This story is brought to you by Chili who is hosting this blogging carnival. It's like a meme but you can look at dozens of other blogger's responses & they can look at yours. I found out about it while reading Rocks In My Dryer last week & was reminded of it while reading I'm an Organizing Junkie this morning. So if you're not inspired to blog this morning or just want to participate join in on the carnival!
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Q} How did you start blogging?
A} I'm sure that some of you have heard this before but for those who haven't I'll tell it again. My best friend Chriss sent me an e-mail telling her about the blog she started. Her friend Sherry turned her onto it so through those gals I got the idea to start one as well. They had both used blogger so I started one on it as well. Mostly because I didn't know a thing about this whole blogging business & figured that if it worked for them it could work for me also. I wanted to have an easy way to keep in touch with family & friends once we moved. A lot of people were interested in hearing about what we would be up to so rather than sending out mass e-mails I went with the blog idea. People who were interested in what we were doing could easily check in & read as far back as they wanted.
Q} Did you intend to be a blog w/ a big following? If so, how did you go about it?
A} No intentions of having any kind of following whatsoever and I guess it shows since I don't really have a 'following'. I had no idea just how huge this idea of blogging was. Yes, I know it's been fairly popular for a few years now. No, I haven't been living under a rock. Though you could compare my personal technological advances to that. I've only had a cell phone for about 2.5 years & a digital camera for less than 1 year. I don't have an ipod or any kind of mp3 player, I don't have a blackberry or any kind of palm pilot. I'm not so tech savvy.
Q} What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
A} Well, my whole idea behind this was to keep family & friends informed of what we were up to after moving out of state. And that is being accomplished. Not everyone comments so I don't always know who comes by but they know it's here & I talk about what we're up to so my job is done. My friends who blog are much more likely to comment than those who don't. Over the months I've expanded my topics beyond 'what we did this week' type of thing. I'd like to think that other stay at home moms can relate to the thoughts & struggles that I sometimes share on here. In no way do I disclose my whole life on this but I do use it as a place to work out my thoughts, most of them anyhow.
Q} Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
A} Well, I think that I have more focus then I did before. As I said above I've gone a little beyond just writing about our activities. I've used this as a place to sort myself out. I've also changed some things like joining blogrings which can bring more visitors & introduce me to more blogs. Starting SMART Habit Saturday is fairly new & doing good for myself & my blog. I've participated in one Works for Me Wednesday so far & look forward to doing more. I'm definitely more into the blog world now then when I first started. I have 'friends' on here, which is nice since I don't have any real life friends who live close by - not yet but I'm working on it.
Q} What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
A} Hmm....well, I still feel like I am in the starting point. I guess I wish I would have known more about the basics of blogging. I went into this thing blindly & feeling my way around. I think I still have quite a bit to learn & things that I want to improve on.
Q} Do you make money with your blog?
A} No. But for as much time as I spend on here I really should. I have some google AdSense things on my blog but nothing beyond that. Some day I'd like to find more info out about how to make money on this thing. I'm sure hubby would appreciate that as well.
Q} Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?
A} Everyone in my yahoo address book knows about my blog. As well as anyone who has looked at my profile on meetup dot com. My whole point of this from the beginning was to keep family informed so telling them was an important part of this. Some do read it, some more than others. Not many comment even though they tell me that they've read. Most aren't regular readers due to lack of time & the fact that I post so often. One day I may start a blog that is totally anonymous but for now I'll focus my time on this one.
Q} What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?
A1} Do your research. Find out as much information about blogging as you can before you start or while early in the stages of it. And some of that research should include browsing around other blogs so you can get some ideas of what may work for you & what won't. Start with some kind of focus/purpose for the blog & remember you can change/grow/adjust later.
A2} If you want traffic on your blog then comment on other's & join blogrolls/blogrings & get involved with weekly carnival type posts like SHS, WFMW or Thursday 13 and many others. However, don't get involved with those things just for the traffic, choose ones that actually interest you or it won't benefit anyone.
A3} I know the question asked for two pieces of advice but I have one more. Have fun & be yourself! I guess that sorta ties into what I was talking about in the last piece of advice but really I think it's important to just be you. No matter who may be looking at your blog and if they know it's you.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q} How did you start blogging?
A} I'm sure that some of you have heard this before but for those who haven't I'll tell it again. My best friend Chriss sent me an e-mail telling her about the blog she started. Her friend Sherry turned her onto it so through those gals I got the idea to start one as well. They had both used blogger so I started one on it as well. Mostly because I didn't know a thing about this whole blogging business & figured that if it worked for them it could work for me also. I wanted to have an easy way to keep in touch with family & friends once we moved. A lot of people were interested in hearing about what we would be up to so rather than sending out mass e-mails I went with the blog idea. People who were interested in what we were doing could easily check in & read as far back as they wanted.
Q} Did you intend to be a blog w/ a big following? If so, how did you go about it?
A} No intentions of having any kind of following whatsoever and I guess it shows since I don't really have a 'following'. I had no idea just how huge this idea of blogging was. Yes, I know it's been fairly popular for a few years now. No, I haven't been living under a rock. Though you could compare my personal technological advances to that. I've only had a cell phone for about 2.5 years & a digital camera for less than 1 year. I don't have an ipod or any kind of mp3 player, I don't have a blackberry or any kind of palm pilot. I'm not so tech savvy.
Q} What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
A} Well, my whole idea behind this was to keep family & friends informed of what we were up to after moving out of state. And that is being accomplished. Not everyone comments so I don't always know who comes by but they know it's here & I talk about what we're up to so my job is done. My friends who blog are much more likely to comment than those who don't. Over the months I've expanded my topics beyond 'what we did this week' type of thing. I'd like to think that other stay at home moms can relate to the thoughts & struggles that I sometimes share on here. In no way do I disclose my whole life on this but I do use it as a place to work out my thoughts, most of them anyhow.
Q} Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
A} Well, I think that I have more focus then I did before. As I said above I've gone a little beyond just writing about our activities. I've used this as a place to sort myself out. I've also changed some things like joining blogrings which can bring more visitors & introduce me to more blogs. Starting SMART Habit Saturday is fairly new & doing good for myself & my blog. I've participated in one Works for Me Wednesday so far & look forward to doing more. I'm definitely more into the blog world now then when I first started. I have 'friends' on here, which is nice since I don't have any real life friends who live close by - not yet but I'm working on it.
Q} What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
A} Hmm....well, I still feel like I am in the starting point. I guess I wish I would have known more about the basics of blogging. I went into this thing blindly & feeling my way around. I think I still have quite a bit to learn & things that I want to improve on.
Q} Do you make money with your blog?
A} No. But for as much time as I spend on here I really should. I have some google AdSense things on my blog but nothing beyond that. Some day I'd like to find more info out about how to make money on this thing. I'm sure hubby would appreciate that as well.
Q} Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?
A} Everyone in my yahoo address book knows about my blog. As well as anyone who has looked at my profile on meetup dot com. My whole point of this from the beginning was to keep family informed so telling them was an important part of this. Some do read it, some more than others. Not many comment even though they tell me that they've read. Most aren't regular readers due to lack of time & the fact that I post so often. One day I may start a blog that is totally anonymous but for now I'll focus my time on this one.
Q} What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?
A1} Do your research. Find out as much information about blogging as you can before you start or while early in the stages of it. And some of that research should include browsing around other blogs so you can get some ideas of what may work for you & what won't. Start with some kind of focus/purpose for the blog & remember you can change/grow/adjust later.
A2} If you want traffic on your blog then comment on other's & join blogrolls/blogrings & get involved with weekly carnival type posts like SHS, WFMW or Thursday 13 and many others. However, don't get involved with those things just for the traffic, choose ones that actually interest you or it won't benefit anyone.
A3} I know the question asked for two pieces of advice but I have one more. Have fun & be yourself! I guess that sorta ties into what I was talking about in the last piece of advice but really I think it's important to just be you. No matter who may be looking at your blog and if they know it's you.
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Well that was fun. Now I'm gonna go over to Chili's blog & sign Mr. Linky. I'll take a look at other posts too & see what kind of advice/tips I can get from other bloggers. Let me know if you join in on the fun!
And this will not be my last post before leaving. I'll post again tonight or tomorrow sometime, maybe both even. Just depends on how much I get done, still have a lot to take care of before going to the airport tomorrow. Thanks for the visit.
Well that was fun. Now I'm gonna go over to Chili's blog & sign Mr. Linky. I'll take a look at other posts too & see what kind of advice/tips I can get from other bloggers. Let me know if you join in on the fun!
And this will not be my last post before leaving. I'll post again tonight or tomorrow sometime, maybe both even. Just depends on how much I get done, still have a lot to take care of before going to the airport tomorrow. Thanks for the visit.
2 comments:
Ah-HA! Another MEME - sorta! w00t! I am so glad you started the blog. I love reading your stories, seeing your pics and feeling connected though you are so DAMN far away ;-) I use your blog whenever I need a good laugh, inspiration, or any POSSIBLE link to another blog as you have THEM ALL! ;-) That, and you are usually my only commenter - DARN YOU LURKERS! j/k :-D love ya!
This was great to read! I always love to read other peoples' "blog stories." It's almost like a "how we met" story for couples, but between a person and a computer! Haha!
Thanks for sharing!
Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls
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