10 years, 3 months ago-
Posts
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Happy New Year, everyone. As we kick off the new year, one of the things that gets talked about a lot in groups, chats, and in different pet blogging forums is social media and blog growth.
With that in mind, here is a three-parter for this week’s Monday Musings:
1. Do you want to grow your blog?
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
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1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes! I want to grow it so it is better in quality and frequency, and I would also like to grow the audience.
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Time. I know there are a ton of things I could do to grow the blog, through content and overhaul of keywords etc., but I haven’t done these because other things are usually the priority. I am making content the priority though, and hope to get to the other items this year.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
More opportunities (that I’m accepted to!) for group posts/giveaways. It’d also be great to have a group Google calendar for hops and other events (like the Anipal twitter party calendar). I’d be happy to organize this, but I think it would be best on BlogPaws.
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1. Yes, I want to grow my blog.
2. I have a full time job so time is probably my biggest obstacle.
3. Blog Paws could help me grow my blog by helping me learn techniques or services that would help me save time. I am learning tons from this group and looking forward to the conference as I think that is going to be the key.
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1. Do you want to grow your blog? Yes, please!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)? I’ve been at a loss on this topic. Everything that you’re supposed to do, I’m doing but my traffic has hit a wall. I do think having to work a full-time job and not be 100% dedicated to my blogging career hinders some of my creativity.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals? A mentor program would be awesome! Maybe some webinars similar to what they do on ALT Summit. They aren’t free but are worth every dollar because the information is so valuable.
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Kim you would make a great mentor 🙂
Kimberly Gauthier said:
I love the idea of a mentor program. Working full time is definitely a hinderance. It’s not that I can’t do the work, it’s that I don’t have the time to really think outside the box. I’ve had to take days off here and there just to focus on blogging – but those days fly by and I find that I don’t get as much done as I want.
Irresistible Pets said:
1. Do you want to grow your blog? Yes, please!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)? I’ve been at a loss on this topic. Everything that you’re supposed to do, I’m doing but my traffic has hit a wall. I do think having to work a full-time job and not be 100% dedicated to my blogging career hinders some of my creativity.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals? A mentor program would be awesome! Maybe some webinars similar to what they do on ALT Summit. They aren’t free but are worth every dollar because the information is so valuable.
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Love your comment about being a business blogger. It IS a business, but without time and resources, it’s a challenge to look at it and treat it that way, at least for me.
pj
Kimberly Gauthier said:
1. Do you want to grow your blog? Absolutely!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)? Time, I need more dedicated blogging days.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals? I would love more learning opportunities for being a business blogger.
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The idea of a calendar for upcoming bloghops, etc. is awesome, in my opinion. Being able to plan ahead can only help me. 🙂
pj
Jen deHaan | DOGthusiast.com said:
1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes! I want to grow it so it is better in quality and frequency, and I would also like to grow the audience.
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Time. I know there are a ton of things I could do to grow the blog, through content and overhaul of keywords etc., but I haven’t done these because other things are usually the priority. I am making content the priority though, and hope to get to the other items this year.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
More opportunities (that I’m accepted to!) for group posts/giveaways. It’d also be great to have a group Google calendar for hops and other events (like the Anipal twitter party calendar). I’d be happy to organize this, but I think it would be best on BlogPaws.
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1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes, of course!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
TIME! Sometimes after being at work all day I don’t even want to look at my computer when I get home. I need to schedule my time better as well.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
I would also like more learning opportunities for being a business blogger as Kim stated. I don’t know much about that. I just started off blogging for fun because I was so excited to have Simba and I like to write and wanted to improve some skills.
Tips! Like time management. I’m always learning from BlogPaws and it’s members already though 😉
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What a great idea! Google Hangouts is free, but (business acct, which we could use) limits video/audio participants to 15. It handles recording and text participants and who is listening to the broadcast is unlimited. Not sure if that would handle it – could do something like have a couple hosts, and then people turn on their video/audio to ask a question then drop off and listen afterwards (to work within the limit of 15 at once).
Kimberly Gauthier said:
Another thing that might be helpful (but challenging considering our size) is a monthly conference call that’s recorded and saved for a short period of time for people who weren’t able to get on the call. I use a free service for my podcast interviews that works well.
Each month, we can have different topics – it doesn’t always have to be about the business of blogging and it doesn’t always have to be the same person hosting.
People can submit questions the week prior to the call to give the host time to organize the conversation and tailor it for the folks listening.
I know we have the Twitter chats, but it’s so hard to keep up, because of the speed. One person talking and people sending in their questions beforehand (and emailing / tweeting them during) may be a great option to add to our community.
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Yay!!! I just got into Hangouts a few months ago. There’s a weekly #LearntoBlog hangout on Tuesdays and is really helpful.
Carol Bryant said:
We will be having more Google Hangouts, so stay tuned for those. We will always have the Twitter chats, which are every Tuesday except the third Tuesday of the month, from 8 to 10 pm est.
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Excellent – thx for that heads up!
Irresistible Pets said:
Yay!!! I just got into Hangouts a few months ago. There’s a weekly #LearntoBlog hangout on Tuesdays and is really helpful.
Carol Bryant said:
We will be having more Google Hangouts, so stay tuned for those. We will always have the Twitter chats, which are every Tuesday except the third Tuesday of the month, from 8 to 10 pm est.
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1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes, please!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Honestly I am holding myself back. I have made some very big changes in the background in the last week that will hopefully have huge rewards. That is the hope anyway. I have also stepped things up on Pinterest and Twitter (ok twitter was something that started last year.
I am also scared of Facebook at this point. For a while if i posted anything I was losing up to 1,000 fans at a time. That made it so that I just don’t want to post there even though I know I should because it used to drive traffic to my blog.3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
I need an accountability partner to help keep me on track. When I know that I need to have something to report about I am much better about making sure it gets done.
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What does it means when you say “or a while if i posted anything I was losing up to 1,000 fans at a time.”
Felissa Elfenbein said:
1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes, please!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Honestly I am holding myself back. I have made some very big changes in the background in the last week that will hopefully have huge rewards. That is the hope anyway. I have also stepped things up on Pinterest and Twitter (ok twitter was something that started last year.
I am also scared of Facebook at this point. For a while if i posted anything I was losing up to 1,000 fans at a time. That made it so that I just don’t want to post there even though I know I should because it used to drive traffic to my blog.3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
I need an accountability partner to help keep me on track. When I know that I need to have something to report about I am much better about making sure it gets done.
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Your post made me think about the importance of having a “tribe.” I’ve been wanting to find a tribe for awhile now to help keep me accountable and to encourage others to meet goals.
Felissa Elfenbein said:
1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes, please!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Honestly I am holding myself back. I have made some very big changes in the background in the last week that will hopefully have huge rewards. That is the hope anyway. I have also stepped things up on Pinterest and Twitter (ok twitter was something that started last year.
I am also scared of Facebook at this point. For a while if i posted anything I was losing up to 1,000 fans at a time. That made it so that I just don’t want to post there even though I know I should because it used to drive traffic to my blog.3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
I need an accountability partner to help keep me on track. When I know that I need to have something to report about I am much better about making sure it gets done.
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Before I started working for BlogPaws and was working full time I either stayed until 7pm to get posts up or rush home and get posts up. I was posting different content back then but I was getting 3 or more posts a day up that way. I preferred to go home to work so that I could at least have the dogs hanging out next to me on the couch while I typed but it also meant that I had less time to post between driving home and running them out for a potty break.
It also helped that I knew that there was an absolute deadline of 6:50pm that my posts had to be up and ready to go out in my daily email at 7pm. I am not suggesting that you shoudl do the same and try and get up 3 posts a day. (I literally slept all weekend after working 40+ hours a week and Blogging like that) But if you come home from work and know you need to get a blog post ready before you make dinner or do other things it will become habit and help you to become more consistent with posting
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Great questions and great responses. I’d like to suggest something each and every person who would like to make money blogging consider, sooner than later: a real, honest to goodness, business plan. As the old saying goes, plan your work and work your plan.
Inc.com is a good resource for business plan advice and templates. But, don’t rely on a magazine or online resource, only. Join your local chamber of commerce and put in the effort to attend meetings.
Also, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. You must be prepared for the big picture, the long haul… no one is really an overnight success. There are long hours, delays, disappointments, and even some failures, along the way.
Finally, find a mentor. Someone who will listen and offer solid advice or feedback, or just a shoulder when you need it. We have been discussing the idea of mentorship here at BlogPaws so…IF you could work with ONE person you’ve met at BlogPaws, someone you admire and who embodies the work ethic and success level you wish to achieve, who would that be?
Yvonne
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Happy New Year!
1) Do I want to grow my blog? I am definitely looking to grow my blog with improved look and content that I hope will lead to increased traffic and followers. I look forward to being able to participate in some of the blogging opportunities BlogPaws has for product and book reviews.
2) What is holding me back? Uncertainty and an unclear plan of how to reach my goals.
3) How can BlogPaws help me reach my blogging goals? Continue to provide learning and blogging opportunities. I have found a lot of helpful information on the BlogPaws site and discussion groups. I need to dedicate more time to reading, learning, and participating in chats. (Seems that time may also be holding me back!)
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Kimberly, we will cover this in the conference but Mary Anne Shew is a great person to have on your side, if you want business insight and advice. She spoke at the last conference and got great reviews. Her company is Business Vitality… http://www.linkedin.com/company/449551?trk=prof-0-ovw-curr_pos
Here’s another resource for building a successful business from the vision you have for it: http://smallbusinessbigvision.com/
I’m flattered you would choose me. Thank you!
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I’m part of the BlogPaws executive team, but I’m also a pet blogger with some of the same questions a lot of people have in the community, so I’ll answer, too! And as usual, no double, i’ll be the most verbose… ; )
1. I want revive my old blog and grow a new blog from scratch.
2. What’s holding me back is TIME – and deciding what content should go on Cokie the Cat: Hollywood insider (now that Cokie’s not around to write about or to tell me what to write) and what should go on my (hopefully) soon to launch Pet Friendly Hollywood blog, and wanting to do everything right the first time, as I start my new blog.
3. I know or knew a lot through trial and error from Cokie’s blog, and have learned through the years here at BlogPaws, but since things change every freaking day…
I could use a step-by-step how to start a blog from scratch guide, saving me from being overwhelmed into permanent procrastination by the hundreds of systems, strategies, tips, tricks, apps, plugins, hosting plans, how to find good web designers/illustration for logos, headers and banners, WordPress help (esp. with photos – Arrrgh!!)
Alexis? Are we still using Google community follows/Networked blogs? Askimet? Disqus? No captchas! SEO, Is BlogLovin’ the best RSS?, keyword research… and on and on.
And where to spend all that extra time for promoting my blogs and getting traffic and engagement – Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Stumbleupon, Tumblr, Squidoo, Linkedin, G+?
I’ll never have time to research ALL this stuff – or keep up to date on it (where did the AdSense free Keywords tool go?) and if I don’t, I’m guessing a lot of our community members won’t either..
Maybe BlogPaw could have a Forum for Blogging from Scratch, taking each step one at a time with expert opinions, with comments enabled for suggestions and questions? A single place to look for hand’s on blog building expertise, without searching all through the community of the main site, when we may not even know what we should be asking about!
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I have an accountability partner and we touch base on a weekly basis and have seen my business really jell (gell?) I mentor another blogger and she is working on a business plan; you can’t work in a vacuum.
Yvonne DiVita said:Great questions and great responses. I’d like to suggest something each and every person who would like to make money blogging consider, sooner than later: a real, honest to goodness, business plan. As the old saying goes, plan your work and work your plan.
Inc.com is a good resource for business plan advice and templates. But, don’t rely on a magazine or online resource, only. Join your local chamber of commerce and put in the effort to attend meetings.
Also, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. You must be prepared for the big picture, the long haul… no one is really an overnight success. There are long hours, delays, disappointments, and even some failures, along the way.
Finally, find a mentor. Someone who will listen and offer solid advice or feedback, or just a shoulder when you need it. We have been discussing the idea of mentorship here at BlogPaws so…IF you could work with ONE person you’ve met at BlogPaws, someone you admire and who embodies the work ethic and success level you wish to achieve, who would that be?
Yvonne
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1. Do you want to grow your blog?
Yes, absolutely!
2. If yes, what is holding you back from doing so (if anything)?
Time and know-how.
3. What can we here at BlogPaws do to help you reach your blogging growth goals?
BlogPaws is already doing tons! I’ve learned so much already from BlogPaws and need to keep going!
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