Not your typical "mom blog"!

Mom Blogs

Last week I had my Google Home telling me the news while I was working in the kitchen. After the main headlines and some details of news - almost always negative, of course - they got off real political and weather news and on to tech type things.

While I was listening to some commentary about the internet and bloggers, one man made a comment that he noticed there is one type of blog that seems written by and for its own community and that was the “mom blog.”

 I had to laugh to myself as typically a blog is written by and for its own community  - quilters write blogs for other quilters, woodworkers for woodworkers, travelers for travelers, news hounds for news hounds, financial wizards for financial savvy people, etc. 

Of course, this blog isn’t a typical “mom blog”. I am a mom, but I rarely mention my kids since all 5 have flown the coop and aren’t living nearby for the time being.

But I digress…

Sponsored Content

This person said that he noticed that most “mom blogs” are “sponsored content”.  I don’t actually read many typical mom blogs – don’t have time for that plus my kids are all grown.  I was taken back by the conclusion. I really wasn’t aware that this was the case, but I have no reason to believe he was not telling the truth.

Let me give you a quote about sponsored content from a company that makes up sponsored content - 

“Sponsored Content

Sponsored editorial content, meanwhile, is a piece of content placed in a publication or on a media website with the intent to inform, entertain or influence public perception.

For example, at StatePoint we rely on our clients as experts at what they do. After all, who knows more about a particular market than the companies that make the products and services for that market? We leverage our clients’ expertise to create content that provides consumers with tangible information of value – e.g. tips, how-tos, etc.

Done right, such content provides a great opportunity to generate good will for your company, establish your expertise, teach your audience about your product in an organic way, and otherwise positively influence perceptions and behavior.

Similar to native advertising, sponsored editorial content typically looks like the other editorial content around it in a print publication or on a media website. If you are reading a publication, good sponsored content should appear like any other feature story you would want to read. Most importantly, it should never read like an advertisement, press release or marketing copy. And though you can include your company or product name in the content, it’s crucial not to be overly-promotional, in keeping with the mission of informing the audience, not selling to it.”

— https://statepointmedia.com/whats-the-difference-between-sponsored-content-and-native-advertising-and-why-should-you-care/

Quilting Blogs

But it made me think about quilting blogs.  How many people write quilting blogs that are just one big advertisement for a company within their content (I’m not talking about the ads that run along the side of the articles)?

Hopefully not too many.

it's hard to be completely objective when someone is giving you fabric, thread, and a machine to try and then talk about on your blog. I'm not saying it can't be done, however.  

I saw one that was pretty open - a certain fabric company had sent her a whole fat quarter pack and she had to make something with it (sorry - I can't remember the blog or the name of the fabric!). It was the first time I had seen such a thing. So, yes, it does exist in the quilting world. I didn't find her deceptive - she was up front about it  in her blog post. But it was pretty blatant advertising for that company.

How many are very careful to tell you that they use Aurifil thread?  Is that really the best thread out there? (Many here will say they use Connecting Threads thread - but I can't say that I've heard many big name bloggers say they do.)

About Aurifil - it seems that they have done a great job of getting hold of the big name bloggers but at $12.99 for one spool of roughly 1400 meters, they should be able to give away quite a bit of it for advertising.  That’s a crazy price, by the way, that's the price that a cursory search brought out - for sale at  fabric.com.  “Oh, but it’s great thread,” you say.  All I can say is that it had better be for that price! I'm not denying that it isn't great thread - just saying that they've certainly done a great job at getting people to mention their name on you tube videos and blogs.

When I see my favorite you tube personality or website start promoting a certain brand of sewing machines – Baby Lock or Bernina, for example, or Aurifil thread, or a certain brand of fabric, I can’t help but wonder what they are getting for it.

I actually chuckle anymore.  I get a tiny bit frustrated, but for the most part it makes me laugh.

Why are we so susceptible to this advertising? Do you really try a thread because so and so on You Tube says they use it?  Probably yes – or at least enough of us do that it makes it worthwhile for these big companies to give away samples and supplies to keep your favorite blogger/You Tube personality in stock so they can be sure to mention the name brand of whatever they are using.

This blog

I wanted to make it clear that I’m not being sponsored by anyone nor have I been sent anything from companies such as free sewing machines, thread or fabric other than what my sister and I have purchased  - In some cases, some people/readers have given me thread or fabric esp. for making charity quilts.

What IS happening, though?

Amazon Links

• From time to time I put an Amazon link to something I think you might like. If you buy it – (whatever “it” is), I get a tiny bit of $ from that.  So far, since the conception of the blog, I think I’ve gotten about $10-15 from the Amazon site for such affiliate links - it's been from some books I like and use.  I probably should do it more, but truthfully, I’m not trying to push you into buying more things you don’t need!  I’d rather see you try to make do with what you have if possible.

Sometimes I get really tired of being pushed into buying this gadget or that one - I'd think you would be too.

Advertisements

• We do have ads on the site, though, and if you wanted to help me, however, you could go around and click on some ads – if you are at all curious. It doesn't cost you anything to look at a few ads, and it would help me. No pressure, though - that's only if you feel so inclined.

I’ve wanted to get some patterns for sale up on the site this year, but I’ve been so busy sewing, spending almost 2 months in the states, and writing up free patterns that I’ve not had time to do that. 

I’m trying to help my second daughter get through college – she has two more semesters after this one – engineering major – and I  am using advertising money to go directly to her school bill.  So, if you want to help me – just click away!  That’s really the only way I’m getting any money off this site. So far, it’s not been so very much, but as we learn more how to maximize it, we hope to be able to increase what we get from google ads.

The store

• The only other way that this blog is helping anyone financially is the store. I regularly put a link at the bottom of the blog post to another page of fabric (usually) for sale by my sister. That’s not what I called an affiliate link – that’s me, trying to see if there is any fabric you need for your projects. My sister will then sell you fabric. That is wholly her sphere - I'm not involved with the money end of that.

I want to expose you to what my sister has, so if you happen to see 5 fabrics at the bottom of a blog post, maybe you will remember that we have fabric for sale next time you need some!  I'm not trying to get you to blow your budget or go into debt - actually quite the opposite. My sis wants to help keep quilting affordable for the average person by offering great prices on great fabric!

However, since I'm here in Poland and she's in the states, it's my sister's money who has set up the store.  Not mine.  She has given me fabric if I said I wanted it - she's been very generous that way. 

Added. on Tuesday....

And oh yes, she is very much "growing the business" so they are investing the money they make from selling fabrics back into inventory to give you a better selection. Plus, they've invested tens of thousands of dollars from their own savings into inventory - so it's not yet a money-maker.  I know sometimes people think anyone who has a business is making a killing.  It takes a while - almost no one does that at first.

And now you know.  Maybe more than you ever wanted to know!

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Don't forget to check out what my sis has for you over in the store! Maybe it's just what you need for your next project!  (See, I told you I put that at the bottom of most of my posts.)