Here is the post on - Popular Topics

This allows members to see what are the most popular topics for parenting and ideas for more articles to write about.

What is great about how this helps Minti is that we can attract readers to find Minti rather than just arriving at the main homepage, which then helps more readers find your articles in these popular areas!!!

Best,

Rachel,

CEO Minti

I am attending a store launch here in Perth. Minti-mail me if you live in Perth Metro Area and I will give you the details.

Tuesday at noon - ie. tomorrow

Rach

In regards to advertising, it is perfectly fine to blog about products or services you want people to know about, but it has to be from your experience, or from friends or something you discovered and genuinely want to share and have an opinion on or excited about to help the Minti Community. That is perfectly fine.

What isn't fine?

Blatant sales one-liner from a person that signed up a second ago and will never contribute to the community but spam the blogs with constant lines of links and fake avatars and no completed profile or sharing in the community.

Does it come down to working out what the intent is?

YES

You will always know that before you even report?

- Is this member passionate about sharing their knowledge about a product or service as a mother?

YES

then you cannot report.

Is this member just here to provide spam links or spam our list of members?

YES

then you can report, but check...

if they are a legitimate company, then you can tell them or I can if escalated,

"that member profiles are not the place to do their free blast of an ad campaign. Best that they actually contact myself or Belinda about a proper engagement with our wonderful passionate members and give them some real value that actually "is" accepted."

Case by Case and Boarder-line Content?

Reviewing certain issues case by case helps us refine the policies as well as judge on "boarder-line content". I always like to review the "intent" this is usually a good reference point.

*I am in the process of reviewing all our policies and make sure there is clarification and proper guidelines. As well as reporting policies and escalation methods. As well as rewarding admins with positive tasks to balance out the negative side of managing the challenging side of reporting issues. Update our rewards to Admins in very innovative ways.

Belinda and I are soooo excited. We have come up with a proposal for businesses to get involved with Minti with a co-promotion and targeting the radio here in Perth.

Now, before anyone feels left out. I am trying to entice businesses here in Perth just to start with and some Perth members about 2800 of them can actually visit the instore promotions, but first signing up to a Minti/[company] group for exclusive offers which will also be broadcast over the radio so we can get more local mums to join this fantastic community.

I have more meetings to get to the final outcome, but I couldn't keep it in any longer. So if you are in Perth stay tuned. If you are rural and also in other Aussie cities, Rachel is working overtime (poor clay) to get to you.

Izzy came up with the initial proposal and for a regular Product Review group which will be the long term group, and we could have samples available everyday to experience and write about which hopefully will be global.

I also want something for Minti mums who have just had a baby. Ellosunshine just had a baby and Izzy is soon!!!!

The local push, is because we need these companies to launch advertising with us to feed Minti's site developments, ie. photos are slow to load, we all can't stand the blog editor and Minti mail is a nightmare to load. So please I hope you all support this effort!!!!

And yes I will have a break over Christmas!!!

Luv

Rach

I am thinking of another survey about sampling products in exchange for writing a product review (Izzy has had some great examples of current blogging sites doing this as well as herself) and we think it is a great idea.

I also I am looking into ways of making direct email advertising more palitable for members in a way that they really engage and get benefit, ie. maybe you get samples if you receive and engage with the direct email. I want to get clear on what great information our mums want to make their lives easier and help the back pocket.

So I want all Minti members to think about their day and what brands they engage with and take a mental note of how you feel towards them. I want to gage the "Love" factor and this will help in coming up with ideas to keep this site free, allow us to make money to grow our site and business and give back to our passionate Minti community, as well as grow the passion across the site were members may be want to ignite their passion too.

I am also looking at exploring the "work from home" companies maybe we can be a connector for mums.

So lots of ideas, and I am letting you all know so that you can put your feedback hat on. Feel free to start now and comment here :0)

We have had 42 members fill in out survey which is fantastic! So, if you haven't yet check out my survey about our Minti guidelines you just need to click on the Surveys link down the left orange navigation bar to select the survey to complete and you do get some moolah for taking your time out of your day to answer 4 quick questions...

Thanks so much for helping us improve in the area.

Rachel

As a snapshot the change at Minti is that;

1. I will be taking over the reigns of CEO from Clay going forward, with Matt as CFO. I will be looking after our team and getting familiar with operations during the handover period.

2. I will be managing my focus behind the business and also focus on raising profile again for Minti through the media.

But, mostly I am just excited to join in on all the hard work that goes on behind the site. I have witnessed the passion and care for something I only imagined as a speck some 4 years ago! I know when Clay says, oh your minti'ing that I have been on the site too long and not within work hours - but hey Minti madness is common amongst us folk - lol

3. I just wanted to thank the Minti team and mention that I am so impressed by the team, Clay and Matt (who's about to be a dad for the second time - a girl), our tech partner team, Belinda (Ad Sales), Izzy (with 3 kids and a 4th coming), Janice and Marg, and of course our members, I do have a new beat in my step and it makes stepping into this role that much easier.

4. The team is currently testing a new area for Minti to make a liitle real moolah of it's own, as well as getting our traffic to the point that ad sales keep this site free and alive. We are also exploring 'free samples' ideas, and a lot more, so we shall see what works out and what doesn't, but I trust you sparks are flying about here...

5. We are a very lean operating team, so hopefully I can explore ways to improve Minti's bank balance, Government Support and the special way we engage with our members with interesting programs in the future.

By and large, I think 2010 will be a great year for all of us to fire up the momentum during such questionable times :)

Cheers,

Rachel Cook

I will be able to post on my blog soon.

Brands available in Australia...

Fiesta (less chemical smell clothes whitener safe for coloureds) - better than napisan

Harvey Fresh - local West Aussie brand I think

Natural Food Confectionary (treats candy/lollies) - a must for any children sensitive to food colouring or preservatives

Amolin (a little pricey but very concentrated front loader or top) - for any family with allergies

Huggies nappy pants - but I have tried all the organic, biodegradable nappies - the one I liked was discontinued

Pantene - just because it doesn't make my hair fizzy - as I never hair dry my hair only if I really need to

Earth Choice - I totally love for dish-washing liquid (not harsh on hands, totally eco-green)

Earth Works - for cleaning products in the house (sparingly) as well as baking soda

Organic Collective - vege delivery every two weeks (priced cheaper than Coles)

Cobs Organic popcorn - occasionally, plain flavour

Campbells real stock - i am a big soup maker with so little time

Heinz - really only for low salt baked beans and tomato soup (back up meals)

Purell with aloe vera - antibacterial gel (the only product that doesn't insanely dry out my fingers)

Heron - for kids multi-vitamins (although I miss the US gummy bears multi-vitamin that had the Omega3's (burstlets dont work)

Brauer - for teething, colic, colds (great natural and for us it works)

Rosella - for tomato sauce

San Remo - pasta

Sun Rice - for rice

Nerada - pesticide free tea

Planet Organic - camomile and green tea

Molenberg bread - can't say enough that after all the breads this works for us, the only wholegrain bread the kids will eat

Farmhouse bread - preservative free white bread

Artisse Organic - lollipops (www.artisse.com.au)

Arnotts Arrowroot biscuits

Sunbeam sultanas

Anchor - for all types of flour

Betta - Natural kiddies icecream cones

Bulla - frozen yoghurt (we use to replace icecream)

Frosty Fruits - natural flavours/colours

Lurpak - i buy the refills and reuse the container (a little treat, as its pricey, but the only butter that my kids can't tell is there)

Again thanks for taking the time to give me some quick feedback :0)

Just a thought

mwah Rachx

If you have time to answer 4 simple questions about the above it would be greatly appreciated...also to have members fill in the survey who have been a recent member, a member in the last year and long term members, so I can get a mix of different experiences!

You get to surveys, if you are logged in and click on surveys on the left side within your orange navigation area.

Thanks sooo much and enjoy your weekend...

Rach x

After a lot of discontent, it ended up creating buzz about the new Vegemite snack, of which BTW, my boys don't seem to mind eating. For some reason the publicity has helped me actually take the leap to try it, just because the traditional vegemite has been part of our breakfast for generations.

So yay, Cheesybite it is, and hey most publicity is good publicity in the end, especially with a fast clear response and loyal customers who are very passionate to let their real feelings be known!!

So hears cheers to Cheesybite and Kraft :0)

"Vegemite - iSnack 2.0"

Well, it's so funny to look back and remember when my hubby and I were in the thick of Web 2.0 in 2005 and many in Silicon Valley rebuked the mention of the label WEB 2.0 and because of this, the new word for the internet resurgence was changed to "Social Media"....so now after 4 years the makers of Vegemite play a crazy play on the "2.0" resurgence where everything done a second time has a "two point o'er" after it... just how far behind are we techies?

When it comes to whats cool in the "real geek world of Silicon Valley" I think we really are, and us geek folk are cringing...I can't claim to be extremely geek, but I have lived in Silicon Valley during the Web 2.0 and Valley rebirth and I really think an apple-like "i" in front of everything and a "2.0" after everything is like putting on 70's platforms and running in them all day!!!!

[inject humorous sarcasm] - What it should have been was hanging an "r" like Flickr somewhere or make up a crazy name like Bing or Google..that would have been more geek classay!! [end of humorous sarcasm tone]

But hats off to the **"Web designer in Perth" at least you are famous for continuing the Social Media polarity. I am sure you didn't fathom that Kraft would think, "oh yeah!!!! how cooooool.... lets try and get in on the Web 2.0 thing, it'll be a winner...."

....sounds like something your parents would say.....as they dig out their crusty 70's platform shoes...

**Apparently he was the winner of "name the new vegemite product competition here in Australia" and yes I will buy and taste it, I am sure I won't shut down and need a reboot...mwah mwah mwah

and hey I just came up with a name in a thought - "Kangamite" come on peoples at Kraft

Fold down the top band of the socks to prevent the nasty red sock line some kids get and if your little one has socks that start to slip off while they play (which can be dangerous) pull up the socks properly and do a few folds lifting up gently so that the folds are secure and fold down to the ankle.