Ask Kathryn: Blogging Tips

Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.

It’s November already and time for a new “Ask Kathryn” post! This month’s questions are dedicated to all the emails I get asking about blogging, how to start, or how to grow. I think anyone can have a blog like mine, it just takes time, dedication and effort. I hope this is helpful to everyone!

 Why WordPress?

Kathryn,
You mentioned that WordPress was a very good move for you. If you had time could you please tell me why? I have not made the switch yet and am not sure I want to, but everyone that uses WordPress sure seems to love it.

Thanks, Paula

Hi Paula,
I am so sorry I have not had the chance to get back with you yet! I used xanga.com for as long as I can remember and then I switched over to blogspot.com in 2009. I had heard about all the good things with WordPress, but was kind of afraid to move over. I didn’t want to lose my work or my readers, and I didn’t want to deal with a totally new site again. I really researched it and looked into it and realized that if you want to take you blog to the next level, then you really have to get a WordPress blog.

WordPress is able to bring in more traffic (Why WordPress is Better & WordPress Tips) and I have even more than doubled since moving over here. They also have better plugins for your blog – so much better than blogspot’s. Much better interface – the layouts they offer or that you can buy are professional and look better than blogspot’s. So just overall it’s a much better and more professional site to blog on.

I was too scared to do it all myself since I heard it was a big job to move everything from blogspot to WordPress, so I saved up my money and paid Courtney from CourtneyKirkland.net to do it. It was the best decision I ever made. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would be more than happy to answer them!

 How do You Make Money on Your Blog?

Kathryn,

Thank you so much for producing such a refreshing blog! I am also a new mother and stay at home mom – married to Air Force. Before having my daughter, I was an English teacher. I love writing, and love editing even more. I started a blog to help me deal with loneliness/boredom. I am praying about starting some freelance proofreading work.

I have a question, do you make money off your blog? That may sound personal, but I loved the design so much,  I checked out CourtneyKirkland.net. It may be worth investing in if I knew I could make it back. I have read some websites about making money off blogs, but they all sound terribly confusing. Even if I don’t make any money, I would still love to reach a wider audience (of course, once I have more content). How do I do that?

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks and God bless!
Theresa

Hi Theresa,
Thank you so much for emailing me! Always nice to hear from other Air Force wives. That is so cool that you were an English teacher! I went to school for Elementary Education, and minored in English. I have not been able to finish my bachelor’s degree as of yet, but I just loved the English part of it! That is so funny you mentioned the freelance work, I have been thinking about doing that too, but I am still trying to figure out where to really start. Sounds like we are very alike!

As far as making money off your blog… It all starts with getting a lot of followers and blog views. Here is a post I wrote of blog tips when I was still on blogspot: Blogging Tips. Next, I would suggest moving to WordPress. I have a self-hosted blog through bluehost and Courtney at CourtneyKirkland.net set it all up for me. Since moving to WordPress my stats have improved x 10! WordPress is so much better for getting your posts out there, and is truly worth the money.

As far as everything else, it just depends on how much time you have and how much time you are willing to put in. I feel like this blog is almost like a part-time job (not in a bad way), but as far as how much time I spend working on it. I answer tons of emails, social network on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, blog and guest blog, and so much more! It’s a lot of time and work.

Selling ad space is a great way to make money. I recently wrote a post called 8 Steps to Advertising on Your Blog which should help you with any advertising questions you may have. I have a tons of blog tips saved on my Pinterest board from all over the web including how to make money. You can check them out here: Writing, Blogging & Social Media.

Thanks again for emailing me, please let me know if you have any other questions I would be happy to help you!

 How do I Start a Blog?

Hi Kathryn,

I do not write a blog, I am simply a blog follower. I love reading what people have to say about faith, life, and circumstance. I ran across your blog yesterday and was inspired to write you. While our sons have different diagnoses, we share a common issue…problems with our child. I have seriously thought about starting a blog for about 5 months now, but I feel as if I don’t have what it takes to be a great writer. However, my hope is to someday at least contribute to others’ blogs or possibly write a piece on certain issues I have a passion for.

The main reasons I have for wanting to start a blog are: to discuss faith-based solutions to everyday struggles and to bring more attention to my son’s genetic disorder, Neurofibromatosis Type 1. He struggles with some of the same issues as your son (spitting, hitting, banging head, etc.), has a learning disability, ADHD, and has a list of medical issues including a brain lesion in his cerebellum. I would love some advice on either starting a blog or possibly contributing to a blog.

Also, I wanted you to know that my family and I prayed for your son and for your family. I grew up in a military family for a short time (my dad was in the Navy) and I have seen how much of a struggle it can be for military wives. However, the Lord placed you with your husband because he knew you could handle it through faith! I have no doubt that we have been given our “special” children for the same reason. May God bless you in your endeavors and I look forward to reading more from you soon. Thanks in advance for any insight you can give me.

Feel free to friend me on Facebook! I have included the link above.

By His Grace,
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
I am so glad you emailed me! The cool thing about blogging is you don’t have to be a great writer. It’s a blog- it’s YOUR blog and it can be however you want. And if you are that worried about being a great writer, that tells me you are going to be better than you think! If you are interested in writing 1-2 articles for my blog I would be happy to read them and post them on my blog if they are acceptable.

As far as my advice on starting a blog, my advice to everyone is to remember it takes a lot of time and work to make your blog great. Readership does not come to you, you have to go to them first. Here is a link to all the sites that are about blogging and writing: Writing, Blogging & Social Media. I think if you start there and read several of these they can be very helpful. I also recommend starting with blogger.com or wordpress.com and move to a self-hosted blog like mine later. Start small and work your way up.

I appreciate the prayers and encouragement so much. You are right it is very hard being a military wife, and sometimes I don’t know how I do it, but I do and it’s through God’s grace. I am so sorry to hear about your kids, I am new to the world of being a special-needs parent, but I can only imagine how hard it is for you as well.

Please let me know if you have any more questions I would be more than happy to answer them!

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Looking to get your blog re-designed or transferred to WordPress? Start with one of these wonderful ladies!

• CourtneyKirkland.net (She did my site!)
• Freeborboleta Designs
• Websites & Graphic Design by Aimee
• Southtown Creative

Other Tips:
Please keep in mind that when I mention WordPress there are two different types: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.COM is very much like blogspot.com. WordPress.ORG is self-hosted which means you have to find hosting and get your own domain.

• How to Start a Blog or Website
• How to Set up Hosting and WordPress
• WordPress: Behind the Scenes
• 8 Steps to Advertising on Your Blog
• Blogging Tips
• Advertising on Facebook
• Subscribing by RSS
• Writing, Blogging & Social Media Tips

 

To my readers: What do you think? Do you have any comments, help, or tips for these ladies? What are your favorite blogging tips? Link them up in the comment section!

Have a question or need some advice? Email me at singingthroughtherain@gmail.com to get your question featured!