Sunday, July 10, 2011

My Blog Has Moved, Please re-follow me at my new URL

Hi guys!  I moved to wordpress here http://www.shethinksmedia.com and unfortunately, even though it appeared that I moved my GFC followers, I noticed that my blog was not showing up on the Google Blog Reader.  I tried a million solutions and got fed up, deleted the whole GFC and re-did it with the new site.

I would love to have you all re-follow me at my new blog by re-joining my Google Friends Connect and/or resubscribing to my blog feed.

Thanks so much!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

TweetChat Tutorial: How to participate in a Twitter Chat or Twitter Party.

Each week I have the privilege of getting to participate in weekly #clothdiapers chats on twitter and each week I post reminder's that "It's Monday night!  Time for the #clothdiapers chat!"  So many of you are able to participate and so many of you want to but just don't know how.

Recently I made a Youtube Video/Slideshow explaining how to use TweetChat to participate in a Twitter Party or Twitter Chat but since not everyone can watch videos I figured I'd do a photo tutorial/explanation as well.

First thing you'll do (assuming you have a Twitter acct) is go to Tweetchat.com.
Next, you will log in to your Twitter Acct through TweetChat.  You do not have to sign up for anything and they do not have access to your password.  You sign in and grant access.
After you're logged in to your Twitter Acct via TweetChat you will have the chance to enter your #hashtag in the box at the top of the screen.  The Hashtag is going to filter out every other thing on twitter and only show you tweets that have that same attached hashtag.  For the purpose of this tutorial I used the #clothdiapers hashtag.  For Twitter parties you'll want to use the designated hashtag for that party.
After entering the #clothdiapers Hashtag you'll see the most recent posts using that hashtag as well as any live tweets using it, in real time.
Now when you type a tweet it, TweetChat will automatically attach the hashtag that you specified to it.  You will then see your Tweets appearing in the list of tweets before you.
If the tweets are moving too fast for you to keep up then you can adjust your refresh speed as seen in the photo above.
Next thing you need to notice is that your tweets and any tweets that are directed to you or in reply to you will be highlighted and will stand out from the rest of the tweets.  (see photo above)
Lastly, you should know that you can "star" important tweets so that you can go back and respond later.  Or in the event someone shared a link that you want to check out, etc you will easily be able to find them.  Next to the "star" you will also see a way to respond/reply to a person's tweet or to "retweet" a tweet that you like.

These are the basics of participating in a Twitter Chat or Twitter Party.  If you plan on attending a Twitter Party and never have before then I suggest you try a couple Twitter Chats first.  Cloth Diaper Twitter Chats are Monday nights, every week, at 9:00pm eastern.

Have any questions?  Feel free to contact me by commenting here or on my FaceBook Page.  I hope to see you on Twitter soon!


Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Cloth Diaper Geek & She Thinks Media are looking for BlogHer Sponsors!

Will work for BlogHer Sponsorships...

Hello! Thank you for reading beyond the first sentence!  Perhaps you're interested in finding out more about what's involved in sponsoring the Cloth Diaper Geek and She Thinks Media?  That's great!

First of all let me explain that this will be my first trip to BlogHer!  BlogHer is 2-day female bloggers conference where bloggers and business owners go to network, share, grow, learn and have fun!  I'm primarily going for the learning part... :)

I'm offering different sponsorship opportunities to suit different businesses needs.  I'm a social media and marketing professional, freelance writer/blog contributor for many blogs, and overall online social butterfly (on behalf of my clients).  I'm not asking that you simply sponsor for fun or just because you can, I'm asking that you sponsor me and let me earn my way to BlogHer by allowing me to work for your company in various ways through the end of the year.

Here's what I am offering as a marketing/advertising special:


Platinum Sponsorship (You receive the following through Dec 31, 2011) $200.00 *limited number of Platinum Sponsors available.
  • 2 posts per month (which I will write unless you want to provide them) on my blog (www.clothdiapergeek.com) about anything you like.  Posts could promote a specific sale,  your store in general, a giveaway, etc.  These posts will also be cross promoted on my FaceBook Page and Twitter.  If you prefer I could contribute 2 posts per month to you for use on your blog in lieu of posting about you on my blog.
  • Large graphic, (which I will make for you) to use in the rotating banner spot you see on my Cloth Diaper Geek Blog.  Approximate size is 500x300.  Graphic and text will promote whatever you like and can be changed as desired through the end of the year.
  • 125x125 ad space on both my blogs Cloth Diaper Geek and She Thinks Mom through the end of the year.  If you do not have a graphic to use I will make one for you.
  • Shoutouts via FaceBook and Twitter, throughout each month, linking to your FaceBook Page or Twitter Acct. 
  • Text link in Cloth Diaper Geek toolbar under "Where to Shop"
  • Twitter shoutouts during the popular Twitter Cloth Diaper Chats which occur Monday nights.  (1 shoutout with a link to your store, per week, through the end of the year.)
Silver Sponsorship (You receive the following through Dec 31, 2011) $100.00

  • 1 post per month (which I will write unless you want to provide it to me) on my blog (www.clothdiapergeek.com) about anything you like.  Posts could promote a specific sale,  your store in general, a giveaway, etc.  These posts will also be cross promoted on my FaceBook Page and Twitter.  If you prefer I could contribute 1 post per month to you for use on your blog in lieu of posting about you on my blog.
  •  125x125 ad space on my blog through the end of the year.  If you do not have a graphic to use I will make one for you.
  • Twitter shoutouts, 3-4 per month, referring customers with a link to your store.
Bronze Sponsorship (You receive the following through Dec 31, 2011) $50.00
  •  125x125 as space on my Cloth Diaper Geek Blog through the end of the year.  If you do not have a graphic to use I will make one for you.

Don't see a sponsor package that suits your needs?  Want to hire me for something different or customize a package to suit your needs?  Email me at shethinksmedia(at)gmail.com

Want to snag one of these sponsor opportunities?  Contact me!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Is it better to act like a big fish or a little fish? Part 1

This is a really interesting topic that I've been wanting to write about for a long time.  When you're a small business there are many types of customers whom you'd like to attract, and some you end up wishing you hadn't...None the less, you need customers in order to succeed, unless you're independently wealthy and your business is more of a hobby.

Since there are different types of customers you need to decide whether you want to specifically target one group and risk turning away another, or if you can figure out a common denominator that will allow you to attract them all.  Here's my breakdown on the different types of customers out there.

Customer A:  These are customers who take pride in supporting small businesses and actually seek them out.  They don't mind spending an extra couple of bucks and usually they can afford to.  Once they find a business they like then you can expect them to become repeat customers.

Customer B:  Customers who fall into this group also like to support small businesses but only really when they feel it works out, the price is right, etc.  The majority of the time they end up shopping elsewhere because for them it's all about the end price, no matter how small the savings.

Customer C:  Hmmm... Customer C is more of a hybrid customer, or maybe I should say they're a High-Maintenance customer! lol  They want to support small businesses and they prefer to, but they also want you to act like you're a big business and uphold the same sorts of policies and practices as the big businesses.

If Customer C were to shop online at big box retailer's website for example, they'd just pay the advertised price, shipping, research the product themselves before they checkout and voila!

However, if Customer C were to shop at a small business for the same product they'd likely compare your price to the big box retailer's price, check out your shipping prices and policies, and then email you with all their questions.  I think they might like to do this to ensure that you're really there and because they like to make you work for their money.

Customer C isn't really a problem customer and personally I prefer them over Customer B's but they really make you work for your sale.  At least they give you an opportunity to earn their sale, that's how I always looked at it.

Now I wonder, if you were to act like a big retailer or business, put up a facade implying that you're a little bigger than you really are, would they question you as much?  This is the question to be examined.  How do you attract customers A, B and C while not turning one or the other away?

Well, if you're still reading this then I hope I have you intrigued enough to look for my follow up post in the next couple of days.  For now it appears my inspiration has led me to end this question with another question!

Do you all wonder these same things?  Do you feel pressure to act larger than you are?  Do you ever feel like it's better to appear smaller?  What are your thoughts?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Saturday Mom Blog Hop! Add your blog!

Blog Hop hosted by
Here's how it works...

In order to join the hop and add your link you have to first
  • First, follow the first (2) Blogs on the list AND the last (2) Blogs on the list.  Why the first and last?  Well normally I see blog hops where you must just follow people at the top, but that doesn't seem all that fun when those never change and there's no guarantee anyone else will get new followers.  So I decided to play by my own rules and ask that you follow the top two and bottom two.
  • Second, grab the code for the linky and create a new Blog post on your blog.  Please also use the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog Hop graphic and copy/paste these instructions if you can so that others will know the rules and how to play along.
  • Optional, it is not "required" but if you'd like other bloggers to follow you back through this Hop then it's suggested that you leave them a comment saying so on their blog so that they know you stopped by.
*To grab the code and place this Blog Hop on your blog you must click the link below that says "Get the code here..." or copy/paste the code from the iframe box below.



Thursday, March 3, 2011

Don't let the fact that you're self-taught dictate your self-worth.

This is something I struggle with daily in my new field.  Over the last 4-5 years I have learned a lot and taught myself a lot whether through watching tutorials, googling solutions to problems, a few college courses, trial and error and a TON of hands on experience.  However, with no paper to prove my qualifications I struggle with finding the confidence to stand behind my services and prices.   I am forever doubting myself.

What if I say I can do something and then it turns out I can't?  What if they don't like what I do? What if...Seriously the list of "what ifs" I can come up with are seriously crazy.

Do you struggle with confidence in your line of work?  Whether your a blogger unsure of your writing skills, a crafter who's taught herself how to sew, a consultant or something else completely.  I'd love to know I'm not the only one feeling this way.

I've heard that the best way to act is like you can take on the world, surely that's easier said than done.  Confident people get noticed, I've definitely seen them.  They command your attention, come across as knowledgeable and reliable, and are downright admirable.  And I'm not talking about overly confident a.k.a. cocky people.  I'm referring to those who you just know that they know what they're talking about!

It's getting a little late for new years resolutions but I'm going to give this a shot regardless.  I'll consider, whether anyone is actually reading this or not, to be my own little personal pep-talk to myself.

I am confident, I am knowledgeable, my work has value!  Roarrr!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Featured WAHM Interview with Shair of The Knit Wit by Shair!

This interview kicks off my WAHM Interview blog feature.  You might be wondering, do you qualify as a WAHM (work-at-home-mom)?  Well I think we all do!  Whether you are a mommy who works outside the home, runs a business from home, runs a blog or just plain stays home to care for your family, I think we're all working and motherhood is the most important job of all, therefore we're all WAHM's!  If you're interested in being interviewed please email me at shethinksmedia(at)gmail(dot)com. 

No without further delay, let me share with you my first WAHM Interview with Shair!

Tell me a little about yourself, your family, where you're located- I am a happily married mother of 3 young boys aged 4, 2, and will be 1 on March 2nd.  I love knitting, sewing, blogging and Nascar 

What is the name of your store or blog and how did you get started- My store name is The Knit Wit by Shair  and my blog is the same name http://theknitwitbyshair.blogspot.com I started my blog last June because my friend started one and I loved reading hers, so I thought I would start one.  From there, I decided  to start my shop as I had a lot of products I had made anyways, and having the widget on the side of my blog is good exposure for my shop.

Have you always been a wahm or did you previously work in some other field? When I had my first son I stayed home for the first year for our 1 year of maternity leave, and then I went back to work as a Personal Assistant and Office Administrator.  After having my 2nd, I just stayed home, and then when we had our 3rd I decided I needed to start earning money, and trying to save some money where possible.  So the blogging started.

What's the most fun part about being a wahm?  Getting to stay home and play with my boys, and still have some income!

If you make items or just sell retail, what are your favorite items to make/sell and why?  My favourite item to make is my knitted baby blankets, as I can always imagine a Mommy snuggling her little brand new baby in one of my creations.  I also know that the babies I have made them for as gifts have fallen in love with them and drag them around!  That makes me so happy!

Do you have any goals for your wahm business in the future? My first goal would be to get 10 sales on etsy, and I currently have 2.  My long-term goal is to have my shop generate enough income to reach an amount that my DH and I have set as my goal to bring in for the year.


If you could give a mom looking to try and start a new wahm business and/or blog once piece of advice what would it be?  For bloggers, be true to who you are and write from your heart.  Make friends with other bloggers, and help promote other blogs, along with your own, and you will see how it comes back to you!

Visit Shair's shop today and help her reach her goal of 10 sales on etsy!
You can also Follow Shair's Blog The Knit Wit by Shair, Favorite her etsy shop The Knit Wit by Shair and become her Fan on FaceBook!

Shair is also looking for Sponsors for a HUGE Mothers Day event that she's hosting.  Check out this link for more details and contact her for more info and/or to sign up as a sponsor!