What I've been up to

Moving in! Slowly. We've been bringing boxes and more boxes over from my parents' place to our new home. And then we've been unpacking and trying to find the perfect space for all that stuff.

Also, I've been busy with my Science Olympiad team. I'm coaching food science, which is baking, only baking where you write it up as an experiment, measure each ingredient to the nearest gram or milliliter, as well as each and every cookie in the batch. And then we assess the cookies on a sensory scale, weigh them to determine the percentage of moisture lost during baking and we might even test the density.

But wait, there's more!

We calculate the calories per serving and test other foods for the presence of protein, starches and reducing sugars. And then there's this whole viscosity thing.

Sound fun? It is. And my varsity team earned a medal at their first competition! I was so proud of them (and more than a little relieved that I hadn't been leading them astray because it turns out that cookies are very 2007 and for this year's competition cupcakes are the thing to bake).

I bake muffins and cookies, but what do I know from cupcakes? Ask me in a few months and I'll give you a mouthful. Literally. Each batch makes about 25 and we'll be experimenting with several different recipe combos.

How Will Social Media Moms Fare in 2012? Here Are My Predictions

I cut back on my "brands and bloggers" post in 2011partly because client work, family needs, and our new-to-us house (plus the related blog, of course) kept me busy. Also? I'm tired of the repetitive conversation about blogs and brands.

Just a few weeks ago, there was a flurry of posts about whether bloggers should ever write for free. I'd already chimed in about working for free in April, reiterating what I'd already said in 2010.

{yawn}

(For the record, I pretty much agree with these smart women.)


Still, I did step on my soap box a handful of times in 2011. I spoke on the topic of Social Media Moms and Money at Blissdom 2011 and Bloggy Boot Camp Chicago. I also had the privilege of participating on a brand/blogger panel at the Social Media Masters Summit (and I'll be a panelist at the January Publicity Club of Chicago meeting). And dishing with the Blogging Angels was a highlight of my social media year.

On this blog, the post about Blogger Behavior at Trade Shows was one of the most widely-shared pieces I've ever written.

And in September when a very vanilla social media influencer list came out, I published a more diverse list of leading social media moms.

Amy Oztan took the blogger-brand conversation in a new direction with her post on the Blogger Pledge, but the posts about the importance of making The Lists (or not) left me feeling more tired than wired.

So what piques my interest in the year ahead? (Besides finally moving into my house, I mean.) New conversations, new trends.

10 predictions for social media moms in 2012

1. Niche blogging will continue to grow, along with related niche community sites, targeted ad networks and conferences.

2. New social media sites will continue to pop up like weeds. Some of them will thrive (I'm looking at you, Pinterest), others will experience stunted growth after a strong start (you still hanging out on G+?) and the remainder are distant memories (Empire Avenue, anyone?).

3. Given the growing number of ways to be social and the pressure to be online, always, I suspect that many bloggers will burn out, or make drastic cutbacks in order to avoid doing so. In the last quarter of 2011, many mom bloggers deleted their Klout accounts, while others such as Sweetney pretty much quit Twitter altogether. Perhaps the future of blogging conferences is unplugged?

4. Back to Twitter...Twitter has changed, have you? As the general population adopts Twitter, many users seek to keep up with sports broadcasts, TV shows, and their favorite celebrities (whose Tweets may be coming from a publicist, anyway). Many everyday folks (as opposed to heavy users of social media) seek to connect with brands on Twitter to receive special deals and quick customer service. Will the die-hard social media type who helped make Twitter what it is today move on?

5. Vlogging will be bigger than ever in 2012. If you haven't added video blogs to your bag of social media tricks, it's time to get cracking! Danielle Smith, Jessica Bern and Jendi Pagano offer great advice to get you started.  Building up a presence on YouTube give readers a new way to connect with you, provides a chance for brands to see you in action, and brings your content to a new audience (albeit one with a lot of stupid comments). A robust video channel expands your social media footprint anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand views each month.

6. In 2012, we'll see a growth in small, low-key, but impactful, real-life brand events. Brands will connect with local influencers to hold gatherings in intimate locations, like the host's home or a favorite local restaurant.

7. It's possible that this year we'll see both the rise and fall of mombloggers. Long-time influencers in the social media space will continue to develop well-compensated partnerships with brands. However, people identified as key influencers may not even have a YouTube channel or (gasp!) a blog. They might just be very active on Facebook, or perhaps they regularly interact on the brand's Facebook page. Does this mean that content will no longer be king by the end of 2012?

8. Flash your stats! Back in the digital dinosaur days (circa 2008) social media moms shared their stats with an awkward reluctance. Nowadays, many bloggers readily flash seductive peeks at their stats via sleek media kits, but brands will increasingly want to verify those numbers before securing major partnerships.

9. That said, brands sometimes look for talent over traffic. In 2012, there will still be companies that partner with bloggers for reasons that go beyond trying to tap into that person's community.

10. The annoying "spray and pray" broadcast pitching from brands to bloggers will continue to be a thorn in side of many a blogger. Nobody handles these pitches with more aplomb than The Bloggess. Learn from her. But before you unleash your fury on a lowly intern, keep in mind that just a couple of years from now,  she could be the person who hires bloggers for a big campaign. 

How do you think the space will shift during the coming year?

Motorola Xoom and Verizon Wireless Campaign Wrap-up

In just another week, the Verizon Wireless #MidwestMoms will come to an end. I've really enjoyed using the Motorola Xoom I received as part of the program. Unlike 99.6% of mombloggers, I'm not in the habit of having internet on the go, and have actually avoided being connected everywhere, all the time.

But it's pretty handy.

As the program finishes, I'm debating whether to continue the Verizon data plan on my own. I need to look beyond whether it's simply fun being able to Tweet/Facebook/check emails on the go to considering the business case for such access, especially now that the new house finally has internet service and I'm not sure how much traveling I'll be doing in the year ahead.

Regardless of how I move ahead, it's been an interesting journey. I noticed that pretty much wherever I went with the Xoom (including my son's doctor's office this morning), someone comments on my "iPad."

"It's not an iPad. It's a Motorola Xoom." I replied this morning and so many times before.

And then I go on to show a few great features of the Xoom that are not available on the iPad (at least not version 1).

I show off the front and rear facing cameras that capture still shots and video. I demonstrate how I can rotate the screen in any direction and be able to read and type. I may even take them on a trip to the Android App Market.

And then, because I'm a disclosure nerd, I talk about the Midwest Moms program with Verizon Wireless, which often leads to a whole different conversation about bloggers and blogging. Though sometimes it just leads to looks of befuddlement.

The Xoom has definitely been a conversation starter--so I guess you can say it's connected me in more ways than one!

Thanks to Verizon for inviting me to be a part of this fun program.

 I'll be giving away my very gently used Motorola Bionic smart phone before the year's end, so be sure to look for that *soon* now through Dec. 28, 2011on Reluctant Renovator.


Disclosure: I was not paid to be a part of the program, but I did receive the Xoom and Bionic as well as an unlimited Verizon data plan for the duration of it. I will be keeping the Xoom and, as noted, will be giving away the Bionic to a lucky reader.

Speaking Engagements

Blissdom Conference Community Leader (February 2012)

Publicity Club of Chicago, Panelist, Gaining Critical Exposure with Mommy Bloggers (January 2012)

Social Media Master's Summmit, panelist, Bloggers and Brands (October 2011)

Bloggy Boot Camp Chicago, featured speaker, Monetization and Social Media Success (August 2011)

Blissdom Conference Panelist, Bloggers and Worth (January 2011)

Type A Mom Conference Panelist, "Using Your Blog to Get Gigs" and Moderator, "Monetizing Beyond the Widget" (September 2010)

Social Media Masters' Summit on "Brands and Bloggers Working Together" (August 2010)

Sweets and Snacks Expo featured panelist for "Newest Products- Hottest Trends" (May 2010)

Featured citizen speaker at a Capitol Hill press event with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (March 2010)

Blissdom pre-conference Wisdom Workshop and Conference Session, Business Track (February 2010)

Blogalicious Conference Panelist "Marketing to Women of Color: The Real Deal" (October 2009)

Family Farmed Media Meet-up Panelist on discussion for producers on how to gain media coverage (November 2008)

Ad:Tech Chicago Panelist "Reaching Moms Online" (August 2008)

Vlogging

After dipping into video blogging in 2010 with her not-ready-for-HGTV house hunting series, Property Sluts, Kim caught the vlogging bug and has continued on with a sequel named after her new house blog, Reluctant Renovator.

In December 2010, MomBlogMagazine.com featured Kim's vlogging efforts in their Smart Series Interviews.

As on December 2011, Kim's YouTube channel has grown to include how-to, travel, and product review clips, and a few school concerts. The channel's 62 videos have been viewed more than 65,000 times, with roughly 2500 views in a typical month.

Kim and her children have sold several videos to the Johnson and Johnson's YouTube Health Channel. Videos featured at JNJ Health include:
Hoop Fun for Kids
Old-fashioned Face Painting
Halloween Safety Tips
How to Make Butter

Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Despite Thanksgiving, the ultimate foodie holiday party and other seasonal festivities, not to mention massive quantities of renovation stress, I'm down 7 or 8 pounds from where I was in August.

{pats self on shrinking rump}

But the final weeks of the year mean more parties, latkes, candies and cookies. Lots of cookies as I'm coaching the Food Science team for Science Olympiad and we plan to bake the school break away. Yikes! What's a weight watching mama to do?

Check out these great tips for preventing holiday weight gain from Esther Crawford over at The Dish, the new blogger resource site from ConAgra Foods.

{While you're there, take a minute to register for First Look, First Taste to receive samples of new products before they hit the supermarket shelves.}

What helps you keep the pounds off during the most wonderful eating time of the year?

Disclosure: As a member of The Dish Advisory Board I am compensated for my time.

Dear Small Business Owner Whose Gift Certificate Has Expired

Dear Small Biz Owner,

I was thinking that my dusty old gift certificate for your services might come in handy now that I *finally* (almost) have a house again. I was also thinking that maybe, given that well over a year had passed since I received said gift certificate, it might have expired. However, the certificate is not dated nor is an expiration date listed.

I wrote you a nice note explaining that I had been holding on to the certificate and was hoping I might  redeem it because after a year of house hunting followed by many months of home renovations, I am ready to "nest" and your services would come in handy.

Admittedly, I gave you an out, explaining that I understood if the certificate no longer applied. (Perhaps I should have stressed the lack of an expiration date.)

Your clipped response, "Yes, those certificates are void," left me cold, though.

A short apology, i.e. including the word "sorry," might have been nice.

Etiquette aside, a smarter business move would have been something like, "Sorry, the certificate is void. However, if you want to purchase 3 hours of my services, I will add in one additional hour for free."

I could have been a customer. I could have been thrilled by your expertise and referred my friends to you, written about you on my blog, left you good marks on Angie's List.

Instead, I'm shredding the gift certificate.