Who wants more media coverage, more website page views, bigger mailing list, more Facebook Fans and more Twitter followers?  I know I do and assume you do too!  If you had a chance to listen to my interview a few weeks ago with Megan from Blogger Black Book, you might already be on the blog review bandwagon….. looking for those lucky reviewers who get to sample your products and write a review for you.   Finding the "right" reviewers for your line can be a tedious job but if you google blogs and take the time to go down the rabbit holes and see who they like and so on…….you can build yourself a mighty fine and valuable list. 

I reached out to my Entreprenette Experts and asked them to give us some of their favorite blog that do reviews so you can check them out an add them to your list.

Some of my top favs that weren't mentioned below are:

http://www.stylecaster.com
http://mommyandmegiveaways.com
http://coolmompicks.com/
http://www.purseblog.com/

http://www.refinery29.com/

Love to know your favs too!

1. Power Mom Bloggers Rule!

Best blogs for reviews: When working with Mom Bloggers, I like to check out their stats. I use a combination of their Alexa ranking, Twitter followers and Facebook fans to decide if the fit is right! I love all of the mom bloggers that I have worked with in the past. At the moment, I am working with:

Mom Spark
A Mom's Take
Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous
Social Media Junkie
Homegrown Families

Thanks to: Christy Cook of Teach My.

2. Two tools sites with cool stuf

Best blogs for reviews: I check Cool Tools and Wirecutters in my RSS feed everyday, knowing that each could have useful or interesting things. Cool Tools defines "tools" broadly and recommends the best and cheapest items. Its writers review only items that they have used themselves and that they can rave about. Cool Tools provides links for purchase.

Wirecutter covers consumer electronics & gadgets. It is written by gadget experts whose research allows them to say that something is "best."

Thanks to: Susan Gainen of nanoscapes small friends.

3. Savvy Mom On Call

Best blogs for reviews: As a mother of five and Mom'Preneur, I am always perusing product reviews blogs. A favorite of mine is Savvy Mom On Call. They post excellent product reviews that are helpful for parents and expecting moms. They award products with their “Baby Planner Seal of Approval” which lets parents know what products and services are good to use to help with a new baby. Savvy Mom On Call is also an excellent resource to help promote your baby product or service.

Thanks to: Karen Barski of KB Designs/Woombie/Mod'Swad.

4. It's a bird...a plane....

Best blogs for reviews: NO! It's a SUPER reviewer!!

www.thebabybottomline.com
www.adventuresofathriftymommy.blogspot.com

Thanks to: Kelly Kinney of PowerCapes.

5. Simply On Trarget!

Best blogs for reviews: http://simplystacie.net Google PR 4 Ranking
Alexa Traffic Rank: 9,962 Page Hits per month: +118,000
Monthly Unique Visitors: +46,000 Blog Followers: +10,500
Facebook Fans: 15,751 Twitter Followers: +24,600
simplystacieblog@gmail.com

Thanks to: Maureen Ruble of Simply Stacie.

6. For fashionistas and creatives

Best blogs for reviews: Our favorites are createdbychicks.com and Cheapchicas.com

Thanks to: Alma Steger of Untitled Advertising & PR.

7. Healthy Lifestyle Review Blog

Best blogs for reviews: Looking for a blog to review healthy lifestyle products? Check out http://livinghealthystuff.com/. Submit your pitches and press releases to the email address published on the site's advertising page.

Thanks to: Mary White of MTI Business Solutions.

8. Product Reviews for Parents

Best blogs for reviews: DadDoes.Com has become a destination site for parents looking for brutally honest, informative and fun reviews. The site spends weeks testing out products and provides honest reviews, with videos for busy Moms and Dads. Dad Does believes that parents care about more than just diapers and strollers-they don't stop eating, drinking and playing just because they become parents. Parents do see things through a different lens and Dad Does provides reviews on everything, through that parent lens.

Thanks to: Dan Nessel of Dad Does .

9. Honest Reviews From a Mom

Best blogs for reviews: I follow Inspired by Savannah, which offers product reviews and giveaways, in additional to spotlight weekly mom entrepreneurs and their products/services. This mom writes honest and thorough reviews and you can tell she actually tries out each and every product she features on her site.

Thanks to: Enrique Ramirez of Inspired by Savannah.

10. Review for yourself!

Best blogs for reviews: It's my firm belief that in order to properly review a product, a blogger must review it for themselves first. That may seem like a no-brainer to some, but many bloggers use outside services that will pay them for a 'on a whim' review. This is unethical! Bloggers who review are like reporters looking for all sides to a story. I prefer bloggers who test the product out and provide negative AND positive reactions, since you'll never find a product that's 100% satisfactory. Honesty is respect.

Thanks to: Zlata Faerman of I Have Zlata Thoughts and ZlataPR.

11. Favorite Mom/Entrepreneur blog

Best blogs for reviews: Simple Mom, is one of the top 5 blogs that I actually read when I receive an email from them. The articles are written by many inspirational women, and they address various topics from packing lightly, home schooling, balancing work and personal life. They also do my favorite product reviews.
http://simplemom.net
http://simplekid.net

Thanks to: Elizabeth Del Rosario-Baker of WOMB Lifestyle.

12. Best Objective Product Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: Money Crashers is an awesome site that reviews a wide variety of products, including baby products, beauty products and recipes, meal-planning services, couponing tools, flight and travel products, smartphone apps, and online financial tools. Everything reviewed on the site has been used by its team, as they do not promote anything that they would not recommend. It's a refreshing set of objective reviews that serve as useful tools for those trying to decide how best to spend their money.

Thanks to: Andrew Schrage of Money Crashers.

13. Best Blog Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: 1. Love From The Oven - www.lovefromtheoven.com

2. Goodies For Gifts - www.goodiesforgifts.com

Thanks to: Kim Celano of KC Bakes.

14. Best Baby Blog!

Best blogs for reviews: One fantastic blog that does reviews on baby and toddler products is www.Ratedbymom.com. This site is the ultimate guide for any new parent who is looking for the most up to date products for their newborns. You cannot just trust word-of-mouth for every product you are going to purchase. Having a legitimate source for truthful reviews and articles is key to finding the latest and greatest products for the new members of your family.

Thanks to: Ian Aronovich of GovernmentAuctions.org.

15. Cruelty-free Beauty is Best!

Best blogs for reviews: My Beauty Bunny is one of my favorite blogs. They focus on cruelty free skin and hair products with great reviews and giveaways. The main blogger is super stylish, animal-loving Jen Mathews who writes honest and informative reviews!

http://www.mybeautybunny.com/

Thanks to: B. Bell of beatrixbell handcrafted jewelry.

16. Blogs on the Rocks

Best blogs for reviews: . http://cupcakesandcashmere.com: must-read if you're interested in fashion, home decorating, and cooking. Emily pulls many cute & innovating ideas, and makes it easy and quick to read
. http://womenonthefence.com: for all Women On The Fence in life, in love, and at work.. Erica helps them GET OFF THE FENCE and start living
. http://pinterest.com: the Place to Go to for consumer product reviews/ideas for babies, women, men, home, cute DIY concepts etc. Follow me http://pinterest.com/livejulie

Thanks to: Julie CROS of Post Planner.

17. AnyLuckyDay Product Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: AnyLuckyDay has been doing product reviews and giveaways since January 2009. Each day they feature a new company and product. They have an engaging video each day with a product overview, and then they giveaway the product in a random drawing at the end of the day. They've featured everything from jewelry, to clothing, to food, to electronics, to other quirky gadgets and gizmos.

Thanks to: Giancarlo Massaro of AnyLuckyDay, LLC.

18. How To Create A Smoky Eye

Best blogs for reviews: Everyone wants to perfect their holiday makeup look, simply and with panache. If you’re going for an intense smoky eye, you only need these three (3) beauty products: black liquid liner/waxy black eye pencil, lengthening mascara and false lashes. Darker shadows tends to hide your lashes, but the false ones will really make your eyes pop, whether they are blue, brown, green, hazel or somewhere in between! Adding a dark coal color in the crease of the eyes will make for a dramatic statement!

Thanks to: Emilie Yount of Fit&Fab Living.

19. Mom Bloggers Know Products!

Best blogs for reviews: These mom bloggers stand out for their awesome product reviews. We love Rave and Review for her innovative, thoughtful product reviews which always include amazing images. We love Reviewed by Mom for her always making sure she includes details any potential buyer would need to know. We love The Modern Mama for being super sweet, engaging and from the heart. We love In R Dream for her passion in sharing her 2 cents. We love Mama Ash for being the “mom in the know” for everything parenting.

Thanks to: Janine Streiter of Parent Tested, Parent Approved.

20. Unbiased Supplement Reviews

Best blogs for reviews: I write honest, science based reviews on dietary supplements. If it's on TV, radio, the web or in magazines I review it.

When a product has no research I dissect each ingredient and link to the actual scientific evidence for / against the ingredient so people can judge for themselves if a supplement is worth it or not.

Thanks to: Joe Cannon.

When you hear the word press release what is the first thing you think of?  Somebody has great news to report right?  I think the same thing, and sometimes we can even be jealous of them and wish it was us right?  Did you know that the first thing most people feel when hearing the word press release is fear……of writing one.  Well I can relate to that as well can you?  It can be really hard to write about yourself, especially when needing to sing your own praises – you are sooooo not alone in that sister!   That is why god invented copywriters!  Yahooey! 

So what can we do to get ourselves great news to report? 

1. Getting products to celebrities
2. Reviewed in an on-line magazine
3. Mentioned in the newspaper
4. Landing a really big account
5. Portrayed or profiled in a glossy magazine
6. Hosting a trunk show
7. Doing an in-person event
8. Writing a book
9. Being on TV
10. Getting your product into a movie

My Entreprenette Experts give some great ideas on how to write a great press release that will help you get more eyes on it, more interest, and give you a better shot at some action! You will also find tons of leads for free and paid websites to post our release……and even a few places that will do it all for you…….loving that!  Don't be shy – let the world know what a superstar you are.  It's all in the spin.  And like I mentioned earlier, Copywriters are there for a reason……I use them all the time.

So everyone wants awesome PR right? I know I do and am not ashamed to admit it…….but how does one get it?  When I had my handbag line, I worked with several PR companies until I hired my sister to come inhouse. Over the years, I learned many tricks of the trade, but my favorite is to look at the advertising editorial calendars (on the main website for the mag) to see what the magazines are working on so you know what to pitch.  Obviously pitching on-target is the most important thing. I'm not saying they won't look at something "unusual", but often they are just too busy and overworked.

There are some great tips in this list, so if you are looking for some new ideas……read on and become a star!

"If you follow yourself you don't have any competition" – anonymous woman on the street.

This one sentence sparked a fabulous dinner conversation a couple weeks ago.  It is something I often used to fret about when I started my first handbag line, but in the end I really didn't see them as competition, just other designers doing different things.  It wasn't until a major designer copied my signature bag that I felt the wrath of competition swell – which was healthy – and a good reminder that I wasn't bullet proof.

We all have moments of fear (fleeting as they may be) relating to our competition and wonder how they are doing it differently, the same, worse or possibly better than you are. And there are those of us who never think about it, or just plain ol' don't care what they are doing as it wouldn't make a difference to you.

These days I take a good look at my competition to see what I can learn about myself.  I strive to be better, stronger, faster just like you and don't always have the answers. I reached out to my Entreprenette experts who offer some great tips like looking at competitors forums and solving those problems in your business, emphasizing what sets you apart, checking keywords, and back-links  to see if you should use them too, and most importantly to remember there is room for all of us!

Check out their great tips.  Love to know what you do too.  If you want to share your smarts with me, become an Entreprenette expert by clicking here.

As each month rolls along, I am sure you are aware of constantly filling the pipe line with new stores right?  But how to find them can be a burden and take a lot of time…….right again?  But at the same time, we all know your annual sales depend on new accounts coming in monthly, and if you are determined to really build your company this year, you need to take some gigantic steps!

Here are a few fast tips to help you build your dream store list.

1. Check out (clothing, accessories, shoes) websites who you feel sell to the same stores your product should be in.
2. Find out where your target market lives.  The object is to find stores in those areas. If you sell something related to tennis, then google all the tennis clubs around the globe.  If you sell high end baby items, then your google search might be for high end baby stores in specific cities where income levels match those of your target market.
3. Find new friends you can trade lists with.  Find forums related to your product or post on my Facebook page and ask if anyone sells to your target market and wants to trade lists.
4. Scour the magazines your target market reads and make lists of the stores you find in there.
5. Get popular blogs to write about you or have them host a give-away as many buyers search blogs for new lines.

What other tips can you share that work for you?

Dear Sarah,

I make these super cute round terry towels, that are incredibly absorbent, and have an unique button loop so you can hang it from almost anything; towel bars, stove bar, fridge handle, apron strings, high-chairs, cribs, strollers, tennis bags,  and gym bags.  I have targeted several celebrity moms, chefs, tennis pros and dog lovers who I want to send these to (I have your "How to get your products to Celebrities" CD) but how can I promote this if I can't get a photo of the celeb with my product since it most likely will be used in the home and not worn like a handbag or other fashion item?

Thanks,
Lana  Simply Lana

Dear Lana,

Thanks for asking this question. In this instance, I would proceed as planned to send to your target celeb list.  Perhaps you will see a tennis pro using one or a celeb mom with one on her stroller (cute photo on your website by the way) that you can find on TMZ or another celeb website or even in a weekly magazine.  But the approach you might want to take with this item in particular, is to find out what charities these celebs are into and offer to give a percentage of the towel of their choice to their favorite charity. That would give you the ability to put their photo on your website and drive traffic through social media and the celebs Facebook page as well.

Let me know how it works out!
xoxo
Sarah

Do I hear you groaning already?  So many creative inventors just cringe when they hear the words sales and marketing, even though you know deep deep deep down that this is the entire backbone of your survival…….right?  I have been right there with you sister…..I had the hugest-most-gigantic resistance for many years until I learned how to do it…….really learned…….not just going through the motions, but really understanding WHY it is important, and HOW to communicate with my target market.   Learning how to find your target market, engage them, keep up communication, and deliver what they want to buy is the name of the game! 

I reached out to my team of Entreprenette Experts to get you their best tips on how to grow your business!

Of course feel free to share your tips too! 

Hello Sarah,

I recently opened an Etsy shop selling personalized accessories for little girls, moms, teachers, and much more! We are still in the process of growing our site and we plan to expand to other types of accessories as well. I have been doing a handful of blog giveaways and trying to grow my FB and Twitter followers.
 

I am contacting you to see if you have any more suggestions or ways to get our name out there. I feel the blog giveaways have helped some, but not much with actual sales at this point. I know there are places to pay as sponsors on blog sites and other paid advertising, but since we are just getting started we can't that at this time. I'm sure there are ways to increase sales by paying but I'm going for the time and hard work route:) Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks so much,
Julia Forbes – Once Upon a Sugar Tree

Dear Julia,

I took a look at your Etsy site and your products are very cute and I can see the appeal. I do have a few suggestions for a few "free" sales and marketing things you can do to increase fans, followers and sales – trifecta! 

• From your website, I clicked on FB and Twitter and it took me to the Etsy pages.  Is this required?  If not, then I suggest redirecting those to your proper pages so it is easier to follow you.
• On your FB page, I noticed that you only post products you are selling…….don't mean to be harsh, but that is boring and does not build relationships with anyone who is a fan.  I'd like to see you find ways to engage your fans and get them to comment on your page. Ask questions, post a tip, figure out what they want from you and give it to them mama!
• Twitter is the same way.  In order to build a following, you need to  give people something to relate to.  If you haven't had a chance to listen to my interview with Ted Rubin, I suggest finding 30 minutes as he dives into buildng relationships on line and how to do that.
• Ok, now for blogging!  I would suggest building your own blog so you can write to your target market.  But be sure you are committed to this effort.  Not everyone can be.  They don't have to be long – 300 words or less is best.  Also- they can be varied types of posts; an original blog, a weekly tip, a product suggestion…..  there are many options.
• As for give-aways on blogs.  My feeling is that it is only worth it if they have over 5000 readers.  You have the right to ask how many. A good idea is to look them up on Alexa.com and compare them to other blogs on Compete.com.  This will give you some "real" numbers to compare to what they tell you.
• Lastly, I am wondering if you are wholesaling now or plan to?  This can be much more lucrative than relying on web sales to build a successful brand.  If you are planning to wholesale, I suggest starting to build a store list right away so you have potential customers at your fingertips.  Find companies whose products you feel you might "sit next to" in a store and see if they have retail outlets listed on their website.  If so, download the lists and let your fingers do the walking!

I hope this gives you a few more avenues to walk down.

Good luck with your line……can't wait to see what develops, please let me know

xoxo

Sarah

I recently met Ted Rubin at a Savor the Success event in NYC.  He was on a social media panel talking about his passion – being social and the ROR – Return on Relationship – a term he coined.  I was lucky to grab a quick interview with him between this jet-setters flights around the country speaking here and there….. Ted has helped launch mah-j-or brands over the years and now concentrates his time consulting and working as a Social Marketing Strategist. 

Some quick take-a-ways are:

1. Listen to your peeps – really listen
2. Make your tweets about what THEY need/want
3. Ask how you can serve/help them
4. Get to know your peeps so you can understand what their passion points are
5. Follow everyone back to help build your social network faster
6. Use Just Unfollow to unfollow folks who don't follow you back (after a few days of course!)
7. Create tweets that are only 122 characters so they are easy to RT
8. Always be building relationships

Plug on in and listen to some cool advice about how to use twitter to build relationships and spread the word about your brand. This not only helps build brand awareness, but also will ultimately build your sales as well.  Can you imagine tons of brand ambassadors singing your praises on Twitter?  Once you have raving fans, they will spread the word like wildfire for you – for free!  Think how often you see posts and tweets about how much people hated something, or were treated badly…..imagine how fast thy might react if they were trilled and had a relationship with you!!!!!

Follow Ted on Twitter and Facebook