I’ve been blogging for years on Fat Mum Slim and regularly read and devour hundreds of blogs, but there are five things I learned on this conference that are worth sharing with bloggers who want to go the extra mile:
1. Get yourself a Facebook page
If you don’t already have a Facebook page, you need to go and get your blog one. Matt Jacobsen, the eighth ever employee at Facebook and the head of Market Development, shared that 92% of American mums are on Facebook using it to check up on family and friends, as well as discovering blogs and brands. In the 1990’s we used the internet to browse online, in the 2000’s we used it to search and in the 2010’s we’re using the internet to discover new things. By creating a Facebook page you’re allowing people to discover your blog in their travels online. Learn how to start a Facebook page with this easy guide.
2. Be mindful when promoting your blog
Do you send the same feed out to Twitter and Facebook encouraging people to read your posts? Chris Brogan, American uber-blogger, thinks that if this is how you promote your blog posts, you’re wasting a great opportunity. By sharing your post, using the exact same words, on both Twitter and Facebook you’re selling yourself short, and risking losing followers (if they see it on Facebook, then they don’t need to follow you on Twitter) so be mindful how and what you share. I suggest sharing links to all your posts on Twitter, and be selective of what you promote on Facebook. Save your best, most engaging posts for promotion on your Facebook page.
3. Embrace the opportunities
Unfortunately blogging in Australia isn’t going to get you rich anytime soon, well not quickly anyway. It’s important that you write what you enjoy, and enjoy what you write, but in order for you and your blog to grow you’ll need to be prepared to get a little bit uncomfortable. Rene Syler, popular American blogger of Good Enough Mother, shared, “You will not grow when you are comfortable and you will not be comfortable when you are growing”. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, take opportunities and follow your passion. You never know where it might take you.
4. Good enough is good enough
You could spend hours crafting the perfect post, but in all honesty “good enough is good enough” says Chris Brogan. Blogging isn’t a test, and you’re not being graded on your blog post. Chris shared that some of the posts that he sent out to the blogosphere, after her spent almost hours writing them certain that they’d be hits, were actually not as popular as he’d predicted. One of his most popular posts took only minutes to write and was on the topic of toast. So remember, good enough is good enough. Send it out to the world wide web, and let it go.
5. Video makes the blogger star
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and you and your blog need to have a presence there, Chris Brogan insists. Making a video, or a vlog, takes a little bit of bravery and a lot of guts, so you’ll just need to jump in and take the leap. Keep your videos short and to the point, if possible. Making your video under three minutes is key otherwise you’ll lose your audience’s interest. You don’t need any fancy equipment to get started, you can use your webcam on your computer, your smartphone or even your own handycam from home.
Happy blogging!
thanks so much for sharing! i am very new to the blog world and love ANY advice i can find! i think i'll have to try out the video..
sarah
Five lovely clear and helpful things – thanks for sharing them đŸ™‚ I think it's true we now discover new brands online. I've found some great products thru blogging. It really work!
All so true. But I'm not ready to vlog at all yet. I think I'm better with words than talking if that makes any sense!
Great idea about the facebook page but vlogging – nope not for me – I shudder at the thought lol
Thanks for sharing, there's some great advice there!
I've been thinking about doing a vlog but haven't got the guts to do it yet!!! This is going to push me over the line though. Thanks for sharing! xx
Thank you so much for sharing! I am on Facebook already but I don't get Twitter? Is is really necessary if you have an active Facebook page?
And just about to upload our first video, so that is great news!!
Thanks for the tips… đŸ™‚
I've been a news writer once and would love to apply it on my blog.
JOROSS
http://iamjoross.blogspot.com
Great tips! thanks again for sharing! x
How interesting Chantelle. Thank you for sharing your findings. It's all very daunting… exciting… but daunting. I don't think I'm cut out for promoting my blog, It really isn't interesting enough :o)
These are really great tips, thank you so much for sharing! Sounds like it was a great conference đŸ™‚
Thanks for some good, clear tips. Still havn't mustered up the courage for video blogging yet…recently put home videos on to DVD and really dont like the sound of my voice!
I started my blog to step out of my comfort zone and to use it as a journal. I love the tips and tricks you learned ….. and shared! =]
some great tips Chantelle, thankyou. That conference would have been fascinating, Im jealous!
You have given me food for thought. As a new blogger I am not confident in what I am doing to I semi hide behind semi anonymity but it may be time to jump out of that closet!
And now for the gushy bit – I do love your blog posts!
This is really useful Chantelle, thanks for sharing. I used to be a TV producer so in theory vlogging should be easy… but it takes time and effort! I have done a couple of videos of playgrounds and one of myself talking about drums+teenagers, which was amazingly easy in fact.
Maybe next week when I post a new playground video I will compare filming on an iPhone with lots of kids around to filming when I was at the BBC – TOTALLY different!
Thanks for the great tips! Just getting started in the blogging world and looking forward to having a long career here!
I can’t believe we didn’t meet at WDW!! I would never have said I couldn’t understand you! I would have relished your accent and walked on the wrong side with you!! David would have talked your head off about Bondi! xoxo
Thank you! This is my first time on your blog and you’re totally inspiring me to get back onto my blog.
How did I get here? A friend shared your photo-a-day challenge and I’m in! Can’t wait to get started & follow the rabbit hole into your blog đŸ™‚
With smiles & unicorns,
Abby