Notes from BlogHer 2008 (break-out session #1)
Panelists:
* Moderator -
* Panelist 1 - (SiliconValleyMoms.com)
* Panelist 2 -
* Panelist 3 -
Is Mommy Blogging a Radical Act?
A: by panelist 1
Yes. It is done with intention. If you have a significant point of view that becomes more interesting. You get more attention with a unique perspective.
Can you maintain your radical voice and have advertisting on your site?
A: by panelist 2
Maybe you can. But there are too many people coming into mommy blogging for money instead of the experience. It is not radical. I want to go to someone’s website and see them and not their perspective on a product. She wants them to be authentic.
A: by panelist 1
Separation of editorial and advertising in professional environments but when you are doing a personal blog it could be easy blur that line.
Audiences are smart. If you start to lose it; lose your radical voice you’ll lose your audience.
A: by panelist 3
What do you mean by radical? She asked her audience. Her audience were just happy to have access to a lot more perspectives.
Question from Audience: Jane of 1+2
MODERATOR: “Making private work public.” Being a mother was a private thing. No honest portrayal through media. Now there is a personal history that makes that work public.
Audience comment: CrunchyCarpet.com - “Isn’t blogging in general still a radical thing?” People are still just astonished by the fact that she blogs - willing to put her perpsective out there for viewing.
Audience comment: “By radical do you mean honesty?” She could blog about the terrors and beauty of being a mother.
Audience comment: Associating “radical” with “bravery”. Being “brave” is not what is radical. What is radical is that you are criticized for being public and honest and yet mommy bloggers continue. It is radical because women continue to speak truth despite criticism and pressure to stop.
Panelist 1: She’s blogged professionally in “male” environments. She decided to add “mommy blogger” got interesting reactions. When she blogged as a blogger with knowledge and expertise she got more respect than when she was labeled as a mother than happens to blog.
Comment from audience: We need honest product reviews to make good choices. She discovered by reading blogs she didn’t need a wipee warmer. Full disclosure she is in advertising business at the conference. How do we reach those mommies but not destroy authenticity.
Response from 3rd panelist: Need to segment audiences but don’t work off assumptions. i.e. lesbian mothers need wipee warmers too! Editorial departments have always needed to answers those questions of maintaining integrity but not
MODERATOR: Write something that is something commericially acceptable. Is that ok?
2nd panelist: She jokes “I know Nintendo is here and I’d really like a Wii.” She really wants to go to blog to hear someone’s real opinion. There is a community of
MY OWN OBSERVATION: I love that BlogHers are clapping and cheering when their favorit bloggers stand up to comment.
Comment from audience: How many mommy bloggers are still scared to admit they are mommy bloggers in professional circles.
Panelist 1: Last day at her job today due. Leaving because she wants to create balance. Driving her insane that she can’t talk about being a mommy and her professional interest in the same place. Audiences may not be interested in all parts of her. Therefore it may make sense to have it posted in different places.
OBSERVATION:
Comment from audience: Seems like mommy blogging has just become too much about advertising. Two camps - either being courted by advertisers or not.
Comment from audience: Self proclaimed “product whore”. Been one tv 3 times in the last month. Each reporter starts off with “Can mothers make money blogging?” She answers with love of mommy blogging community. Not heard or just edited out.
MODERATOR: When she agreed to do the panel she really just wanted to remind herself of why she started blogging.
Original motivations:
- release
- connecting
- not feeling alone
Question from audience: Should I put my blog on my resume? She is a writer. But the place she was trying to get hired at was a bit behind the times. Turned out good. They hired her. It is funny that has more readers than local paper, yet they will not hire her. She doesn’t need to go through editorial approval, but there is obviously a value to her writing that resonates with readers.
Comment from audience: We are not just mothers. We need to talk about the other things in our lives so people really understand how it all comes together. We were women and professionals before coming to motherhood.
Questioning: Is blogging and twittering the same thing as hanging clothes out on the line in the olden days? Before you’d go out to dry laundry and that is where you’d share stories and advice.
3rd panelist - What do you get out of blogging? She has asked via her blog and most common response is that it keeps them from feeling lonely. She quoted from a print out she had that demonstrated that point.
Comment from audience: She began by reading blogs because she wasn’t get enough contact with adults by visiting parks. She finds it is a critical way for connecting for stay at homes. People make fun of her “imaginary friends” (referring to her blogging buddies).
MODERATOR: Real radical trend is people are starting to use their actual names on their blogs. Years ago everyone was using psuedynoms.
Comment from audience: Mommy blogging is brining mothers of different ages together. She is an older mother and gets an opportunity to connect with younger mothers. When you are at the park you can’t talk about everything (the kids are around). Blogging gives you opportunity to talk more openly.
Comment from audience: Blogs at “letter b” - Monetization. People have commented that “you are making money off your family”. Just wanted to raise that point.
Panelist 1: Make money off your perspectives on professional issues people applaud you. You do the same on personal issues and they chastize you. Definite double standard. At the end of the day you need to be transparent.
Comment from audience: Mommy blogging is radical because it is a movement. A “silent” movement. “They don’t see us coming.”
Question from audience to previous audience member: Who is “They”?
Response: “Men!”
Comment from audience: Jenny of BlogHer - BlogHers are changing the world. BlogHers can make the business rules. Take the money.
Comment from audience: Not pandering to my readers is a bigger concern to her than pandering to the right-side bar advertisers. You find a particular blog post gets more replies and it could be easy to go back to that voice.
Moderator: If you are not a tiny bit afraid to hit the publish button you might be posting very honestly.
Comment from audience: Real life consequences to blog posts. Blog you don’t like a puppet show and someone at playgroup stops talking to you.
Comment from audience: She has a 9 month old baby. Biggest radical act is finding time to blog. First time at this conference. She is a little afraid to kinda put things out there.
Moderator: Who twitters?
Observation: Nearly the entire audience raises their hands.
Panelist 1: Twitter is 24-7. Easy to find time vs. blogging where you often need to sit down at 11pm to have time to do it.
Moderator: Actively seeking other mothers. Greater diversity of groups.
Comment from audience: Not liking hear talk women vs. men, mom vs mom, etc. There is plenty of room for everyone.
Comment from audience: Sara Lacey. She started doing automotive review from a mom’s perspective. Did it for many years for passion. Her boss took a long time to find an editor that reveled in their voice to grow. They recently got bought. Plus, mommy bloggers often keep other mommy bloggers honest.
Moderator: Back to original question - What do you think mom’s can do to stay radical?
A: 2nd panelist - Stay honest. Let people get to know the person behind the keyboard.
A: 1st panelist - If you find you’ve lost your radical voice stop blogging. She has stopped blogging for months at a time and then has come back. Committment to her audience to only blog when she had something truely to say. Your passions will change.
Comment from audience - Started blogging because she was a professional and became a mom. It was driving her crazy to be without adult interaction.
Comment from audience - myfunfunfamily.com - She writes for SF Chronicle. Mother’s work is not part of the GNP. So when mother’s share their expertise she is finally getting compensated.
A: 1st panelist - Good point. What is the economic value of being a mother?
Comment from audience: Getting paid for blogging is not getting paid for being a mother. “Getting paid for raising our voices.”
Comment from audience: Mother of children born in late 60’s and early 70’s. If you compare this organizing to how life was back then this is absolutely a radical act.
(I got tired. Last 5 comments not captured.)
