Blogging opens up a whole new world of opportunities for people around the world every day. It doesn’t matter if you have a pre-set goal in mind for your blog or if you are just going to wing it and see what happens along the way. From freelance writers looking for work, to businesses and brands using blogs to create content for their audience — it’s all about the value being provided.
Then there are also the mom and dad bloggers of the world as well. Families and friends working from the comfort of their home and sharing stories and advice with others in the same boat. Yes, my friends, the world of blogging is extremely vast and exciting, which is why we continue to feature new bloggers every week in our Meet the Bloggers series. Enjoy this latest edition with Angie Nelson.
1.) Please tell us about yourself and how you got into blogging?
I started working from home in 2007. Shortly thereafter, friends and family were inquiring more about what I was doing and opportunities available to them. Blogging was really picking up in popularity with freelancers at that time. I thought it would be a great way to keep those interested up to date.
2.) What is the focus of your blog and why did you choose that niche?
I started on a free WordPress.com site, but as I heard the success stories of those monetizing their sites I knew I had to take things to the next level. I really enjoyed the blogging process and wanted to spend more time doing it. The only way that was possible was if I could create an income from that time investment. I quickly moved to a self-hosted site and have been blogging at TheWorkAtHomeWife.com ever since. I have and have even started and then sold other sites in the past, but this one remains my passion.
3.) How are you currently monetizing your blog traffic?
My income is very diversified. The majority of my income comes from affiliate marketing, but I also sell digital products and use display ads. Sponsored content is my least favorite way to monetize, but I will consider it if it’s a great fit for my audience. Affiliate marketing has always been my favorite.
4.) What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started blogging?
A strategic plan of attack! I was one of so many bloggers that tried to learn everything free. I told myself I would invest money when I started making good money. As a result, I struggled for years to even break $1,000 per month consistently. I was constantly jumping from thing to thing to thing trying to make something stick. It was only when I laid down a big chunk of change on an A-to-Z blogging course that I started seeing results. I spent months going through the course step by step. Within a year or so I had bypassed income goals I had only dreamed about. I was able to quit all of my freelancing gigs and focus solely on blogging.
I work best afraid and under pressure. That investment was huge for me at a time when I was struggling to make this work and was to the point of resigning to the fact I would never be able to make a full-time income blogging. After dropping that cash, there was no way I was going to fail or give up.
To this day, I still use the same techniques I learned in that course and now know where to focus my attention to get results. I also now know what things really matter and what things are just “feel good” vanity metrics that I used to waste so much time on. I’ve learned to outsource things that are better done by someone else so I can focus on conversions and monetization.
5.) What are three blogs that you visit almost daily?
That is a tough one! To be honest, I’m really bad about comparing myself to others and getting overloaded with competition mindset. That means I rarely ever read any other blogs in my niche. I’m also easily distracted, so I try to avoid “shiny new things” or “the sky is falling” blogging blogs. Once I settle on a project, I just turn off the noise and stay within my own head.
Email marketing is my obsession right now, so those are the sites I’m following pretty closely for tips – GetResponse blog, AWeber blog and Campaign Monitor blog are all great.
6.) Can you give us three recommended tools/services that you use with your blogging?
- Smarterqueue is my social scheduling tool of choice.
- ConvertKit for my email newsletters.
- Asana for project management, keeping track of my ideas and keeping my team on the same page.
7.) What advice would you have for someone who is just starting with their first blog?
So many things!
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Ever. You have to protect your mental space to get your best work done. Figure out a way to do that.
- Be careful about the people you surround yourself with – online and off. Choose positive influences. Break up with the Debbie Downers and those you are suspect of their intentions. Listen to your gut.
- Scare yourself. Big things are waiting just outside of your comfort zone.
- If you want something, ask for it. People can’t read your mind.
8.) What’s the best advice or tip you’ve discovered about blogging since getting started?
Give more to the people you already have. One of the reasons I have experienced a shift in the blogs I follow is because, many times, so much emphasis is put on the page view and not on the people. It’s all about chasing the next viral post. While that metric might matter a lot to those selling to sponsors, I don’t. I would rather have 1,000 people who trust me and come back to me over and over again for advice than 10,000 random page views I’ll never see again or who aren’t really a good fit for my future projects and goals.
The bloggers I love and listen to closely to these days are not publishing a lot on-site. However, they are giving tremendous value to their email subscribers.
That’s something I’m striving for at the moment. Why would someone give me their email address when they are going to get the same information they could get via RSS feed with the exception of regular sales pitches? I know I’m doing something right when I send an email and people email me back, “Thank you! You must have been reading my mind.”
9.) If you only had $100 to start a new blog, how would you use it?
Self-hosting and an email newsletter service. Start collecting those email addresses from day one!
10.) How can readers of the blog get in touch with you?
I can be found at TheWorkAtHomeWife.com.
Thanks again to Angie Nelson for taking the time to share your advice and story with the Blogging Tips community. If you would like to learn about other bloggers and how they are finding success online, be sure to read through our blogger interview series.