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Stephanie Schwab

Highs and Lows in the Parent Blogging World

by Stephanie Schwab · May 17, 2013

There’s never a dull moment in the parent blogging world. This past month has brought new highs and lows to this group, a group I’m firmly enmeshed in both as an agency which works with bloggers and as the founder of a conference bloggers attend. (I also happen to be married to a parenting blogger – my husband blogs on his own dad blog as well as in a number of other outlets.)

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Disclosures for Bloggers and Brands

by Stephanie Schwab · April 24, 2013

Recently, the FTC released updated guidelines for disclosure in advertising. This 2013 update, titled “.com Disclosures,” supplements their 2009 Testimonials & Endorsement Report, which was one of the first explanations of the requirements for disclosure of endorsements, sponsorships and other payments from online endorsers, including bloggers.

The primary reason for the disclosure requirement is to assist readers and viewers in determining whether a blogger or endorser has a material connection to the brand about which they’ve produced content. It seems pretty obvious (to me, at least) why this is important to know.

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Don’t Bite the Brand That Feeds You

by Stephanie Schwab · March 26, 2013

There’s been a bit of a kerfuffle in the parenting/lifestyle blogosphere this past weekend, related to a brand’s blogger outreach program. The brand in question is KFC, and (from what I understand, as I wasn’t there) they invited a number of bloggers to an in-person event, with their children, to learn about KFC’s new kids meals.

I’ll disclose up front that I don’t ever eat at KFC because I’m sensitive to MSG and they put it in much of their food. This fact generally puts me in the category of people who think that KFC is unhealthy: if it makes me sick, it must be unhealthy.

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When Small Businesses Shouldn’t Do Social Media

by Stephanie Schwab · March 7, 2013

I talk to a lot of owners of small companies and I get asked all the time, “What should my company be doing in social media?”  Most of these businesses are really small shops – solo practitioners, neighborhood retailers, nascent startups which may not even have a web presence.

As someone who is deeply entrenched in, and very much in love with, social media, it’s very hard to say “Don’t do social media.” But honestly – more and more, I find myself telling some of these entrepreneurs and business owners that social media may not be the most important thing for them to do (at the moment they’re asking me).

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3 Blogging Lessons from Parenting Bloggers

by Stephanie Schwab · January 24, 2013

I have a confession to make. I’m jealous of parenting bloggers. There, I said it.  I’ve been thinking this for years but I’ve never actually said it. You, my friends, are hearing my confession for the first time.

I’m so envious of the way some parenting bloggers, including many friends of mine, so beautifully document their lives and those of their children.  It takes a rare person to open up their lives at the level that the best parenting bloggers do – when they bare it all (or almost all) and tell amazing stories through their words and pictures.  These bloggers are chronicling their kids’ lives and they’ll have those stories forever; here I am, just another marketing blogger.  (P.S. Click the links in this paragraph for just a few of my favorite parenting bloggers.)

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Five Social Media Trends for 2013

by Stephanie Schwab · December 6, 2012

You be the judge – did I hit my 2011 and 2012 predictions correctly? Assuming the answer is yes, I’m going to try and go three-for-three with this year’s crop of prognostications.  While these are all broader marketing trends, I’ve outlined what I think you, the social media marketer (or digital marketer), should give some brainspace to in 2013.

Transmedia Storytelling

We’re starting out with a content-focused trend. I felt that 2012 was all about content marketing, and 2013 will be no less so, but it’s gonna get a bit more complicated. It’s not enough anymore to just put out great content in your blog. Brands (and individual bloggers) will need to start ramping it up and telling their stories across multiple platforms, from blog to video to Twitter and back around again.

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The Influencer Continuum Model for Influencer Engagement

by Stephanie Schwab · November 7, 2012

I’m a huge advocate for blogger programs and blogger engagement.  Those of you who have read me here at SME for a while know that I’m on a bit of a personal mission to improve outreach methods by PR and marketing people, and also help bloggers to work more effectively with marketers.  Good blogger programs are really a win-win for everyone, if true to both brand and blogger missions, and executed well.

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Making the Most of In-Person Blogger Events

by Stephanie Schwab · October 3, 2012

This past August was the 8th annual BlogHer conference, the grandmommy of blogger events, in New York City. As the owner of a digital marketing agency, I’m usually in attendance at these events as someone who works with (and therefore wants to meet and schmooze with) bloggers. This time I was also kind of a blogger/influencer in my own right, having started the Digital Family Summit this year. It was very interesting to see this conference, and think about other conferences, from the blogger’s perspective.

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The Glossy Veneer of Professionalism

by Stephanie Schwab · August 24, 2012

Today’s storefronts and social media platforms make it easy for anyone to hang out a shingle. Whether you’re a quilt maker, graphic designer or marketing consultant, you can build a very professional-looking web presence in a matter of hours. Then, over a relatively short time, build up your credibility as well by tweeting, pinning, or blogging on your topic. But a pretty front end and lots of followers say nothing about your ability to deliver professional work on a timely basis.

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About Stephanie Schwab

Stephanie Schwab

Stephanie Schwab is the Principal of Crackerjack Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in social media planning and execution. Stephanie is also the founder of the Digital Family Summit, the first-of-its-kind conference for tween bloggers and content creators and their families. Throughout her 20-year career, she has developed and led marketing and social media programs for top brands and has presented on social media and e-commerce topics at numerous conferences and corporate events. Stephanie writes about social media at CrackerjackMarketing.com and Tweets @stephanies.

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