Today’s the day! We’re heading to Walt Disney World for the Social Media Moms Celebration!

Learning, fun, family, and friends? Yes, please! We’ll share insights with you soon, but in the meantime, follow along with us on Twitter and Facebook!

There I was washing dishes at 7:30 in the morning while my kids sat at the dining table eating breakfast. As is customary for my baby girl, she blurts out her random thought of the day with no context beforehand. This time it was, “Mommy, why are there no new Choo-Choo-Souls on Disney Junior?”

I explained that they probably recorded them all a while back and maybe they’re not making new ones anymore. She responded with, “Well, you should talk to Disney Junior about that.”

“Really? I should?”

“Yeah! You’re a blogger! You can tell them.”

And, that’s when I realized that my six-year-old thinks I’m influential. Apparently. Her little brain has a notion that because I own a blog I can then “talk” to Disney Junior and ask them to make new Choo-Choo-Soul episodes. It’s fascinating that she thought of this all on her own. I have never told her anything about using a blog to make suggestions, create change, or anything of the sort.

I took the opportunity to let her know that you don’t need to be a blogger to make suggestions. I told her anyone can make suggestions about TV shows, radio programs, etc. – not just bloggers. In a way I guess this was her first lesson in understanding the “a pen is stronger than a sword” saying. I didn’t tell her the saying, but this conversation was definitely her introduction into understanding the concept of creating change in the world.

In social media, we hear about influence a lot. As bloggers, we are considered influential by the marketing industry, brands, and even amongst ourselves. We claim influence and see our blogs as outlets for using our voice to affect others. Perhaps we affect others by providing ideas, tips, motivational content, and even suggestions on services and products available for you to purchase. Many use their blogs to affect change in other areas, such as causes they are passionate about and philanthropic efforts.

My six-year-old believes that through my blog I can influence Disney Junior to create new episodes of Choo-Choo-Soul. Perhaps she’s on to something. Maybe not that exactly, but maybe this site can affect change somehow, somewhere.

Are you considered influential by your friends and family because of your blog?

Photo: Louise Docker/ Flickr

What matters to you?

Everyone involved in social media is attempting to leave their social footprint of influence by building a strong and consistent message. This message must be genuine and must resonate with others. Building your brand is a time consuming and difficult process. You must consistently be on message and make certain that you are heard on multiple platforms.

An influencer – in my opinion – does not simply rely on amassing thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook fans. She makes certain that the message being delivered is helpful and simple to digest. An influencer must also understand the criticality of listening. We must listen not only to learn but to understand. This is the only way to truly connect with others. We must understand the needs of others and be able to help them solve issues. This level of engagement helps you to establish yourself not only as an authority but as an influencer in the space.

Building an online presence or brand is an integral part of creating an image that resonates with the social web. Focusing on what matters should be about building a positive persona that is reliable, personable and most importantly, engaging.

Thinking about ways to engage and be trusted by peers is an integral part of becoming an influencer in any space. I believe that becoming an influencer entails three important factors that shouldn’t be disregarded when on the journey of building that positive online reputation.

Choosing quantity over quality

If content is king then SEO is queen and should be the main focus on brand building.  While many say posting frequently will get you ranked higher, it does not necessarily mean that you will gain readership.  If your content doesn’t serve some kind of purpose, it won’t get you too far.

My advice: just keep it simple. Create a schedule that works for you, stick to it and be consistent.

Not engaging

If you are up to your eyeballs in analytic tools and plug-ins while neglecting to interact and make a concerted effort to show your human side by joining in on the conversation, then I think being a part of the social web is pointless. You must take part of the conversation in order to be a part of the conversation.

Not listening

If your idea of connecting is taking to social networks for self-promotion, spamming and making it all about you, then clearly the point of listening is being missed.  It is very important to take note that consumers trust peer recommendations more than ever and will not easily fall for the catchy jingles and slogans anymore.  Not listening to those who define your market could be costly.

With so many ways to take part in the social web, it is very important to always stay true to who you are, your purpose and clearly identify what matters to you.

Photo by Kristile Cain (LittleTechGirl)

Exactly one week ago, I was in Miami Beach enjoying the always wonderful tropical breeze you just can’t get in Orlando. It reminds me so much of Puerto Rico and as soon as I enter the Broward County area on 95 South, I begin to smile. “We’re in Miami.”

I was there last weekend attending the Blogalicious Weekend conference. I had heard many great things about this conference from those who attended last year in Atlanta. But, nothing compares to experiencing it yourself. It was a jam-packed 3-day weekend full of really good sessions and content, networking, and of course, friends. I really did not want it to be over.

Our ¡Parranda! was a success and we couldn’t be happier. It was awesome seeing everyone enjoying themselves, dancing, laughing and letting go for just one night. All of the hard work that Ana, Carrie, and I put into organizing the party was absolutely worth it. Huge thanks to all the sponsors, and the Blogalicious ladies, who helped make it a reality for us.

I spoke on Sunday morning, along with Carrie Ferguson Weir and Roxana Soto on a panel sponsored by Café Media. Titled, Latina Bloggers Give You the Tiki Tiki About Marketing, we spoke about how to work with brands and PR agencies, how to turn pitches in your favor, and touched on the existing stereotypes in marketing to Latinas. As soon as I have my notes put together and the tip sheet that the 3 of us compiled available, I’ll post.

The Blogalicious 2010 conference buzz is still going for many. I’ve been reading many recap posts from a variety of bloggers that attended this year. Here are a few for you to explore.

• From Tiki Tiki Blog:
  • Blogalicious Link Love
  • Getting Our ¡Parranda! On
• James Andrews (@keyinfluencer): My Recent Presentation on #SocialTV: Relationship Between Social Media + TV
• Love That Max: The beautiful bodies of Blogalicious
• Blogs by Latinas: Blogalicious Weekend 2010 Recap
• Huffington Post: Latina Bloggers and Blogalicious
• Professor Diva Diaries: Blogalicious 2010
• Funkidivagirl: What’s So Special About Blogalicious?
• Sista Sense: Blogalicious Lessons
• Midtown Chic-a: Blogalicious Takes Over SoBe
• Parenting by Dummies: Wordful Wednesday. Blogalicious 2010.

I’m looking forward to next year’s Blogalicious conference and hopefully it’ll be hosted somewhere not too far from Florida.

If you attended, what did you most love about Blogalicious?

Disclosure: My trip to Blogalicious 2010 was sponsored by Qué Rica Vida. All experiences and opinions are my own.

I’m very excited to share with you a new venture that I’ve been working on for months, but that just launched late last night! Ella Media is my marketing and consulting business, through which I’ll be connecting businesses with today’s digital Latina. Ella Media also provides digital marketing and consulting services for large brands, small businesses, and social media savvy women.

If you’re a digital Latina (Latina blogger, social media Latina, etc.) seeking fun campaigns that also value your time, then sign up to be considered for upcoming campaigns!

While you’re at it, how about also connecting with Ella Media?

• follow on twitter
• like on facebook

Why is this a need? You may remember that more and more Brands are Leveraging the Reach of Social Media Latinas. The Latinas in Social Media BlogHer 2010 panel also proved that brands and the PR agencies representing them are interested in marketing to Latinas and many times look to our community for help in doing so. It’s also evident that as bloggers we wish to be compensated for blogging and social media work, so why not work together to bring brands and Latina bloggers together?

I hope you’ll visit Ella Media and sign up. I’m really looking forward to growing my blogging community and expanding it to bring great opportunities your way.

After my post last week, Why Do Bloggers Continue to Work for Free?, I came across a few more blog posts on the same, or similar, topic. It seems several bloggers were on the same wavelength within days of each other. Because these posts have sparked a lot of conversation amongst my friends and blogging community, I want to share the other posts with you so you can get various perspectives.

• The post about Predatory PR I’ve been waiting to write
• Because some things are worth more than a box of cereal
• What the Next Year Holds for Mom Bloggers + Brands That Court Them
• Money Talk: Should Mom Bloggers Discuss What They Earn?
• When and What Should a Blogger Charge for Their Services?

I have been thoroughly enjoying reading the responses, reactions, and thoughts of everyone who has added to the conversation in one way or another – whether in the comments of these posts, on twitter, or via private conversations. There’s still a lot to think about and figure out. Both brands and bloggers have good points, but hopefully, we are all working together to carve out some solutions.

Just today, I received the results of a recent survey conducted by Izea, Inc. The 2010 State of Social Media Sponsorships provides some very insightful information and statistics related to sponsored content and blogging for money. In fact, it also takes compensated tweets into account. Some interesting points I found in the report:

• 53.2% of social media publishers have accepted compensation for sponsored content
• 71.3% of respondents have been approached with offers for cash, products, or other compensation for social media promotion
• 57.6% have engaged in direct sponsorship
• 35% of those who indicated they were PR, social media, and marketing professionals stated they have no awareness regarding the FTC disclosure guidelines

I find the last bullet point quite shocking. I’m surprised that there is such a high percentage of people in the industry that have no awareness of the FTC guidelines. However, it’s great to see that 57.6% of respondents have already engaged in direct sponsorship.

Let’s continue the conversation. What do you think of the information in this report? How about the other blog posts and perspectives? Do you find some guidance in reading such information or do you have even more questions?

In about four weeks, I’ll be heading down to Miami to attend the Blogalicious 2010 conference. I was unable to attend last year’s inaugural conference, but have heard so many good things about it: the content, the networking, the people. In case you’ve never heard of it or don’t know much about the Blogalicious conference:

“The Blogalicious Weekend conferences are aimed at celebrating the diversity of women of all ethnicities in social media. Over the course of 3 event-filled days, savvy, influential and talented women bloggers will ignite a sense of unity within the multicultural blogging community as well as educate marketers on the importance of our demographic in today’s marketplace, all while networking, building relationships, and promoting inspiration and success for each other.” ~ Blogalicious Weekend website

Looking over the agenda, I see many great sessions and speakers lined up. I’m excited to be speaking on a panel myself and that several bloggers I know are speaking as well. A few sessions I’m looking forward to:

• Building your Social Media Tribe ~ Ana Flores, Spanglish Baby; Sheila Dowd, Lookiloos, Momocrats; Jennifer James, Mommy Too! Mag, Mom Bloggers Club
• Social Media Moms ~ Jeannette Kaplun, Todo Bebe; Jennifer Hutcheson, Mami 2 Mommy
• Bloggers as Brand Ambassadors ~ Emily McKhann and Cooper Munroe, The Motherhood
• Latina Bloggers Give You the Tiki Tiki About Marketing ~ Roxana Soto, Spanglish Baby; Carrie Ferguson Weir, The Tiki Tiki Blog; Melanie Edwards, ModernMami.com – session sponsored by Cafe Media

If you’re not convinced yet that you should head down to Miami to attend the Blogalicious conference and join me in the fun, let me give you two more reasons: a party and a free conference pass.

¡Parranda! mix.mingle.baila

Along with Ana Flores and Carrie Ferguson Weir, I’m very excited to be co-hosting the first official party of the conference, kicking off right after the conference’s Welcome Reception on Friday night. It’s sure to be loads of fun – great music, food, and drinks – all con sabor Latino! It doesn’t matter if you can’t roll your rrrs, you’ll definitely have a good time at our Parranda!

Want to attend ¡Parranda! during this year’s Blogalicious Weekend conference? RSVP is now open for the party! The party is open to all, but space is limited due to the venue, so you’ll need to RSVP. Simply go to the eventbrite page to RSVP.

And, after you RSVP, be sure to grab a badge for your blog/site and let others know to join the ¡Parranda! fun! Stay tuned as more information on the location of the party will be provided very soon. In the meantime, don’t forget to follow us on twitter, join the Parranda buzz using the #ParrandaParty tag, plus connect with us on facebook to stay informed. More information about ¡Parranda!, the hostesses, and sponsors, can be found at parrandaparty.com.

Blogalicious Weekend Conference Pass Giveaway

Blogalicious would like to give one of you a free conference pass to attend the conference.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this contest, simply leave a comment below answering one of the following questions:

1. If you’ve been to Blogalicious before, what did you most like about it?
2. If you’ve never been, then what are you looking forward to?

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on twitter.
2. Tweet the following: Win #blogalicious10 conf pass from @modernmami. Ends 9/15. http://bit.ly/blogalicious10pass #giveaway #contest #blogalicious @beblogalicious
3. Subscribe to this blog via email and leave a comment with the email you used to subscribe. (You can use the email field to do this instead of putting your email in the comment if you prefer.)
4. Subscribe on friendfeed and leave a comment with your friendfeed ID.
5. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing why you want to attend the Blogalicious conference; make sure to link back to this contest page in your post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Wednesday, September 15 at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Once a winner is selected, a discount code will be provided to him/her to use for free registration.

Additional Rules:

1. Winners cannot be current conference ticket holders.
2. Winner must claim pass AND register no later than Sept. 17th. After Sept. 17th the pass will go to the next winner. Ticket is non-transferable.

Good luck and see you in Miami!

This post was co-written with Ana Lilian Flores of SpanglishBaby.

When I began blogging in 2006, it was hard for me to find other Latino bloggers. There were some, but in the last year and a half there has been an explosion in how many Latino-owned blogs are now published. In fact, the Blogs By Latinas directory had only 156 registered blogs in October 2009 and, less than a year later, has added 505 new ones, with that number increasing by the day. I think it’s all very exciting and couldn’t be happier about it.

I’ve been able to meet some amazing bloggers – and particularly women – who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. They are inspiring, smart, and generous. This is something that is not unique to them because they are Latinas, but the fact that they are, provides for an almost-immediate connection amongst us. We are able to relate on various levels, principally on living a bi-cultural life.

But you see, Latina bloggers are outpacing the general market in our growth. According to Sophia Mind, Hispanic women in the U.S. are one of the fastest-growing online demographics, and more than 85 percent of Latinas visit social networks on a regular basis. It makes sense then, that Latina bloggers are now seeing much more interest and engagement from brands and companies. Why? For the same reasons we connect with each other; we are Americans who easily maneuver two cultures – often times two languages as well – and we love our social media, which is perfect for spreading the right message.

Let’s take a look at two companies in particular that have successfully engaged with Latina bloggers: General Mills and V-Me.

This past May, General Mills invited 32 Latina bloggers from around the country – flying most of us to Miami at company expense – to participate in the re-launch of Que Rica Vida, its Hispanic-focused family website. The event was unique in that it was the first time in the blogging world that a company focused so heavily on marketing to Latinas. Through attending, we were able to learn about the brand’s initiatives, connect with other Latinos (bloggers and journalists), and use our social media presence to share relevant information with our various online communities.

In addition to the efforts of General Mills, there is a group of seven influential Latina bloggers who are being sponsored to attend the BlogHer 2010 conference by V-me, a Spanish-language TV network in partnership with public television. This is the first time any media company is sponsoring a group of bloggers at a major blog conference, let alone a group that is culture-specific. It’s a timely decision, as this year, there will be more Latina bloggers at BlogHer than ever before. We will also have a more active role in the conference with the inclusion of the first all-Latina panel session at BlogHer and the Social Fiesta, BlogHer’s first Latina-inspired community party in celebration of Latina and Hispanic culture.

By selecting these seven women, each with their own following and niche expertise, V-me is building a relationship in which the bloggers act as advocates and create awareness for a brand they already know and trust. “V-Me’s partnership with popular American Latina bloggers is a sign of what is to come — the massive recognition by corporations that Latina brand ambassadors are a smart investment in reaching a powerful market that speaks in two dominant languages and thrives in two cultures,’’ said Carrie Ferguson Weir, publisher of Tiki Tiki Blog, an award-winning site about growing up, and living, Latino in the United States.

So, who are these women that have partnered with V-Me? The seven Latina bloggers chosen by V-me to represent the network are:

• Ana Lilian Flores – SpanglishBaby
• Carol Cain – The Adventures of a NYCity Mama
• Carrie Ferguson Weir – Tiki Tiki Blog
• Melanie Edwards – ModernMami.com and 40weeks Plus
• Rory Lassanske – Mamá Contemporánea
• Roxana A. Soto – SpanglishBaby and MimosBlog
• Silvia Martinez – Mamá Latina Tips and Disneylandia al Día

You’ve already heard from some of these bloggers above, but what do the rest of these Latina bloggers have to say about the recent surge in marketing to Latinas? In their own words:

“Marketers and PR agencies are turning their attention to the Latina blogosphere in a big way because they have noticed what a diverse, opinionated and influential group we are. As the Hispanic population continues its upward trend, brands will continue to reach out to bloggers who capture the true spirit of this diverse group and that know how to talk to us in a way that reflects who we are. Such is the case with V-me’s decision to choose seven of the most influential Latina bloggers, each with a voice of our own, to represent them as Ambassadors during BlogHer 10. This is a huge opportunity for us to show how professionally we approach blogging as a career and how far our reach can go.” – Ana Lilian Flores

“I believe that the support of bloggers by major brands and corporations legitimizes and recognizes the work, dedication, passion, and enthusiasm that goes into so many of the blogs out there. Blogs are the products of many creative people, people who inspire, people who support, and people who have something of value to share. When brands support blogs – good, well written blogs- they also help the entrepreneurs and creative writers behind them.

When those bloggers are Latinas, or women of color, they support something more. A voice not often well-represented or heard. I am excited to be a member of the V-Me group not because it gave me a way to get to a conference, but because it gave me an opportunity to stand side-by-side other Latinas who, despite our common culture, represent a variety of interests, lifestyles, and voices different from my own. A difference that was specifically sought out and is enthusiastically supported. Together we represent the differences in our culture on many levels, just as V-Me does. This type of blog-brand relationship is one I hope to see more of in the near future.” – Carol Cain

Are you a Latina blogger? What has been your experience with brands so far? If you’re on the brand or marketing side, what appeals to you about engaging with Latina bloggers?

Disclosure: I attended the Que Rica Vida launch event in Miami, FL as a guest of General Mills. All opinions and thoughts are my own and I was not required to post about the event. In addition, V-Me TV is a sponsor of mine for the BlogHer 2010 conference.

Photos by Dariela Cruz and used with permission.

I’ve come across quite a few blog posts the past few days. I always seem to be sharing interesting articles with various people I think will like them, so I figured I’d share with everyone this time.

Here are some posts I’ve either bookmarked or stumbled this week. For more, take a look at my StumbleUpon or Delicious pages.

Social Media

How to Create a FaceBook Landing Page for Your Blog

5 Ways I’m Using Facebook to Drive Traffic, Build Brand and Increase Reader Engagement

10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics

Blogging

A Complete Guide to Finding and Using Incredible Flickr Images

Comment on other blogs!

The Number One Way to Flip Your Blog into a Business

Personal

Our Pre-Motherhood Self

Retroacculturation. Retroacculturated. That’s me. Is it You?

I’m still not White, but am I American Indian?

What posts did you come across this week that you think I should read? It’s ok if it’s your own.

By the way, if you’re Latina and a blogger, please complete this survey. We will be presenting some of the results during our BlogHer Latinas in Social Media panel and of course, the survey report will have a much larger impact as it will help many learn about the Latina blogging community.

Photo by Suzanne Edge

Facebook. Twitter. MySpace. Plurk. Identi.ca? With so many social media tools and networks out there, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed. How do you choose which to use? How do you keep up with them all? How much time will it take out of your already busy life?

Through trial and error, I’ve developed a daily routine to keep up with the various social media accounts I use. When I was working full-time outside the home, I had to really use my time wisely since I could not be engaged in social medial all day, but still wanted to maintain a social media presence. As you know, it’s not enough to just have an account, you have to actually use it and be “present” for your social media efforts to work.

Let me share a sample schedule of how I used social media when I was working full-time. In the mornings, I had the benefit of an empty home after my husband left for work and dropped off my daughter at day-care. Since I started work a little later than him, this meant that I had about an hour each morning to do my social media/blog work before I had to get myself ready. In this hour, I created the following social media routine and would do most (and sometimes all) of the following.

Image from webtreats on Flickr

Sample Social Media Routine

• Open up my browser and open a tab for each of these sites: ping.fm, myspace, facebook, plurk, twitter, gmail, google reader, and delicious. As I completed my tasks for each site, I would close the tab and move on to the next.
• Post a status update using ping.fm.
• MySpace: Even then, MySpace was slowly being phased out of my social media routine, but since I (still) have some real-life friends and family that use it, I would check in every morning. It was a very quick check of messages, comments, and friends’ status updates.
• Facebook: I would login and respond to any comments or messages sent to me. I would post a “Happy Birthday!” message for those with birthdays that day and possibly leave a comment or two on others’ profiles. If I had something to promote – a contest or my latest post – I would do so via my fan page and/or group. Of course, I’d also take care of any requests that were waiting for action – friend requests, even invites, page suggestions, etc.
• Plurk: Though not a common microblogging platform, it’s one I was exploring at the time and continue to participate in since I’ve made some connections that are not elsewhere. Again, I would quickly check in on any replies to my updates and try to comment on one or two people’s updates.
• Twitter: Similar to the rest, I would login to Twitter and be sure to respond to any @ replies or DMs I received overnight. I would also review new followers and follow-back appropriately (or not). I would then leave this tab open since I would often interact with various other folks that were up early like me.
• E-mail: I use gmail for my e-mail, which has the ability to star items you need to come back to and label your messages for finding later. Simple Mom has a nice system she uses for managing her inbox that I try to follow. I would definitely take about 10 minutes each morning to check urgent items and clear out the “junk” so that it didn’t clutter up my inbox.
• Google Reader: I didn’t always have time to get to reading some blog posts – it just depended on how much time I spent on the other tabs. But, some days, I’d be able to read a few posts from those blogs you “must” read each day.
• Delicious: Since I have the delicious plugin installed on Firefox, I’d only need to open this up if I saw there was new activity in my network or if anyone had sent me a link. But, in browsing resources bookmarked by those in my network, I’d often find a great article or tip or even a blog post idea.

Photo by Jen R

Each morning I’d go through my routine and get a great head start on my day – social media wise, anyway. Then, during the day while I was at work, I would monitor twitter, facebook, and e-mail using my smart phone. Of course, I wasn’t always on it. But if I took a quick break from my desk and especially during lunch time, I’d be able to update my status (again using ping.fm) and check in on comments.

In the evenings, after dinner and the nightly bed-time/bath routine for baby girl, I’d take another hour (sometimes two depending on how busy the husband was) to go through the same routine. However, I would focus less on checking comments/messages and more so on clearing out e-mail and writing a blog post.

Wondering what I do now that I’m not working full-time? The same. Though I don’t always have the house to myself in the mornings anymore, I still take a half-hour to an hour each morning and use the same social media routine. The days that baby girl goes to preschool, I do this routine after I’ve dropped her off. The days she’s home with me, I use the time when she’s eating breakfast and watching her morning cartoons. If I’m lucky and she’s overslept, I go through my routine before she wakes up.

Through the rest of the day, I periodically check in on social media and e-mail. As I mentioned in a previous post, I tend to login again mid-day and in the evening. I try to follow my social media routine each time, but depending on other projects/tasks I have to get done, I may cut my routine in half during those times.

Seem like a lot to-do? Keep in mind that you don’t have to have accounts for all the sites that I do. You will find those that serve your needs the best. Truthfully, though, once you get into a routine, it will become habit and not be so overwhelming.

Additional tips:

• Always answer @ replies, DMs, comments, etc. for the various networks you belong to. It’s so frustrating when you’re trying to talk to someone and they ignore you, isn’t it? Don’t ignore.
• Catch what you can while logged on. You won’t be able to read every single status update for every single network you belong to.
• Retweet interesting statuses, share good information, and useful links/resources. Your readers will appreciate it and will come to know that you have valuable information.

Have you already created your social media routine?