Do we Have a Voice?

by Heather Lochner

There is no denying it - women are staking their claim on the internet. They are wielding their influence; shaping and growing social media as they use Twitter, Facebook and blogs to reach a vast and loyal audience of readers. From writing and chatting about the never-talked-about dark times of motherhood to using corporate experiences to help multi-billion-dollar brands better market themselves, these women are creating the social-media landscape from the ground up.

But are they really being heard? Or are they talking to thin air?

Catherine Conners, better known as HerBadMother(www.herbadmother.com) than by her given name, left academia and became a pioneer in the online world. After the birth of her first child, Catherine struggled. Looking for likeminded mothers, Catherine turned to the internet and found her community; bloggers, mostly from the United States.

That very night, she created her blog and hasn’t looked back since. Her Bad Mother tilled the Canadian Shield, laying the groundwork for other Canuck writers to blog openly about their experiences. Fast-forward five years and today Catherine is coveted by some of the biggest brands around the world to help them develop a social-media platform.

But Catherine’s experience is not uniquely Canadian. In fact, Catherine believes Canada needs more opportunities and has worked tirelessly to bring BlissDom, one of the biggest social-media conferences for women in the United States, north of the border (Hilton Toronto, October 13-15th). 2011 marks its second year in Canada and fifth in the US.

“Canadian women are behind,” says Catherine. “We simply do not have the same bounty of resources and support - events, conferences, or established social networks- in social media as our American counterparts. We have suffered for that lack. With all the talent and ambition located here, it is only a matter of time until the flame is ignited and these women come into their own.”

These sentiments are echoed by Canadian online entrepreneurs and twin sisters sisters Janice Croze and Susan Carraretto who founded the popular blog, 5 Minutes for Mom (www.5minutesformom.com). While they are thrilled to see the recent boom and support for Canadian blogging, they acknowledge it hasn’t always been so easy – especially when they founded their site.

“When we started 5 Minutes for Mom in 2006 we saw an emerging community of women bloggers and online entrepreneurs forming. We wanted to help these incredible women find and support each other,” explains Janice.  “Now, almost six years later, online moms are one of the most powerful forces in social media. However, before BlissDom Canada, it was hard for Canadian bloggers to get a sense of their community and scope. But just hours into the first conference last October, it was clear that Canadian bloggers are strong and growing. I’m excited to see what this year brings.”

Canada, with its vast array of rural and urban networks needs to find its place in the social media world.  Our bloggers need to establish a stronger voice and presence. BlissDom Canada is a good place to start, as are social networks – both online and IRL (in real life).

Heather Lochner is a freelance writer and consultant with Impressions PR.

Image courtesy of stockXchng.