Ok, so I’ve only been back from my whirlwind weekend in Baltimore for about 15 hours and I’m already chomping at the bit to implement all of the knowledge that I gained! I seriously have a nervous feeling in my stomach right now because I’m fully aware that I need to put this stuff in place while it is still fresh in my brain. I’m also fully aware that my total-stud of a four year old is ALSO fully aware that his mama was away for the entire weekend and he absolutely intends to cram every single minute of Lego action that I missed the past two days into these first few morning hours. I’m hoping I can squeeze this post out before he decides that he’s totally had it with me and dumps all of the contents of his Lego bin onto the floor in order to prove a point.
First and foremost, this past weekend was nothing short of incredible. All blog-related tips aside, the absolute best part of the trip for me was finally getting to meet some of the amazing women who I’ve formed such great connections with since I started blogging in October. I’m resisting the urge to go into some big long hoopla about each and every person I met and how they fully lived up to their awesomeness (and don’t even get me started on my bloggy sister). Instead, I’m applying one of the first things that I learned at boot camp. If I want people to actually read my entire post instead of giving up after the first paragraph, then I need to quit trying to write a novel with every post and use the space bar a little more often.
Since it wasn’t that long ago that I was a newbie blogger, I thought that the best way to go about this post was to highlight the key topics that I think are most beneficial to bloggers who are just starting out. I’m hoping to take some of the guess work out of blogging for those people who know that they want to move forward and dive a little deeper into the blogosphere but aren’t sure what they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do.
Here goes nothin’.
KNOW THE EFFECTIVE WAY TO COMMENT
This one may have taken me a few months to get the hang of when I first started blogging, and after this weekend I was so pleased to learn that I had figured it out somewhere along the way. Basically, here’s the lowdown.
- It’s a total give and take. If you want to get comments, you have to give comments. You can’t just start a blog and throw a post up and expect for people to come out of the woodwork and discover you. You have to visit other blogs, follow other blogs, and leave comments regularly on those other blogger’s posts if you want to see some love in return. Reciprocity is key in the blog world.
- When leaving a comment, make it authentic. Basically, if you’re going to take the time to leave a comment, then take the time to READ THE POST FIRST. If you say something along the lines of, “Great post!”, or “Thanks for stopping by MY blog!”, or “I’m here from such-and-such!”, without any sort of reference to the post you are commenting on, then you are pretty much giving away the fact that you have no idea what the actual post was about because you didn’t read it. You are basically saying, “I really don’t care about your post and I don’t have time to actually read your post, but I DO want you to come back to my blog and leave a meaningful comment on MY post.” Again, it’s all about reciprocity people! Honestly, I have left comments thanking people for stopping by my blog, but along with that I always include some feedback for the post in question. I think a good rule of thumb is: If you can’t manage to come up with an authentic comment, then it’s best not to leave one.
- Turn off word verification! I can’t stress this one enough. I had it for about a month on blogger, and then someone advised me to remove it. And you know what? I got WAY more comments after I took it off. Don’t question this one. Just DO IT!
KNOW YOUR BRAND
- Be clear on who you are. This is one area where I think I’m on the right track (or at least I hope I am)! One thing that was too funny at boot camp was the fact that no one had any idea who I was when I introduced myself with my first and last name. And I pretty much had no idea who anyone was when they introduced themselves with their first and last name either. When you brought blog names into the mix however, it was a whole different story. I heard a lot of, “OH YEAH! I KNOW YOU!” If people can immediately picture your blog in their head when you give them the name, then that is a good example of branding.
-Be clear on what you do. Make sure that when readers visit your blog, they easily get a sense of what exactly you write about. Taglines or phrases in your header are an easy way to do this. At the top of my blog, I have my title, The Mommyologist, and underneath I have my tagline: “Analyzing Motherhood with Laughter and Honesty, And Trying Not to Lose My Mind in the Process.” This lets my potential readers know that I write about being a mom and that I use humor as my delivery method. I think it’s pretty clear from my header that they aren’t going to find posts about gardening on my site. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Gardening is great, and I wish I had the patience to do it. But if I was going to write a gardening blog then I’d be the Flowerologist or something to that effect.
- Pick one or two Memes and stick with them. I won’t go into the whole debate over how the word Meme is actually pronounced (for the record, it rhymes with dream…Scary Mommy filled us in). If you have one or two memes that you participate in on a consistent basis, then your readers know what to expect from you. They will start to anticipate those posts and actually visit your blog without thinking about it because they are actually looking forward to your meme post. I do What the Heck? Wednesday and I try to keep up with it every week when I can. I even have a button for it now and I’m hoping more people jump on the bandwagon with me (hint, hint, wink, wink, shameless plug). I also have a new series that I’m working on that won’t be a weekly thing, but hopefully it will become something that people associate me with.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
- It’s ok to say NO. This was a big one for me. I have just started to get into the whole review and giveaway thing on my blog, and to be honest it can be a little overwhelming at times. It is so exciting when the emails from PR reps start rolling in and you start getting offers for giveaways and reviews. I was so happy to finally be getting noticed that I found myself saying yes to pretty much every inquiry that I got. And you know what? I started to get stressed out. I started to get overwhelmed. I started to get snippy with the people around me as a result of being overwhelmed and stressed. And that just isn’t good. Blogging is supposed to be fun and it is supposed to be FOR YOU. It is ok to set boundaries on what you will and won’t review and/or giveaway. It is ok to speak up and ask for more when you feel as though you aren’t getting what you need in return for the advertising you are going to provide for a product. And it is ok to say no.
KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORT
- There are plenty of people who are willing to help you. One of the very best things that I ever did as a blogger was to join SITS. Putting that adorable leopard print button on my sidebar was one of the very first things that I did when I started my blog. I didn’t even really know what it meant when I added it, but I do now. I had the pleasure of meeting Tiffany, one of the SITS founders, this past weekend and her energy is absolutely contagious. She is truly passionate about what she does, and she offers an incredible support system for women bloggers. The SITS motto is, “The Secret to Success is Support.” I don’t think that it gets much more true than that. If you aren’t a member of SITS yet, then head on over and join today. You won’t believe the amazing connections you make.
Well, there you have it folks! I didn’t touch on everything that was covered at Bloggy Boot Camp because that would’ve been virtually impossible to do if I ever intend on finishing this post. With that being said, please feel free to email me at themommyologist(at)gmail(dot)com with any other questions you may have about what went on in Baltimore. I am more than happy to share!
Click here to grab a button 
Definitely blogging words to live by! The resounding quote in my mind has been, “Know Your Worth”. It was empowering and the women fabulous! (no matter what is being said in the gutter!
~kristin
Great job summing up all the important advice from Boot Camp – and I feel the same way about immediate implementation! I keep feeling that I need to start everything now or I’ll forget it all!
You rock! I’m SO Sad I couldn’t be there!!! I am heeding your advice and removing the word verification. I won’t lie…I’m nervous to do it, but I trust you and those ladies at SITS. =) Thank you so much for your summary…it’s invaluable to girls like me who didn’t have the honor and pleasure of being at bootcamp this weekend! =) Glad you had a GREAT time!!!!!!
I recognized you from your fabulous rack! It was so great meeting you and getting to know you!
I never knew what “meme” meant…
Good to know! And I love What the Heck Wednesday by the way…
oooooh, so that’s how you pronounce meme. I had no idea – seriously. Thanks for filling us in – I so wanted to go!
I think I’ll be lazy and not write my post- I’ll just say “Go see my bloggysister’s post!”
The whole experience was phenomenal, informative, and well-worth the time, travel, and money! Tiffany was so right when she said, “”There is never a time to be overwhelmed by doing free work.” Sometimes we are going to have to Just Say No.
So glad to have met you in Baltimore! Hope I’ll see you in Philly, too!
Thanks for sharing! Have I mentioned how excited I am that I’ll be going to San Francisco and learning all of this myself? Haha! I think you’ve got something GREAT Going here and you are most definitely on the right track with your branding etc. Keep up the good work. You are easily one of MY favorite reads
Great tips! I totally agree with reciprocity thing & the authentic comments. I have been guilty of leaving something short and sweet like “great post” but I do make sure I read what the blogger has posted, but I now see that it may not appear that way. Thanks for the hints & tips! Have a wonderful week!
I think you may be on to a second bloggy career: “The boobieologist”? Mu table would totally vibrate over that one
Sounds like a great experience and I’m glad you picked up some info that you can put into use! Now don’t go away again too soon!
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing! I recently turned off the word verification thingy on my comments and it’s true, I really have gotten more comments.
I had a fabulous time there meeting everyone and learned so much from those wonderful speakers!
I love having the support of such fabulous women.
Great review. Thanks for posting it. I am so sad that I wasn’t able to go!
And now I’m sure you’re in LEGO hell. Better you than me! LOL
Dear Flowerologist –
Thanks for taking the time to recap all this fantastic information. Hopefully you don’t have too many mounds of Legos to pick up! I have been struggling with a few of these areas myself and think I have finally gotten it straightened out. And AMEN to the word verification. That drives me crazy!! I wish I was able to be there with everyone, looking forward to PHX!!
Great post!!
Lol!
;D
I think it is hilarious when i get a comment where you can totally tell that the person did NOT read my post.
Thanks for all of the info. I believe I will be going to join SITS now.
I love these blog gathering recaps. Since I am still just starting out I can’t even imagine having the confidence to sign up. I love hearing what you learn….I love comparing it to what I “think” I know or what I have figured out about blogging on my own.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m sooooo jealous that you got to go to Bloggy Boot Camp. I keep trying to get Tiffany and the SITS girls to come England but no luck yet
I’m still undecided about doing reviews….mainly because I’m not really a dog food/air freshner/nappies kinda girl!!!!!!!!!!
This post is helpful and makes me feel like I actually was in Baltimore. (Well, minus the crabs.) I still don’t think I understand what a meme is but I am definitely taking your “give and get love” advice because right now my daughters and I blog together and, while we’re enjoying talking to each other, it’d be nice to hear what other people think of what we’re saying.Thanks for lots of great stuff.
This is a fantastic wrap up- I love it!! Linking to it now.
This was a great post- I love how you laid out the info- and it was so helpful for me to see the pieces you took away from it.
I love meeting bloggers who totally match the person I’ve made them out to be- and you totally did- you have such a funny, humorous and open way about you.
We would so be friend IRL- oh, wait, now we are!
Great post girl! I loved meeting you and hopefully I will see you in Philly.
I wish I would have been able to go to Baltimore, but this was a great recap for those o us who couldn’t make it. I definitely agree that you get what you give and you should always be true to yourself when blogging.
Good job at squeezing out this post and I hope you don’t have too many Legos to clean up as a result. Have a great day!
Thanks so so much for sharing some of your “priceless” info. from Bloggy Bootcamp! I hope someday my blog is big enough for me to be able to go!! I seriously took notes from reading your post and I’m so excited not only to get rid of my word conformation on my comments but also to head on over to SITS and see what it’s all about! LOVE YOUR BLOG!!
PS: Have fun playing your Lego’s!
Thank you so much! I’m really trying to fix my blog up, and this post was super informative! Thank you for taking the time to help others!
A new follower,
Mana
Since I wasn’t able to go to Bloggy Boot Camp it’s great that you could re-cap some of the main points covered. It’s good to see that I’m doing somethings, and not so good to see that I’m not doing others. Thanks for the info!
Thank you for sharing these helpful tips from your blogging conference! I wish I could go to a conference, they sound like so much fun and I would love to meet some of my blogging peers and friends!
Great recap mama! Spot on points and I’m glad you are finally saying NO! If you said yes to every pitch that came your way, your blog wouldn’t be your own.
This was great!
See I always thought meme rhymed with ‘theme’ and was short for member… like all the members of the club post the same stuff…
Thank you so much for such a great recap for those of us that couldn’t be there! I’m so hoping to get to the one in Philly! These are great tips and such helpful information. It’s so great to visit other blogs and comment. Not only do you get in some great reading, but you make some fantastic bloggy friends! Wish I could have met you, I’m so glad you had fun!
This has GOT to be the best recap of Boot Camp I’ve read. Look at this gang she’s got a “great rack” and a kick ass brain.. who’d a thunk it? (um ALL the other moms out there!). I’ll be tweeting and linking to this just so you know in advance that I’m ripping you off.
I was thinkiing about attending this boot camp in Oct. You’ve helped me make up my mind. I’m going.
That meme thing, reading your comments was like a aha moment. I want to participate sometimes, but not too often…
I look forward to reading more of you.
Thank you so much for posting. I so badly wanted to be there. Your Cliff’s Notes version was great. I am a new blogger: I started in January. I am slowly learning all of these little things, but when I read a post like this it’s nice to know that a blog as successful as yours was once where I am. Have a delightful week!
I loved meeting you at bootcamp. I had a great time with you over dinner and drinks. I love your re-cap it was so right on.
I’ll be following you and reading you more, off to add you to my blogroll as well.
hugs,
Kim
Thanks for sharing these tips! I’m always eager to get advice on blogging. I also like it when bloggers have an email address on their blog so that I can respond to comments that way. What have you found to be the most efficient way to respond to comments?
What a great recap. I still can’t quite believe I made it through the whole even w/out meeting you. Are you going to Philly??
Dealing with the Lego dynamic here too.
Thanks for the tips!!
I will check out What The Heck Wednesday this week! (see shameless plugs work!) LOL
I saw DiPaola Momma’s tweet about your recap on the Bloggy Boot Camp. Great job! Hope you don’t mind that I gave your post a shout out on my blog.
I’m so glad I got a chance to meet you at Boot Camp! OMGosh! So much fun and so much knowledge
You put together and awesome recap, esp for new bloggers or people who just can’t get to Boot Camp themselves. Well done!
Thank you for recapping! The information is really great and helpful for new bloggers like me!
Stopping by from POM’s Connect MeMe and so glad I did. I’m your newest follower and I love your blog already =)
Thanks for doing the recap, it was super easy to read and follow. Love all the pointers, and I didn’t know meme rhymed with dream. I’m a follower now.
I found your blog through the Lady Bloggers Society AND I’M SO GLAD I DID!
Awesome tips! Thanks. I’ll be checking back often.
Oh my gosh. Ok, first of all, I so needed this post. I’ve been closet blogging for years and I’m just, within the last 3 – 4 months, really starting to understand the community. Your post really hit home.
Second of all, I’ve been following you for awhile, but every time I went to my blogger dashboard to read your recent posts, I couldn’t figure out what had happened…did the switch to WP take that long? Noooo, Denise, you just never switched over to the Mommyologist’s new blog address. Duh. Hey. Hit me over the head with a Tweet. (I see your tweets, we tweet each other, but even that didn’t connect it for me).
Thirdly, so glad the weekend was great. enjoyed seeing your updates via Twitter! xoxo
Thanks for sharing! I found you over at The professional Family Manager. I will be pouring over everyone who was at Boot Camps posts for the next week. There’s is so much cool stuff I want to learn!
I love this post! It sounds like an AMAZING time. And I am so happy for how much learned and for all of the awesome people you got to meet!
xoxo
Thank you so much for sharing these tips. I didn’t realize I could change the word verification setting – so thanks!!
Great points! Good info…I know some of it, most of it…but a refresher is always helpful. So should I go tot SF in August?
I was there. I learned one thing: wear a shirt that says, “SAY HI TO THE DUMMY! SHE WANTS TO MEET YOU, BUT HAS A HARD TIME RECOGNIZING FACES AND REMEMBERING NAMES WHICH MAKES HER SWEAT AND WANT TO CRY SO HELP A SITSTAH OUT AND SAY WHAT’S UP!” Think I’ll try to get that done for my next engagement!