At the blog conference I attended yesterday, there was a lot of discussion about blog comments. I want to know how you interact with blog comments. Please take this poll (and you can choose multiple answers!)
Thank you! And of course, feel free to leave your comments below!
Today I got to meet Wendy Piersall of eMoms at Home! Woot! Oh yeah, there was a conference on blogging, too, somewhere in between conversations with Wendy.
If you’ve never met Wendy, in person or online, run (don’t walk) on over to eMoms. It’s the ultimate resource for WAHMs (and WAHDs)—especially for information on starting your own business, entrepreneurship, overcoming fear (and life’s hardships) and more. Plus, Wendy is a total sweetie! (This never, EVER hurts!)
Not sure why we’re so red . . . maybe we were just laughing?
Okay, so the Blogging for Business conference was fun (although it made me feel bad for not making very much money off my blog. Now where is that old monetization strategy?).
Okay, enough buzz words about blogging—you guys are going to get to hear plenty more about that. For my full write up of Wendy’s excellent keynote, see my post on Marketing Pilgrim today.
But if you don’t feel like reading all that, I’ll pluck out the parts that are most pertinent to personal bloggers. (The brackets are there because I’ve rephrased it to take out language about your business and your customers.)
Let’s get personal: Why did you . . . start this [blog]?
- To pursue a dream (passion)
- To make a difference in people’s lives
- To fill a need in an under-served market
In other words, you were passionate and/or you wanted to help!
Blogs don’t benefit business unless they BENEFIT YOUR [READER]. You have to have that passion, the cause—what’s in it for your [reader]? What are they looking for? What do they really need? Why did you go into [blogging] in the first place? Because that’s why your [readers] will come to you, spend more with you, and seek you out.
Questions to answer for yourself
- How can I help my [readers]? What do they need?
- What personal stories, ideas or experience an I share on my blog that will encourage people to connect with [me]?
- How can my . . . blog be a true reflection of [its] founding inspiration (passion, making a difference, filling a need)?
Blogging is about community—it’s about connecting with other people. I started this blog (on MamaBlogga.com, at least) to help connect with mothers who are struggling to feel fulfilled in motherhood to help them (and me!) find fulfillment.
So why did you start to blog? And is there anything I can do to help you feel fulfilled in motherhood?
The other day, Hayden and I were driving to the grocery store. I turned on the radio to the oldies station—right at the very beginning of “We Will Rock You.” We reached the grocery store before the song was over, so naturally we had to sit in the car and finish “We Are the Champions.” Then a day or two later, it was “Eye of the Tiger.” And on the way home, “Mony, Mony.”
Aside from all the important, responsible things I need to make sure Hayden learns, now I realize I have all these silly incidental things that I have to teach him so he can attend sporting events, follow conversations, spontaneously burst into song and otherwise become a productive adult (or at least fit in with my family).
So, what songs do you think fit on this list? So far, I’ve come up with:
What else?
With twenty-one twenty-five (including four late entries!) wonderful entries, I’m happy to say that the October Group Writing Project has been excellent! I can’t say enough about the wonderful entries that we’ve read over the last week. Without making you wait a moment more, here is the final list of entries:
All of these great entries clearly took time and consideration. Read through them and find inspiration from mothers of all ages.
Now, feel free to spread the link love by copying the above list (instructions) and posting it to your own blog. Believe me—they all deserve it.
The Winna!
Chosen at random, I swear, the winner of our prize, a $30 Amazon.com gift certificate, is <drum roll>…
Don’t grow up too fast my darling by Summer of Summer’s Nook
Congratulations, Summer! The gift certificate will be winging its way to you soon!
Still working on your entry? Even though we’ve awarded our prize, we’ll continue to accept, read, link to and comment on submissions through next week.
I slacked off a bit, there, I know, but the good news is that I finished my novel(la) about twelve hours ago, so hopefully that will be less of a distraction!
Anyway, we have ten thirteen more entries for the October Group Writing Project, bringing the total to 18 21. As always, these entries are of the highest caliber, so be sure to read them and comment.
This has been a fun project for me as I’ve gotten to vicariously experience the best things about your children’s ages (and your ages)—and as I’ve focused more on the positives about my son at this age.
Thanks to everyone who participated. Be sure to tune in Monday morning to find out who won!
Sunday’s For Better or For Worse comic strip pretty aptly describes parenthood. I’ve mentioned the “time-space continuum” that is motherhood before, but after a discussion earlier this week I was thinking about it again.
There is something at every age that we want our children to grow out of. Right now, I’d like Hayden to grow out of throwing fits and not communicating verbally (although he has a plethora of new words over the weekend: bubble, baby, Jesus (‘Dedus’)).
But somehow it seems like the memory of all those things fade almost as soon as they’re past. Sometimes when I complain to my mother about the typical foibles of his age, my mother tells me that it’s all a very distant memory for her (my youngest sister will turn 16 this week).
Ever since he was born, I’ve been in “hurry up and grow up” mode. Get past the lump stage; start reacting to me; start sleeping through the night already; start crawling; REALLY, start sleeping through the night; start walking; stop nursing; start talking. I’m always ready for him to move on to the next milestone.
And then you think about the good things of this age, and you remember to treat each moment a little more preciously:
I could go on for a long time (who couldn’t go on and on about their own child?!), but even just listing those five is making me feel better!
The title of the post comes from a song that I’ve referenced before. It’s a lullaby that my mother sang to us when we were little and we sing it at each of the sisters’ weddings:
Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine,
I’ll taste your strawberries; I’ll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
Ere I forget all the joy that is mine
Today.
Today I can appreciate the best things about this age.