As promised, here is the second part to the blogging questions some of you submitted a few weeks ago. Let me state again – I am by far not an expert in blogging. I’m just a girl, standing in front of a computer, asking it to love her. Okay, okay, enough of my homage to Notting Hill.
As a reminder, if you don’t see your question featured, it simply meant that someone asked it first. Thanks again for submitting!
1. Erin from Girl Gone Veggie asked: When do you get most of your writing done? Do you have a writing process?
Yes, I have a writing process. It goes like this.
Step 1. Turn on PBS for kids
Step 2. Run to office and shut door
Step 3. Type fast
Step 4. Repeat for 2-3 shows or until my son poops his pants and I have to change him.
But seriously, I don’t really have a process as much as I keep notes on my phone about topics or things I notice that I want to write about. I write during nap times, at night, early mornings and I’m lucky enough to have a husband who takes the kids on an adventure one morning during the weekend which gives me about four hours to crank.
2. Leah from The Bauble Blog asked: Any tips for how to make money on your blog?
I get asked this question a lot. The truth is that I don’t make a lot of money from my blog per-say. Yes, I have ads on the sidebar but I made a conscious choice not to fill it with ads because I wanted to stay true to the nature of the blog – which is to be a storyteling blog. However, the blog has been a vehicle for me to make money writing. It has opened doors to freelance opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to do without it. It has built an audience that reads other things I write. I make far more money writing freelance pieces than an ad will give me.
3. Robyn from Dim Sum and Doughnuts asked: What is your favorite time of day/day of the week to post?
Well, when do you like to read blogs? When do you sneak a peek at what’s happening on People.com? That’s the same for blogging. I usually post first thing in the morning. People love to check their email and catch up on life a bit before starting work. There are plenty of professional sites that say not to do that but in my stats, it shows otherwise. Also, after bedtime also tends to get good numbers. I’m a big believer in not posting every single day. People bore easily. Unless you are offering some fantastic thing every day, space it out a bit. And to answer your question – my favorite day to post is Friday. Lots of people pretending to work when really reading sarcastic parenting blogs…
4. Lisa from The Golden Spoons asked: Which social media outlet drives the most traffic to your blog?
Facebook. Then Pinterest. Then Twitter. I don’t do Instagram because I can’t take a decent picture to save my life. And I also don’t do Tumblr because it bothers me that there is no “e” in the word.
I know that everyone says that Facebook doesn’t show as many posts as you’d like and that’s true but there are ways to still get people reading. Don’t just send out links to your posts. Send out fun updates. Send out pictures. And share. Sharing is the key.
5. Gretchen from Odyssey Through Nebraska and Bolton from Bolton Carley asked: What are some resources you rely on to make your blog successful? (books, apps, people, etc…) and how do you get more people to comment on your posts?
The best resource is my blogging community. I’m part of Facebook and Twitter groups. I write for sites like Nickelodeon that is chock full of amazing writers, and I’m always tapping them and fellow bloggers for ideas and tips. The amazing thing about the blogging world is that everyone is really trying to help each other. And as for comments on posts – make them feel like they are one of your girlfriends. Don’t just talk to them. Talk with them. Take guest blogs from non-writers that share something in common with what you are writing about. Ask for quotes from people. Pose questions. Make it a community and they will give back.
Thanks all for the great questions. And thanks especially for reading. You guys rock.
