Unofficial Elmo Day at Play Library yesterday was absolutely exhausting. Starting at 9 in the morning, I began tracking TMX Elmo’s imminent debut and by the day’s end (well, actually this morning), I’d written 12 posts and Kerri had written four. We usually write one each on an average day. (A list of all the posts we wrote about TMX Elmo.)

The excitement somehow spread across Genetics and Health and A Hearty Life too. Each blog had many more visitors than usual. For me, blogging is far less about the money than having fun and getting my message out whether it’s something more serious like health or less serious like fun for kids. Yesterday was a banner day and I feel very satisfied.

It seems that I might be getting traction with this problogging gig. And it feels great to have a home office to work out of too and time to concentrate knowing that Stephen is happy, secure, and productive at school.

Just a couple of little things to brag about below the fold. ;)


I was featured at Top Ten Sources for the two pages I created on Heart Disease and Genetics. They also mentioned me at their blog. Good thing I grabbed a screen shot because my heart disease feature has been bumped off already.

And, A Hearty Life was featured in PR Week (subscription only).

Placement: A Hearty Life blog, June 26

Who is your client and what are its media goals?

Tom Biro: Our client is Right Direction Foods, which makes healthy, cholesterol-lowering cookies. It was looking to raise awareness for its new cookies by targeting both traditional media and key online outlets.

What made the “A Hearty Life” blog such a desired placement, and how did you go about pitching the bloggers there?

Biro: We had decided to focus on only a select few sites, and because A Hearty Life is a well-known and respected blog in the healthy food category, it was an ideal target. One of our staffers reached out by posting a comment to the blog that let them know about the cookies and noted we were available if they wanted more information. They quickly got back to us and we began a dialogue.

What other support materials did you provide?

Biro: In this case, it was a one-person blog, so it wasn’t a problem finding the right person (Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei). We sent her the cookies, along with a press kit and links to the Web site.

Did you have any additional dialogue with Lei after the sample was sent?

Biro: Not really. We were conscious of not overwhelming her with calls, so the only other contact we had was just to make sure she had received the sample.

What was the impact of the hit?

Biro: A positive review of Right Direction cookies was posted on June 26. We also received coverage on other food-related Web sites, some of which were tied to separate pitches, but others that were no doubt follow-ups to the A Hearty Life posting. Most important, the client was pleased because it was such a positive review.

Name: Tom Biro, director of new-media strategies, MWW Group (East Rutherford, NJ)

Placement: A Hearty Life blog, June 26

Pitch Timeline: Less than two weeks

Thanks to Fard Johnmar for showing it to me!