Brit Mums: Bloggers Studio - Crossing The Chasm to Bring Your Blog to the Next Level

I know this is my 5th post about Brit Mums Live and I do apologise profusely but it is my blog, my space, my rules ;-)

I would just like to do some posts typing up my notes from some of the talks, so here goes:

Bloggers' Studio: Crossing the Chasm - How to Bring Your Blog to The Next Level

Disclaimer: I am not claiming to have written everything they said, although I have been known to do that in the past as I am a natural minutes note taker, but on this occassion I just wrote what was important or struck a cord with me...

For Northern Mum, she does not get the technical stuff and it is all about content.

Her Melness Speaks says that there needs to be a compelling reason it [your blog] exists.  The reason does not have to be as profound as hers.  Crap content begets a crap blog.  Grammar, content and being really circumspect makes a really good blog.  Spelling interrupts thought because it makes people say "oh dear, I WAS enjoying that".  Make your writing truthful to the author.  Every blog has an implied contract with readers.  Be consistent with your message and your voice.  Superior blogs HELP OTHER BLOGGERS.  HMS gave an example of this in that Nickie from I am Typecast mentioned her on her blog 2.5 years ago and that is why she was with us at Brit Mums Live.

Mel has kindly typed up her notes, as a presenter from Crossing The Chasm and includes them here in this post.


Michelle from Mummy From The Heart says that she has no desire to be a writer.  When reading her blog you are walking with her.  She is a marmite blogger who started in 2008 and is a self-confessed slow-starter.  7 month old twins at the time, so her blog sat on the cyber shelf for a year.  Wasn't open to public viewing and only gave URL to a couple of people.  2010 did not use Twitter.  People she commented on came back for a visit and realised that not all Christians wear socks and sandals (I do!!!!).  She has now been successfully running Reasons to be Cheerful for 72 weeks and does lots of initiatives for new bloggers.  She recommends: do what makes you happy and be completely unique!

Nickie from I am Typecast says: every person has their own story to tell.  She had a huge life event that made her go on forums and there was "nothing out there" so she decided to speak out.  There was only medical and corporate info and she wanted people's stories and experiences.  Your message is the reason you write.  It is the soap box you stand on.  Nickie is a self-confessed media whore.    She said we need the snowball effect.  We need to widen our network.

Nickie says: mix it up a little and let it grow.  Don't have to network with just other parent bloggers.

Maggy from Red Ted Art says:
She gets 10-15k hits a day.  She hopes the people reading want to get crafty with their kids.  On the back of her blog she has a book deal coming.

Her recommendations are:

• Good content and put in effort.
• Presentation and photographs (she is tempted to delete her earlier ones but believes they are part of her story/history)
• Progressed a lot in photography
• Grabs people's attention so that they stay and read
• Engage with other people.
• Using Google + well can increase your search results
• Embrace and go with the flow
• Pinterest - session on it tomorrow.
• Nickie says: respond to comments on your blog.

Over to Nickie again:
Her blog is about discussion.  Leaving more comments leads to getting more comments. Make an effort to build your community.   Freedom to write about what I want and tone.  Find new blogs and new things to say/read.

Maggy:
Broaden horizon or start a 2nd blog.  She has started a 2nd blog, and cross-links them both.

This post above is really ramblings on a note pad as I was sometimes listening, not scribbling.

If you want to hear more, Nickie has written about the session on her own blog here.
So has Her Melness as I said above - here is her full presentation below her recap of the event itself.

Bye for now, Liska
xx

Why did you have children? How have they changed your life?

Hi

I write this post for

Due to their Do Something Yummy campaign http://www.yummymummy.org.uk/
brought to my attention by the awareness Nickie is raising by hosting these weekly writing prompts  here here and here.

Nickie gave 3 writing prompts:

1. Personal post.  Why did you have children?  How have they changed your life?
2. Yummy post. 
3. Creative writing.

I chose the 1st one.

Over to my post.  But after writing that, I am now scratching my grey matter to come up with a fund raising idea.  I may just have thought of one.  I will let it simmer a while.

-------------------------------------

I started trying for a baby on Good Friday 2009.  April.

I had wanted to since 2007 (and before) but was far far far too scared of labour.  Proper scared.

Anyway, along comes the beginning of 2009 and I say to hubby I am too overweight to get pregnant, "give me a few weeks I'll do a detox" - I even wrote posts about trying to lose weight here, but proceeded not to lose any.  I didn't admit on that blog that my goal for weight loss was trying to start a family.  April came, and I was still the same size.

So roll on Good Friday and we are in Ikea, and I am looking at scented candles.  A heavily pregnant lady walked passed and I looked at her. Her radiance connected with me on a really really deep level and I bawled like a baby, right there in Ikea.

The minute we got home, we made love on the sofa.

I got pregnant, from that 1st attempt, but, a few week later, we had implantation failure..... most wouldn't know and would think they were late, and that it was a heavier than normal period. I am normally neither and am consistent, for like 25 years +.

Anyway, we tried every month from April till September and the only thing that got me through it was Net Mums.

The longer time went on, the more I wanted my baby. It was all consuming. I read about it, talked about it, didn't think about anything else.

And for me, having been a workaholic, I needed it to be like that. I would have taken it for granted if it came too soon. I needed to need, I needed to wait, I needed to nurture that space inside me, and I needed to long... long for my creation.

I wrote the below poem on Friday 18th September 2009. When I wrote it, I was pregnant, and did not know...... as I was in the famous 2 weeks waiting..... My last cycle started 31st August 2009.

(I retain all creative rights and copyright - ha ha ha).

I am a spiritual lady who so dearly wants a baby
I would oh so like the bump I'm impatient, got the hump
two weeks worth of waiting is getting really grating
But I do really love this thread Gets it all out of my head
A little girl or a boy Will be my pride and joy
Oh Lord when will it be that my beloved child I will see
I love you. I want you.

I posted it on netmums at the time. Thankfully I just found it (by wading through the forum which was quite time consuming).

I also started this blog before I was pregnant. A bit ambitious I know.

This was my 1st post, here on this blog.

Bye for now, Liska and my pride and joy Aaron xxx