Today’s post in the 12 Steps to Blogging Success series in an interview with Danielle Smith and Aliza Sherman, authors of Mom Incorporated: A Guide to Baby and Business. In this interview we’ll explore ways to excel, and pitfalls to avoid, when it comes to developing that business mindset.

 1. What is one way you see mothers excelling when they set their mind to running a new business?

There is something about being a mom: we just figure it out. We don’t always know the ‘right’ answers, but we have a level of perseverance that pushes us through the toughest of circumstances. Learning to juggle a new business while giving your family the love and attention they need? It IS tough and it does require determination and focus. But somehow, we manage.

We view our budding business as a new addition to our family, and we nurture it as such. We recognize it will require late nights, it will cost us sleep, we will alternately love it to death and want to throw our hands in the air, certain we are doing everything all wrong. But as we do with our small people, we keep going. We don’t give up. We may switch tactics and then try again, always striving to do our best.

2. Once someone decides to build a business, what steps do you encourage them to take?

The beautiful thing about this decision is that you have options. You might want to start a business that allows you to have a certain lifestyle or one that generates serious income. You might want a business that will grow into something ‘big’ or could be looking to ‘go big’ right out of the gate. In Mom, Incorporated, we detail each of these types of businesses because we believe that deciding what type of business you want to build will dictate your next steps.

We’re also big on planning and outline how to put your ideas for your business down on paper and create a business plan. What else do you need? Do you need to hire help or carve out some space in your home to work? We provide information on how to do this.

We also suggest that you have a long conversation with your spouse or significant other about your plans. Not only will it help you to map out a clear picture of where you are going and what you need, but it will allow your partner to better understand how to support your plans.

3. I love how Mom, Inc discusses several business models and types but I’ve found that many principles of good business are relevant to all businesses. What is one of the big mistakes women make in business?

Many women find it challenging to ask for the help they need, both in their home and in their actual business. On the home front, it can be hard to ask for help, and yet it is often this work – childcare, cooking, and cleaning – that can keep us from accomplishing the work we need to do for our business. On the business side, we often feel as though we are supposed to be a master-of- all-things and that only we can do things “just right.”

But the reality is, we should rely on professionals to tackle specialty tasks: web design, accounting, editing – and even turn to someone to assist us with the “busy work” so we can focus on the parts of the business that makes us money.

4. What was the biggest change you went through in your own mindset while you were building your OWN businesses?

Danielle: How much time do you have? I think, for me… the biggest challenge has been acknowledging the evolution. I have needed to embrace the fact that my business is evolving…. and initially I was surrounded by people who refused to take me or my ‘business’ seriously. And that makes it difficult to take yourself seriously. But I made a conscious choice. If I want this to be ‘real’, I must treat it as such. I need to create my own destiny. No one is going to do it for me.

Aliza: I think delegating has been my greatest challenge and biggest mindset change. It took a really long time to learn how to let go, assign tasks, and be okay with the process and the outcome. I’ve learned that there are people out there who specialize and excel at certain things – like booking travel or researching things on the Internet or data entry – things that aren’t the best use of my time. If I assign the right tasks to the right people, the result is I can focus on the big creative work and the revenue generating work. This is a lesson we teach in our book, and one that I continue to learn and refine over time. I still catch myself trying to “do it all” sometimes, but I catch myself and then hand off the task and feel a sense of relief.

Win Your Own Copy of Mom, Incorporated

Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment with one aspect of your business that presents the biggest challenge for you, and one step you’ve taken recently to address that challenge!

Winner will be drawn January 30th, 11:59pm CST. US residents 18 and over only, void where prohibited by law. 

Heather Solos of Home-Ec101 and I are both firm believers in the idea of treating a business like a business. When we had the chance to speak at BlogWorld Expo LA this is precisely what we spoke about.

Here is the slideshow and audio of our presentation. You will find a couple main focuses in this conference session.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Professionalism as a Blogger

Speaking with Heather Solos at BlogWorld Expo LA 2011

We talk about the benefits of professionalism and why it’s important. From there we touch on the hallmarks of professionalism, what it looks like, and how to increase yours.

Blogging at the next level doesn’t mean you have to put you into a corporate mold – you can still be yourself and keep a flexible schedule. However, if you want to be paid well for your blogging, you have to make sure that you are worth paying!

Acting with professionalism as a blogger means cultivating the business knowledge and experience that you need (see my list of must-read business and blogging books). Other hallmarks of professional blogging behavior include clear communication, acting with reliability, and knowing where you are heading.

Productivity as a Blogger

The other thing that happens when you are blogging as a business is that you have to get stuff done. Bottom line. You can’t not blog for weeks or months at time and expect to be taken seriously in this arena. I’m not saying you have to blog 5 times a day, or even every day. But you should be blogging regularly.

Our tips for getting more done aren’t magical in any way. Most are common sense but sometimes you need a reminder. Consider this your friendly kick in the pants. Plan your goals ahead. Prioritize your task list carefully. Delegate wisely and be sure you’re making the most of every opportunity. And use your tools wisely – you don’t have to do it all on your own with today’s level of technology.

I hope you enjoy the BlogWorld Expo presentation Heather and I put together. If you want to see the rest of the incredible BlogWorld Expo sessions from far more experienced bloggers than me, check out the BlogWorld Expo Virtual Ticket where you’ll get access to nearly every session.

See all Twelve Steps to Successful Blogging for more in this learning series.

What are your favorite tools for productivity? What areas are you best in when it comes to being professional?

This post is part of the 12 Steps to Blogging Success Series for Step One.

One of the things I do to help develop and grow a business mindset is to invest in quality reading and educational material. Here’s a list of 12 must-read books for business and blogging that you should add to your bookshelf this year.

(Note – if one of your favorites didn’t make the list, let me know in the comments. And realize – some books will be reviewed and mentioned in the step where they are best suited. This list is specifically about business skills and general blogging information.)

1. The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success by Jeff Olson

This is one of the top books on my list for everyone – it’s such a simple concept but so profound when you begin to apply it to your life. And not just in business, but in every area. Jeff Olson just released a new edition of the book available in paperback or Kindle. This book is a true life-changer, no doubt about it.

2. The New Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Large, Loyal, Profitable Network Using the Social Web by Mari Smith

I just picked up a signed copy of The New Relationship Marketing at BlogWorld Expo in November and love it. I think this book will benefit bloggers because we inherently are seeking to build up a network. Whether huge or small-but-passionate, Mari covers a lot of really useful information. She also provides tons of additional resources that will hep you prioritize your efforts and maximize your time. The book was almost worth the cost for the spreadsheets and worksheets alone. Priceless!

3. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by Problogger

While this is an ebook, it is one that I consider a must for all bloggers. If you don’t have this book  yet, you need to pick it up. Bottom line. I worked through this series on angengland.com and you can see the full 31 Days to Build a Better Blog series and work through that when you pick up a copy of the book or need a refresher course. This is a book I turn to when I’m feeling stuck or in need of motivation in my blogging.

4. Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

This book is a good one for you to read, in my opinion, because bloggers really do build up an equity of trust with their readers, colleagues and clients. And it’s not just in terms of trying to sell them, but in all aspects of the relationship. My readers expect a high level of information, because I work hard to provide quality posts or a unique, personal perspective. That is a trust I take seriously – it makes me a Trust Agent. And you are too – or should be. Trust Agents explains what that entails and how to not screw it up.

5. The Flinch – By Julien Smith

A free download on Kindle it is everything you would expect from a book by Julien Smith – insightful and thought-provoking. When I asked a group of speakers from BlogWorld Expo about their goals in the coming year, one of them mentioned she wanted to reach out and explore more opportunities without letting fear hold her back. That’s precisely what The Flinch is about – embracing the flinch and moving beyond fear and self-doubt.

6. Mom, Incorporated: A Guide to Business and Baby by Danielle Smith and Aliza Sherman

Mom Incorporated is spot-on in exploring the unique challenges of creating a new business, any business, as a mother. I think much of the advice and conversations in this book would be relevant to any parent pursuing a new business. Not just applicable to bloggers, the business advice in this book will help you understand the must-know basics of business that you should be addressing. Watch for an interview with Danielle and Aliza coming soon!

7. The Radical Leap Re-Energized: Doing What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do by Steve Farber

I had the privilege of hearing Steve speak at SOBCon Chicago 2011 and he was fabulous. We received a copy of his new book, The Radical Leap Re-Energized and it rocketed to my top must-read list. It’s not technical, and it doesn’t read like a typical “self-help” or leadership book. It’s intelligent and an easy read book that leads you through an entertaining novel-like story and teaches you something along the way. Learn how to leap into your OS!Ms and take your life in an exciting direction with confidence.

8. Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

One of the areas in which all of the top bloggers really excel is in creating a feeling of community. Whether that is centered around their blog, a cause, a passion, or a journey, there is some sort of community being built around that. And that’s the case that Seth Godin makes in his book, Tribes. Don’t expect this to be a leadership “how-to” book, but rather to be a book that will motivate you to think about and consider what YOUR tribe might be and to remember why it’s important.

9. The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry

The Accidental Creative snags you right from the start and plants little splinters of interesting thoughts in your mind. Bloggers definitely fall into the category of “creatives” and learning how to do that on a consistent basis is one of the biggest roadblocks to long-term success. How often have you seen a new blogger quit after only a couple of months? Learn how to avoid “burnout” by combining three elements: Brilliant + Prolific + Healthy = “producing great work consistently and in a sustainable way.” After all, isn’t that what every blogger wants?

10. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown

This isn’t specifically a business book or a blogging book, but like The Slight Edge, The Gifts of Imperfection is a life book. It’s a book that explores what it means to be wholehearted and the huge ramifications this type of wholeheartedness can have. This book explores the tools that vulnerability puts at our disposal and guideposts to help us remain wholehearted in life, love and work. The echoes of this type of courage are profound.

11. Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keywords for Success by Mike Krzyzewski and Jamie Spatola (Coach K’s daughter)

While “Coach K” as he’s called, is a basketball coach this is a book I would add to the top twelve must-reads in the coming year. Beyond Basketball is precisely that, a book that looks at principles of success reaching far beyond the court. My husband bought the audio version of this book because he loves basketball and I came into the book about halfway through. After we finished, I made him replay the audio book on our road trip so I could listen to rest. Coach K shares some action words and what they mean to him in a series of essays that are easy to read and process, but profound and inspirational to listen to.

12. Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months by Melinda Emerson

I like that this book doesn’t sugar coat the reality of running a business. It’s. Not. Easy. There is a reason why most small business fail within the first few months – because they never should have been started in the first place. Melinda does a great job of starting this book with a look at evaluating and planning. I’m a huge fan of having a plan in place and Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months will help you do exactly that, while staying flexible enough to cope with the unexpected you’re sure to encounter. From the very first chapter you begin working through a series of questions that will be eye-opening about whether or not this is the right path for you. And if it is – you have a friendly guide to hold your hand along the way.

The links I used are affiliate links. Some of these books were given to me and some of these books I’ve purchased.  They are all on my bookshelf or Kindle and are books I recommend!

I hope you will invest in a book or two each month this year – it’s one of my non-negotiable expenses. Feeding my mind with quality content is essential and I generally pick up one or two books like these each month. Do you have a favorite not on the list? Share it in the comments!

In future steps I’ll cover topic-specific books like Mom Blog SEO and List Building for Bloggers but I think it’s important for bloggers who want to develop a business to invest in BUSINESS and life-development books, not just technical tutorial books. A well-rounded blogger is a more successful blogger in life and work both!

Grab a cup and let's explore steps for success in blogging!

This year one of the focuses I’m planning for AngEngland.com is another big blog series. I still get emails and comments about Ten Habits of Successful Blogging. So this year I’m going to focus this series less on the attitudes of successful blogging and more on the action steps we can take.

These are twelve steps to blogging success I want to cover in 2012. Each month will explore one of these steps in-depth and take a closer look at all the ins and outs. So without further ado here are the twelve steps to blogging success

1 – Decide to Treat it Like a Business

This is the step where you put on your business mindset. I loved the quote from Darren Rowse he shared in his BlogWorld Expo Keynote Session – Blogging Motivations. He said, “If you want your blog to be a business “one day”….Treat it as one Today!” and that’s exactly what we’ll talk about in January.

• 12 Business and Blogging Books to Read in 2012
• Professionalism and Productivity BlogWorld Expo Session Video
• Women Who Mean Business – Interview with Mom, Incorporated Author

2 – Understand Your Core Message and Branding

Once you decide your blogging goals, it’s time to settle on your core message. The beginning of branding yourself and your blog. This also involves being consistent and figuring out what to say – and what not to say.

3 – Don’t Ignore the Technical Details

Ah yes – those pesky little details. Things like security, hosting your own website, the basics of SEO and more. I’ll cover the best resources and how to get on the right path technically without going insane.

4 – Consider the Visual Elements

Design is so important. So are photographs and other visual elements. Learning how to use design, graphics, photographs and videos effectively can help you build a more successful blog. The other element of visual cues we’ll discuss in step 4 is how layout and structure effects readability of your site.

Brainstorm your content and strategy.

5 – Plan Your Content Strategically

One of my personal favorites – the content. You know me – always something to say. Good content strategy means assessing what you have on your blog, and planning what needs to be created next. It also means choosing keywords wisely and following an editorial calendar.

6 – Remember and Honor Your Readers

What would a blog be without our readers? Not much! Connecting with readers means that you aren’t writing for “followers” – you’re connecting with friends. Building relationships. Creating a community around your blog means that you are honoring your readers as equals. As valued.

7 – Reach Your Audience Where They Are

Use a variety of means and methods to spread your message so that readers can easily stay connected. Rss, email newsletters, and mobile-friendly websites are all some of the ways you can make it convenient for your readers to be found.

8 – Use Social Networks Appropriately

This is where we touch base on some best practices – facebook and giveaways, pinterest and recipe stealing, and a bunch of others. We’ll examine some of the most interesting ways to build a conversation outside of your blog and the pros and cons of the most popular social networks.

9 – Create or Offer a Product for Sale

One of the best ways I’ve found to monetize a blog is to offer a product for sale. Whether that’s your own product, or someone else’s doesn’t matter. And of course, a “product for sale” can also be your own services – a consultation gig, a blog design or graphic work.

10 – Build Traffic and Market Yourself

Lots of tips coming in this step for how to build traffic and put yourself out there. Sometimes you need to just take a leap of action here – even when you feel a little outside of your comfort zone. Part of it is just having the confidence to say, “I have something valuable to offer the world!” Traffic building can happen organically and naturally – especially when you have a smart plan.

11 – Look Outside Yourself

You’ve heard the saying “Two heads are better than one” and that is definitely true in the blogging community. Some of the best things I’ve done in my blogging is to reach out to others. Attend conferences in person and connect with other bloggers. Reach out and create a joint venture project. Publish guest posts, or invite guests to post on your blog, and share your communities.

12 – Evaluate and Change When Needed

Learn how to read your analytics and use them to create a blog plan: new content ideas, new communities and blogging friends, and make note of pages that need to be cleaned up. You should regularly tweak your strategy based on what works, what your readers are asking for, and what you are learning in your personal and professional life.

These twelve steps to Blogging Success in 2012 are going to be exciting to explore in-depth. I’ll list resources, in-depth techniques and expert guests. If you have any recommendations feel free to let me know.

Which of these twelve steps of successful blogging do you need the most help with? Follow the hashtag #12steps on Twitter and subscribe to this blog to keep up!

One of the things I attribute my success in building a viable income from home (Number 8 on the list) to is investing in myself through conferences, webinars and other learning opportunities. I know it’s not always easy to do so – but in my opinion that’s when you need it the most.

I struggled with this for awhile. I used to say “When I make a little more money I’ll buy a conference ticket or go to this event” and it took my husband setting me straight to change my perspective. He said, “I think you should consider it an investment and learn what you need to learn to be more successful, more quickly.” Logic that was hard to argue with and has resulted in fabulous networking, motivational and learning for me on this journey of mine.

This coming year I’m hitting a couple conferences in person, and I’m also attending a couple online events – a much easier option for me with five little ones at home! February will find me at the Small Biz Success Summit (online event!) and at BlissDom 2012 Conference in Nashville.

Small Business Success Summit 2012

This online event will run through much of February and all the sessions and learning materials will be available not only live, but also recorded for playback later (or if you miss a session or two). Last year I attended one of the summits put on by Social Media Examiner and I got a lot out of it. I also developed a couple new clients and met some amazing people as a result of the networking that took place in the LinkedIn Group specifically created for registrants. You can check it out and register for the summit here (Note – I get a commission if you register using that link – I hope to see you there!)

BlissDom 2012

I’m super excited about the set-up of this year’s sessions and the fact that we’ll have built in time for connecting with newbies. This is one conference I’m excited to be traveling to for the learning, connections and community. And also – I need to work on my photography skills and hello? Me Ra hKoh is teaching a full session in the Photography Track!

Sometimes the hands-on help is exactly what is needed to assist you in taking your business to the next level. See the list of amazing BlissDom ’12 speakers that have been announced so far – brilliant!

Invest in Yourself!

So, whatever level you are currently at, you can only benefit from investing in your business and taking yourself seriously. Serious entrepreneurs invest in their businesses and we can do the same. If you can make it to Nashville – COME! If you can’t, check out the online options available like Small Biz Success Summit 2012. I hope to see you at one or the other…or even both.

What are you doing this year to invest in yourself?

2011 has been a year of huge growth for me. We relaunched Blissfully Domestic to 100% paid content and staff as a high-quality women’s magazine site. I had both this site and Untrained Housewife professionally redesigned by Becky Bayne and both my personal career, and the path of Untrained Housewife have taken off. I spoke at 5 conferences this year and attended SOBCon as an attendee only (a first for me and a lovely treat). I helped Kelby establish the Social Ebook Library at TypeAParent.com and reworked/expanded one-third of my Make Money Blogging, Moving Beyond Banner Ad Sales ebook into a separate title – 30 Days to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook.

And now I’m incorporating myself as Angela England Media. Because of the level of growth I’ve experienced and the amount of contractor work I’m both doing, and hiring out, it was time. Past time. With my new job as Remote Manager with Cambrick Yard, I’m officially bringing in a full-time income.

It’s odd to think about how my original goal was $250 a month to keep my son out of daycare and be able to afford some guilt-free pizza nights. Now, I’m crunching numbers and looking at the possibility of hiring a virtual assistant for myself and column managers for Untrained Housewife. Now I’m paying others who are where I was three years ago. It’s an amazing feeling!

How did it happen? I’m still asking myself that sometimes, but here are ten things I’ve learned along the way if you are seeking to make the transition from freelance tidbits, to full-time income.

1. Multiple Baskets

Don’t put all your money eggs in one basket. There was a time when Suite101, for example, was paying enough to cover my mortgage. Google Panda killed that revenue stream for me (and many others) and I’m making less than $1 a day in the past month. OUCH! Thankfully by the time that happened I had ebooks, SEO consulting jobs, was working at Blissfully Domestic, etc. I never had just one single source of revenue. It’s all inter-related now (See #6 below) however, it’s not all completely dependent on a single client or website.

2. Enlist the Help of Your Family

I have an amazing support system in place with my husband and children. My kids are getting to the place where my weekly conference calls are part of the routine and they KNOW they cannot come into the office during that 30-45 minute time span. It’s the one time I close my door and they are learning that means business – and my husband is there on the other side to help herd them into other areas of the house.

Conversely, I never take on another large task without discussing it over with my husband. When a book publisher asked me to send in a book proposal and Table of Contents we talked it over. Here are the potential benefits, the building of my brand, exposure, advance potential, etc. Here are the time commitments and what that means…I won’t be able to teach the kids’ homeschool every day – can you handle that task on your days off? Could we hire someone in to deep-clean the house twice a month and here’s what that would cost and here’s the number of hours that would free up for me.

And we decided TOGETHER. So when things get stressful in the middle of a huge project and I’m going insane, he knows that we knew this would happen and had agreed to it together. Sometimes he says no. He’s always right too, darn him, but usually he says yes and he’s right then too.

3. Surround Yourself With Amazing People

There is no way I would be where I am now without the colleagues and friends who are in my life. Sometimes these were people who read my blog and commented and we connected through a personalized consultation they purchased. For example, Prerna is one of these and she’s now moved on into not only freelance writing on a full-time basis and branching into a new venture for her clients, Social Media Direct. Carmen Grant was one of my original writers at Untrained Housewife and also someone who did a consultation with me. Now she is not only blogger even more successfully than ever, but also running SpouseSprite Media dedicated to blogger outreach for the latina and military spouse communities. Alli Worthington recently published a post on Babble Voices about the importance of mentoring.

4. Up Your Professional Game – The Legalities

Maybe half-way was good enough before. But now that you’re big league you need to be considering things like creating a corporation to protect your family assets, making sure you keep your business finances and personal finances from “co-mingling”, and that you’re paying your taxes properly. This means you might have to rely on some outside help. Like professionals do

5. Take Chances – Put Yourself Out There

Maybe you don’t have the exact background that is “ideal” for a position you’re applying for. That’s ok. Make them see why you ARE a good fit for the job. Example – I was applying for a management job. My educational background is not in management. It’s in music education and theatre arts. (Because one degree plan is never enough!)

So I explained how directing a choir or putting on a play requires someone who can manage multiple personalities successfully. You have to be able to create a common goal and common vision without squelching the individuality. And it was received successfully.

6. Focus on Your Strengths

I used to do it all. No really….I actually did IT ALL. I was a this, and a that, and oh yeah, did that on the side. Massage therapy, bookkeeping for my mom’s business, whatever little things came my way.

While I still have a lot on my plate, the focus has narrowed so much more and it’s refreshing. I’ve pruned out so many things that are no longer relevant to my interests, my strengths or my passions. I feel like I’ve really come to a place of peace being able to focus almost 100% on the things that are so interesting to me. Remember when we talked about focus through elimination? Yeah, that.

7. Outsource the Stuff You Don’t Have to Do

It’s tough when you’re starting out because you don’t always have the funds to outsource the mundane tasks. But once you get to a certain point, there is a huge benefit to investing in yourself. Take that pizza-night money and new shoe money and reinvest it into your business. A professional design, a virtual assistant, an editor….whatever you need to do to free up your time where it’s most valuable. If you’re getting $50 an hour for a contract job, and can pay someone $10 an hour to do the laundry and deep-clean your house, that’s kind of a no-brainer. Right?

Speaking with Heather Solos at BlogWorld Expo LA 2011

8. Invest in Yourself – Educate Yourself

I’ve been to between three-five conferences per year for the last three years. They’ve been worth every cent. If you aren’t able to get away from home and travel to a conference, you should still take part in some of the home conference offerings. BlogWorld Expo Virtual Ticket and Small Business Success Summit are two great ones that I recommend. See upcoming blog conferences for 2012 at Blog Conference Newbie.

9. Create a Set Space

If you’re moving to a full-time income, even in the odd hours from your own home, you need to create a set, dedicated space. This means time space. And this means physical space as well. Not all businesses require an actual office building but once I got a dedicated desk of my own it made it much easier to manage my work-related clutter compared to the non-work-related clutter.

And let’s talk about time for a minute, shall we? Full-time doesn’t mean all-the-time. Every business person who is truly successful has a time where they turn off. Unplug. REST. Sound counter-intuitive? It definitely goes against the grain of my High-I, Type-A personality for sure.

Here are two resources I’ve found incredibly helpful. Brene Brown, author of several books including, “The Gifts of Imperfection” who touts the importance of play. In a post about Nesting and Play she shares this quote

Brian Sutton-Smith writes, “The opposite of play is not work; it’s depression.”

and I love it! It is so, so true. She reminds us that the properties of play include having no set focus or purpose, losing track of time, etc. When is the last time you added THAT to your to-do list? Yeah. Me too.

The second resource I recommend checking out is this fabulous and eye-opening video by Tony Schwartz on The Myth of the Overworked Creative. It’s worth the 30 minute listen. Take it into consideration when you’re creating your time schedule.

10. Organize and Evaluate

You do have a business plan right? I’ve written a couple times about the need for a personal plan in your business. A specific, long-term action plan. Having a plan in place allows you to evaluate your business on a regular basis as it grows.

Organizing your business storage space and your organize your business time as well. I’ve been using a great time management (aka priority management) app on my iPhone called To-Do Matrix. Between this and my dayplanner, I am just a touch more organized than I used to be. Which is a good thing because I’m working harder than ever before, juggling multiple clients and accounts. And it feels great.

Yes – this is a hugely long post. But this transition has been a long one for me and I’ve learned a lot along the way. I hope that others who are moving to full-time goals for their businessess will find something useful in these ten steps!

He really is as friendly as he looks.

This is a live-blogged recap of a keynote session by Problogger Darren Rowse he delivered at Blog World Expo in LA earlier this month. These notes were typed up in real-time and I’ve only edited for stray typos. If I add my own thoughts they will be in parenthesis and italics. If you missed Blog World Expo, or missed this session, you should check out the Virtual Ticket that will give you access to power point slides and recordings of ALL the fabulous sessions from the conference.

Blogging Motivations – Darren Rowse

Bloggers sharing their blogging motivations. Heart-based reasons were the initial ones – had to share my story, had something important to say, etc. One brave soul said “I started blogging because I heard you could make money.” Others began sharing – platform, job creation/to get a job, etc.

The Myths are: “If you blog from the heart the rest will take care of itself.” but this leads to disillusionment.

Or for money – “I’m following the following but it’s not working.”  Content + branding + ads + SEO + Marketing + Link Bait + Design + etc = Successful Blogging?

When Harry Meets Sally is the sweet spot!  When the Heart Meets Smart.

Are you Heart-Brain Blogging?

You should be blogging from the heart, but you should do some smart strategic things to help develop a successful blog. (Oh my gosh thank you SO much for saying this. I’ve been saying this to the bloggers that I teach or mentor for YEARS and sometimes it’s a hard sell.)

Part One – Blogging From the Heart

Bring Passion –

“No Tears in the Writer

No Tears in the Reader

No Surprise in the Writer

No Surprise in the Reader

~ Robert Frost”

Your passion and engagement with the topic will draw readers and become contagious.

Tell Stories! – The most emailed and commented on posts on both digital photography or problogger are the STORIES. Not the how-tos and technical detail. (I have found this to be true as well. At conferences a reader who purchased my ebook on Making Money Online may comment about a photo I tweeted of our beehives, or newborn goats.)

Build Community! – They want belonging and they want to participate. Engage with your readers! Connect with them.

Inspire People! - Example post he shared was “Long Exposure Photography 15 Stunning Examples”

The photos were inspiring and the post went viral. With inspiration comes the how-to searches as a result.

Start with a photo. Start with a story. Start with a dream. Start with a quote.

Be Personal! The personal touches helps build a memory and build your brand.

Be Playful! Example shared - His spoof post about problogger being acquired by google. Surprises are fun.

Write in a Different Voice! Shared an example where he wrote a post as though from his 2 year old son.

Be Yourself! Sometimes trying to emulate a style that you don’t feel comfortable in is a sure way to kill connection. A more casual style is his style – often turns an email into a blog post.

Do Good! Went to Tanzania with CBM (?) Turn your passions into an opportunity to raise awareness for something you’re passionate about. Can twist it into a relevant angle no matter what your niche is.

Be Useful! “You’ve helped me out of so many holes/issues that I faced.” You’re creating something that is valuable and lasting!

Part Two – Blog Smart

If you want your blog to be a business “one day”….Treat it as one Today! (I love this quote. Ended up using it in my session about “No Excuses” because I think it’s ok to make money while still helping others. Doctors do. Hair dressers do. Why should bloggers and writers be exempt from that? Hint – the answer is ‘we shouldn’t')

Define Success – What is success for you? “4 Hour Work Week” book. Knowing what you’re aiming for will help you achieve that.

Naming those things helps you put steps into place. Makes it easy to plan your efforts. (I have written a lot about creating a smart blogging plan. One of my favorite posts on the subject is from my Ten Habits Series – Have a PLAN.)

It's ok to think strategically - as long as you're also keeping it real!

Know Your Readers – Who do you want to reach? Who are you reaching? Put together a persona about your readers. “Reader Profiles” post on Darren Rowse. Issues, challenges, where they hang out, etc.

Branding – Branding for Darren has been intuitive and gut

“A brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” ~Jeff Bezos(?) What do you WANT people to say about you? Will inform the content, relationships, technology used, etc.

Marketing – “Build a great blog and people will find you” – that doesn’t happen right away. You have to get it out there and build it.

Where are your potential readers gathering? How can you participate there?

Hooks – You get readers to your blog – do you let them pass through? Or do you STICK THEM

Social media followings (facebook/twitter/newsletter sign ups/etc) – Email is the biggest on digital photography.

Problogger = twitter and RSS readers are bigger percentage. Take into consideration the audience.

Visit – Subscribe – Follow – Comment – Join – Buy – Spread the Word (What is the path of interaction that you want your readers to follow when they land on your blog?) Think of ways to reinforce your connection.

Create Something to Sell – Ebooks, affiliates, courses, etc. What you writing about? What are your readers coming to you for? (You all know I’m a HUGE proponent of creating an ebook out of the topics you’re already known for. If you need help pulling it together check out How to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook in 30 Days.)

Editorial Strategy – What are commented on? What are trafficked? Posts for current readers. And also think about posts that are highly shareable and will go “viral”. Interaction with my readers and inspire people. Mix it up and consider frequency of your posts.

Experiment – Test – Tweak

(I love that he included the need to re-evaluate your strategies periodically. Don’t be afraid to change things up a little so you can improve your performance.)

Heather Solos and I are teaching a session about professionalism and productivity at BlogWorld Expo today. You can download the document of our slide notes so you can follow along and take notes, or see what we’re speaking on for your own if you weren’t able to attend.

Professionalism in Blogging

With so many newcomers to the space it’s important that even those with no background in entrepreneurial business smarts learn the basics of what it means to have a blog as a business!

Productivity

How do you get things done, Angela? If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that I’d be rich. Heather and I are going to share our top tips and tools for getting done – not everything – but what NEEDS to get done.

Angela’s Note – Today’s post is a guest post by Melissa Culbertson, a marketing communications consultant, blogger and author of the DIY Blog Critique, a 43-point guide to making blogs more awesome. You can find her on Twitter and at her blog, Momcomm.

Wheeewwww.

That’s the sound I made when I saved my DIY Blog Critique eBook into a PDF for the final time. Done, finished, finito. And while I didn’t have publishers, designers or a team of editors, I still worked hard and learned a lot in the process.

You may be flirting with the idea of writing an eBook too. It’s worth a thought as eBook are hot right now. If you’re thinking about taking the leap, these tips that I learned along the way will surely help.

1. It’s Okay to Jump Around

While the idea of going out of order may make you cringe, I find that I jump around a lot when I write. While writing my DIY Blog Critique eBook, I found myself working on one section but actually getting a burst of ideas for another section. Instead of forcing myself to finish the section I was obviously not gung-ho about, I jumped to that other section, got my thoughts out of the way, then went back. I often found it was easier to get past the hump on the tougher sections of the eBook this way.

Takeaway: Go where your brain takes you instead of forcing yourself to follow a chronological order.

2. Planning Matters

Before I started writing my eBook, I laid out all the steps needed to complete it. This included content, design, editing, prepping the file, promotion outreach and more. While it takes time to plan, I enjoyed having a checklist to feel accomplished! Plus, if I ever decide to write another eBook, I won’t have to remember all my steps.

Takeaway: Spend an hour or two planning your eBook process and then tweak as needed.

3. I Have an Odd Habit

Apparently, I do something over and over when I get really into writing. I take my long hair in and out of a hair clip. I didn’t even realize it at first until I kept thinking, “I could have sworn my hair was pulled up.” Honestly, I didn’t even remember taking the hair clip in and out of my hair. So weird.

Takeaway: Don’t be surprised if you learn something new about yourself. Even something slightly weird.

4.You’ll Have to Burn the Midnight Oil

I’m a marketing consultant and run two blogs. I also have two kids. While preschool gave me some free hours, a good chunk of my eBook time was spent late at night after the kids were asleep. You may have to work during times you’d rather not in order to get your eBook pushed out, especially if you announce your eBook before you finish it. (Ahem.)

Takeaway: Work late, get up early, whatever works better for you. But don’t be afraid to push the boundaries a bit to get the book done!

5.Give Yourself Extra Time

You’ll find that even with the best planning possible, you’ll run into issues you didn’t see coming. For me, I spent extra time on things like learning my way around e-junkie and making a special eBook affiliate page on my website. These were things I didn’t even consider when I tried to be super-planner-girl in the beginning.

Takeaway: Build some extra time into your plan for unexpected to-dos or issues. That way you won’t have to burn that midnight oil as much.

6. Hire Out When Needed

Since I write and design, I sometimes think I can go all superwoman and do it all. Turns out, I can’t. I wanted a new welcome page for Facebook where those who like my page get a sample of my eBook. Instead of fumbling through it myself, I decided to hire it out. Sure it wasn’t cheap. But it was oh so worth it.

Takeaway: Decide where you want to spend time and where you don’t. Hire out what you can.

7. Research Helps for eBook Newbies

I’m an info junkie, sometimes to my detriment. But I knew the more info I was armed with, the more confident I’d be in my finished product. I downloaded free eBook checklists, read helpful articles and, oh yes, purchased Angela’s 30 Days to Make and Sell a Fabulous Ebook. Even though I already knew my eBook topic, her book will help those who don’t. It gave me awesome insight into publishing it and getting the word out. Definitely worth it.

Takeaway: Do some homework and soak up some knowledge. You’ll feel even more empowered by it to finish your eBook

How are you using tags on your blog?

So we’ve touched on 15 must-have items for a blog post and in this list I mention categories and tags. It’s one of the elements that got the most questions and I’m going to break down how I use and think about Categories vs Tags when it comes to WordPress blogs. (Note that blogger/blogspot blogs are set up differently.)

I like to use the analogy of a book. Categories are like chapters of the book – the main breakdown on the blog’s topics. Tags on the other hand, are like the book’s index in the back – crossing multiple categories.

For example, if I write a post about Easter Dinner Menu Plan I might place it in the Meal Plans category, but the tag will be “Easter”. Then when I’m writing about the latest Easter Hat Fashions, I’ll put that post in the Fashion and Style category, but still include the tag “Easter”. When I write about how to dye your own eggs it’ll go in “Crafts and DIY” but the tag will be “Easter”.

A reader who wants to see only crafts will go to the craft category, but someone who wants to see EVERYTHING you wrote about Easter can click the Easter tag and immediately see every post on your blog related to Easter – regardless of which topic category you place the post in.

Are Tags Still Important for SEO?

Not so much, no. But good tags make it easy for readers to find their way around your site. AND good tags make it easy for you to direct readers to content types on your site. For example, on Blissfully Domestic I set up tags for baby crafts and within the various articles I can now say “Visit all our baby craft ideas for more DIY tips!” and link readers to all the infant-related craft posts.

But Google isn’t likely to direct very much search engine traffic to the tag page vs a post or page so in that regard, tags aren’t as important. What I have found is that tags help me mentally stay on track with a post. And I use the keyword research tags to help me focus my posts.