The BritMums Blog

Guest post: Best practice for bloggers working with PRs

So you've established yourself in the blogging community and those fabulous PR offers are starting to trickle in to your inbox. It's very exciting to be offered products to review even if you start small. But how do you make sure you don't dent the great reputation that you have built up, and what is best practice when it comes to working with PRs? Nickie @ Typecast has a six-step approach that could work for you too...

I never set out to write reviews or accept sponsored posts but I have learnt what can work for my blog by asking six questions each time I receive an offer:

Who? How? When? Where? What? Why?

• Who is the offer for?
• How will this fit in with the theme of my blog?
• When does the review have to be done for?
• Where has the PR got my email address from?
• What will the campaign bring to me and/or my blog?
• Why have I been chosen for this campaign?

Guest post: 6 tips for setting up an internet business

More and more women are starting their own businesses, and entrepreneurship has become a way that mums and bloggers can earn money and create their ideal working situation. Even if you're starting small, there are things you can easily do to grow your business. (A great organisation to get involved with is everywoman.com, which has just opened nominations for its annual Natwest everywoman awards.)

Twenty-five year old Annabella Forbes (pictured) started her website Bed&Fed - a network of affordable, friendly guest rooms - about a year ago, and the Guardian has said, "The home from home experience and purse-friendly cost are a winning combination!"

Here, she provides her tips on getting started with an internet business.

Dear mummy blogger... PR pitches, what works and what, erm, doesn't

When it comes to blogger/brand relationships, Tara Cain from Sticky Fingers has had her fair share of pitches. Read this post to find out what works ... and what ends up in the bin!

I have had some truly awful PR pitches in my time as a blogger.

I'm constantly asked if I would like to 'use' a company's press release, invited to pre-schooler/baby events (I don't have either) and - controversial one - asked if I wanted to review a product then send it back.

Of course, I've also had some great ones too.

It's all too easy to roll your eyes and moan about the shoddy ones clogging up your inbox, and stress about the time it takes you to reply to them all. But actually I've just learned to bin them and move or. Or Tweet about how truly awful they are!

There is no two ways about it these days; parenting bloggers are a force to be reckoned with. 

Whether you understand it or not, our voice is powerful and brands want a piece of it.

British Mummy Blogger's Cover Girl!

Move over Gisele Bundchen, there’s a new cover girl in town. Massive congratulations to Catherine from Baby Genie who this month can be spotted staring out from the cover of the Tesco magazine. The magazine has a circulation of two million and a readership of around six and a half million, so it’s fair to say this is one BMB member who’s getting some great exposure.

Her starring role is down to fellow blogger Liz from Living with Kids, who in her work as a freelance journalist was looking for mums to include. In the same issue Amy Lane and Mary Poppinsare also featured with tips on making £100 in your spare time.  So the two BMB members  - and their fabulous cakes and crafts – are now household names.

Blogger campaigns: Interflora, Toys-R-Us and Stoves

With September we have seen a huge uptake in brand campaigns flying around mumosphere. Some very elaborate, and some so beautifully simple.

Interflora has started a blogger outreach programme with We Are Social. It included sending flowers to bloggers. The twist was that they used blog design to specify arrangements, thus adding a very personal touch.

To Susanna (spelled correctly!!)

We've sent you these flowers simply because we love your blog. The bouquet has been designed around your blog's colours. We hope you like them!

-Interflora

The bouquet even included the Scottish thistle; not sure if this is because of hubby or just a coincidence. But it went down a treat.