Do you know what SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is? Do you use SEO or keywords when writing your blog content and titles but still have a few questions?

I have great news for you! I found 3 FREE ways you can learn about SEO and keyword basics.

First, listen to the podcast recorded last week during an open source conference call by Seth Jenks and Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom. During the call Susan and Seth explain what SEO is and how to use it. They also discuss anchor text and no-follow. [Read more...]

I was excited to learn Alyssa Avant is this week’s “Buzz a Mom” interview participant. I had seen the announcement for Alyssa’s upcoming Twitter party on Resourceful Mommy, so I couldn’t wait to ask about her newest project, a membership site called Faith Leaps.

Here’s what she had to say:

Please describe your new membership site, Faith Leaps, for us.

Faith Leaps: Training for Taking the Leap of Faith Into Speaking, Writing, & Ministry, is a three month membership training program for Christians who are looking to “take a leap of faith into speaking, writing or ministry.”

This is an important site for you if you are feeling called to:

• Start a Bible study in your local church
• Start a club or organization in your community
• Organize a community project
• Write a column for your local newspaper
• Start a blog to minister to a specific group of people
• Chase your dream…

Whatever it may be, this program will help give the tools and the confidence to take the leap of faith. [Read more...]

Have you seen My Social Buttons? It’s a site with multiple free social media icons for all of your favorite social networks.

When people visit your blog or other website you want to give them lots of ways to connect with you, right? This is the place to find them. So, the next time you need a new button for Twitter or FaceBook go to My Social Buttons first. You’ll be glad you did.

I’m hearing more and more about the power of the Mommy Blogger these days. I love it! But, our individual influence is limited to the number of people who view our blogs. Below I’ve linked to an article about Mommy Blog Power and another on how we can increase our individual influence by growing our reading audience. [Read more...]

This post was inspired by reading 20 Affirmations for Busy Mom Bloggers at Mom Bloggers Club.

My Mommy Blogger Affirmations:

1. Blogging is fun.
2. My blog is a business.
3. My blog is a community.
4. Blogging is a creative outlet.
5. Writing well is just as creative as knitting a scarf.
6. Women want to read what I write!
7. I admire the women in my online community.
8. I have valuable ideas and experiences to write about!
9. Earning an income from blogging is morally acceptable.
10. Earning an income while doing something you enjoy is awesome!
11. Promoting myself and my business is a good thing.
12. Companies want to sponsor my blog.
13. My husband supports my blog business.
14. My family is more important than my business.
15. My family makes temporary sacrifices for the sake of my business.
16. My family is one of the reasons I have a blog business.
17. My children are a source of humorous blog posts.
18. My children will one day read my blog.
19. My blog business will pay for their therapy.
20. God has used my blog to encourage and equip women.

I plan to place these affirmations (or statements of truth) in my blog binder. Then when I feel discouraged I can read them and refocus on what I believe about being a Mommy Blogger.

Sometimes life’s circumstances pose a challenge to our Mommy Blogs.

Take for example Alicia at Experiencing Each Moment.

Her husband, Dan, is deployed for six months with the US Navy. That leaves her a (temporary) single mom to 2 young children. In addition to normal family responsibilities, she spends time each day providing the medical treatments to combat her 3 year old daughter’s Cystic Fibrosis.

Some days she just doesn’t have the time or energy to update her blog.

So to help keep blog content fresh but still have time for her children, Alicia came up with a creative idea for a weekly guest column.

Once-a-week her husband will write about the international port cities he is visiting during his deployment. I think this is a great example of thinking outside the box!

She has taken a challenge (fresh blog content with limited blogging time) and turned it into something fun and creative (pictures and stories of his travels).

Have you ever had one of life’s challenges threaten your blogging? What creative solution did you come up with to keep your blog on track?

Do you understand Twitter? Could you explain it to a friend in 2½ minutes?

Lee LeFever can and does. Watch it here:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

Did he accurately describe Twitter? Do you understand it better?

Let me know in the comments.

This week I had the opportunity to interview Mary Lutz as part of our new ‘Buzz a Mom‘ project at Mom’s Talk Network.

You can read it here:

What motivated you to become a mommy blogger?

Back in 2004, I was dating my current husband, saw he had a blog and thought it looked fun and interesting. So, I began my personal blog, Being Who God Created Me to Be.

Has your focus or motivation for blogging changed since you began? If so, how?

In the Spring of 2008, I was laid off from my regular job as a bookkeeper. I had watched my friend, Tishia Lee start her own WAH Business as a Virtual Assistant in 2006. I was very interested in doing that myself and often asked her how she got started. She always referred me to Mom Masterminds. [Read more...]

Could you use a free Toshiba Satellite® U405-S2911 Notebook Computer With Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor for your home business?

What about a free Fellowes® PS 79ci 100% Jam Proof Cross-Cut Shredder for your home business?  Or a free Lexmark X 7675 All-In-One Printer/Copier/Scanner/Fax for your home business?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, go visit Brandie at The Home Office Organizer and enter her giveaway!

It ends March 8 so HURRY!

Last fall I tried to listen to some of the fun podcasts I’ve seen around the blogosphere.

Unfortunately, every time I started a podcast on my computer one, or three, of my children decided they needed to be where I was and make lots of noise. This meant I couldn’t hear the podcast.

After several tries, I finally gave up listening to podcasts and chalked it up as another activity I’ll enjoy when my children are older. [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

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.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSWkZTG6QgI

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.

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...]