Advertising Age just reported on an initiative to organize mommy bloggers that are fed up with bad press. Blog With Integrity is designed to support mommy bloggers with journalist-like standards.

It’s reported that over 200 mommy blogs signed up during the first 24 hours.

What do you think? Leave a comment!

We have company in our home this week. On Friday morning I rose early and drove to Albertsons to pick up some needed breakfast items. It’s close to my home, so I continue to shop there—especially if I’m in a hurry.

Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed this Albertsons’ demise. Less and less choices. More and more food items either past or close to their expiration date. Prices that feel twice as high as Wal-Mart or Super Target.

Then, the kicker…  I hate those self checkout lines. The whole scanning deal never works for me. Every time I’m forced to do it, it takes forever. I end up standing there waiting for an employee to come by and punch a bunch of buttons to clear the scanning error.

In other stores, I have a choice. Self check, or wait in line. I’ll wait in line 10 or 15 minutes to have a checker’s help. But at Albertsons, many times there’s no choice. They simply open the five or six self-check registers and have one employee monitor them. Again, Friday, I had no choice.

I could no longer hold back my irritation. As I walked from the store to my Honda Element in the parking lot—grocery bag in one hand and iPhone in the other—I tweeted, “The Albertsons store in my town sucks. Can’t understand how they stay in business. High prices w/ no service. Old food. No choices.”

It felt good. Having read how other big companies use Twitter to monitor what’s said about them, I half hoped I would get an immediate response tweet like, “hey @jack_hadley… thanks for voicing your displeasure… please call sally at (xxx) xxx-xxxx so we can make things right”.

The tweet never came.

Later that day, I searched the Twittersphere for other tweets about Albertsons. There were lots of them! They ranged from pleased to displeased to simple general references like, “meet me at Albertsons”. Sort of what I expected.

Then, I decided to see whether or not Albertsons was listening. My research on Twitter, Google, and their corporate website led me to believe that they’re absolutely NOT listening.

Too bad.

I did find one store in La Habra, California making an effort…  Good for you.

So what’s up with this? How can corporations the size of Albertsons be so unaware of the business, marketing, and PR opportunities afforded them by these simple tools? I’m sure it’s not easy running a chain of grocery stores in a very competitive space. I get it. All the more reason to be aware of the things that could help.

What do you think?

Sometimes people ask us if Facebook can be the focal point, or foundation, of a social media strategy. My answer? Sometimes, but not typically. Why? For the same reason that Twitter (or other like tools) can’t typically be the foundation either.

A thoughtful blogsite is the best place to tell your story. As Chris Brogan has said, “Today, marketing is about engaging with communities and delivering products and services with stories that spread.” Your blogsite is the place where your story is focused—where you have the opportunity to lead your tribe down a path. Many social media tools are decentralized or evaporative like Twitter, and/or scattered—like Facebook.

The following news story, aired by WCSH-TV in Portland, Maine, may appear to be about Twitter. But as you listen, you’ll see that it’s about centralization too:

I’ve always liked Rich Brooks and his blog. He’s a smart guy.

So, some may ask, “For CostaVida Fred, isn’t Twitter the best way to get to his audience? I mean, how much can be written in a blog about Mexican food?” Yes, using Twitter to get people in quickly during slow times at 10% off is a good idea. In fact, a great idea. But I spent some time on CostaVida Fred’s blogsite, where he does a good job of taking people down a path—illustrating that Twitter messages bring people in now… but the long term play is nurturing brand-loyal customers and evangelists that help spread Fred’s story.

Way to go, @CostaVidaFred. Smart uses of social media that help your business, AND help others as well.

Is your blogsite telling your story? Do the other tools you use point back to the blogsite where you’re focused and centralized? How can you use Fred-type thinking to grow your business?

One of the greatest challenges that businesses face is distilling their content. And although most businesses have heard the term “elevator pitch”, few are able to effectively create one. Problem is that we want to tell people everything! The idea of “leaving something out” scares us.

You don’t have to leave anything out. Just create a hierarchy that gives people entry and exit points to your information. If someone in your audience is willing to invest six seconds, make sure that those six seconds convey the most important six-second message that can be conveyed! If, after six seconds, you’ve sparked enough interest that someone is willing to invest another 20 seconds, make sure the next 20 seconds convey the NEXT most important 20-second message. You get the idea.

This morning, freelance writer Mitch Joel, wrote an article for the The Montreal Gazette, entitled “People want ‘just enough’”.

“As technology blasts us forward, we’re actually not looking for much more than a quick fix. The businesses that are able to satisfy this new habit are winning by creating an online engagement that transcends what we would have traditionally thought about consumers: they want a lot of information. They don’t. They want ‘just enough’ information. And, if you can give them just enough quickly, they’ll probably then be open to stuff that has a little depth and perspective. Your business is going to get attention by doing the little things fast and then winning customers over with the supporting content and context of everything else you are publishing and marketing.”

Social media tools like Twitter help businesses do just that—create interest in snippets that point back to the story.

Is your content hierarchy digestible? Can you win attention in tiny bite-sized pieces? How are you using the power of the “quick fix”? We’d love to hear…

Some say, “No you can’t”. Well, yes you can.

The business people in this video have… And you will too.

Yes, the following video is a little long by blog standards—about 10 minutes. But if you are looking for inspiration to “muscle up” and do what you are destined to do, invest the 10 minutes. It’ll mean far more to you than the 60 minutes you wasted watching LOST last night. Just go for it. Click the start button.

After you’ve watched the video, ponder the following ideas…

How do you muscle up? Stop whining… nobody cares. The energy is in just doing it.

Create your own fantasy company. What do you do well? What is your passion? Live the fantasy.

Are you using your website (and by the way, websites are dead… of course you know that and have a blogsite by now) to really let people know who you are…. to see how goofy you are…. to see how much fun you have doing your work? Slick is easy—and boring. Doing it “real and honest” is cool—and powerful.

Amazing things happen when you leave your comfort zone.

Collaborate. Collaborate. Collaborate. Somebody in your community has an answer to your question.

Of course we pay ourselves less than we’re worth! Think of your work as a “lifestyle occupation”.

There are days when I have to remind myself to eat.

Pretty pictures are not enough any more.

What do you think? Are you doing it?