Our Work What we Do About Us Blog Join Our Network Contact Us

The Motherhood

Global Motherhood – We Can All Be “Village Reporters”

by

In honor of today’s launch of the Global Motherhood platform on the Huffington Post, I have a post up there about the “village reporters” we met in Kenya this summer.

 

Through a program with the US Centers for Disease Control, the village reporters travel day after day and mile after mile to visit new and expecting moms and their kids in their homes to check on their health and provide assistance when needed – saving countless lives in the process. The village reporters are incredible and inspiring women (we danced and sang with them before joining them as they worked.)

Photo by Morgana Wingard, ONE

 

Since returning from the ONE Moms trip to Africa with the ONE Campaign, I’m constantly reminded of the village reporters and how, in many ways, we all have a duty to “check in on” and take care of each other, no matter on what side of the world we live.

 

You can read my HuffPost “Village Reporters” post here!

 

Join One Moms to learn more about how you can help fight poverty and disease – especially in ways that directly affect mothers and children.

State of the Mom Blogosphere 2012

by

When you put nine elite bloggers in a virtual “room” with hundreds of participants for a live chat about the State of the Mom Blogosphere in 2012, some clear trends emerge.

 

Back in September 2010, we gathered the same group of insightful, exceptional women, and their predictions for the online world that year were incredibly accurate.  We were thrilled and honored to have them with us again on January 17, 2012 (our first day live on our new platform!), to share what matters to them this year in the mom blogosphere.

 

Here are the top 10 takeaways from the discussion.

 

1) Expand with the Online Universe

The online universe has grown, and it’s not all about the blog anymore. To keep up, you need to make your presence known elsewhere.

 

As BusyDad noted, “One’s blog is now one of many facets of our online lives, rather than being by default the center of it. Many online luminaries these days are famous for their Twitter persona or their Facebook, and not necessarily their blog.”

 

Agreed EvolvingStacey, “I feel as if my connections and growing network takes place away from my blog … My blog is more like my house, but I leave my house to be social.”

 

That’s not to say that your blog is unimportant.  Amie Adams of Mamma Loves pointed out, “I tend to think of my blog as the hub to my online wheel. Twitter, FB, Google+, online forums all split off from it. It’s like an online business card – brings you credibility.”

 

2) Pinterest is the New Twitter

While you are expanding your social media horizons beyond your blog, make Pinterest a priority.

 

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest yet, consider this your introduction to the hottest new social media site of 2012 – a virtual corkboard designed to give you visual inspiration or consolidate your favorite ideas from across the web.

 

“I haven’t seen this much excitement and addiction since Twitter in ’08,” Isabel Kallman of Alphamom said about the site.

 

You can get an account and start pinning here!

 

3) Newbie Bloggers Welcome – but Bring Your A Game

New to blogging?  There are a lot of mom blogs in the space, but if you are ready to dive in, you shouldn’t be intimidated.

 

“There will be a lot more chatter to cut through now. But I think awesome is awesome. And awesome rises to the top,” said Christine Koh of Boston Mamas.

 

She recommended that beginning mom bloggers turn to “The Digital Mom Handbook” and “Mom Inc.” for help.

 

For new and existing blogs alike, Kimberly Coleman of Foodie City Mom also has great suggestions for blogging goals in 2012 on She Posts.

 

4) There’s No One “Right” Way to Blog

Everyone blogs for different reasons, some intensely personal and some more business-focused.  But whatever your reason – your fellow bloggers accept it now more than ever before.

 

Liz Gumbinner of Mom101 and Cool Mom Picks mused, “I can go back to the dark ages of 2006 when there were debates about the right kind of blogging.  That increased tremendously in 2008 or so with the mass monetization of mom blogs.  Now there’s this wonderful sort of detente – there are so many kinds of moms with so many kinds of blogs, and fewer debates about who is right and who is wrong.

 

“There’s no one right way to blog.  It’s nice that there’s more acceptance of one another.”

 

5) Look for Creative Inspiration Everywhere

Whether you’re driving, watching TV, taking a shower – pay attention, and a brilliant blog post idea might just pop into your head.

 

Noted Jennifer James of Mom Bloggers Club, “I am constantly thinking about new posts to write and new perspectives to write them from. I carry a pad with me and jot down a lot of ideas on receipts. The wheels are constantly churning.”

 

And don’t underestimate that old advice – write what you know!

 

Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant‘s creative blog ideas “come from my life. If we’re remodeling a bathroom, I find a way to post about a how-to. If we’re traveling, I write about that, and I spend half my life creating beauty recipes, so I photograph them and write about it.”

 

6) Don’t Underestimate OR Overestimate the Power of SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can help bring traffic to your blog, but it’s not always the traffic you want or need.

 

Isabel Kallman of Alphamom said of her own success with SEO, “Started on WordPress, used the correct Plugin, changed the URL from the creative title, tagged my photos better … BUT DON’T FORGET: write great content.”

 

BusyDad pointed out, “Unless you have a review or cooking/recipe blog, I want to emphatically say that SEO is so much less important than engaged readers. Trust me… compelling content and engaged readers/friends are what will get you quality return visits, influence and credibility as a blogger.”

 

7) It’s Time to Bring Marketers Up to Speed

During the live chat, the group consensus was that marketers seem to target mom bloggers mostly for baby-related products.  Many felt that brands are missing the boat.

 

Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters pointed out, “The tween and especially teen markets are hugely overlooked” by marketers in the mom blogosphere. “There’s got to be a shift soon there, doesn’t there?”

 

Amie Adams at Mamma Loves agreed, “My kids may develop their own tastes, but I’m the one who does the buying. I spend thousands on sports equipment, technology and clothing.”

 

 8) Help Your Blog Evolve as the Kids Grow Up

 

 

When our kids are babies and toddlers, many of us love to share every anecdote and detail of their lives.  When they get old enough to have their own online identities, respecting their privacy as an individual can change the face of your blog.

 

“I have started targeting my writing more toward the women with a shorter anecdote here and there about my kids,” said Andrea Updyke. “They are still young – oldest is 3 this month, but I already feel more protective of his story.”

 

“As our kids grow up, I think we naturally rediscover who we are individually, above and beyond mothers,” said Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters. “This opens the doors up to new stories…it’s so exciting!”

 

9) Blogging Can Create a New “You” – Embrace It!

If you can identify your passion, find your niche and successfully write about it, your cup just might runneth over.

 

Justice Fergie said of her blog, “It’s given me an entire business, community, platform, brand image and now … a new way of life! I’m so excited to be working for myself, full-time. And it’s all thanks to blogging.”

 

Jennifer James of Mom Bloggers Club agreed, “Blogging has completely changed me. I see life and its possibilities in different ways – nothing is too big to tackle.”

 

10) What 2012 Might Have In Store

Social good, an increase in video blogging and fair compensation for brand-related projects were all tossed out as possible 2012 trends.

 

See more 2012 predictions in Jennifer James’ Mom Blog Magazine.

 

“I think 2012 will see Moms focus their efforts on *social change* via networks, communities and transitioning lifestyles,” said Mental_Clutter. “Gone are the days of tolerating drama, here are the days of moving forward to leave a substantial mark.”

 

“One the most interesting things to happen in the Mom Blogosphere is how many moms are taking their blogs to a new level,” added Rebecca Levey. “There are a lot of mini-media empires building beyond the blogs. Mom Blogs have become more like unique brands every year. ”

 

Agreed Shari, “We are already seeing the trends for 2012. So many fabulous women have taken it to the next level – magazines, TV, fashion shows – they have raised the bar. In a good way.”

 

 

That was one inspiring conversation.

We were there when the mom blogger community began, and we’ve watched as it has grown exponentially over the past several years.  We are constantly amazed by how quickly and how often the mom blogosphere changes.

 

Thank you to all of the amazing men and women who shared their thoughts with us on this fascinating topic!  You can find our co-hosts on their own blogs and elsewhere across the web in 2012:

 

Allison Czarnecki, Petit Elefant
Amie Adams, Mamma Loves
Christine Koh, Boston Mamas
Isabel Kallman, Alphamom
Jennifer James, Mom Bloggers Club and Jennifer James Online
Laura Mayes, Kirtsy and Mom 2.0 Summit
Liz Gumbinner, Mom101 and Cool Mom Picks
Stacie Ferguson, Justice Fergie and Blogalicious
Tracey Clark, Shutter Sisters and Tracey Clark

 

Check out a full transcript of the AMAZING conversation here.

 

 

12 Lessons in Don’t Stop Believin’

by

On this Journey of ours, there have been plenty of turns in the road, and with each step, we’ve never stopped believin’.

In celebration of the new The Motherhood, here are our Twelve Lessons in Believin’:

 

2004 – Cooper and I were writing a book on parenting in the big picture, doing tons of research talking to other parents, when we started our blog, Been There.  This was back before ‘mom blogs’ even existed and from the start, we were captivated by the moms we met online, the subculture of women who were writing about their lives and motherhood in the most brilliant, real, funny and moving posts and comments imaginable.  Back then, parenting magazines gave the impression that everything about motherhood, raising children, running a household, caring for parents, holding down a job, etc. was just blissful, so when it came to figuring out the tough stuff, moms were pretty much on their own.  Mom bloggers changed that.

 

We shifted our research to include moms online and the stories we collected were laugh-out-loud funny, inspiring and full of incredible ideas.  Here are our first posts on Been There.

 

Believin’ Lesson #1 – Moms are each other’s best experts. On the web, we can talk to each other and get advice, a shoulder, ideas and be heard in ways that have never happened before.

 

 

2005 – Katrina hit New Orleans, the levees broke and Cooper and I were yelling at our TVs because no one was helping the people who were stranded on the roofs of their homes, surrounded by filthy, swirling, snake-infested water.  We decided to create a Clearinghouse and asked our blog readers to post the supplies they could send directly to people who had lost their homes.  Moms jumped on board.  They wanted to do more than just send a donation to a big relief organization, to get involved in real ways and to involve their kids.  The New Orleans Times Picayune picked up the link, as did Hurricane Housing and others and the Been There Clearinghouse was born.

 

Through our digital community corkboard, people sent clothes, airline miles, refurbished Mac computers (hundreds of them), beauty salon equipment, a used Audi, and so much more – all directly to people who had lost everything.  The packages were lovingly assembled with handwritten notes wishing people well. People also used the Clearinghouse to tell their stories.  Many wrote about how, in the past, their neighbors had come to their aid when tragedy had struck and now they had a chance to pay the good deeds forward.  Others wrote about how meaningful it was to receive packages with their names on them with exactly what they needed and handwritten notes of encouragement from people they did not know and might never meet, but who cared about them.

 

Believin’ Lesson #2 – Follow your gut.  We put the book on hold, found ourselves in the relief business for a time, and were moved beyond words by the incredible ways moms got into action.

 

Believin’ Lesson #3 – Moms online are powerful beyond measure.  They want to use the web to make each other’s lives better and we don’t necessarily need big organizations to act as filters. We can connect online, one to one, and magic shows up – with mom bloggers leading the way.

 

 

2006 – After running the Clearinghouse, we couldn’t pull away from the moms online.  We were hooked.  We really wanted to create a place where we could gather, talk, commiserate, and make things a little better for each other every day, so we created themotherhood.com.

 

Believin’ Lesson #4 – Jump in and don’t be (too) afraid.

 

2007 – 2008 – We immersed ourselves in The Motherhood and mom bloggers, and loved it.  Our first editors, the incredible Becki and Brandie, joined the team.

 

Believin’ Lesson #5 – When it feels like the world is shifting in huge, historic ways, pinch yourself and go with it.

 

 

 

2009 – The big question:  How to cover costs and earn a living?  Answer: We could stay true to ourselves and our community, keep our site ad-free and create a new business venture by working with brands to help them reach moms online in creative, smart, real and value-added ways.  At the same time, we could come up with programs and events for moms and brands working together to give back to their communities.  Cooper and I had met working in PR and communications strategy years before, so we went back to our roots, with a wholly new twist.

 

That year our community and hundreds of mom bloggers also got behind Mom Sends the Msg, The Motherhood’s campaign to reduce distracted driving (thank you Christine Koh, for the beautiful designs).  Oprah’s producers picked up on it and invited us to the taping of her show on the topic.

 

 

Believin’ Lesson #6 – The web opens up endless possibilities.

 

Believin’ Lesson #7 – It’s not the Mad Men model anymore.  We can craft ways for brands and moms to interact directly so everyone wins.  And when we engage social media moms to work with brands, we can help them create value for themselves and the communities they’ve worked so hard to build.

 

 

2010 – The Motherhood Talks are our live, interactive, all-text events that got their start years before when Deborah created ‘Moms Big Night In’ and invited us all to pull up a chair with a cup of tea or glass of wine and have a chat on Monday nights in The Motherhood.  By 2010, the Talks had taken off and we were seeing first-hand how moms talking among themselves and with experts could make real headway together.  

 

 

Believin’ Lesson #8 – We are surrounded by amazing women whose huge hearts, great ideas and initiative are changing our lives.

 

2011 – We created programming in The Motherhood that was all about adding real value to moms’ lives, but the site was crashing at every turn.  The conversation would get going on the website with people streaming in, adding their thoughts and insights, and then suddenly, we’d all get the spinning ball.  Everyone was there but we couldn’t talk.  It was time for a rebuild.  We found the most wonderful design and tech team out there, Red Antler and Pixafy, and with our great Erin and Kayla, got to work.

 

We had the live-changing experience of traveling to Africa with the ONE Campaign and the ONE Moms, eight phenomenal social media moms who are our sisters now forever.

 

Believin’ Lesson #9 – Just keep swimming.  When things get challenging, don’t give up.

 

Believin’ Lesson #10 – Website makeovers take forever.  And, with the right team, we can create a place that reflects who we are to the core.

 

Believin’ Lesson #11 – Breath.  Enjoy the process.  We get to take all the lessons with us.

 

2012 – We’re starting the year with our new look and engine, a site we’ve always dreamed of, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

 

Believin’ Lesson #12 – Here in The Motherhood, what’s in our hearts will always lead the way.

 

 

 

 


The State of the Mom Blogosphere: The First Talk On Our New Site!

by

We are THRILLED to announce that the very first Live Talk in the redesigned The Motherhood will be The State of the Mom Blogosphere on Tuesday, January 17th at 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT!

Leading the Live Talk is a fantastic group of elite mom bloggers, who all led an incredible Talk on the same topic in 2010:

 

Amie Adams, Mammaloves

Tracey Clark, Tracey Clark and Shutter Sisters

Allison Czarnecki, Petit Elephant

Liz Gumbinner, Mom101 and Cool Mom Picks

Jennifer James, Mom Bloggers Club, Mom Blog Magazine and Jennifer James Online

Isabel Kallman, AlphaMom

Christine Koh, Boston Mamas

Laura Mayes, Kirtsy and Mom 2.0 Summit

Stacey Ferguson, Life IS the Party and Blogalicious

 

Together, we will talk about trends shaping the mom blogosphere, the business of blogging, the impact of Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, where they get their creative inspiration and so much more!

 

The Motherhood Live Talks are all-text, live-blogging events that happen on the page in The Motherhood, and this one will happen right here – http://tmotherhood.wpengine.com/talk/show/id/62337

 

For those on Twitter, here are the Twitter IDs for the hosts (the hashtag is #TheMotherhood):

 

@alphamom, @bostonmamas, @justicefergie, @lmayes, @mammaloves, @mom101, @mombloggersclub, @petit_elefant, @traceyclark, @emilymckhann, @coopermunroe, @TheMotherhood, @beblogalicious, @coolmompicks, @mom2summit

 

Bring your questions, thoughts, stories and join us for an incredible kick-off conversation on Tuesday!!

 

Thank you wonderful hosts!!!  We can’t wait for Tuesday!!

Brilliant Avenue

by

The Motherhood lives on Brilliant Avenue. It’s true, and we like to think it was meant to be. With all the love, heart, creativity and smarts this community shares in your posts, comments to each other and the projects we do together – it is altogether perfect that this is where The Motherhood makes her home.

We wanted to share with you some pictures of the space (the goal was to make it like what the website would be IRL and we think it does just that!) If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, PA, let us know and we’ll have a party – or at least make you a great cup of coffee!

(We also have some other office pictures on Facebook here!)