September influencer showcase

September 13, 2016 9:56 am Published by Kirsty Sharman

In this month’s influencer showcase we feature two successful parenting bloggers. We also asked them to share some of their own blogging tips. Here’s what they said:   Lori Pace Lori Pace, the creator of A Day in Motherhood, is  a US-based parenting blogger. In between juggling parenting and her career, Lori shares her joys of motherhood and some of its challenges and how she deals with them on her blog. Have a look at some of Lori’s blogging tips. What’s the one tip you wish you had been given to you when you started blogging? To only worry about what you are trying to achieve. I started ADayinMotherhood.com because it was cheaper than therapy. When I discovered  a year or so in that I could make an income from it, I stressed myself out comparing myself to other bloggers: “My post is better than hers, why did she get the attention? Why didn't I succeed instead of the person who seems to not care? Oh, she’s posting deals and freebies, I need to do that to grow, even though I don't use them myself.” I realised that the competition of blogging comes into play very quickly. But if you just focus on you and what your goals are, you can build an audience and reputation that stands the test of time.   Do you have an SEO tip you’d like to share with other bloggers?   Honestly, I am terrible at SEO. For years, I would read an article and immediately apply the one tip they had and expect miracles. SEO is an ongoing process and takes time but is essential for any blog that wants to grow. I have a company that manages my SEO for me now and they have taught me a lot. If you can do that in the beginning, spend the money and do it just until you get a hang of it. But if you can't, one of my best tips is to get a plugin, like Yoast, and at least complete the tasks it wants you to to do on every post to make your SEO more effective.   How often do you upload content? And how often should you be uploading content on your blog? I post almost every day and sometimes, five to six times a day. It depends on my schedule and what I have to get done. I suggest at least once a day, maybe taking a Friday off, when blog traffic is generally low. A steady schedule is important when building a blog and reputation. You want readers and brands to see you as consistent and reliable.   What advice would you give up-and-coming bloggers to get noticed by brands? The best advice I can give any blogger is to never miss a deadline, barring unforeseen circumstances, of course. If a review comes in and you promised the company feedback in a week, make sure it’s done in a week. If a client hires you for  a sponsored post, thank them, ask any questions up front as soon as you receive the instructions, and then make sure your post is on time. Companies talk, often using the same PR company, and bad news spreads like wildfire. Treat your blog like a brick and mortar business. Show up on time, keep it clean and well maintained, and meet your customers’ deadlines.   Jen Walshaw

Jen is the writer of the award-winning blog The Mad House. If you love arts and craft, easy cooking or just need a new perspective on parenting, look no further. Here are some of Jen’s blogging tips.

  What’s the one tip you wish you had been given when you started blogging?   Use bigger pictures! Looking back I used tiny images on my blog and wish I had optimised them for the site using the largest to fit the page.   Do you have an SEO tip you’d like to share with other bloggers? Not to worry about it too much initially. Bloggers tend to write SEO-optimised content quite naturally. In fact, when I started blogging I had no idea what SEO was. I think that it’s okay to admit that you’re unsure how to do something. Use paragraphs and headings and consider using an SEO optimisation plugin. How often do you upload content? And how often should you be uploading content on your blog?   Currently, I post four or five days out of seven, some weeks I post seven times and other weeks just three. I think that it’s okay to upload content only when you have something to say. All in all I have posted nearly 2 000 posts in over seven years. You need to make sure you market your content, as well as produce it, but I spend the same amount of time sharing that content.   What advice would you give up-and-coming bloggers to get noticed by brands? Write great content that interests you. That way it’ll also appeal to readers. Brands love bloggers who engage with their readers and community. For me it was about producing creative content in my own way that got brands interested in working with me and my blog.   To stand a chance to be featured in our next influencer showcase. Tweet us your media kit. Here’s how you can create your own media kit.