I’ve been getting lots of emails lately with questions about blogging, so I thought it might be a good idea to answer some of those questions here!<\/p>\n
Why did you start blogging?<\/strong><\/p>\n During The Littlest Apple’s first few months of life we spent most of our time at home\u00c2\u00a0 Born a low birth-weight (4 pounds 9 oz) at 36 weeks, he wasn’t really supposed to go out much, especially during flu season.\u00c2\u00a0 So we stayed home.\u00c2\u00a0 And I was nursing every two hours for months and months on end to help him gain weight, and I often used that time to surf the net.\u00c2\u00a0 I started reading blogs.\u00c2\u00a0 Two of the first blogs I discovered were The Pioneer Woman and Dooce.\u00c2\u00a0 As the months passed, I found more and more blogs, and got particularly interested in the world of food blogs.\u00c2\u00a0 I love to cook and bake and love to write, so I thought I might just have something to share too.\u00c2\u00a0 The Picky Apple was born!<\/p>\n How did you get started?<\/strong><\/p>\n Honestly?\u00c2\u00a0 I told my husband that I wanted to start a blog, and he set it up for me and showed me how to edit and publish posts and to upload and share pictures, how to add links, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s a programmer.\u00c2\u00a0 Not very helpful to you<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n I’ve heard that Blogger is the easiest blogging platform (aka content management system) for new bloggers to use, especially when they don’t have a programming background.\u00c2\u00a0 My blog is WordPress platform, hosted separately.\u00c2\u00a0 But other bloggers also use Typepad, WordPress.com(the free version of what I’m using), Gawker, Blogsmith, etc. \u00c2\u00a0 I know there are LOTS of great tutorials out there on how to get started and which platform is best for you.<\/p>\n Here are some links that might be of use:<\/p>\n The blog platforms of choice among the top 100 blogs<\/a> @ pingdom<\/p>\n Choosing a Blogging Platform<\/a> @ Blogging Basics 101<\/p>\n I thought this was a food blog.\u00c2\u00a0 Why did you change your content?<\/strong><\/p>\n Those of you that have been following me since the beginning (January 2008) know that this used to be food blog.\u00c2\u00a0 I changed my content because I felt like there was so much more I wanted to share.\u00c2\u00a0 And honestly, I was getting bored just talking about food all the time.<\/p>\n Here’s my first post explaining The NEW Picky Apple<\/a>.<\/p>\n How much does it cost to start a blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n You can start for free using Blogger, WordPress, or some of the other blogging platforms mentioned above, but if you have any desire to be a long-term blogger, you should purchase a domain name (mine is www.thepickyapple.com) and a hosting package.\u00c2\u00a0 We use Dreamhost (my husband already had it) and the cost is $8.95 per month.<\/p>\n Who designed your blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n Again, my husband gets all the credit.\u00c2\u00a0 He took a WordPress theme (and there are so many themes to choose from, some free, some cost money) and customized it.\u00c2\u00a0 He also designed my header and blog button.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 He’s pretty amazing.\u00c2\u00a0 But again, if you don’t have people in your life to help you, you can either use a ready-made theme or hire a blog designer.<\/p>\n How much time does blogging take?<\/strong><\/p>\n That’s a tricky question.\u00c2\u00a0 It can take as much time as you want it to take.<\/p>\n Don’t you hate those kinds of answers?!<\/p>\n It is one of those experiences where the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.\u00c2\u00a0 As you’ll see below, there’s so much more to blogging than just publishing posts with words and photos.\u00c2\u00a0 There’s participation in the “community” of the blogging world, responding to comments, linky parties, visiting other blogs, etc.<\/p>\n The more honest answer is that I spend at least an hour on my blog day.\u00c2\u00a0 Three years in, it still takes me forever to edit my posts, add photos, and get my content ready for publishing.\u00c2\u00a0 And those LONG spirited child posts?\u00c2\u00a0 Those take at least several hours, which is why I’m only doing them every other week.<\/p>\n Then there is the time spent responding to comments, participating in linky parties, updating sidebars, and Facebook Fan Page.<\/p>\n When do you find the time in your day to blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n I usually blog in the evening after The Littlest Apple goes to bed or during the day on Wednesdays and Fridays when he is in preschool.\u00c2\u00a0 I respond to comments and do other blog related things throughout the day as time and The Littlest Apple permit.<\/p>\n How do I get people to read my blog? <\/strong><\/p>\n How to get more readers for your blog…that’s the million dollar question indeed.\u00c2\u00a0 Here are my thoughts….<\/p>\n First of all, step away from Google Analytics and stop checking to see how many Google Followers you have!\u00c2\u00a0 It’s so easy to get obsessed and frustrated with statistics!<\/p>\n One main way to get people to read your blog is to comment on other blogs that you like (with more than just “great post!”)\u00c2\u00a0 Leave thoughtful comments, and other bloggers will be likely to reciprocate (assuming that they aren’t the big huge blogs that get thousands of comments daily).\u00c2\u00a0 Make sure that your Blogger\/Wordpress\/Google ID is set up with your blog address, so they can find you. I think that’s how my first non-family non-friend IRL comment originated and it was the coolest thing ever.<\/p>\n Another great way is to participate in linky parties and memes.\u00c2\u00a0 For my blog this means participating regularly in parties\/carnivals to share recipes, crafts, preschool activities and mommy stories, usually following whatever the “theme” of the linky party is (Halloween, pumpkin, funny things your kids says, etc).\u00c2\u00a0 There are MANY linky parties out there, including some that are weekly writing prompts, things about you, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 There are tons of Christmas linky parties right now about recipes, traditions, crafts, mantle decor, show off your tree, etc.\u00c2\u00a0 If that’s your blogging niche, now is a GREAT time to get started!! A Google search for blog carnivals or linky parties or blog memes should yield some that you might be interested in.\u00c2\u00a0 When and if you DO participate in these types of things, be sure to visit the other participants and comment on their posts.\u00c2\u00a0 And be sure to thank the host for starting the party.\u00c2\u00a0 (It all comes back to comments!)\u00c2\u00a0 These have been KEY in getting my blog out there, increasing my readership, and also getting some major spotlights on big blogs that saw my stuff and featured me.<\/p>\n Create a blogroll in your blog’s sidebar.\u00c2\u00a0 You can let other bloggers know that you think their blog is great and that you’ve included them on your blogroll, but don’t expect them to reciprocate.\u00c2\u00a0 A blogroll should be about what YOU like, not just a list of reciprocal links.\u00c2\u00a0 Update your blog roll every few months, as your favorite blogs will change over time.\u00c2\u00a0 I need to do this!!<\/p>\n Once your blog makes its way to someone ELSE’s blogroll (also a cool feeling, the first time it happens!), their readers will click through and it will just multiply from there.<\/p>\n If one of your posts generates more comments than usual, then do a follow up post, or a post on a similar topic.\u00c2\u00a0 That being said, I think it is more important to stay true to yourself, true to your<\/em> voice than to cater to your audience too much.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve seen advice all over the place recommending that you pick a “niche” and stick to it.\u00c2\u00a0 My blog is much more widely read now, even though I jump from food to spirited children to crafts to DIY.\u00c2\u00a0 I think your authentic voice is the most important thing.<\/p>\n No one is commenting!\u00c2\u00a0 How do I encourage comments?<\/strong><\/p>\n This is still something I really struggle with.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve got lots of readers, but not very many comments.<\/p>\n Leave comments on other blogs, as I mentioned above!<\/p>\n In addition to leaving comments, I frequently use email to correspond with bloggers, and that helps you stand out from the crowd.\u00c2\u00a0 I try to respond with a nice little “thank you” email whenever someone comments on my blog for the first time (though this is getting harder and harder for me as my readership grows).\u00c2\u00a0 I also send notes to bloggers when I read something or know of something that they might be interested in, or when I just have something more to say.\u00c2\u00a0 (for instance…”Hey! I just found your blog and saw on Your about page that you went to UT.\u00c2\u00a0 I did too!\u00c2\u00a0 Graduated in 2001, and I miss Austin.\u00c2\u00a0 When were you there?”)\u00c2\u00a0 That can start a great dialogue and encourage them to follow your blog.\u00c2\u00a0 I was on the receiving end of a few of these emails from people who saw the gastroparesis feature on The Today Show and emailed me to see if I saw it.\u00c2\u00a0 That meant a lot to me, coming from complete strangers, and you can bet I immediately went and checked out their blogs and commented.<\/p>\n Edited to add: Do as I say, not as I do!\u00c2\u00a0 Right now I’m at least a few weeks behind in responding to blog comments and emails that don’t require immediate attention.\u00c2\u00a0 I’d also advise you respond to comments and blog related emails every day or every other day so they don’t pile up on you!\u00c2\u00a0 Some days it’s all I can do to get a blog post up, but I try to make time to respond to comments and visit other blogs.<\/em><\/p>\n End your blog posts with a question to engage your readers.\u00c2\u00a0 This is something I’ve been working on lately too, to encourage all of those lurkers to comment!\u00c2\u00a0 Sometimes it works better than others.<\/p>\n Are you making any money from your blog?<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s really not about the money.\u00c2\u00a0 When I started blogging, I never intended to generate income from my blog.<\/p>\n But to answer your question, YES, I’m starting to make money from my blog.\u00c2\u00a0 My hubs won’t be quitting his day job anytime soon though.<\/p>\n I’ve earned a little money from the Amazon Affiliates program, but I don’t go out of my way to push Amazon products.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ll link to them if I’m discussing books or toys, but I never do it just to earn referral fees.<\/p>\n As you’ve noticed, I’ve recently started accepting sponsorships for my blog.\u00c2\u00a0 My readership has grown to a point where this is completely feasible, so I’m seeking out mom owned small business and other companies that I like.\u00c2\u00a0 Advertising of my own choosing<\/em>, not some annoying flashing add at the bottom or side of the screen for who knows what.<\/p>\n I don’t want to be the kind of blog that is always peddling something.\u00c2\u00a0 My eyes just glaze over when I see blogs like that that just seem to be one big ad or one giveaway after another.\u00c2\u00a0 But you will see an occasional sponsor post here and there from sponsors that I think might be a good fit for me or my readers.\u00c2\u00a0 My blog is NOT about selling products, reviewing products, and giveaways, and I plan to keep it that way!\u00c2\u00a0 (Though I do like the occasional, straightforward giveaway as a thanks for reading…another one coming soon!!)<\/p>\n Do you have any other tips or advice for new bloggers?<\/strong><\/p>\n I could go on and on and on!\u00c2\u00a0 If you want additional information about starting a blog, here are some resources for you:<\/p>\n Bloggertunity: A Mom’s Guide to Blogging<\/a> (an ebook) @ Metropolitan Mama<\/p>\n Blogging in Pink: A Woman’s Guide<\/a> (free ebook) @ Scribbit<\/p>\n Blogging Basics 101<\/a><\/p>\n\n