s right, kindness – these are good people, righteous moms.
Filed under Networking, News, Politics | Tags: Jennifer James, Jessica Knows, Jessica Smith, Megan Calhoun, Michelle Obama, Mom Bloggers Club, mommy bloggers, MOMocrats, online communities, Politics, The Mom Salon, Twitter, twittermoms, Wishpot, women bloggers | Comments (15)
