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May 13, 2009 By
bullseye

bullseyeWhen I asked for help with how to make my blog more profitable on the Mom Masterminds forum earlier today the first thing asked of me was:

“Who’s your target audience?”

Uhhhh…

Well, it seems I’ve discovered my big problem. Turns out, I have no idea who my target audience is. But, that’s because I have an even bigger problem

I have no idea what my blog is about.

I guess I need to figure that out, huh?

I am going to use a technique that writers often use. It’s called coming up with the hook. You know, that thing that makes people say “ohhhh I want to read more”. If you can define what your story is about in a two sentence blurb, then chances are you have a good story.

So, today I am going to try to define my blog in one sentence, and I challenge you to do the same.

Now, because I am insane want to help you with your pitches, I am going to include all my drafts here so you can kind of get a feel for the process.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , ,

Are You A Twit Yet?

May 13, 2009 By

People who use Twitter can be called twits after they tweet.  What is Twitter?  It’s a social networking tool.  It’s blogging on steroids.  It’s marketing for your blog.  It’s free.  It’s addicting.  It’s plain fun!  It’s a way to make your blog/business more profitable.

When you first start Twitter it will probably be a bit confusing.  Just keep at it for a little bit each day and soon it will make sense to you.  You might not be able to explain it to anyone, but it will make sense to you.  It made a lot more sense to me when I started using Tweetdeck.  There are some videos at The Ultimate Video Guide to Twitter for Business that explain how to get started, how to find people, and more.

What can I do on Twitter?

[Read more...]

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Unlocking the Content Key

May 13, 2009 By
calendar

calendarIf I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a hundred times – Content is Key.  Your blog can look fab-u-lous, but if you don’t keep adding new posts nobody will see how good it looks.  All dressed up and no one to comment.

Does this mean you have to post every day?

No.  It depends on what you want out of your blog.  If your goal is to gain a large readership and make money from your blog it’s good to post every day.  If you’re doing it for community a couple times of week will suffice.  If you’re just posting things for your relatives once a month works.

[Read more...]

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Are You Pinging?

May 12, 2009 By
megaphone

megaphoneSearch engines look for new content and, hopefully, will find your content.  You can help them find your content by telling them when you have a new post.  How do you announce your post?  You send a ping.

Very simply stated a ping is an electronic message to a pinging service that says, “Hey, I have new content!”  The big search engines [like Google] and blog directories [like Technorati] have pinging services to keep their content fresh.

You can use a service like Ping-o-matic to promote a blog post or article.  WordPress has a great feature that will do the work for you.  I’m all about somebody doing the work for me.

[Read more...]

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Feed Me!

May 12, 2009 By
venusflytrap1

venusflytrap1Okay, so for some reason, whenever I hear someone refer to a RSS Feed, I instantly think of Seymour for the Little Shop of Horrors. So, let me just clarify… I’m talking about RSS feeds here people… not the Venus Fly Trap. :)

It’s very important to give people easy access to your RSS Feed.

I do so with my super cute little button up in the top right hand corner of my blog. It took me a long time to fnd the perfect RSS icon, and I finally settled on my green one.

rss1

If you are having trouble finding the perfect one, just do a google image search for “Cute RSS buttons” and you will get tons. But, I think it’s important to the aesthetics of your website to have one you really like.

So, I have this little RSS button, and I assume people subscribe to my feed, but I am about to let you in on another one of my dirty little secrets…

I have no idea how many subscribers I have.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging

Who Won The Because Mom Said So Blog?

May 12, 2009 By
cheryl

cherylWe are so proud to announce our winner in the big Because Mom Said So Blog Giveaway.

Please join us in congratulating Cheryl Nelson!

Cheryl, we are thrilled for you and can’t wait to see what you do with your new blog!

If you’ve peeked at Because Mom Said So today, you see that it is part way through it’s transformation.  All of the Blogger content has been imported into WordPress and merged with a great bunch of affiliate articles in our Mom Webs ‘WAHM’ Loaded Blog.

Next, April will be giving it fresh graphics that will make it Cheryl’s own :)   So stay tuned for Wednesday’s show when we’ll talk with Cheryl and share more about what she plans to do in the future.

Filed Under: Blogging

Glossary: Emoticons

May 11, 2009 By

Simply put, Emoticons are symbols that are used in chat rooms, message boards, e-mail messages, IM messages and word processors to display emotions. The name “emoticon” comes from a combination “emotion” and “icon.”

Emoticons are normally used at the end of a sentence in order to convey the feeling associated with that sentence. For example, when a person makes a statement in jest, the “winking” emoticon can be used afterward to imply sarcasm. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging

My Vacuum is a Plug-in But It Doesn’t Fit On My Blog

May 11, 2009 By
plug-it

plug-itWhat is a plug-in? WordPress.org says that

Plugins are tools to extend the functionality of WordPress. … The core of WordPress is designed to be lean, to maximize flexibility and minimize code bloat. Plugins offer custom functions and features so that each user can tailor their site to their specific needs.

How do you use plug-ins?

There are plug-ins for just about anything from ad networks to comment love.  Most of the time you set them up and they do the work for you.  Can’t beat that, right?  You have to find the one you want, download it to your computer, and upload it through your FTP agent.

When do you need them?

The need is relevant to what you want to do with your blog.  First get your theme set.  Then import content if necessary.  Next start working on your plug-ins.  Akismet is one of 2 plug-ins that comes with WordPress.  Activate Akismet first.  It’s a spam killer that really helps.

Where do you find plug-ins?

There is a huge list and search function at WP Plug-in directory.  Most of the ones I use I’ve found from seeing them in someone’s sidebar and searching for them.  Other times I’ve found recommendations in great lists like these from Blogging Cents and Problogger.

How often do you change plug-ins?

They occasionally need to be updated with a couple clicks, but the changing part is totally up to the blog author.  You don’t have to redo plug-ins after a WordPress theme change.  They will come right through the change.

Overall, a plug-in is a good time investment to improve the look and function of your blog.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: ,

Why I Use WordPress

May 10, 2009 By
WP logo

This post was originally published on my personal blog in Jan 09.  I want to share it with you in case some of you are asking, “Why should I use WordPress?”

When I decided to start my own blog I started researching what host I should use.

Here are some of the reasons I choose WordPress as my blogging platform then:

  1. WordPress.com was free. I didn’t want to pay anything to anybody until I was sure that I wanted to continue and be serious about blogging.
  2. It gave me as much control as possible over my site. Control was a big issue. I wanted to be able to have options and personalize my blog. Having a picture of my choice in the header is a matter of a couple clicks.
  3. Successful bloggers recommended it. Over and over I read that the options and growth ability are much better with WP.
  4. No additional education was required. I’m a SAHM and when I do get a chance to relax I usually reach for the fiction (after Google Reader, of course).
  5. What I learned with the free hosting could be transferred to my own domain name later. I’ve come in contact with many bloggers that would like to switch platforms, but they hold back because it feels like they have so much to re-learn. I figured that I might as well learn as I go.
Even though it might have taken a bit more learning at the start-up I still am glad for my decision.WP logo
Here are some of the reasons I chose to stay with WordPress now:
  1. Easy to import. When I switched to my own domain and self-hosted WordPress I had all of my old posts on my new site in minutes. When I asked a friend to join with me for a garden blog she quickly imported her old posts from Blogger.
  2. There are thousands of free themes if I want to change my design. I don’t think that thousands is an exaggeration.
  3. The tutorials, help, and forums at WordPress.org are great. I literally opened 2 windows and went through their First Steps page. I’ve found many answers in their forums and help pages without even submitting my own question.
  4. Just search and ye shall find. When I get stuck or want to try something I just ask the search bar and there is lots of information available relating to WordPress.
  5. There are hundreds of plug-ins that work with WP. While rambling through the blogosphere the neatest widgets I found are available with a WP plug-in. I’m still learning how much more can be done with a little ol’ plug-in.
  6. It’s always had the ability to post date posts. I was in awe when a blogger all of a sudden said, “We’ve been on vacation. I wrote these before we left.”
  7. Control.
P.S. There is one downside that I feel I should point out. I could not have ads or join an ad network on WordPress.com. From what I’ve read, that is in the process of changing.

What blogging platform do you like? Can you tell me a reason you like it?

If you need help getting started check out this WordPress Orientation.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: ,

It’s time for the Friday Flip Flop!

May 8, 2009 By
flipflip

flipflipSince I’ve challenged the readers to make their blogs more profitable, I think it’s only fair we see what they’re doing, right?

I’ve decided to dedicate Fridays to you guys by flipping this blog around!

I will scour the week’s comments to see who’s been working hard on the challenge, asking really great questions, or just said something that made me think. Then, I will share that fun stuff with everyone on Fridays and see if I can’t attempt to help the readers. If I can’t help the readers, well then I will of course turn it over to you so that we can get them the answers they’re searching for.

This should be a fun little experiment, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Let’s start with the stats from yesterday.

I asked you to tell me about your blog traffic, and a few of you did: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , ,

You Gotta Start Somewhere, Right?

May 7, 2009 By
analytics

challenge2Now, the official challenge is on. I have made it my personal goal to see my very own blog turn a profit before the end of my internship here at the Profitable Mommy Blog. And, I’ve challenged you all to do the same!

So, let’s start with the facts.

I have been using google analytics on my website for a couple of months now, and I think they give fairly accurate numbers. The only thing you have to remember is that they are java based, so anyone browsing the internet that has java turned off won’t be counted towards your count. But, most people have it on, so they’ll give us numbers I’m comfortable working with. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , , , ,

Switching to WordPress

May 7, 2009 By
laptop-user

laptop-user

I’ve heard a lot of bloggers mention that they would like to switch to WordPress, but don’t know how or are very nervous about it.  So they wait and add more and more content to their blog that just has to be switched later.  If you want to switch – do it!

The only valid reason to delay is not having the money to pay for a host – and honestly, hosting is not expensive!

Here are the simple steps: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: ,

Profitable Mommy Blogging #19

May 6, 2009 By
Standard Podcast Play Now | Play in Popup

This week’s interview is brought to you by Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio.

Jo-Lynne Shane is a Philadelphia mom of 3 who blogs at Musings Of A Housewife. She writes about motherhood, fashion, cooking, faith, and shares blog design tips as well as reviews and the occasional American Idol commentary.

Jo-Lynne shares her suggestions for keeping up the pace with a busy blog and capturing ideas for blog posts as they come to her. She feels that being prolific on her blog has benefited her and that the more she writes, the more she can connect with her audience.

In addition to writing for her personal blog, Jo-Lynne runs a blog design business from home and is self taught in the area of graphic and web design.

Filed Under: Blogging Podcast

How Can My Blog Make a Profit?

May 6, 2009 By
piggy-bank

piggy-bankI’ve been blogging for three years–and guess what:

My blog has never made a single penny.

That’s three years of me putting myself out there on the internet, writing all my personal stories and thoughts down, reformatting my blog for it to be super cute and up to date– all for no money.

This was okay with me for a while. In fact, I actually debunked the idea that my little personal blog needed to make money. I mean–it’s just me talking about the random stuff that happens in my every day life. Why would anyone want to read that?

Then I discovered something. There’s an entire network of mommy bloggers out there making money on their random mom stories every day!

Well, let’s just say that was my Oh Snap! moment.

For the next few weeks, I am going to attempt to take my tiny mommy blog and turn it into an actual profitable blog.

I challenge you to join me!

If you have a blog that you’ve been writing in for a while, but it’s just sitting there making no cash, then take this opportunity to learn with me and see if we can’t make these blogs turn a profit!

Who’s with me?

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , , ,

Blogher Ad Network and Me

May 6, 2009 By
blogher-logo

The first time that I applied to Blogher Ads I was pretty new to blogging and using WordPress.com.  Since WordPress.com does not allow the blog author to have ads on their blog Blogher politely said, “Come back later.”

After I switched to self-hosted WordPress I contacted them again and was accepted.  A year and a half later I removed their advertising from my sidebar.  Would I do it again?  Yes.  Am I glad I left?  Yes.  No matter if I use their ads or not I can still be a part of the Blogher community. [Read more...]

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