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The SITS Girls

The Secret to Success is Support

Product Reviews Done Right: The Mommy Diaries

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Let’s give a big SITSterly welcome to Ally, the blogger behind The Mommy Diaries. Ally uses her site as a channel to voice her opinions as a mom. After all, with all the products out in the market right now, it is always hard to decide what’s good for you and your family.

product reviews

We see that congratulations are in order! You’re pregnant with Baby # 2. Yay! How are you feeling?
Thank you! With less than a month to go, I am surprisingly pretty calm right now. Not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.

How is this pregnancy different from your first?
Both my pregnancies were great. This time around, with great management and help from my doctors, I have been able to avoid conditions that I experienced during my first pregnancy, such as back pain, sciatica, fainting spells.

I am also pretty relaxed with this second pregnancy. No more pregnancy books or reading through pregnancy related sites every single day.

It looks like you’ve been doing product reviews for years. How did you get started?
To be honest, I started by joining as many blog giveaways as I had time to. Then the light came on and I thought, “If they could do it, why can’t I?” It was hard dealing with the rejections at first, so I started writing reviews for products I already had and was using. Then I started to slowly contact companies and PR firms again. Every YES outweighed all the NOs that I got and it just went forward from there. Now I have companies contacting me to do reviews and giveaways.

product reviewers

Your media kit is really well done. How have you been able to successfully monetize your site?
Right now all I’ve really been able to do is write sponsored posts for a couple of companies. I haven’t been able to actively pursue trying to monetize my blog, but am looking to change that in the near future. I have joined a few affiliate programs, but have not added their widgets in my sidebar.

Other goodies on The Mommy Diaries:
Blast From the Past: A get to know Ally post.
This is Why…: Funny story with Ally’s daughter. Well, not so funny at the time.
My Little Asian: Ally loves featuring her daughter!

About Francesca

Francesca has an extensive background in content marketing, public relations, and social outreach. She oversees all Operations at Sway Group, including our robust metrics capabilities. Prior to joining the online world, Francesca oversaw viticulture and oenology at various wineries in both California and Italy, and managed regulatory affairs and facility approvals at the biotech company, Genentech. Francesca has been featured on CBS Sacramento and Food Blogger Pro’s podcast. She has also hosted an AMA webinar and spoken at Social Media World.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  8. Autumn Twig says

    now i don’t know if this is the right place to say this or not. And its been a while since I’ve visited SITS, but wow i l.o.v.e the new website design! 🙂

  9. MIchelle Lee says

    HAPPY SITS DAY!!!! Your family is beautiful and congratulations on the new addition to come! I’m off to check out your blog ; )

  16. Heather says

    Congrats on being featured! Love the ideas of reviews for moms. I am going to suggest your blog to my mommy friends. 🙂

  18. Jamie says

    I think I’ve been to Ally’s site before. She’s familiar to me. Congrats on Baby #2, Ally. 🙂

  21. She'sWrite says

    Your experience with giveaways and product reviews is very interesting to me. Because of my day job as a journalist, my company doesn’t allow such things, so I’m completely clueless as to how it all works. Congrats on your SITS day!

  24. Tiffany says

    Congrats to a mommy blogger who can handle promoting her blog, raise a little girl and now another baby! Whew!

  29. toi says

    Can’t believe the day is about to end. Well, I am glad I can still say have a nice evening ;).

  31. Amanda says

    How wonderful! As a mom of 2, I concur. The 2nd pregnancy is much less mysterious and goes by quickly! It is so great that she has fought her way into doing reviews, and plans on going further! great job Ally!!

  37. Broot says

    Happy erm, Tuesday? It’s Wednesday here so it must be Tuesday for most of you in Blog-Land. This blog will be interesting! 🙂

  38. Rorie says

    I really want to start doing blog reviews and hopefully reviews for companies. What are your suggestions in giving a good review?

  41. Missy says

    Congrats on baby #2.
    I can’t wait to check out your blog. I love hearing about products that other moms use and love.

  44. Leah Rubin says

    Sounds like I could learn a lot from Ally– she’s made it work really well! –and she’s making it all very interesting!

  49. Emma says

    That’s really cool! I didn’t know about product reviews etc when I first started blogging but I now get offered some lovely things to review and have a great relationship going on with several PR Companies. Congrats to Ally on baby number 2 🙂