Interview With Angela Moore: Twittermoms Community Manager

Recently I received an email announcing that Angela Moore just became Twittermoms Community Manager.  So when Kelly asked me to do an interview with Angela I was very excited.  She replied quite promptly and graciously.  I’ll be quiet and let you read for yourself.

You seem very busy with 2 kids, 2 blogs, and an online business. What persuaded you to add Community Manager for Twittermoms to that list?

I first heard about TwitterMoms when Megan posted in a few Twitter-related groups on some other Mom Blogger networks. I’m pretty sure MomBloggersClub.com was the first one I saw it on. I immediately joined and was one of the first members. I welcomed new members and helped spread the word because I thought it was a great idea. From there, I just stayed active as much as I could and helped Megan when she needed it. When Megan called me and asked if I’d like the position I jumped at the chance. The network is so amazing because of the women that are in it. For me, it was a no-brainer. I’ve watched the network grow and change and evolve in such a short time that it’s impossible to imagine where it will be in a year from now and I’ve always wanted to be a part of that.

Can you give us a brief description of what that position entails?

Basically, I’ve been charged with monitoring what’s going on in the network and helping to promote really interesting blog posts by our members, participate in discussions, answer questions, solve issues and just be a point of contact for the network in general. I also help Megan maintain the integrity of the network. People who post inappropriate items, who are cruel or intolerant of people with differing opinions or people who are trying to use the network for their own personal gain without giving anything in return; those are all things that I watch out for. That can involve having discussions with those individuals or removing them from the network if that’s necessary.

Can you tell us what a professional link development specialist does? 

My career is in Search Engine Optimization and specifically link development (also referred to as “link building”). I am a consultant and work with clients to help them get more links pointing to their Web sites from other sites. When you’re in SEO, you want your client(s) to rank for specific keywords. So, for instance, if I’m working with a bookseller, they may want to rank for the phrase “non-fiction books” or “best selling books.” My job is to help them rank for that keyword by getting other Web sites to link to their site with “non-fiction books” or “best selling books” as part of the link. It’s a lot easier to explain in person rather than typing it out!

Did you have training or are you self taught?

I received initial training from some incredibly intelligent people in the industry who taught me a lot of the basics and then allowed me to really stretch myself into a link development expert. I started as an overall SEO specialist, but gravitated to link building shortly after I immersed myself in the industry. From there, I basically ran with the idea of link development. Now I work with a company called Intrapromote full-time as the link development director and I love what I do. I continue to learn both through webinars and structured training sessions as well as on my own. I also like to take ideas and “test” them to see if my hypotheses are correct. It’s a lot of on-the-job training so to speak, but that’s how I learn best.

I love your attitude for Unexpected Art: A Positive Blog! It helped me sit straighter with a better outlook just by scanning the page. What do you do on the days when it’s hard to be happy? How do you change your attitude? 

That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? That blog was started basically as a pet project and it involved into what it is now. Being positive is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I am naturally a negative person. And the toughest thing about it all is that everyone is different. For some people, getting outside and exercising is what helps balance them back to that happy place. For others, it’s sitting quietly. Me? I like to read, craft, take a walk, meditate; basically anything that distracts me from my current point of stress. After my brain has been quieted down a bit, I can then focus on the problem better. Sometimes I journal, sometimes I talk with a close confidant, sometimes I write down a plan of action. But like I said, everyone is different.

You change your attitude by paying close attention to how you’re thinking, acting, speaking and in general how you are on a day-to-day basis. You find the things that are your “triggers” for negativity. For me? If I’m tired, hungry, angry or lonely I tend to get worked up about nothing. But when I can identify those things, then I’m less likely to act out because I’m aware of them. For some people this is an extremely simple process. For others (like me) it takes years to make what seems like minimal progress.

Do you have a tip for moms that want to make money from their blogs?

To be honest, I don’t make money from my blogs (not that I haven’t thought about it! It’s just not time for me to do that yet), but I can tell you two things that will help no matter what you’re doing:
1. Do what you love. It’ll make going to work (even if it’s just your dining room table or kitchen counter) so much more enjoyable. Plus you’ll never get tired of writing about it, researching it, talking about it, etc.
2. Don’t isolate yourself. Find other bloggers/people that are passionate about the same things as you and connect with them. Not everyone is your competition. By sharing knowledge and ideas, you can become stronger in your area of expertise and you can network with people who share interests with you.

Thank you Angela for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions.  It’s been fun getting to know you better.

Here’s the 3 main places you can find Angela online – after Twitter, of course.
Unexpected Art – A Positive Blog
Link Princess – a link development blog and her job
Dancing at my Desk - Having fun as a mom and a blogger