Blogging Tips — Page 3

Bloggertunities: Opportunities & Leads for Women Bloggers 7/19

“She Believed She Could So She Did.” – Pinterest Quote.

I believe that each one of us are in charge of our own success. Anything that you dream of doing – You can do it. This big ol’ web has opened up SO many opportunities for stay at home moms that we didn’t used to have. So take advantage of them, dream big, and build your business to be the perfect fit for you and your family. For online publishers like us – the sky is the limit, so don’t ever limit yourself. That’s your goal this week – to keep your goals big, and visualize any obstacles as small, so you can jump right over ’em. I hope that these opps and leads each week do a little bit to help push you over those obstacles… And remember – as always, feel free to share your favorite blogging tips post, event sign ups, hops or linkys, and anything else helpful in the comments below!

Making Money:

Monetize Your Blog: Get some of my best tips on earning an income with your blog in this post: How to Monetize Your Blog in 5 Simple Steps.
WingsPlay: This is new one – I just joined, so I can’t give too much personal feedback yet. But since it looks interesting I thought I’d share – You earn money by sharing videos to Facebook and Twitter. Based on what they calculate your influence as, after you finish the one minute sign up, you’ll see what they think you’re able to earn each month. Looks cool.
Infostable: Earn cash by sharing their affiliate offers – which are mostly products and giveaways that target women and moms with babies. Very simple to use – and the offers are safe, not spammy. I signed up for a few myself to test it before sharing it.
Paper Coterie: This is my fave affiliate ever. Beautiful paper products, and awesome promotions = Super easy content to promote and share. It’s simple to use and get started – learn more here: Paper Coterie sign up.
Logical Media: I admit, this used to be one of my lesser favorite affiliates to work with. But, lately they have had the best banners, great service, and just really good quality offers that I feel comfortable sharing with my readers.
Social Spark: I’ve told you guys before – this is one of my super easy peasy income earners. The posts are very quick to complete, the payout is great and pretty quick. Love it.

Use your influence to earn cool swag

Open Sky: I promote all of these deal sites all year, and do almost ALL of my holiday shopping for free. I buy serving dishes, party dresses and accessories, toys, home decor, and gifts. Open Sky is one of my faves – pick a few favorite designers, fashionistas, or chefs that you love, follow ’em, then get access to their best pic each week at a huge discount. Earn $25 in credit each time someone you refer makes their first purchase. {These credits add up FAST.}
Sharing Spree: Pick your local area to promote. Their site has some seriously fun deals each week – AND, you can feel good buying and promoting since they donate big bucks to your own local charities. Love that. Earn $10 for each referral.
Plum District: I don’t even work with their affiliate program, I just share the sweet deals daily, and earn the referral credits. Cash is nice, yes. But earning free credit to use at these AMAZING deal sites during my holiday season are way better for me :) Learn more about Plum District, and sign up to share today.
Moolala: This one is pretty cool – you earn bonuses each time someone purchases their sweet deals {Like a $59 value smartphone underwater case for only $4 bucks today. Wow.} – plus you earn when THEY add friends too. The deals are good, I’ve ordered several times and was very happy with the service, and it’s a nice way to let money add up quick.

Events and Giveaways to Join

Mompact Twitter Party: RSVP today for the upcoming Mompact Twitter Party – then click to send the embedded tweet, and you’re entered to win Amazon gift cards! Sweet, right?
Motherhood Twitter Party: This one is TONIGHT! Join us for a great time discussing summer pork recipes – RSVP now for chances to win: Each prize pack will contain a $20 Walmart gift card, slow cooker, cutting board, three-piece BBQ tool set and sauce bucket/brush. Awesome.
Social Moms: If you’re a member here, fill out this form if you’ll also be heading to BlogHer ’12, so you can connect with them there. {Not a Social Moms member yet? Sign up here.}
Summer Pinterest Party: Join the Simply Sassy Media Pinterest Party for a chance to win some awesome prizes while helping to launch their new blogger outreach program!
Babywearing Event: If you have readers with babies, this is a GREAT event for you to join! They are giving away 8 different baby carriers – one to each winner. Very cool – sign up here.
Fitcation: This is an AWESOME opportunity to attend a sweet event – only $200 to head to the Fitcation 2012 event in Los Angeles. This is a very cool conference put together by Bookieboo, sponsored by sponsored by Dole.
Giveaway promotion: Link up your giveaways on Just Another Hat’s weekly linky – it’s updated every Sunday, so you know you’re getting current stuff. Love it – Link up here.

Good Reads and Resources:

Food Bloggers: This is a great site that I recently came across, with tips and tricks to help you take better food photos. It’s written by a professional food photographer, aimed at helping those who DON’T have pro cameras or skills. Lots of good info.
5 Days of PR for Bloggers: This sounds awesome. I learned about it from the super amazing gal behind the Biannual Blogathon Bash -You sign up here with this quick form, and each day she’ll email you a new lesson to accomplish. {See the first one here, with a 360 Blog Assessment Worksheet.}
Finding your Niche: While some disagree with me, I know – every time I talk to brands about building blogger campaigns, I hear how they want to find bloggers not with the biggest numbers – but with the most targeted communities. I mean – if you have a new organic baby product to review, do you want a blogger who blogs about everything, or someone who has a really active following of like-minded readers who are passionate about green living? Something to think about… Blogging what you love: Finding your niche.

Love it? Share it!

Share anything that you’re loving right now in the comments – an event sign up form for your next big thing, a great tips post you’ve written, or a new network you’re finding super helpful. And if this post was helpful to you – please give it a tweet to share it with your own blogging buddies too! Have a great weekend!

Want to get the best new blogging opps & leads? Click here – sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/blogge… Awesome #BloggingTips

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 19, 2012

WANT MORE? CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER WEEKLY BLOGGERTUNITY POSTS TOO, OR BROWSE MY BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA BOARD ON PINTEREST.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 19, 2012 Filed Under: Weekly Opp's, Blogging Resources | 14 Comments

Blogathon Bash Wrap Up: What I Learned & Accomplished #Blogathon2

This weekend was a jam-packed, crazy-bloggy few days for me! I participated in the Biannual Blogathon Bash – that means that in between trying to complete all of my usual sponsored posts, scheduled writing, and spontaneous ideas that come to me and HAVE to written about right away – I also tried to fit in a ton of the mini-challenges for the Blogathon too! Oh yeah, and a Blogathon Twitter party too. Busy busy – but good times.

So – what did I learn during the blogathon?

I read some really great tech tips, including HTML for Bloggers, and SEO basics for Bloggers, from Geek with Style. Her posts are super easy to follow, love it. I discovered some super helpful new Twitter tools in Making Twitter Work for Your Blog. And I definitely was reminded of the importance of double checking my writing in each post during the How to Improve Your Writing challenge. Seriously – all of the challenges were great. The only disappointment that I had was that I wasn’t able to complete them all this weekend, since I had so much other work to get done! But – I plan to continue working on them throughout this upcoming week. If you’d like to join in too {even though it’s too late to win prizes, the site content is still available!} – check it out here: Blogathon Bash Mini-Challenge List.

What did I accomplish during the Blogathon?

Well, I was able to get all of the posts on my list completed, meeting all of my deadlines. That’s pretty awesome, since we’ve had a rough week around here, with Abby’s seizure scare, and the boys out of school for summer break. Here are the posts I’ve completed since Friday night:

Just looking at this list makes me feel SUPER accomplished, since I normally don’t get too much blogging done in a weekend!! Plus – I was able to complete 13 out of the 21 Blogathon challenges – and meet some new ladies at the Twitter party Saturday morning. I’d estimate that I put in an average of an hour per post – some with lots of pictures to edit took much longer, and some of the quick ‘n funny posts were way faster. Then it’s an extra 15 minutes at minimum to get each post promoted across all of my social networks and groups. So, that’s about 15 hours of work on JUST the blog posts. Another couple of hours for the challenges. An hour for the Twitter party. And about an hour to connect with all of the other great Blogathoners on all of their social media accounts too. I’m no good at math…. But that’s close to 20 hours of blogging work this weekend!!!!

Whew!! Is anyone giving me a cyber high-five yet? :)

If you want to get in on the fun next time, you can join the next Blogathon Bash happening on January 25 8am EST, to January 28 8am EST, 2012. Hope to see some of you there!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Events | 3 Comments

No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! {Updated and Upgraded} #Blogathon2

I’m participating this weekend in the Biannual Blogathon Bash, a semiannual blogging marathon. This summer’s blogathon will take place from June 22 to June 25. If you are signed up for the blogathon, completing mini-challenges {like the challenge I put together, called Anyone can Monetize their Blog: 5 Simple Steps} – give you chances to win prizes, in addition to improving your blogging. Fun, right? This post is for mini-challenge #3: Improve Your Writing. Join us – It’s not too late to get some blog-boosting work in this weekend!

Blogathon Bash: Mini-Challenge #3

After reading the tips on how to Improve Your Writing, for mini-challenge #3, I needed to choose a recent post that I’d written, go back and re-read it, and make corrections. I was a bit embarrassed to see that when I gave this post a second look, that I had quite a few spots where I wanted to change the way that things were written. My usual writing process is to sit down and quickly get my ideas out… I’m so uber duber busy that I don’t always have time to proof read every post. But clearly, I should get more consistent with it! So, drumroll please….. Here’s my updated and revised version of my post. You can see the original post here – No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! The main things that I noticed is that I tend to use the same descriptive words too often in the same paragraph, and that sometimes I don’t describe things as clearly as they seem in my head as I write, lol. Let me know what you think of the changes…

No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! {Updated and Upgraded}

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, is the good ol’ paper flyer a thing of the past?… If you need to get the word out about an event, you may feel inclined to type up something in Helvetica and head to the photocopier, but we have a better idea…

MEET YOUR NEW EVENT COORDINATOR— SMORE

Imagine… You (yes, you!) can create a beautiful web page with no coding experience and no design chops. Whether you’re spreading the word about a book club event, a small business, a networking event or a bake sale fundraiser for your local theatre, Smore is a great way to create a compelling online flyer! You can fill it with all the information needed to promote your event, easily share it through social media and email, and even see how many people it’s reaching. Creating a flyer is fun, fast and it looks so professional everyone will think you have a design nerd on staff.

Smore makes pretty web pages… no coding required

I am seriously in love with this site. I’ve been playing around with it all morning, and it is so simple to use – very intuitive. {And if you know me well, you know I’m NOT a techy type. Yes, I run a blog, but what I’m good at is taking pretty pictures, writing stories, and telling jokes. The tech side is much more challenging to me. Which is why I LOVE that my girls at Digitwirl teach me these great tips each week. Subscribe to them – Seriously, they’re so smart.} Anyway – back to talking about this sweet new site: If I can use it, anyone can. And it truly does make it quick and oh-so-easy to create incredibly professional looking pages – no coding needed at all. Learn more:

Get Options: Choose Event Invitation, Product to Sell, Personal Flyer for a Person, Flyer for a Business or Shop, Informational Newsletter Style, or just use “other” if nothing really fits. {Coupon or Ad Promotion, and an App are coming soon too.}
Get Inspired: Check out the sweet online gallery of cool examples of what you can create with their online templates, to help you think of new ways to create buzz for your event or promotion. All of the templates to share a similar style of template – but they all still have custom feel, using different photos, fonts, colors, and styles. Love it.

I’m definitely going to be using this a lot – and I am SO super grateful to the ladies at Digitwirl for sharing this tool with me. Their video made it SO easy to jump right in and get started. {For more tech made simple tips, services, and products – browse my board on Pinterest.}

What Ideas do You Have for Fun Ways to Use this Free Service?

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Events | 2 Comments

How to Monetize Your Blog: 5 Simple Steps #Blogathon2

This is a mini challenge for the Biannual Blogathon Bash, a twice annual blogging marathon; The summer blogathon runs from June 22 to June 25, 2013.

“The longer you’re not taking action the more money you’re losing.}”- Carrie Wilkerson

Let me start off with this – It’s ok to want your blog to earn you an income. It’s also ok if you blog only for creative reasons, and have no interest whatsoever of monetizing your site. It’s your blog, your brand, your choice. But, this post is written for those of you who consider your blog your business, and want to run it in a way that can help you support your family. There are as many ways to earn an income from your blog as there are different types of blogs; I’m going to cover some of the more basic income generators, with suggestions on how to get started with them. And I’ll also give you some tips on how to start branching out – think outside the box, and find creative ways to use the unique voice and influence that you’ve built to bring in more of an income from the work you do. Ready? Ok, let’s go! {And don’t forget – if you’re doing this as part of the Blogathon Challenge, learn how to win prizes below.}

Blogging Income Tip 1: Ad Networks

Ad networks are one of the easiest ways to monetize your blog… You add some code to selected portions of your blogs real estate, the network automatically displays the best ads there, and with no additional work from you, you start earning an income. Sounds simple right? Well, it’s not exactly that easy. This works best once you’ve been blogging long enough to build up a higher level of traffic. And, it can take awhile to figure out the best placement for your ads, or which network is the best fit for you and your content style. But – don’t wait too long: I didn’t put ads on my site until I’d been blogging for almost a year, and I kick myself sometimes thinking of the money I missed out on. Here are a few networks to check out that I’ve either used myself, or have had recommended to me by other bloggers that I trust:

Glam Media: This is the ad network I use right now, and I love it. I’ve heard of quite a few people who had to apply several times before they were accepted in – so don’t let a “no” answer discourage you! My favorite part of working with Glam is the author program, which brings sponsored posts, and super cool opportunities like our invitation to the Nike Young Athletes Innovation Summit. So amazing.
Google Adsense: Ok, I’m not a big fan of Adsense – but it does totally rock for SO many people. My issue with it is that Google can decide at any time, for pretty much any reason, that you’ve done something wrong, and will not pay you for your earnings. I know a ton of really great ladies who have had this happen. But, I also know people who have earned hundreds of dollars per month with them for years, no problems. {I do still use them, as my back-up ad network, and in my feedburner emails.} Learn more and sign up for Google Adsense, find some step-by-step help on getting started with Adsense, and tips on how to maximize your Adsense earnings.
Burst Media: I’ve heard great things about Burst, and they have a sponsored post program similar to Glam. I applied a couple months ago and was denied, so I can’t give any personal feedback on it. But I know many bloggers who love it, so I feel confident in recommending it to you guys. Learn more, and sign up for Burst Media, {link is at the bottom}.

Blogging Income Tip 2: Affiliate Networks

I mentioned that ad networks are a more passive income – throw ’em up there, and after you determine the best placement, they work on their own to bring you an income. With affiliate networks you’ll have to put in some work regularly to see results. If you’re good with SEO, and use affiliate links in your posts, over time those older posts will still get found in search results and can bring in a steady stream of income. {Need some SEO tips? Check out my fave book on the topic: SEO Made Simple.} I have hear a million bloggers tell me that affiliate marketing doesn’t work for them – but honestly, I think it’s usually because they haven’t found the right angle to use on their site. Some people can do great sharing coupons, freebies, and similar offers. If you’re a craft blogger, it would make more sense for you to share your fave craft books from Amazon, or sign up as an affiliate for companies with supplies you mention often in your tutorials. Here are some great networks that I use myself – all are very different, and there should be at least one that’s a good fit for you.

MySavings: If your readers love coupons, free samples, and other sweet discount offers – then this is a great option for you! MySavings is simple to sign up with, and very easy to use. A few other similar sites that I use are Escalate Media, Logical Media, and Infostable.
Referred Media: This is a more varied network… It has offers that you can cut and paste, similar to the way the previous networks work, but it has a much wider variety of things that you can promote – examples are to visit the Ella Wrap Facebook page to enter to win their super pretty bridal package, or sharing the free Food on the Table app. Sign up for Referred Media, and if you like it, you might also like Integrate too.
Commission Junction: This is a HUGE affiliate site. I mean, almost anyone should be able to find something here that their readers will be interested in, seriously. Check it out, and sign up today.
Escalate: This networks pays quicker than ANY other that I use – you usually get a your PayPal deposit within the first week of the following month – LOVE that. They have a wonderful support staff, great offers, and are super simple to get started with. Check out Escalate today.
Share a Sale: This is quickly becoming my go-to new affiliate network. It’s so easy to use, there is a huge variety of brands to promote so you’re sure to find some good fits for your site, and the payouts are really great. A lot of their affiliate companies will send you goodies each month too – like a code for a free photo product, a giveaway opportunity to host, etc. Love them.

Blogging Income Tip 3: Sponsored Posts and Campaigns

This is how I earn the bulk of my blogging income, and it’s one of the more enjoyable parts of what I do. I mean, the whole reason that I became a blogger is because I love to write, and share things that I love with other busy moms like myself. So when I can be compensated for partnering with great brands, that’s just like the cherry on top. Here are a few resources that can help you get started with sponsored posts and campaigns, and they are all networks that I use myself.

Mom Central: This is one of my faves, even though they don’t pay in cash. Most posts with Mom Central will compensate you with a gift of an Amazon gift card after the campaign, and since I do most of my shopping at Amazon, that’s as good as cash to me! {Those posts paid for my new laptop last month!}
Social Fabric/Collective Bias: Ok, it’s not totally fair to share this right now, since they’re not currently taking new members. But, since they’re another of my favorites, I want to make sure you guys know about it, so you can check it out as soon as they’re open to new signs up again. You can learn more about their program here – Social Fabric. And keep an eye out for an update soon when they reopen their membership – it’s SO worth it. {They pay you to do shopping trips, give feedback, and write fun product posts like this one: Pirate Pizza Party.}
Social Spark: This is a super simple network to work with – Brands offer you “leads,” you check out the info to decide if it’s a good fit for your readers, and accept or decline. Then when you get the offer, everything you need to write the post is right there – links, graphics, and info. And they pay out directly into your PayPal account when you reach at least $50 bucks. Social Spark Sign Up.
More: See another post I wrote recently – How to Find Sponsored Posts, with over 20 great tips on finding networks to join.

Blogging Income Tip 4: Write an eBook

I think that this can be a really great fit for bloggers, since we’re already writers. It’s just another way to share your best tips, your interesting stories, or amazingly helpful tutorials. Offering a free ebook can be a great way to encourage people to visit your site, or sign up for email subscriptions – and since an ebook often doesn’t take a ton of work to create, you can sell it at a very affordable price and still make a nice income from it. Here are some links to tips on publishing and selling your own ebook – and watch for a few of them from me before the end of the year. {Super excited about that!}

Great Guide: The Ultimate Guide on How To Write And Sell an Ebook in 7 Weeks. This is a really comprehensive, super easy to follow, and really fun to read set of tutorials to get you rockin’ with your own first ebook. It’s one of my favorite resources. Another post that has a shorter bit of info to give you a quick overview of what it will take to put together your first ebook is here – How to Write an ebook and Get Paid While You Sleep.
Great Book: Once you write your book, you need a way to get it promoted so you can earn some cash off of it, right? Here’s a great book with some awesome tips: 500 Ways to Promote Your eBook Online: Internet eBook Marketing Tips to Sales Success for Kindle, Kobo, and More!
Great tips: Offer your ebook for free to a group of your favorite bloggers, and ask them to write a review on their own sites for you to build some buzz. Make a page on your own site to promote your ebook, and share excerpts or links to those reviews – so people can buy your ebook with confidence. Start an affiliate program yourself, for your own ebook – you’ll lose a little bit of earnings on each book, but you’ll balance that by having more people promoting that book for you across the web! I’m sure you’ll come up with tons of new creative ideas too.

Blogging Income Tip 5: Think Outside the Box

Once you’ve built a successful blog, that truly can be a launching pad for even bigger things… You have influence, and a loyal following of readers who trust your opinions and value your thoughts. You’ve built some awesome social networks and amazing connections with other bloggers and business owners. You’re web savvy, know how to communicate well, and have a ton of really great things going for you. So use those skills to branch off into other things outside of your blog that can help you earn more money too! These will totally vary depending on your skills, interests, and motivation, but I’ve included a few ideas here to get you started thinking big:

Public Speaking: If you’re as comfortable speaking to a crowd as you are writing to one, why not share your smart ideas with others at conferences? You could approach some event planners locally and offer to speak for free, just for the experience – or go right to some of your favorite conference organizers, and propose a topic. An in demand speaker can earn some big speaking fees.
Teach Classes: You could teach your savvy shopping and coupon tips, your cake decorating skills or crafty tutorials, or approach your local Chamber of Commerce about doing classes like “Social Media for Small Businesses.” There are tons of options you could get into.
Sell Services: If you’re amazing with party ideas, why not offer those services to other local moms who are too busy to plan their kids birthday celebrations? Do you post awesome hair and make-up tutorials? Use those as a way to sell your services locally during prom season, or for wedding parties. Again, so many options!
Etsy Shop: Are you a crafty lady? Why not start an Etsy shop to sell those great designs that everyone loves… One of the biggest challenges for Etsy shop owners can be getting traffic to their shop – since you already have an active blog and social media community, you’ll have a great way to drive traffic to your Etsy shop.
Direct Sales: Again, with your expansive networks, and readers who trust your opinions on products to purchase, you have a really great way to sell your favorite products online. If you need some ideas or information on companies to work with, check out my Direct Sales Directory.

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people wont so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” – A student in Warren G. Tracy’s class

Starting a blog, and building your online brand, is a pretty darn amazing accomplishment in itself – so give yourself a high five for the success you’ve reached so far! I know that most of you put in the crazy-long hours that I do, so I hope that some of these monetization tips help you be compensated for that in a way that helps you to support your family, and have more fun too. Ready for the challenge?? Here we go…

Mini Challenge: Make a Monetization Plan! Get all pre-conceived notions out of your head – if you’ve thought affiliate marketing won’t work, now is the time to give it a second look. If you’ve avoided ad networks because you thought you wouldn’t get approved – apply today. If you’re already covering the basics – today is the day to THINK BIG! Leave me a comment below, telling me 3 things that you are doing TODAY, RIGHT NOW, to boost your income potential on your site, and why you’re excited about them!

If you’re doing this mini-challenge as part of the Blogathon Event – make sure that you’re linked up and eligible for prizes. Then enter to win on the Rafflecopter form. And make sure to check out the Blogathon site for more cool stuff going on all weekend, and follow the hashtag on Twitter at #blogathon2. Let’s have some fun! – This Blogathon Event is over, so there is no prize entry for completing this – But I’d still love hearing from you in the comments!

Remember – nothing changes until you do. So if you want to earn more, you’ve got to try some new things! Good Luck, and I can’t wait to hear how it goes! And – Check out more of my Blogging Tips on this site, and on my Blogging and Social Media board on Pinterest!

{Disclaimer: This post contains a ton of links to additional information, and some of those links are affiliate links for networks that I use and trust. Photo Credit: Wilson Afonso.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 22, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources | 59 Comments

Blogging What You Love: Finding Your Niche

“All blogs have one faithful reader at least – Google bot.” – Funny Side of Life ~ Why do you blog? The motivations behind the blogs you read are just as diverse as the bloggers who write them; some blog as a way to build a reputation as an expert in their field, some as a creative outlet, some to earn an income, and most are a combination of many reasons. There is no right or wrong, but it’s important to figure out WHY you blog, so that you can have a purpose, goals, and plans for growth.

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brian Clark {Photo credit}

If you’re a blogger who’s only motivation is to write for fun, and you’re not at all concerned with making money, building an online reputation, or growing your audience, then this post isn’t relevant to you. But if you DO blog as more than a part-time hobby, these tips might be helpful in guiding you towards a more productive plan for blogging successfully. I mean, we all spend waaaaay too many hours blogging, right? So if we’re going to put so much of our time into this – time that could be spent with our kids, our spouses, or drinking margaritas with our girlfriends – then we better make sure that that time is getting us closer to our goals.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself

Whether you’re still in the planning stages, have a new blog, or have been blogging for a long time – it never hurts to take a little time and evaluate yourself. Ask yourself these questions to help determine where you might fit into this big ol’ blogosphere…

Is your primary goal to earn an income? If so, do you plan on earning money directly, or indirectly? Direct income would be using an ad network, or selling ads to sponsors individually. Indirect would be using your blog as a platform to brand yourself as an expert on a topic, to get into public speaking, or sell an ebook or online course.
What are you excited about? You need to choose a topic that’s wide enough that you can keep finding new things to talk about – week after week, year after year. Not sure yet? Ask yourself – what do you spend most of your money on? What do you find yourself always talking to your friends about? What do people come to you for advice about? These answers can help you figure out what you’d do well with – something where your passion for the topic will shine through when you write about it!
Do some online research. Search Google Trends – pick a couple of keywords or phrases from the niche you’re considering writing about and see if they’re growing, or trending downward. Search out other blogs writing on your topics – what are they missing? Can you add a different point of view, layer of expertise, sense of humor, or something else unique….?

Even if you’re already blogging, these steps can really help you focus your writing more effectively. I know that there’s a lot of discussion on whether having a niche matters – and it’s true, there are successful bloggers who don’t really fit into one category. But even those big blogs with a ton of variety usually have an overlying theme – The Pioneer Woman shares favorite recipes, homeschooling tips, remodeling and DIY ideas, photography tips – and so much more. But – they all come from a perspective of a “City Girl” turned “Country Gal”. When you read her recipes, you know you’re getting Cowboy Cooking, not a review of the latest frozen pizza brand.

Why Having a Niche Can Lead to a More Successful Blog

It’s important to build a brand for yourself, so people know what you represent, what they’ll find on your site – or they’ll easily forget all about you. Here are a few more reasons why having a niche – whether very targeted or more broadly focused, can help you.

Credibility: People will begin to see you as an expert on your topic. Think about it – who do you trust more when it comes to beauty products; Walmart, or Sephora? Easy answer, right? That’s because Sephora focuses really well on one category, does it well, and is amazingly knowledgeable about all things pretty. You want to be that go-to voice online in your niche too!
Loyalty: Let’s use the above example again – who do you think has more loyal customers, Walmart or Sephora? A blog that has no real focus, or a super-duper broad theme like “Life as a mom, with reviews and giveaways!” is ok – but if you blog about, “Finding humor in parenting catastrophes!” then people know they can get a laugh each time they visit your site. If you blog about, “Life as a eco-momma – sharing our tips to living a greener lifestyle” – again, people will identify closer with you, and you’ll attract more loyal readers who are looking for those lifestyle tips too.
Brand Ambassadorships: It’s not just readers that will appreciate your focus, brands will too. If you’re a cloth diaper company, you want to have your products featured by a blogger who is known as an expert in cloth diapers, right? If Wilton has a new cake decorating line, they’d most likely want it reviewed on a site that regularly shares beautiful desserts. So – having a more focused niche can lead to some great brand partnerships.
It’s not just about the topic: Maybe you do want to blog about anything, and everything. That can work too sometimes – but what CAN you do to set yourself apart? Can you be known for your stunning photography and design skills like Dear Crissy? I mean, that girl could do a post on Hot Pockets and you just KNOW she’d find a way to make them look like beautiful artwork. Or maybe you can build a reputation due to your inappropriate & super funny take on life like The Bloggess? If SHE wrote about Hot Pockets, she’d find a way to have me laughing out loud like crazy at my desk, spitting out coffee on my computer screen and scaring the dog.

Your niche can be about more than just the topic you write about – it’s about who you are, and what your blog is known for. There are so, so, SO many blogs out there. I never consider other bloggers competition – I think that there is room for everyone. When a new book is released, you don’t consider that competition for every other book in the bookstore, right? But if your goal is to grow your site, earn an income, build partnerships, and increase your traffic – you do need to make sure that you have something that makes your blog different, and able to be noticed in a giant sea of other blogs out there.

What do YOU think?

Do you think having a niche is important? Do you have one? – My blog started out as more of a frugal-type blog. Then I realized that really wasn’t what I wanted to be about… There were a million people out there who knew WAY more about coupons and strategic shopping than I did. So what WAS my blog about? After a lot of thought and research, I realized that what’s important to me is finding “Smart Solutions” – those clever tips, products, and services that make you say, “Whey didn’t I think of that??!!” And I knew that I wanted to write to moms – especially moms like me, who are trying to balance their job earning an income as an entrepreneur with their job of being a mother and homemaker. So, I decided that my site is about Smart Solutions for Busy Moms. That guides everything I do – I review products with a focus on how they can solve challenges in a busy mom’s life. I share awesome apps that can help you save time. And I do my best to offer content that will educate and entertain other busy moms like myself. It has made a dramatic difference in the quality of my blog, the partnerships that I’ve made, and makes me more excited to write each day.

So tell me – what are your thoughts on having a niche?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on May 11, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources | 23 Comments

Weekly Bloggertunities – 4/4

“Opportunity is always knocking. The problem is that most people have the self-doubt station in their head turned up way too loud to hear it.” – Brian Vaszily

In the blogging world, there are SO many amazing opportunities out there to find. The more networks you join, the more people you connect with, the more posts you write… They all lead you on new paths – and many times to some amazing things. So, in everything that you do, every day – be the type of person that others want to work with. There are so many people that I’ve met over the past year that are awesome – always there to help me, answer questions, or just give me a cyber-high-five when I have cool news to share – there are also other people who seem to want to tear down every idea anyone comes up with, and make sure that everyone knows that they – and their ideas – are the best. But, while being pushy and domineering may get you ahead for awhile, in the long-run, being someone who is known as fun, positive, and helpful will bring you far more success and happiness. So my tip this week is to make sure, in every online interaction that you have, that you are the kind of person that others will want to work with again! :)

Freelance Writing and Guest Posting

Finding new places to share your writing can be a great way to reach new readers, drive new traffic to you site – or just a fun outlet to write about other topics that don’t fit your blog’s niche. {And there area a couple sweet writing contests to enter too!}

Bloggy Momazine: BloggyMoms.com is looking for new writers to add to their current line-up. There’s no info included on whether this is a paid writing opp, or if it’s just a great way to guest post and build traffic – But you can apply here if interested: Write for Bloggy Momazine.
Real Simple: The Simply Stated Blogger Contest – Write a post telling them the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to give up to balance your schedule, and be entered to win a chance to blog for them, and a cash prize. Very cool.
ProBlogger: Enter to win 1 of 10 spots as a Queensland Blogger Correspondent. This is an over-the-top amazing opportunity, and one that I would love so much. I’ve wanted to visit Australia since I was a little girl – it totally intrigues me.
Examiner: I love being able to connect with more local readers through this column, and share some of the really cool things that are going on in my city – that might not be that interesting to readers on my blog. If you’re an expert on a fun topic in YOUR city – sign up as a writer for Examiner.com today.
Blogger LinkUp: This is a cool way to find new opportunities for guest posting, and get quality back-links to your site. Really diverse stuff to choose from – Join Blogger LinkUp.
Squidoo: I’ve heard that this gets addicting really quickly – and I’m eager to get started writing here. The pages you make – called “lenses” – look really cool, and are fun to create. And you can earn bonus extra cash and Amazon sales too.

Have you found some great ways to earn extra income from writing, other than your own blog? Do you do free guest posting, in an attempt to connect with new readers? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!

Monetize Your Site

While there are a million reasons why we blog – and so many amazing experiences that are out there, just waiting to be connected with new bloggers – we do still all have bills to pay, right?

Amazon: This isn’t available in some parts of the country, but if you live in a state that is still eligible, I definitely suggest that all bloggers sign up as an Amazon Affiliate, no matter what type of blog you have. If you have a recipe, you can link to some favorite kitchen gadgets or utensils that are helpful, if you’re writing a review you can link to the product on Amazon, etc.
Integrate: I really like the unique tools available here, and the wide variety of higher paying offers. Plus, for me, the conversions are MUCH better than on many other networks. Join Integrate.com today. {Already using Integrate, but not sure how to work it well? Read How to Get Started with Integrate.com.}
Escalate: My favorite thing about this network? That they pay out around the 10th or so of each month, for the previous month. I don’t know anyone else that pays that fast! Very cool. Join Escalate.com.
MySavings Media: If you post a lot of freebies and deals, this is a perfect network for you. And if you DON’T post those types of deals, you’ll still find some great things here to promote – cooking, baby stuff, crafts, and more. Join MySavings Media.
Logical Media: This was one of the first sites that I joined when I started blogging, and still use it today. Wide variety of offers, and very responsive management team. Join Logical Media.

If you have a favorite network that you use to earn with, feel free to leave a comment with some info on why you love it – with your affiliate link, so we can all join too.

Other Cool Stuff

Here are a few more randomly cool things that I thought you might find helpful, fun, or informative.

Mamavation: They’re looking for some super motivated mommas to join their weight loss bootcamp-from-home course. You’ll turn your life upside down, in a good way! – and they’ll get some awesome swag and support. Apply for Mamavation.
Moo.com: These are the BEST business cards I’ve ever used, and with a busy conference season coming up, it’s a perfect time to upgrade your own business cards to something really rad. There are so many unique ideas, the paper quality rocks, and I totally recommend these – Get awesome blogging business cards. {Check out the mini-cards too – so fun!}
Pinterest: I’ve got a whole board devoted to just Blogging & Social Media tips – there are a ton of really great articles, videos, tips, and tutorials on there. Check it out, and maybe you’ll find some of them helpful too!

Got any randomly cool tips or finds of your own this week? Feel free to share them in the comments! I love reading tips from you guys.

Have a great week!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 5 Comments

Stumble Tumble Tuesday

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic.

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, thanks!

To take part is simple

Add a link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble to the linky below. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT your main site. Please do not list giveaways.
Stumble as many other posts as you care to, check to make sure that your stumble went through by clicking on the “Info” icon. If you’d like to, you can leave a comment on their post saying something like, “I’m stopping by from Stumble Tumble Tuesday and just stumbled you – great post! My post is _____(add link)”. That makes it easier for them to return the love! The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar. PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR LINK IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO STUMBLE ANY POSTS.
Remember LINK TO AN ACTUAL POST, NOT YOUR MAIN SITE.
PLEASE DON’T LIST ANY GIVEAWAYS.
PLEASE ONLY ONE LINK PER BLOG.

Feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your blog and help us spread the word – The more people are stumbling, the more traffic we’ll all get, and, hey – the more, the merrier, right?

Have fun with it and let’s discover and stumble some posts!

The first person to “like” a post on StumbleUpon assigns it a category. If your post has not been discovered yet, please leave the category you would like, in your link to help the discoverer assign it correctly. Example: Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (food).

If you have ANY questions on how this works – remember to read the post above, which covers some great basics. If that doesn’t answer it, leave me a comment here or on my Facebook wall – and I’ll get back to your right away. StumbleUpon can be an uh-MAY-zing new way to increase traffic to your site – and this is a fun way to use it!