Interview with Mom 2.0 Summit Attendee, April Atwater
I read lots of great ideas last week as I implemented my three four tips for learning from blog conferences.
Some of those ideas came from an interview I had the privilege of doing with April Atwater.
April recently attended her first blog conference, Mom 2.0 Summit and shared the following things she had learned:
What tips do you have for first time blog conference attenders?
It is best to stay in the hotel where the conference takes place or one that is very close. There is a lot of in between conference networking that takes place so it is good to be where everyone else is staying. Read more
Interview with Mom 2.0 Summit Attendee, Misty Khan
I recently recommended 3 ways you can learn from a blog conference without leaving home. Well, I’d like to add a fourth way to that list.
Interview people who attended the conference.
Misty Khan attended Friday’s sessions of Mom 2.0 Summit and has graciously agreed to be interviewed for Profitable Mommy Blogging.
Read the interview: Read more
Consistent Branding: A 5 Point Check List
Keeping your brand in mind as you build your on-line reputation you will make it easier for readers, promoters and advertisers to find you. Instant recognition is to your benefit!.
Here are 5 ways to maintain a consistent blog and social media brand.
1. Use the same avatar on your blog, email signature, Twitter profile, and other social media sites.
2. Use an avatar that matches a design element on your blog or is a fairly recent picture of yourself.
3. Leave comments with your first name and blog name.
4. Match your Twitter username to your blog title.
5. Keep major design elements the same when you update the look of your blog.
For more ideas on consistent blog branding watch this video by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.
Links to Free Twitter Skins
Are you tired of the standard Twitter backgrounds but can’t afford to buy a customized skin right now?
Well, I am thrilled to tell you I found some FREE Twitter skins you can download!
- Split Decisionz has 7 background images or skins.
- TwitterImage.com has 48 background images and a How-to Manual to guide you through the process of downloading/uploading.
- Twitter Patterns has several pages of skins.
And just in case none of those appeal to you visit Twitter Designer and try your hand at designing your own Twitter background.
Use Google Calendar to Keep Track of Blog Carnivals
One of the staples of Mommy Blogging is carnivals. Carnivals are fun. They can bring both quantity and quality traffic to your blog. And depending on the carnival, they can provide easy inspiration for post content.
I used to have a hard time remembering when specific carnivals were held. I would find a fun carnival and think “Ooh! I want to participate in that!” Then I would forget all about it until I stumbled across it again the next week or next month. Well, no more forgetting carnivals for me!
The solution to my faulty memory has been to use Google Calendar.
Just create an event for the carnival you want to remember.
Here is an example of a carnival I participate in each month. It is called “What’s On Your Nightstand,” is found at 5 Minutes for Books and repeats the fourth Tuesday of each month.
Do you have a faulty memory like I do? How do you keep track of Blog Carnivals and other Blog Events?
3 Ways to Learn from a Blog Conference Without Leaving Home
Did you attend Blissdom or Mom 2.0 Summit? No? Me neither. I wanted to go but just couldn’t swing it. Instead, I discovered 3 ways to learn from a blog conference without leaving home.
Buy the Audio & Transcripts
You can secure copies of the session after the conference wraps up. You can purchase the entire Blissdom conference for $75 or buy individual sessions for $15. That’s much cheaper than plane tickets and hotel rooms! Read more
Introducing Stephanie, Kelly’s New Intern
Hi! I’m Stephanie, Kelly’s new intern for Profitable Mommy Blogging.
Like many of you, I am a wife, a mom and a business woman.
In 1997, I married my college sweetheart, Joel. Shortly after our wedding, he found a job in Rhode Island and moved me from rural Arkansas to suburban New England. Over a decade later, I am still amazed that a girl who grew up among wheat fields now lives between Boston and NYC!
In 2003, we began adding children to our Rhode Island home. I never dreamed I would birth 4 babies in 5 years or become the mom of three boys (and 1 girl)!! Laundry, rocks, and trains now fill much of my time and home. Read more
100 Blogging Tips from Carrie
Carrie has been on a roll ever since she came home from Blissdom – did you listen to her on this week’s Profitable Mommy Blogging podcast?
She’s put together a great report with one hundred really useful tips for bloggers and she’s letting us give it away for free!
Thanks Carrie!
Carrie’s 100 Top Blogging Tips (PDF)
Profitable Mommy Blogging #14
Mom Blogger Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio joins me fresh from her trip to the BlissDom Conference. We’re chatting about how important it is for mom bloggers to realize that their blogs and their writing skills are valuable.
We ended up talking about mom blogger who blog for free for other publishers. If you want to learn more about blogging for shared adsense, read this post.
Catch up on all of Carrie’s great Affiliate Marketing advice for mom bloggers.
Interview with Mom Blog Header Contest Winner Barb
First off let me say congratulations to Barb of Elementary Spirits, the winner of the best mom blog header contest! Her prize? $100 paypal cash. It touched my heart to find out that she wasn’t accepting the prize but instead donating it to a cause known as The Virtual Food Drive. I asked Barb a few questions for a quick interview.
The Trouble With Mom Bloggers
This is a guest post by mom blogger, Carrie Lauth.
Last weekend, I spent two days with 250 mom bloggers.
I had a blast. I made new friends. I shared pizza, beer, chocolate, a chick flick, a dance floor, handsome Greek opera singers, a painfully slow wi-fi connection, elevators and a hotel room with funny, intelligent, beautiful, artistic, nutty, gifted, amazing women.
Still, the experience left me wanting.
Why? Because there was something that bothered me about the mom bloggers. Not all of them, mind you, but a goodly portion. So I decided to write this article to name what it is that troubled me. Read more
New Wordpress Themes for Moms
It’s been awhile since I shared some of my favorite new Wordpress themes – and no, they are not made just for moms, I just think moms would like them 
This one is kinda strange and angular, but the 3d effect is fun and I think that a mom would have a lot of fun with it.
This is a classic three column design that would be a breeze to customize for your own needs. If you’re a classic blogger, you’ll love this theme.
With a strong emphasis on social media, four ad spots up close and personal, this makes for a great affiliate blog theme 
Profitable Mommy Blogging #13
This week I get to talk to mom blogger Gina Badalaty.
Gina Badalaty has been blogging on parenting since 2002, and her Mom Blog is top-ranked for the phrase “mom blog” on Yahoo! and Google. She is a freelance blogger for AG Interactive, and a web developer. She has been married for 10 years, is the mother of two beautiful special needs children, and lives in Allentown, PA.
Listen in and get to know Gina
Why Wouldn’t You Want to Make Money?
If you write your blog for fun – have fun
But do you realize that you could be having fun and making money?
It’s true.
I’m having fun right now Seriously!
And – I’m definitely making money.
I haven’t sold out – I don’t take one single penny from any advertiser or affiliate program that I don’t have full confidence in.
See, I have a rule – and it goes like this:
If I wouldn’t recommend it to my sister,
I won’t recommend it to you.
And I Love My Sister!
I’ve turned down tens of thousands of dollars in advertising over the years from companies and programs who offer products I don’t believe are good for my listeners. I’ll sell no ad at all before I’ll sell one pixel on my website that would be an embarrassment to me.
It is possible to pursue an income with your interests and passions without compromising your message and values.
Blogging Interns Wanted
Do you want to learn the ins and outs of blogging? I have a an opportunity available for two new mom bloggers. You have to make a firm ten week commitment to me – in return I provide an education in blogging and a foundational introduction to internet marketing.
It won’t cost you anything – and it won’t much If you love bartering and want to learn how to create your own profitable blog, DM me on Twitter or send me an email for more info.
