I never know how to answer the second question because, the truth is, I blog about almost everything. Politics, Michael Gove rants education policy, my outfits, interiors style, life as a working mum, parenting struggles, opinions on current affairs, pregnancy, relationships… the list goes on.

I started this blog for two reasons: to have somewhere to air the thoughts that were in my head as I pushed my baby on never-ending walks in her pram, and to create an online portfolio for my writing. But, mainly, I wanted a voice. Somewhere to say stuff.

And say stuff I have. For the last three and a half years I have said a lot of stuff. In that sense, this blog has most definitely served its purpose. More than that though, people have responded. I’ve made genuine, real-life friends with other mums who also blog (hello Jane, Gemma and Emma!) and we’ve agreed and disagreed on all sorts of topics. It’s one of the things I LOVE about being a “mummy blogger”. 

Notice I called myself a “mummy blogger”. That was deliberate, by the way. It’s a label I know lots of people loathe but, personally, I don’t mind it. Putting aside the fact I hate it when strangers call me “mummy” (I’m not YOUR mummy – that’d be weird, you’re 38) I genuinely am proud to be a “mummy blogger”.

But I think I get why others hate the label. It conjures up an idea for people who don’t “get” it that all you blog about is cupcakes and snotty noses. It lumps you into a niche that restricts you to only writing about parent-related topics. You can’t write about politics and current affairs or have your photography taken seriously if you’re a “mummy blogger” can you?

Not true.

At least, I don’t think so anyway. For me, one of the things I hated – HATED – when I became a mum was an assumption from some people who didn’t have kids that all I would be interested in now was breastfeeding and nappies. Don’t get me wrong – of course I WAS interested in those things (less so the nappies), but it’s not ALL I was interested in. I felt sidelined. I was on maternity leave, out of the workplace, not earning money and then when I went to the pub people would ask jokingly if I’d joined the “mum mafia”. I couldn’t win. They had me labelled and that was that.

But then I started my blog. And I wrote about all sorts of things. Yes I wrote about breastfeeding, but I also wrote about relationships and charity campaigns and things that really hacked me off in the news. I think I proved that I DO still have opinions that aren’t solely revolved around my role as a mum.

And that’s why I’m happy to embrace the label of “mummy blogger”. I don’t think being a mum blogger means you can’t write about politics, current affairs or post amazing photography. Why should having a “mum” label automatically negate what we have to say? Why can’t we write intelligent stuff, get involved in political debate, showcase our incredible creative talents (whether through cupcakes or illustration!) and still be mum bloggers too?

The thing is, I do blog about being a mum. I blog about parenting battles just as much as anything else. But I think that’s OK. Being a mum and a woman is a huge element of who I am. It’s what I do every day and I would be incredibly naive to think it has no bearing on my opinions about things and the way I approach life generally. I’m not saying it’s ALL I am, but of course it makes up PART of who I am. A part I’m pretty proud of, actually.

That’s why I’m standing up and embracing the “mum blogger” title. Yes I’m a mum, yes I like to do the odd bit of gardening and sometimes get involved in a spot of baking (all stereotypical “mum” stuff, apparently). But no, that doesn’t make my opinions on other stuff less valid.

Funny, I wonder if this is ever something dad bloggers worry about. I expect not.

Anyway, what do you think? Do you love or hate the “mum / mummy blogger” title? Do you think being labelled as a “mum / mummy blogger” negates what you have to say? How would you define a “mummy blogger”? Are you a “dad blogger” currently struggling with your blog identity? I’d love to hear some other views on the subject.

P.S. If you think “mummy bloggers” can’t take amazing photographs then check out Mummy Daddy Me. And if you think “mummy bloggers” can’t write cracking opinion pieces then read Not Another Mummy Blog. And if you think “mummy bloggers” only write about jam and cupcakes then head to Write Like No One’s Watching. I could link to a million more here, but it would literally take me all week. Anyway, you get my point.

The post What’s wrong with being a “mummy blogger” anyway? appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

This week I’ve realised just how different this pregnancy is to when I was carrying Frog. It’s not the fact I’m far more knackered, already having a young child to run around after and juggling motherhood with work and general life stuff. It’s the fact I now blog.

Without wanting to sound like a total blogging cliche, starting this blog has had a huge effect on my life. I’ve learned new skills, made new friends (real life friends who I see and spend time with – not just Twitter mates!) and managed to gain new freelance work from it too. Who knew, when I trained to be a journalist 8 years ago that blogging would become a valid string to my freelance bow?!

When I was pregnant with Frog I did all the usual things: went to an antenatal class, Googled stuff about pregnancy, got excited about buying baby clothes. This time, I’m doing all that and more. As well as the odd Facebook status update (sorry non-pregnant friends – I know, I’m a baby bore) I have this pregnancy documented good and proper.

I have more photos of the bump than I ever had with Frog. My thoughts, feelings, gripes and rants are laid bare for all to see. And, most importantly, I’ve connected with a whole range of other mums who are also expecting – a bonus I really never predicted when I started this little linky seven weeks ago.

This is where I want to say thank you to Chelle at Unique and Chic for her little messages of support over the past few weeks. Whether it’s a quick “How are you feeling today?” or a “Don’t forget to put your feet up at some point!” Chelle has regularly been on hand via the medium of Facebook and Twitter with a kind thought. She’s also put together an inspired idea for a bump secret santa type present swap, which shows she is kind AND incredibly organised.

Finally, if you’re feeling huge and pregnant and in need of a laugh, I urge you to read this post by Amy Ransom. It captures perfectly the last stage of pregnancy: denial. So pleased to see it’s not just me!

LINK UP!

If you’d like to join the #BlogBumpClub it couldn’t be easier. Simply link up your latest pregnancy post below and grab the badge to display on your own blog. You’ll find a lovely welcoming community of expectant bloggers ready to read your post and nod along with cankle empathy. Plus, we’re all in the same boat and promise not to call you a baby bore.

You can also join the chat on Twitter by tweeting with the hashtag #BlogBumpClub (I’m @mollyjforbes over there).

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What has happened in your life since you started blogging?

Here’s what has happened in mine: 

• I got married.

• I carved out a new career for myself and managed to save up £25,000 to pay for a deposit on a house. I’m rather proud of that one, because it involved working like a dog and juggling like a circus pro. Never again.

• I worried about the fact my daughter was still not walking at nearly two years old. Then I worried about the fact she was diagnosed with hypermobile joints. Then I celebrated when she started walking and marvelled at her determination not to let her bendy limbs hold her back.

• We moved around 180 miles from Berkshire and began a new life Devon.

• I made new friends who also blog, many of whom have now become close mates. (Love you Jane, Gemma, Emma, Alison, Charlotte, Katie, Erica, Kelly, Ellie!)

• I went on holiday to Turkey, Cornwall (and again to Cornwall) and Spain.

• I started a new collaborative blog with six other bloggers called The Motherhood. Of course I would say so, but I think it’s rather good.

• I started blogging for the Babycentre Blog.

• I went on Woman’s Hour.

• And, most recently, I got pregnant again and let my three year old share the news through the medium of dance.

I wonder what the next three years will hold…

The post Three years blogging appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

It would appear my first post of 2014 is going to break an unspoken rule of blogging: never blog about blogging. I’m not sure if this is a rule I once imposed on myself but, having broken it several times already, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.

Anyway, as 2014 begins I wanted to take a moment to look ahead to the new year and make some plans blog-wise. It seems as good a time as any to commit to paper some of the thoughts I’ve had over the past couple of weeks. Non-bloggers may want to skip this post…

Next month will mark my third year of blogging. I started this blog back in February 2011 while sleep-deprived and a bit confused. Emerging from those chaotic newborn days I knew I needed to make some big decisions about my career and starting a blog seemed a good place to begin. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could still write. It turned out having a baby didn’t spell the end of my ability to string a sentence together and, ultimately, I ended up leaving my full time job as a radio journalist to go freelance. Blogging played a huge part in my confidence to make that decision, so thank you blog. 

And here I am. Sitting in our brand new family home 200 odd miles from where I started this blog. We changed addresses from Berkshire to Devon. We went from renters to home-owners. We switched jobs and work patterns and the security of what we knew for something totally different. But the blog remains. To ensure it stays a faithful part of my life, there are some things I need to remember for 2014. Things I know now that I didn’t know back when I started. Things I have remembered since my enforced internet break.

1) Blogging is fun

I write this blog because I like writing, sharing photographs and, generally, having a place to be creative without the constraints of an editor or a client brief. It’s a place to share family memories and musings on parenting. Blogging is fun and, for me, remembering why I enjoy it is key to continuing to enjoy it.

2) There are no rules

You don’t HAVE to set up a G+ account. You don’t HAVE to run your own blog Facebook page. Not all bloggers are on Pinterest and there is no golden rule that good bloggers blog every day. The only rule I follow is to disclose commercial posts, the other things I pick and choose to suit me and my way of blogging. This keeps it fun.

3) Every blogger is different

Different people blog for different reasons and are motivated by different things. I plan to remember this throughout 2014 and not get bogged down in the, “My stats aren’t as good as her stats” or, “They had a better PR opportunity than me” trap. These were things that used to matter to me in the early days, as I discovered the UK parent blogging community and the discussions around blogging on Twitter and Facebook. Comparisons are a slippery slope though and, I tend to find, don’t a happy blogger make.

That’s it. Three simple statements for a fulfilling blog year (I hope). What would you add to the list?

PS. I will be sharing pretty things and little interiors projects from our new home over at my other blog Play Love Grow If you like cushions and Annie Sloan paint then do pop over and say hello.

The post Blog rules? Don’t make me laugh appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

(A cute picture of my three year old, just because.)

The out of office is on. The moving boxes are packed. The new, much worked-for house is within sniffing distance. 

On Monday we will move into our very own place in time for Christmas. As with all moves, it means lots of telephone calls and sorting and unpacking and – potentially – a teensy bit of stress. So I’m saying goodbye to the blog at least until after Christmas, when I will return to the land of the internet (providing we are connected by then).

In the meantime have a wonderful Christmas and a very merry New Year. You won’t even see me on Instagram because, incredibly, the village we’re moving to doesn’t even have 3G coverage.

I’m quite looking forward to the enforced blackout actually. I know – I am a weirdo.

The post Out of Office: ON appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

It’s not the first time I’ve considered giving up blogging and, I imagine, it won’t be the last. Time is the main reason. I never seem to have enough hours in the day, juggling work with being a mum and writing a blog. That’s not all though. Sometimes I have days where I just feel… meh… about blogging in general. I’m sure it’s something all bloggers go through at some point – and if they haven’t yet, then they will eventually.

Anyway, today I thought I’d write a post for myself. It’s to remind myself what I love, and hate, about blogging. I’m hoping it’ll help put the meh into perspective.

Writing

Writing what I want, when I want. Writing about anything that takes my fancy, in a way that takes my fancy. Even if it’s a stupid list about blogging. As someone who earns their living writing for other people, this is a rather liberating thing.

Community 

I have forged real friendships through blogging. Gemma from Helloitsgemma and Jane from Northern Mum are counted amongst some of my closest friends. I even got a birthday present from Alison at Not Another Mummy Blog. There are too many friends to mention here, but they are all mates in the proper sense of the word – not just faceless avatars on Twitter who I exchange a bit of banter with. These are real people who I see in real life, often over wine or play-dates with children.

Shared experience

Whether it’s an anecdote about something my three year old has said or done, or a serious political or ranty post, there is always a sense of shared experience when you blog. You get instant feedback and opinion from other people. You get words of commiseration, advice, wisdom or just the knowledge that, somewhere, there is someone who knows – or cares - how you’re feeling.

New skills

Three years ago, I didn’t even really know what a blog was. Through blogging, I’ve learned about writing online, taking photographs, editing photographs, using social media, using platforms like WordPress, networking, building up a business and, ultimately, being self-employed. I’m not sure I’d have learned so much, so quickly, if it wasn’t for this blog.

Being creative

Sometimes I feel drained of interest. On days when I have a three year old screaming at me, a husband late home from work, and an inbox that won’t stop pinging, it’s all I can do to remember my name, let alone anything else. Dipping in and out of reading blogs will often help me formulate ideas of my own – be those articles to write for other people, news stories to look into or creative and fun things to do at home with my daughter.

New opportunities

I’ve been to places that I might not have visited, because of this blog. I’ve worked for people that I might not have worked for, because of this blog. I’ve reviewed things I wouldn’t have bought and met people I wouldn’t have met, all because of this blog. There have been lots of new opportunities that have come about because of my tiny corner of the Internet, even if they’re not the reasons I started a blog in the first place.

Shouty behaviour

Have you ever met someone who can’t wait to tell you how great they are, how clever they are and how they are just SO much better than you? In real life, these types of people are pretty easy to avoid. But in the world of blogging it can be harder to ignore.

*Touch wood* I’ve never had a “blogging bust up” before (I’m not a fan of confrontation and I have better things to do than argue on Facebook), but I know they happen. A lot. The very sense of community that I love in blogging is also one of the things I hate. I hate the arguments, the “I know more than you”, the “I got a better PR opportunity than you”… all that stuff. I don’t see it much, but there are times when it’s hard to get away from.

Technology

I am never going to be a technical guru, much to the dismay of my IT teacher husband. I started blogging to see if I could still write, or if having a baby had zapped that part of my brain. I do not get excited about plugins or techy speak. I can appreciate when something is cool (and get a huge proud feeling when I work out a solution to a technical problem myself) but my brain doesn’t naturally work like a technical wizard. I have to puzzle over it, ask for an explanation and, inevitably, get frustrated if I don’t understand the answer.

Noise

I’ve never had so much noise in my head since I started blogging. Whether it’s a post that I want to write, a thought about a blog post or Tweet that I’ve read, or just a sense that stuff is being talked about – interesting stuff – and I want to be part of the debate… the noise is pretty much always there. I think they call it “Social Media Fatigue”. Having a phone that is constantly pinging does not help. Sometimes I wish I lived in a wood with zero Internet signal.

And that’s it for the hate list.

I think I’ve just talked myself down from the edge of the precipice. Six in favour and three against. I call that a win for blogging.

Have you ever considered giving up blogging? What do you love – and hate – about it?

The post What I love (and hate) about blogging appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

I laughed with her – she was jesting after all – and then promptly put her straight.

The thing is, I know that many people who don’t blog (journalists, family members and mates included) see it that way. They read blogs and roll their eyes when they see the blogger is reviewing something they have been given by a brand.

And I’m not just talking about “Mummy Blogs” here – beauty bloggers do reviews, as do travel bloggers, wedding bloggers, pet bloggers (I may have just made that last one up, but pet bloggers do sound pretty cool).

Anyway, back to my point. It’s not a straightforward case of bloggers being given freebies. Not in my personal experience anyway. 

I’ve worked in the media industry all my working life (I’ll be 30 this year – so it’s not forever, but it’s a while). Before I began my blog I worked as a reporter and breakfast newsreader for a big commercial radio station. Before that, I worked as a reporter for three other radio stations. Before that, I worked on a magazine and – you guessed it – before that it was newspapers.

Back then, I didn’t really know what blogging was. But I knew a freebie very well.

Whether it was tickets to a pop concert, back stage passes to a festival, a bumper box of posh crisps or a free meal at a local restaurant, they were par for the course it seemed. Boxes of random stuff would regularly turn up in the various offices I worked in. It may not have happened every day, but it certainly wasn’t rare.

Broadcasting rules stated that we couldn’t (and wouldn’t) just chat on the radio about something we’d been sent. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but it certainly never happened at any radio station I’ve worked at. The same is true of the newspapers and magazines.

To the PRs, I guess it was all about making contacts and building future relationships. It wasn’t necessarily about getting their product a free slot on prime time radio.

Fast-forward a few years and, until recently, I worked for a radio station as a presenter AND wrote this blog. I also wrote the odd magazine article and continued to contribute to a few websites. I was at the coal face of freebies, you could say.

And you know what? The only “free” freebies were the ones that arrived in the office at the radio station. Considering most of these things came through the door with no expectation or agreement to write or talk about them, they were free in all senses of the word.

But the things that I was “given” through my blog? They had a different type of price tag attached. In each case, the PR sending me the product or the tickets or inviting me to their lovely event, was doing so in return for coverage on this blog. They knew that lots of bloggers have big, engaged readerships. They wanted to tap into that and to gain a bit of publicity.

I can’t speak for all bloggers here but, for me, if I have use for a product or experience and it fits the themes on my blog, then I’m happy to do a review. But that review takes time. I’ll often Tweet about it or might put a picture on my Instagram feed (especially if it’s a review trip). In the meantime, I’ll continue to write about other stuff that interests me. And that takes time too.

So, what I suppose I’m saying, is that those “freebies” you see me getting through my blog aren’t really “free” at all. Not in the old-fashioned sense anyway. I may not have paid for them with cold hard cash, but the payment takes another form: my time and my little corner of the Internet.

After all, nothing comes for free these days, you know?

If you’re a blogger then I’d love to know your take on the whole thing. I’m not talking blagging vs blogging (that’s been covered already), but I’m interested in how you view items or experiences you’re given for review. Are they freebies, in the true sense of the word?

The post Blogging: they’re not “freebies” appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

That’s so not me.

When I’m writing, I need the following:

This is my (tiny) home work space. It’s where I write this blog, write features for magazines and websites, blog for companies, send emails, edit websites and take my client phone calls.

It’s my “cave”, my little cubbyhole at the bottom of the stairs, just for me.

Since going self-employed two years ago, I’ve found there are a number of ingredients that I need for the right “headspace” to string together a coherent sentence, or edit a feature. (None of this applies to the radio work by the way, that needs something TOTALLY different, obviously.)

My perfect recipe looks like this: tidy desk, hot drink (in the evening that’ll be a peppermint tea), notepaper to jot down scribbles, a closed tweetdeck, no music, To Do lists on my blackboard and a blanket for when it gets chilly.

Often I’ll have about ten ideas jostling for room in my head before I sit down. Whether it’s a feature, a blog post, a piece of copywriting or some editing, I tend to take a couple of minutes faffing before I get into “the zone”.

It’s funny to write about what I do when I’m writing, because I’ve never really thought about it until now. It’s the one thing I’m pretty particular about, in that I can’t concentrate if I’ve got a pile of rubbish on my desk, or loud music in the background.

I find it fascinating to see how other people work. Those of us who write for a living tend to have different ways of doing things. I have friends who compose features at their kitchen table on a laptop, others who take to their bed with a pile of magazines and an iPad and others still who come up with their most creative ideas while in the shower.

Many of my ideas come to me while doing something mundane like pegging out the washing or driving somewhere, but they don’t get made into anything tangible until I’m safely settled in my “cave”.

I remember watching a documentary years ago about Roald Dahl’s work space. I was struck by how simple it was; a tiny shed in the garden, a chair, a blanket and a wooden board to rest on his knees. With just those items, in that place, he could let his imagination dream up the twisting plots and colourful characters he became famous for.

This post was inspired by my blogging buddy Jo at Dexterous Diva, but I’d love to know how you achieve your perfect working / blogging frame of mind. What do you need to compose that post? Do you write on the hop or have you got a little ritual you go through before you get stuck in?

Leave a comment – or write your own post and link up in the comments below.

The post Headspace – my writing rituals appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Do you ever feel like you want to take a break from the internet? Ever feel the need to hole yourself away in some kind of peaceful commune, living 1980s style in a land without Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, Instagram and blogs?

Because I do.

I’ve been feeling it a lot more recently. Maybe it’s because it seems the entire world is online these days, or maybe it’s because my own particular community of bloggers feels really busy right now. Or maybe it’s because – and this isn’t entirely my fault – I’m simply spending too much time on the internet.

I am self-employed. I earn my crust as a broadcaster for a commercial radio brand, a writer for various publications and a blogger. Every single one of these sources of income involves being online. For radio, I run the morning Twitter and Facebook feeds. For blogging – well that’s kind of obvious. And for writing, much of the places that publish my work are online magazines. And, amongst all of this, many of my clients (for blogging, presentations and workshops, copywriting etc etc etc) find me online. If the internet didn’t exist, neither would much of my work.

That said, I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us rely on some kind of online presence these days to earn an income. This is normal in our digital, multiple social media platformed world. It’s a world I’ve been heavily active in for more than two years now, since I first started blogging. So why am I suddenly so tired of it?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to delete my blog or take a year long Twitter sabbatical. I’m just wondering if there isn’t some way I could re-ignite the passion, so to speak. I love writing this blog, it’s my own personal corner of the internet. All mine. I love every single element of my work – the radio, the writing, the interaction with other people – it’s just that sometimes it all feels a bit, well, loud.

Whenever I try to explain blogging and Facebook and Twitter to my mum, I say it’s like being in a room full of people. You have to interact and chat with the other people in that room to get anything out of the experience. But, just as in real life, you get other people with loud voices and their own conversational interests. That means that, sometimes, being online can feel a bit shouty.

On shouty days, rather than sharing the amazing things going on in other people’s lives and feeling inspired by the incredibly creative types out there, I feel intimidated and exhausted. On those days I feel like I can’t be bothered to interact, because everyone is shouting louder than me and I won’t get heard anyway. That kind of negativity isn’t healthy for anyone – and it’s certainly not “me”. I like to think I’m a naturally positive, happy person. I don’t like feeling tired and apathetic.

So I’ve come up with a few rules to try and combat the social media fatigue. Going offline for a while isn’t an option for me, because of my work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution to make me feel enthused again.

• Limit my time online – It’s one thing taking the odd Instagram shot and another spending a full 30 minutes on Twitter while your child attempts to play with you. I don’t want to be *that* mum. So from now on, rather than worry someone might think I’m rude if I don’t reply to a tweet and engage in a conversation, I’m just going to put my phone away and not look at it. After all, Twitter won’t die if I ignore it for a while.

• Do one thing at a time – If I’m writing, then I’m writing. I won’t have Tweetdeck open at the same time and I won’t just pop over to Facebook to check I’m not missing anything. Whether it’s a piece of commercial copy, a feature or a blog post, I want to have a clear mind while I’m typing. And that’s why, from now on, I’m going to focus on one thing at a time.

• Have dedicated social media black-out periods – Friday and Saturday nights tend to be the two evenings when I spend proper quality time with the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine. If I’m with him, or with my friends, then I’m going to make a concerted effort not to have my phone within tapping distance.

• Learn that I’m not missing out – I have been known to get twitchy if I haven’t checked my emails, my Twitter feed, my Facebook notifications for a full day. I worry that the world may have stopped turning for 24 hours and I’ll be the last to know. This is stupid. If people need me that badly they can ring or text. And if I miss some kind of online spat or juicy celeb gossip then who cares? I mean, seriously – it just doesn’t matter. At all.

How do you combat social media fatigue? Any more ideas for me?

The post Combating social media fatigue appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Sometimes (occasionally) cake and tea isn’t enough

Sorry Mum, it’s a post about blogging. It does happen on rare occasion, and this is one of those times.

Now Mum’s gone, I’d like to talk about bloggers and brands. Specifically, whether the relationship between bloggers and brands has changed after a certain major brand was wiped off the face of Google recently.

Before I begin, let me assure you I am no SEO guru. I know the difference between a follow and a no-follow post. I am au fait with the Google rules regarding paid for links. I’m aware that a PR isn’t the same as an SEO bod. These are all things that are clear to me and don’t need explaining.

What I’m also clear about, though, is the value I place on my time. And this is where this post is coming from.

Last week I was emailed by an SEO agency asking if I’d like to place a competition on my blog. I explained that I don’t do competitions at the moment, as I simply don’t have the time to run the admin side of things. The SEO rep replied, assuring me there would be no work involved, they just wanted me to write about the competition that would be hosted on their client’s site. So, that would be an advert then, yes?

When I got back in touch with my rates, the SEO went off to check the figures. It was all standard practice and the emails were very pleasant. Recently, I heard back from the agency. They were sorry but they were pulling their budget for the project, due to recent changes to Google algorithms and that infamous situation with a certain brand losing their place on the search engine. Fine, all to be expected really. SEO agencies are jumpy after Google cracked down on a company flouting the rules. I get that.

What I don’t get, though, is what was suggested next. “If you could just write the post anyway, with a link to the site where the competition is being held, that would be great.” To make it clear, the SEO agency wasn’t pushy. They recognised that they weren’t able to compensate me for my time or for a post on my site, but they wondered if I could do them a favour anyway. In return, they could offer me – wait for it – tweets. That’s it. They could offer some RT’s to their own client’s (unpaid) advert, from their own client’s Twitter account.

Now, call me picky, but my time is worth more than a few tweets. I write this blog because I love it. It gave me a place to be me again after I became a mum and it provided a platform to write from and launch a new direction in my career. I consider it part of my work, as I earn the odd bit of cash from it but – more importantly – it leads to new commissions for writing that I’m paid for. However, everything I choose to write on here is from my own head.

Also – unsurprisingly for a blogger – I’m active on my own Twitter account, as well as Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and various blog networks.

I don’t need “free content”. I have plenty of my own, swimming around in my brain. I don’t need tweets promoting a commercial post from a company that has no interest in engaging with me. I work 60 odd hours a week and spend my afternoons negotiating potty training and toddler tantrums. Time is something I don’t have an abundance of.

Spare moments are rare and, on the evenings when I find half an hour to write a blog post, I don’t choose for that post to be about a competition on another company’s site that I have no interest in. Not unless I’m getting paid, or being offered an experience that makes it all worth it. Otherwise it’s not worth it. Not to me anyway.

I replied to the SEO person explaining that I wouldn’t be able to help them. They totally understood and accepted that they’d have to find new ways to work with bloggers, to entice them to write about their clients. So that’s what I’m asking here. As a blogger, what is it that makes you want to write about a company and give them a precious slice of both your time and your blog space? While lots of bloggers are refusing to do follow links, does this mean the end of SEO / blogger relations?

This is one introverted blogging debate I’m genuinely interested in. Hit me with your opinions – I’m listening.

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