By the way
I’m in talks with some PR people to get them access to the database before it goes live so that we can set it up that free stuff starts coming in soon. The problem is that I need people to give me their children’s birth year instead of the age ranges I had before. (That way I don’t need to hit people up for updates.) So if you haven’t filled out the survey, please do. And if you have, please email me at adminATgetthembloggingDOTorg to update.
Also, the more specific you are, the better. People who listed their (and their kids’) favorite books, television shows and (importantly) BRANDS (as in toys, clothes, etc.) are going to be easier to find. Let’s say you’ve got someone who has a new building toy and is looking for kids who are into duplos who are the right age — make it easy for them to find you.
PSA now over!
Oh wait! No it’s not! Also, the survey is expanded and is no longer focused exclusively on parents. Please fill it out regardless of your blog focus and of course, share the link around! The more the merrier! GetThemBlogging.com
If the survey has changed, should someone who already filled it out do so again?
i’m assuming that pr people are not going to be all that interested in blogs with low traffic … does it make sense to register a blog even if our unique visitors are pretty low? is it possible to change information in the database after initially registering?
I think it’s worth registering a low traffic blog and here’s why. A lot of PR/marketing people are spending their resources on setting up sample programs just to get word out. This is another way for them to get samples that they might not need reviewed on a blog but just want out in the world. Also lower traffic blogs still have a unique readership and they may cover topics or geographical areas that other blogs don’t cover. I’m going to actively present lower traffic blogs as a useful resource. (In the “how to choose blogs” FAQ I specifically say that it’s important to remember that bloggers are real people in real communities and that whatever hits their blog might get — or not get — they’re still talking to their friends and neighbors.)
My feeling is that the best way to get PR people to notice you is to have a thorough, clear list of interests. I’m going to put screen shots up this weekend so everyone can see how the database works but basically there are broad categories and then in the meta tags (hidden keywords) for each blog are the specific interests (which includes things like “mountain climbing, wool yarn, Dancing with the Stars, Backyardigans”). If a PR person wants to promote, say, a new video game and needs to find people who have xboxes, she’ll do a search looking for that keyword. If she is marketing a bilingual toy, she might look for people whose kids watch Dora.
The database will always be a work in progress. I’m working out a way to send people their listings every six months and ask them for updates. I may also send out listings one time right at the beginning so people can refine them but that depends on how crunched I am for time — I may dribble them out more slowly.