Why Social Media Marketing Is Perfect For Public Relations

I have been on the internet for a long time, since 1996 to be exact.  As a mom married to a military service member who had to go on deployments a lot, the internet has been a very important part of my life, not only for social interaction but entertainment as well. It's really difficult to get out and socialize when your husband is gone for up to 6 months and you have two toddlers depending on you for everything.  I started with forums for awhile, long enough that I was even a moderator on one for quite a bit. 

Then, MySpace came along and social media took off. I spent every free moment I had (which wasn't much) reading blogs, writing blogs, reading, and talking to folks from all around the world. By the time Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest came along, I was all in! And as most things do, social media has evolved into being a pretty important part of everyone's life now. I have seen so many things come and go through social media, it's infinitely interesting.

The most interesting thing I have found is how brands can so easily boost themselves on social media. Considering it's literally my job now, I have been researching and reading as much as I can about social media marketing and how to run effective campaigns.

There are plenty of different ways to market on social media. You can have a blogger, such as myself (contact details on the contact tab above!), write about your brand or product and spread the word on social media. There are also PR companies, such as Behrman and PR, that can handle larger brands/companies as they generally tend to have large teams that are adept at handling all of your brand's needs. Social media marketing has become imperative for business growth these days. The ROI (return on investment) for social media marketing campaigns is very high, and brands walk away satisfied with the growth and profit from these campaigns. 

By far, social media marketing has proven to be highly effective and indispensable to not only established brands, but small and upcoming brands. With the rise of influencer marketing, more and more brands are turning to social media marketing to showcase their brands and even introduce new products to the masses. By enlisting the help of influencers, public relations, and bloggers, more brands and businesses are able to reach more and more customers that otherwise would not have the same reach (thanks, algorithms grr!) as some other social media icons do. As someone who makes a living with social media marketing, I am really excited for the future of this industry! As with everything on the internet, I can't wait to see how it evolves from here. 

How have you seen social media evolve? Have you ever found a new product because of a social media marketing campaign? Tell me about it in the comments below!

How To Start Writing In Your Spare Time

When you’re someone that dreams of writing, that dream never dies. It stays with you. Even when you go off into your career, when you forget about all things creative, and when you go off into your adult life. It’s still there.

Because writing comes with so much passion. When you love to read and create and get lost in an imaginary world, it’s only natural that your mind will often come up with characters and ideas, plots and plot twists. So whether you were a budding author as a child, or you were someone that just wanted to write features and stories and snippets from your life, you will still have that feeling until you put pen to paper. Or, perhaps more aptly, fingers to keyboard.

So, you might be interested in writing in your spare time with the intention of turning this into a career. Or selling a story. Or an article. But how do you do it? And how should you start? Well, let's find out.

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Just Start

First, you just need to get started. Right now! When you’ve finished reading this post, open up your word processor or your Google Doc and just get writing. Getting started is often the hardest part, so if you just do it, you’ve beaten that hurdle.

Set Aside The Time

But at the same time, you need to make sure that you’re actually doing it. Don’t just get started, write once, and then stop. You need to find time to write by making time for it. So schedule it in. Whether it’s an hour in the morning, on your lunch break, or in the evening, slot it in. Because when it’s in the diary and the time is set aside for it, you will write.

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Get Into A Routine

You then will want to make sure that you’re being consistent with it. So get into a routine of writing an hour a day or whatever you can commit. Because the more of a routine you get into with your writing, the easier it will be to build up a momentum.

Take It Seriously

But then there may also come a time where you feel ready to take this whole writing thing seriously. Maybe you want to look at online jobs from home where you can write to make money and then write in your spare time creatively too. Or maybe you want to think about getting a pitch together for a book proposal? No matter what you want to achieve, you will start to realize that there is a point where things get a little bit more serious for you.

Do Something Big

Finally, you may even want to make more of a move than that. You might want to do something big and exciting and different. Maybe starting a blog and publishing some of your ideas there could be perfect for you? Or maybe you would love to write your own book and self-publish it? Just make sure that you have some kind of goal that you’re working to, that something big you’re chasing that can help to keep you on track.

What are you waiting for?

8 Ways A Writing Career Benefits Your Kids

Today, I am honored to bring you a guest post from Samara over at TinyFry! Samara Kamenecka is a Virtual Assistant specializing in SEO and writing, based in Madrid. When she’s not chained to her computer, she likes to explore the city with her boyfriend, their two kids, and their dog. You can find her blogging about everything from pregnancy tips to parenting hacks over at Tiny Fry. 

8 Ways A Writing Career Benefits Your Kids

Some people think that writing is an easy way to make a living working from home, but if it was easy everyone would do it. The truth is that making a living from writing can be challenging, but if you’re good at it, many rewards come along with writing as a career. My favorite part of being able to work from home is how it benefits my kids.

       No Daycare

Not having to pay a daycare provider is two benefits in one. First of all, daycare is not cheap, and many parents seem to work just to pay for someone else to care for their kid(s). Secondly, you know exactly who is raising your child, and you never have to worry about what the daycare provider may or may not be teaching them.

 Flexible Schedule

Having a flexible schedule is the best benefit for you and your kids. There are not many people in this world who have the flexibility to pick up and drop off their kids from school, attend mid-day school events, and still be around to have family dinner and help with homework at night. It also doesn’t force you into a panic whenever your kid has a sick day, or the daycare cancels out of nowhere.

      

Grow Together

Working as a writer takes a lot of hard work and growth which can get a bit  frustrating at times, especially when there are little ones tugging at your pant legs while you’re trying to focus. Though some days can be tough, it allows you and your kids to grow together and understand each other better. You will both probably learn lessons in patience and time management while building a stronger bond.

       They See a Role Model

A lot of kids don’t understand the importance of work because they simply don’t see it. By seeing you working to provide for your family you are setting a good example for work ethic and helping them understand an important part of life as an adult. As a work from home mom, you are also setting the example that women are an equally important part of the workforce as men.

      No Commute

Some people spend two hours or more of their day commuting to and from work. Not having to commute is a benefit for anyone who works from home, but especially parents who get to spend that extra time with their kids. It also saves money and the environment, which is yet another benefit to your children.

       Financial Contributions

Some parents decide to start writing after they have decided to stay at home. So hopefully, that income can be used in surplus to the budget to do things like save for a child’s education or enroll them in enrichment classes. The money could even be used for a vacation potentially, and since you’re a writer, you won’t have to worry about taking time off!

       A Safe and Clean Home

One of my favorite benefits of being a writing mom is that I can take a break from work to clean a room or throw in a load of laundry. Being able to care for the home while working helps keep a strong work/life balance and also keeps my home cleaner and safer for my kids to play.

      Mental Wellbeing

This is perhaps the subtlest benefit for children with work at home parents. Just knowing that there is going to be someone home to talk to when they need it offers confidence and lowers stress. Being around all the time to offer a hug for a scraped knee or an emotional bruise goes a long way in the happiness of a kid. I can’t tell you how many times my kids have come and sat by me in silence while I worked just to be around me. Being this available builds an unbreakable bond between parent and child that not every parent gets to experience.

If you are choosing to pull double duty as a parent and a writer, make sure you are prepared with everything you’ll need to keep your babies and kids safe and occupied. Writing from home benefits your kids in many ways, but it is still a job and one that can get a little tricky to balance if you’re not careful. At the end of the day, it is one of the best careers in the world to have when it comes to the perfect balance between finance and family.

Blog Conference Newbie

For the first time ever in my life, I will be attending a blog conference in September. I am beyond excited about it!

I've never been to one before so I am not quite sure what to expect. Hopefully, I will get a lot of new tips and meet lots of new people in my industry.

I have been looking into various things about conferences and think I've been pretty thorough. I've even fallen down the trade show rabbit hole of trade show decorators to make sure I know EVERYTHING about it. 

Yep.

Maybe a little too thorough, but hey, the more you know!

This conference is being held by the BloggyMoms Network at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. I cannot wait! I've never been to Ohio and I have never been to Cedar Point.  My husband is tagging along so that gives him something to do while I am at the conference all day. Because, I am going to be BUSY.

A quick scan of the agenda shows that from 9am until the evening, I am going to be filling my brain with anyandeverything blogging. Social media strategies, design (which I am WAY excited for), SEO, all of it!

I have been wanting to go to a conference for blogging since I first started over ten years ago. I am so very happy that I finally get the chance to go. I am hoping to become an even better blogger that way. I pretty much have the writing part down, it's all of the other stuff that I definitely need help with. Hopefully, I will get a plethora of knowledge there and have some fun while I'm at it!

Have you ever been to a blogging conference? What was it like? I'd love to know all about your experience! Tell me all about it in the comments, please!

My Most Essential Blogging Tool

There are many things I cannot do without when it comes to blogging. The internet, a writerly brain, social media, a quiet room, a desk to bang my head on. 

You know, the important things.

The number one thing that I absolutely NEED is my daily planner! I would be 100000% lost without it! Since I am a freelancer, I have jobs coming in from all over the place with sporadic deadlines, certain guidelines I have to follow, and things I absolutely cannot forget to include. Without my planner, I would fail and fail hardcore.

My current planner is so perfect for the way I organize my work. First of all, it's not one of those planners that has the dates already written in. You can fill in the dates yourself. Along with the large area on the pages to write down what you have for that day, it has sections for notes, priorities, daily, weekly, and monthly reviews. It also comes with bookmark ribbons and a pocket in the back to hold the stickers that come with it or loose papers/notes/whatever. It is super convenient!

If you're a blogger and want to get organized, I highly recommend this planner! 

                                                                         affiliate link

What is your most essential blogging tool? Let me know in the comments below!

You Should Become A Blogger

A decade ago, people probably saw blogging as a fad, or, at best, a useless hobby, but it’s now 2018, and blogging has not only become one of the most popular forms of writing in the world, but it’s also a lucrative business. There are so many things that you can do with your time, but few of them have the potential to change your life quite like blogging does. If you’re considering starting your own blog, but aren’t really sure why you should, then here are six reasons for you to think about. 

To Promote Yourself

We live in a time completely dominated by technology, and as such, technology is often needed when you want to promote yourself or a product or service that you sell. Blogging is a perfect way to sell something, as it allows you to advertise and promote without being pushy and obviously looking like you’re trying to make a sale. 

To Change The World

If there is one thing that I’m certain of, it’s that the world needs bloggers. Most blogs are written to provide advice and give opinions on certain things, and although you won’t be able to help everyone, your blog is going to be able to help someone, and it could help them in a huge way. The comments section also provides a forum for readers to talk and help one another. 

To Have Fun

Most bloggers write about something that they enjoy or know a lot about, and as such, blogging can be really fun. If you’re a fan of a particular TV series or love music and have Begin Your Drumming bookmarked on your phone, tell people about it. If you’re passionate about what you’re writing about, it will shine through in your posts, and people will enjoy reading them much more. 

To Improve Yourself

Blogging doesn’t just make a difference to other people, it can make a difference with you too, and it does so in a variety of ways. As fun as blogging is, it requires a lot of commitment, discipline, and a healthy lifestyle to be successful. You will also improve your writing and will learn a lot about specific topics the more you write about them in your posts. 

To Meet New People

The more your blog grows, the more comments, follows, shares, and emails you will receive, and the easier it will be to meet and develop relationships with like-minded people. You will also make connections with other bloggers and will be able to help each other and share ideas, which will further help to improve your writing and blogging. 

To Make Money

It takes a lot of work to turn blogging from a hobby into a successful business, but it can be done with hard work and dedication. Of course, you don’t need to be making money to love blogging, but it is incredibly rewarding to earn money  doing something that you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about. 

If you’re considering starting a blog, stop considering and get online. I promise you won’t regret it. 

Voices Of Social Media

It is amazing how much social media dominates people's lives.

I started my journey into the internet way back in 1996. I was twenty years old.

It's really hard for my kids to understand that no, the internet did not exist in my life until I was 20. They have always had the internet. 

Windows 95 had just hit critical mass and everyone had a desktop computer in their house. I was a new mom and started out looking for tips on pacifiers in a chat room and twenty one years later, I literally would not have a job without the social aspect of the internet. 

It is insane to sit back and think about how important social media is not to just us, but the entire world.

A virtual global free market has sprung up because of it! 

I started out with chat rooms, was a moderator on a forum for awhile, started my blogging career on XANGA, and then MySpace happened. 

Then onto Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram, and now Pinterest. It is ever moving. A new social media site was just announced last week. You guys can join it, but I am exhausted.

                                                photo via

Social media is where the majority of people get their fake news, nowadays. I love Twitter, I go to Twitter first for news. Facebook is friends and family stuff. Instagram for photos and Pinterest for everything I am planning. It's like the first and last step of every day. Wake up, check, have a day, check, sleep.

Back to that virtual global free market, did I mention that I love it? I have met and done business with people from all over the world due to social media! I have found some great products and met some great folks to network with. Sometimes, because of luck. Sometimes because of social media optimization. There are many different ways to call attention to yourself on the internet, that's for sure. Social media and advertising are besties because of it!

In order to do business, you have to attract business, right? I never thought I would be the type of blogger to use any SEO tactics but now I am surprised I hadn't sooner! Sometimes, it can feel like you are screaming into the wind but because of the internet, specifically social media, there is always the chance that someone will hear your voice through the jumble. And that's all bloggers really want, I think. To be heard through the noise.

How do you drive traffic to your brand?  Have you noticed how well social media and advertising work together? 

Joyal Beauty Retinol Cream

I am on a beauty kick lately.

I started out in my forties not worrying a bit about wrinkles, lines, dark circles, puffy eyes, etc etc etc. 41? Not so much.

So, in my quest to find the perfect creams, elixirs, potions, and lotions, I was asked to review Joyal Beauty's Retinol Cream.  

Like the Joyal Beauty Vitamin C Brightening Cream I tried awhile ago, this is a heavy cream with a different sort of smell. The difference, however, is that this one worked much better! I put it on every night before bed and actually started to see results within a week! I did not break out at all and I can tell that my skin is firming up due to the boost in collagen and although it doesn't work as well as my very favorite "beauty hack"....

                                                   (LOL)

It is definitely something I plan on adding to my regular routine. You can find Joyal Beauty Retinol Cream on Amazon for just $20.85. Let me know how you like it!

**I have received a sample product, payment, or both in exchange for this review. Regardless, I pride myself in bringing you an honest and thorough review. Thanks for reading! My comment box is always open for any questions you may have!**