Blogging Tips From Pro Blogger – MomDot #BloggerInterviews

June 9, 2015 by









I’m here today with one
of blogging’s elite, Trisha Haas, from the blog MomDot, the MomDot Forum and Community. MomDot has been featured in Country Living,
Cosmopolitan, and Today’s Parent. I have personally seen Trisha on CNN as well.
She’s also been featured in the New York Times and Washington Post. Let’s begin
the interview…………….


1.    I would like readers to get to know you, so please tell them a little about
yourself and your blog, Mom Dot.

MomDot actually started back in
2008 as an extension of a boutique I owned. As I really got into blogging I
started interviewing other bloggers and really formed a personal bond with so
many other women. MomDot is two main parts- its my blog but it also hosts a
forum and an active Facebook group where I have a community- the community is
the heart of what we are.
2.   You’re
married with 2 adorable children. In addition you blog, manage your forum, and
speak at blogging conferences. What time management and organizational tools do
you use to accomplish your blogging goals?

Oh wow. I do not want to pretend I
am organized. I am not. A few years ago I partnered with Lynsey Jones from
PartyPlanDivas. She had a fantastic planner for Direct Sales consultants and we
worked together to do a very comprehensive Blogging Planner. I use a copy of
the desk blogging planner to stay organized and truthfully a lot of
backtracking. I barely have my gmail folders set up. The struggle is real.
3.    It’s
important that bloggers understand Branding. What advice can you give them on
creating and establishing their Brand?  


I am a non-niche gal. I wasn’t raised on a blogging
niche and that is something that primarily came later in the big wild world of
blogging. Bloggers now that start out can come out full force with a logo, a
matching social page and more- its all matchy and perfect. There is a lot of
truth to being recognized but at the end of the day, if you have great content
and a good logo, you can go pretty far. Don’t get so caught up in Branding or
the Brand that you forget what really matters- the content.

4.     One of the first things that I look at is a
blogger’s About Me Page. What advice can you give bloggers on creating a Page
that will stand out?

I use images actually on my About
Me page. I love using Canva.com which is a free service to make it look
beautiful. My best advice is to keep it updated. I once spent a year not
looking at mine and then realized my kids were totally different ages then my
page said. That is not a great idea when looking for sponsors. I also recommend
putting a call to action for your About Me page in your sidebar if you have
room. People love to see your pretty face- it seems more personal. I recently
had a nice one at the bottom of my posts but then realized that not everyone
reads that far down, so I am in the process of altering my pages to put it back
on the sidebar.

5.     What tips can you give readers on how to
market their blog?  

My number one tip is to join a
community of like minded bloggers. There are hoards of them out there and if you
find a good one you will deal with not support, sharing, trips, referrals- I
can only say I have gotten as far as I have because of those I surround myself
with.

6.  Engaging
followers on social media is important as well. How can bloggers create or join
a tribe? 

Blogging has changed so much the
past few years. It used to be that we hosted a contest and we got 20K entries-
in the comments. Now most conversation is on social media so its not something
you can ignore. That being said, do not get caught up in being EVERYWHERE at
once. Its stressful and trying to engage that much is exhausting. Figure out
where your audience is and be the best at THAT. If all else fails, hire a VA.
7.  I would like to focus on your Mom Dot Forum.
Can you tell readers how your forum could benefit new bloggers or not so new
bloggers who wish to grow their readers and social media platforms?  How can readers join the Mom Dot Community?

We have, and this is not a brag (ok a little
brag), one of the finest and most established blogging communities online. I do
not push numbers or recruit members. We simply add people via word of mouth and
solely work on maintaining those relationships. Being a part of a group with
50,000 people make you 1 of 50,000 but being part of something where everyone
knows YOU- that’s where the magic happens. MomDot is just that place. We focus
on monetization, community effort for PR, assist in getting bloggers work and
PR agents connected to bloggers, advertising and support of branded posts and
simply act as a sounding board for bloggers to meet up daily. While the forum
conversation has given away to our Facebook group over the years, our PR portion
is still thriving and our conversation has just altered to social media. If you
would like to join our impressive group of professional bloggers (new and
established is fine, we just ask everyone to be kind), you can do so by messaging
me personally at Trisha@momdot.com for an invite into our private space. 





When Trisha isn’t blogging on MomDot or overseeing her forum and community, she spends her time on the Gulf Coast of Alabama with her husband of 13 years and their 2 children. 




Filed Under: blog interviews, blogging, blogging resources, blogging tips, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Blogging Tips from Pro Blogger – Mom Maven #BloggerInterviews

May 27, 2015 by

We’re continuing our interviews with pro bloggers who are sharing blogging tips that help take their blogs to a professional level. Today we’re interviewing the lovely and talented Cindy Schultz from The Mom Maven. 
Let’s begin the interview…………….


1.    I
would like readers to get to know you, so please tell them a little about
yourself and your blog, The Mom Maven. 


I’m a happily married mom of 2 grown men
Aaron is 22 and he married Summer last November. Jordan is 19 and he is a full
time missionary to the youth of America with a ministry based out of Tulsa, OK
called The 99. I started blogging in the summer 2008 on a homeschool blogger
site. I was sharing our journey of homeschooling through high school through. I
quickly moved to Blogger and then to WordPress as my blog’s popularity began to
grow. Now that my children are grown I focus on easy recipes, parenting tips,
entertainment, travel and product reviews and giveaways. I try to speak as the
big sister who has been there and survived that as I share my thoughts with my
readers.

2.    I
really love your time management posts. You have suggested that bloggers use an
editorial calendar to plan. I have adopted the idea.  Can you explain the benefits of using a calendar
to manage and organize blogging tasks?  


Thanks,
Rhonda, I’m glad you found that helpful. By using an editorial calendar it is
easier to plan what you are going to write about when. It is much easier to sit
down and write when you know what you are writing about. Having a schedule of
what type of post I’m going to write each day is also helpful. For me, Monday
is travel, Wednesday is my giveaway linky and Friday is always a recipe. That
leaves Tuesday and Thursday for sponsored posts, or posts on other topics that
I don’t write about weekly. I have my calendar written out at least 2-4 weeks
in advance. I always leave some wiggle room so that when a time sensitive post
crops up I can fit it in. Since I have been using my editorial calendar it has
made blogging much less stressful and time consuming for me.
3.    You
used the term “Tribe” in one of your posts regarding social media and sharing
content. Can you explain to readers what a Tribe is and how they benefit from
joining or starting one? 


Currently, I am not in a tribe but if you can find 4-5
other bloggers who you can work well with and grow with, a tribe is a great way
to grow your blog. Most tribes meet regularly via Skype or Google hangout. They
set goals and work together to reach those goals by promoting each other’s
content and teaching each other new skills..     

4.    You
have certain times of the day that you are on social media and you also set a time
limit for each of those sites.  Can you
tell readers about your routine? 


Every month I re-evaluate my schedule and
tweak it as I deem necessary. Currently I spend the first hour of my morning
doing my social shares throughout the different groups I am in. Then I spend
about 90 minutes on the blog post I need to write. Next up is 15 minutes each
on Twitter, Facebook, G+ and Instagram liking and sharing content I find
interesting and responding to those who have commented on my posts. Next it is
time for lunch and housework I give myself 60 minutes. I find taking a mid-day
break away from the computer helps me be more productive in the afternoon than
when I eat at my desk and work through. Back to the computer for another 90 minute
blogging session then back to catch up on my social shares and maybe spend time
hanging out on social media. By 4pm I am usually off the computer for the
night, except for a quick after dinner check-in to see if there are more shares
I need to get done.

5.    You
reached a milestone on Twitter last year. You reached 10,000 followers. What
tips can you give bloggers on how they can grow their social media sites? Consistency
and conversation are key.


 Social media is meant to be social. If all you are
doing is dumping links and running, don’t bother. Be on the sites a few times a
day for a few minutes and leave comments and share interesting content from
other people more than you share your own. Use a time so you don’t get sucked
in.
6.     What tips do you have for bloggers on the
importance of keeping their blog organized and clutter free? 


Every quarter I do
a blog overhaul. I check my sidebars etc for things that have gotten cluttered.
We all have different styles but I feel a clean blog with not too much going on
in the sidebar is more welcoming. Also, please make sure you use an
easy-to-read font-nothing too small or frilly. White or light backgrounds are
best. You want readers to stay on your site so make it easy for them to read
and to navigate.

7.     I see you are a co-host of a link party, and a
participant in others.  Can you tell
readers why they should participate in blog linkups?


Linky parties are a great way to get your
content discovered by new readers. It does take time to link up to a bunch of
parties so I suggest trying a few and seeing if they bring traffic your way.
Make sure you follow the rules for the linky, they are all different. If a
linky is bringing you even a small amount of consistent traffic, post there
weekly it is worth the time and effort.

Rhonda, thank you so much for inviting me to join
you today!




When Cindy isn’t blogging on Mom Maven. She spends time with her husband, children and does volunteer work. 





Filed Under: blogging, blogging resources, blogging tips, Uncategorized

Learn Blogging Tips and Tricks From Pro Bloggers

April 19, 2015 by
blogging tips, tips from pro bloggers, blogging tricks

Are you interested in growing your blog and social media followers?  Are you interested in taking your blog from a hobby to a Brand? Do you want to learn how to create great blog content? If the answer is yes, you won’t want to miss my upcoming interview series with 4 pro bloggers.   

I will be asking the pros to share tips and tricks on how to increase your social media followings, how to take your blog from a hobby to a professional website, and everything in between. These professional bloggers will be getting down in the weeds and sharing useful information that you can immediately apply to your blogging endeavors. Be sure to mark your calendar for May 4, the first interview will be live and filled with helpful information on how you can grow your blog too.  

Filed Under: blog information, blog tips and tricks, blogging, blogging resources, Uncategorized

How to Choose Blog Colors

January 15, 2015 by

Thinking about a blog make-over? You may want to spend time thinking about the image that you would like your blog to project to readers. Your blog colors, design and navigation tell readers a lot about you and your blog.     


I had a make-over done several months ago, and I love the finished product. I actually took a risk with my colors. Brown, orange and black aren’t popular colors in the blogging world, most bloggers don’t use them. Popular colors are blue, pink or green. The fact that I decided to use these colors also tells you something about me, I’m not afraid to take a risk.  I wanted readers to get a warm, friendly and approachable feeling when they landed on Mother 2 Mother, and I wanted to use colors that were unique in the blogging world.  


My original blog colors were purple and white. To be honest, I never thought about what the colors represented or how my blog would be seen by my readers. Purple is my daughter’s and sister’s favorite color, so I went with it. I had the color combination on my blog for years, but I eventually lost the loving feeling for it. I knew that it was time for a chance. As bloggers, it’s important that we keep our blogs fresh, updated and easy to navigate. 


I didn’t realize the importance of colors on a blog until I did the make-over. Oh, how I have grown since I started this blog. Take a look at the color chart. There’s yellow, blue, black, orange, purple, green, pink, red and brown. Ask yourself if the colors you are considering or have on your blog represent the image that you want to project to readers. It took several attempts to come up with a combination that felt warm and inviting to me. Initially, it had too much black in the design. It felt drab, cold, and uninviting.  It didn’t feel right for a blog that focused on children and parenting, self-sufficiency, and motivating others. So I had to go back to the drawing board. We brought more yellow into the design, and I felt happy. I knew I had hit the right combination.   


If you’re considering a blog make-over in the future, be sure to take your color presentation into consideration. There’s a great possibly that your readers will. What colors did you use on your blog and why? 

Filed Under: blog colors, blog designs, blog presentation, blog readers, blogging, Uncategorized

I’m Starting A New Blog

May 11, 2011 by

I’ve started a new blog.  One of passions is gardening so I decided to start a blog about my gardening journey.  I would love for any moms who follow Mother 2 Mother and have the same passion to join me.  The new blog is A Diva’s Garden.  You can find it at http://adivasgarden.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Filed Under: blogging, hobbies, Uncategorized Tagged With: