Healthy Choice & Me…. And YOU!

In about 3 days I will be on my way to Las Vegas travelling to the Blog World Expo. I am on an assignment there from a joint mission from Collective Bias, Blog World Expo, and Healthy Choice.  They are my sponsors who enabled me to go be a part of this conference to learn more about blogging, and I hope some of the technical side, and also networking.

While there I have been chosen to be a “Healthy Choice Ambassador” Spreading the word about how Healthy Choice is on a mission as well, that is parallel to mine to be more “out there” in the world of social media.

Let me tell you how big this is and how much this means. For a company such as Healthy Choice from ConAgra Foods to be at a Social Media conference to LISTEN to us bloggers, to learn from us bloggers, and to learn more about the realm of social media in general is huge.

The whole social media, blogging, mommy blogging, Brand, PR, Company connection is a relatively NEW media. And having a company there such as Healthy Choice to want to be a part of this is so wonderful. I am hoping to form a relationship with them as I stated in one of the previous posts I wrote on “This is Why I Blog”.

When Brands start listening to what bloggers are saying and then bloggers listen to the needs of the brands things can work so well. We can learn as we go supporting one another.

So this brings about a question for me. WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO LEARN FROM HEALTHY CHOICE ? A LOT !

• I have heard of them, I have bought and eaten their food, but I would like to know what their goals within social media are.
• I would love to know more about the company, what their mission is, what their history is, how Healthy Start came about.
• I would love to know what their company is doing, if anything in the ways of sustainability, as this is a subject I tend to be interested in. I am a consumer that is trying to become more “green” in my life and within my family, so I would love to know what they as a company are doing.
• I would like to know if their company is apart of or supports any special causes. One thing that ranks high with me is when large companies give back in ways of charities, fundraisers, donations, things like this.
• I would like to know what their company feels is important to consumers and see if it matches up with how “I” the consumer feels.
• I personally would love to tour one of their manufacturing plants to see what it is like there. I don’t know if this is a possibility, but sometimes to understand a company, and especially to learn more about their products, how they are made, where they are made, it is nice to have a “hands on” approach.
• I would like to know how I can assist them in the land of social media. What they would like me to convey to other consumers.

There is a lot to think about when working with a large company on campaigns. There is a much bigger picture of what information they are trying to get out to the public about their brand. I want to know what expectations they have in the social media space. I want to share with them my story of how I got into social media and have as much as a personal relationship as I can with them. I want us to share goals and then work to accomplish them.

I am thrilled to be the Healthy Choice Ambassador. I really think it is a great fit. I have been wanting to get a healthier lifestyle and having good, nutritious foods to eat along the way is a definite plus.

I would love to ask, if any of my readers have any input into this new relationship I am forming? What types of questions would you love to have answered by Healthy Choice?  What goals would you love to share with corporations within the social media space? What would you like to see brands learn from bloggers, and what can you teach brands as a blogger or as a social media expert ? PLEASE SHARE your idea’s in my comment section.

A learning process cannot work without a lot of input and idea’s and Q& A.

Being a Healthy Start Ambassador to me, means being a liaison between the brand and the bloggers. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this. I am sure we will all have more questions along the way but I wanted to start a conversation here to kick it off with.

Also, if you will be attending Blog World Expo in Las Vegas this week. Healthy Choice is wanting to also schedule time with YOU !!!! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet with them and discuss social media. This Brand is taking time to meet with YOU. If you would like to be a part of my list, PLEASE email me at plussizemommy@gmail.com and let me know. Only so many people off of the list will be selected so be sure to get your name on it!

In the meantime, let me hear (and them hear) what your thoughts are. Please leave a comment.

Thank YOU!

The Plus Size Mommy

This is Why I Blog

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about why I started my blog, and what I wanted to accomplish by starting a blog. I am simply a woman, wife, mom, consumer who would love to shape the way products are made, sold, packaged, and advertised. I would like to let companies AKA brands know what I like and dislike about their product or services and what I don’t like, and what I would love to see, and what I think as a consumer can be made better.

My goal was to use blogging as the platform in which my voice is heard. I felt that my blog, which potentially can be read by millions, although still read by thousands, was able to have a bigger voice than me alone writing a review on another website, or sending a lonely letter to a company.

This all happened about a year ago when I was introduced to the concept of the Walmart 11moms. When I saw these woman and how powerful and meaningful they were to Walmart (a huge corporation) I knew this is what I wanted to be doing. Not just for Walmart but any company whose products I love, like, would love to like, and even companies for products/services that I never even heard of or used before. As a consumer you never know what you will come across in the ways of product. There are so many, and so many companies vying for your purchase. I love to be the first to get the opportunity to try out products and let others know what I think. It has always been exciting to me.

I have done a ton of product reviews this past year, and I love almost every product I have been sent to try. I would never write a “bad” post of a product I didn’t like, but what I would do, is let others know what I feel could be made differently or better IN MY OPINION. I have no certificates in product testing or degree’s in marketing. But what I do have is the knowledge of a consumer, mother, wife, and woman. I know what I like,  I know what I don’t like, and I feel I am valued by my friends and family, and now my readers, as a voice who can be trusted and who is entitled to my quality opinion.

I would hope that I can build strong relationships with Brands/Companies, and also with the wonderful PR people who I work with on different campaigns and posts that I write.

This said, recently I have felt an almost “coldness” if you will from PR folks and a few companies who have wanted me to write a post or do a review for them. I am not talking “coldness” as if they are rude, no way, in fact most of them are really nice and cool to work with. What I am talking about is I will get a “pitch” to write about a product or review a product, then I may write back saying I am interested in doing so, and then I get a follow up email telling me to send my address and they will get me the product to review. Next thing I know the product is at my door, I do the review, post it, write back to the company or PR rep. to let them know, and then this is where it stops, COLD in it’s tracks…..

This isn’t really at all what I was looking for when I started my blog, but this seems to be “the norm”. I am hardly ever asked to do anything further, not asked what can be made better, if anything, not asked about any sequel to the product or service at all, well until they have another product they may want me to review, if that ever happens.

So in evaluating this, I am starting to feel like a “Generic Product Reviewer” and not a “Blogger who wants her voice heard”. So I am going to make some changes on this. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the products and giveaways, but this isn’t what I wanted my blog to be.

I saw how IMPORTANT the 11moms are to Walmart. I mean, the CEO of Walmart met with them to HEAR them. He sat in an hour conference with just us. I saw how powerful he KNOWS they can be. I know how 1 voice can turn into millions. THIS is what Word of Mouth Marketing IS. When a person loves a product/service and they in turn tell a person or a few people and then it spirals out of control into millions of people. I know how powerful to a company I can be and I know that if they want my consumer dollars then they need to and will listen to me via my blog.

What I want to gain from my blog is relationships with companies, networking through people I know and trust. Relationships with the wonderful PR people. I want them to value me and my voice and my blog, in the same way I value their products and services. I want the reciprical trust factor. Where if I can say hey you know product “XYZ” can be better if..  and the company will take this under consideration and possibly make changes because they can trust me due to this relationship. Or if I have a really cool idea for a campaign maybe they would listen to me because they know and value what I have to say.

A “cold” email cannot build the kind of relationship I am seeking. One or two emails a year cannot build this. From now on I am going to evaluate the emails for the prospective companies and PR people I hear from. If I feel this relationship can be made I will work with them, but if not, I will have to turn them away, cause that is just not what I am looking for.

I have worked so hard to get some of the relationships I have. The ones I have that I feel are REAL are the ones whose campaigns I get the most out of in the way of feeling appreciated and feel the company or PR persons are really valuing what it is I am saying. I am not feeling like I am slapping up a post just to appease someone who I may never hear from again. The REAL relationships I have built, as a matter of fact, are the companies and PR folks who keep coming back because obviously they HEAR MY VOICE and not only hear it but internalize it and digest it. They keep coming back because they know I am a faithful consumer and know when I goto buy product “X” It will be their product, coupon or not. They value if I say to them, you know if you added this, or took away that, or made it this color, or packaged it in this, they may take it into consideration and go with it.

This is why I blog. Yes, I love the products, I love being the first to try something new, I love to interact with other people and hear what they think, but I want and have always wanted my voice to be heard in a big plus size way. I hope PR reps and Brands will hear this and be respective of the relationships I am trying to build. I totally know it would make me value their company and brand a whole lot more too.

The Plus Size Mommy