Thursday

Happy Thursday! I’m at Starbucks & about to get a Roma Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich. It is my fave sandwich here- I’ve never really tried anything else. I am a complete creature of habit and ALWAYS get the same thing at cafes/restaurants…
McDonalds = double cheeseburger & large fries
Champs = cobb salad, no bacon, italian dressing on the side
chinese restaurant = beef & brocolli, steamed wontons
Chipotle = steak burrito with guac, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce and NO beans!

Anyway…

I wanted to share the new Spearmintdecor.com logo now that we have officially started working on the new blog design.   The logo that you will see on the blog is the second one.   The new blog will coordinate with Spearmint Baby, but have different colors/details. I am super excited about it. My blog designer is fantastic!

I’ve noticed quite a few bloggers making the switch to WordPress recently. How do you like it compared to Blogger? I have to say I’m really starting to like it better. After the initial intimidation, it is working out really great. I cannot wait to have all of my blogs switched to this new format.

For those wondering, I’m using Dreamhost for hosting. It came out to $119.39 for the year, but this includes unlimited domains. So for all 4 blogs it will be about $2.49 each/month. –pretty good deal, right?  What are you using for hosting?  Do you like it?

Ok, off for my sandwich break!  Have a lovely afternoon. xo, shari

Blogger to WordPress

I’m back to my regular routine at Starbucks today. Our babysitter was in Mexico visiting her family the past 2 weeks, and we are soooo happy that she is back! It has been a busy, and somewhat stressful week launching the new blog. I am a creature of habit and for me Blogspot was such an easy blogging platform. Using WordPress is an adjustment.

I am slowly feeling my way around WordPress. I’m currently having trouble with my Google Analytics ID just randomly changing at the end of the day- not sure why. Uploading photos is also an issue, I am not sure how to size them best. I am loving all of the fun plugins. I am also exploring new advertising companies. If you are using WordPress I’d love to hear any handy tips you can offer.

I hope you are all enjoying/getting used to the new look. You can learn more about my blog designer Joanna Klima at thedarlingtree.com

If you have not yet explored the toolbar, we’ve added some handy pages for exploring nurseries, toddler bedrooms, DIY projects, baby showers, birthday parties, baby bumps, & birth stories.

We have a lot of new banners. There are many different sizes so feel free to switch out your old banners.

I’ve had a few other bloggers ask me why I decided to switch to WordPress, so I thought I’d address this this afternoon. There are 2 main reasons why I decided to make the move:

1. The need & want to customize my blog. After blogging for 2 years I really wanted a new, professional look and there were so many limitations for customization on Blogger. In addition, there are so many useful plugins on WordPress – one of which I LOVE is the Ad Management plugin.

2. The fact that Blogspot blogs have started disappearing into thin air! About 1 year ago, one of my blogger friends, Rachelle of kenziepoo.com had her blog literally disappear! She had to start all over -this time using WordPress.

I started imagining how freaked out I’d be if my blog just disappeared. On Blogspot, you do not own your blog (Google hosts it) so it can accidently become labeled as spam and taken off the internet. I’ve worked so hard the past 2 years, I didn’t want to have to worry about this. On WordPress I am paying for my own hosting so this is not a concern.

I think that sums it up. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email: spearmintbaby@gmail.com
or you can send me a message on Facebook or Twitter- I am much better at keeping up with these!
xo, shari

Blogging 101 – time to make money!

are you enjoying your Thursday? it is a really sunny afternoon and i am trying my best to focus on blogging. for those that don’t “know” me, Thursday is my day at Starbucks to dedicate to my blog.

i started writing this series to give advice to those looking to make blogging their business. a lot of us want to have a flexible schedule for our children, but also want to make some money. so i’ve decided to share some of the things that have helped me to grow my blog and become a profitable business.

if you missed the first 4 posts to my blogging 101 series you can read them here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

PART 5 – Making Money!

by now you have been working over a month to drive traffic. you are posting interesting content around the clock and are anxious to make a few $$!

one of the first ways that i began to make money on my blog was to subscribe to an ad network. ad networks display ads on your blog without you having to do a thing!

a few ad networks that i considered were BlogHer, Federated Media, & Google Adsense. i immediately ruled out BlogHer, because i found their rules ridiculously strict! (no payed reviews, their ads had to be above the fold with no competing ads above them, etc.) i am still considering Federated Media, and would love to hear from others who are using them.

my ad network choice was Google Adsense. you can sign up with Google Adsense as long as:
*you’ve been blogging for a few months, you should not yet apply if you are a brand new blogger
*your content is valuable and interesting. they are not extremely pick about this.

if you get denied into their program the first time, just keep blogging and reapply within a few months! they will always re-review.

once you are accepted into the program you can display ads as you like. you can choose different sizes and customize colors to match your blog.

after you place your Adsense code in your blog, Google bot will crawl your pages and take the information back to Google’s servers to process. with this information, Google will begin to place related ads on your web page. the ads displayed for each reader of your blog will be different, because Google also takes into account each reader’s preferences. for example, i was just online shopping at West Elm and when i visited Spearmint Baby, it was displaying West Elm ads.

Google Adsense is primarily a pay-per-click ad network…you will make money by people clicking on your ads. you will also make some money from page views. you should never ask your readers/family members to click on the ads. Google will drop you from the program immediately if they notice suspicious clicks all coming from the same source.

Google Adsense will send you a check once your balance is $100. Don’t forget that you need to PAY TAXES on this money.

when i first started with Google Adsense i was super excited to make $.30/day on my blog! it was a huge accomplishment to receive my first $100 check in the mail. nowadays i enjoy a nice monthly check.

so, take a good look at Google Adsense for your blog. there is so little work involved. & please comment if you are using another ad network. i am currently exploring other options and would love some recommendations.
xo, shari

summer dresses

Blogging 101

happy Thursday! to those of you that read my blog regularly i am enjoying a sunshine-y morning near a window at Starbucks. for those that may be new, Thursday is my day to myself to dedicate to my blog. i sit at my computer at the nearby coffee shop from 10:30 am- 5:00 pm. sounds like a long time, but i never get enough done!

i started writing this series to give advice to those looking to make blogging their business. a lot of us want to have a flexible schedule for our children, but also want to make some money. i am hoping that sharing what i have learned thus far may help at least one of you just starting out.

if you missed the first 3 posts to my blogging 101 series you can read them here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

PART 4 – Content Sharing/Exchange

today i am going to talk more about driving traffic. do not worry that you are spending sooo much time driving traffic, but not making any money. driving traffic to your blog comes first, which will make making money a lot easier!

good content alone will NOT drive traffic. if no one knows that your blog exists, all of the great content you are creating will be a waste.

so, the focus for today/this week is CONTENT SHARING/EXCHANGE!

it is always a good idea to create original content on your blog once in awhile. if all of your content is original, more power to you!

Spearmintbaby.com has very little original content. most of the blog posts you read here are submissions from readers, or things that i have found and re-blogged. once in awhile i try to create something interesting, share things about my family, and of course this Blogging 101 series is my own.

one of the most popular, original posts to date was a “how to” for rainbow cupcakes. i cannot tell you how much traffic this post has driven to my blog (& continues to drive!)

i realized right away that my rainbow cupcakes were a big hit, so i began emailing other bloggers asking if they’d be interested in sharing them on their blogs. one of my FAVORITE bloggers, Jen of Made by Girl, was the first person to agree to share my cupcakes. i cannot tell you how excited i was when she posted them. not only was it a huge accomplishment for me to be featured on such a successful blog, but it drove a TON of traffic to my blog!

i’ve “pimped out” my cupcakes to quite a few other blogs too. sometimes they are featured and other times i just get a thank you/rejection email.

if you feel that you have a winning post don’t let it go to waste. be prepared for a lot of people to say “no” before you get a “yes!” try not to take things personal. your style may not be someone else’s.

the other thing you may want to try is to approach other bloggers with the idea of actually “exchanging” content with them. you write/share a post on their blog and they will do the same on your blog. this is a great way to exchange readers with each other. many readers will click on a link in a post that they have truly enjoyed.

content exchange with other bloggers works best if your blogs have similar traffic patterns. for ex, i know that asking Lilsugar to exchange content with Spearmintbaby.com would be a stretch!

so, take this advice and go out there and network! CONTENT SHARING/EXCHANGE drives traffic and is an easy/free way to get your blog and all of your hard work recognized! xo, shari

Blogging 101 – Blog Hop!

Grab This Banner:
<a href="http://www.spearmintbaby.com/2011/03/blogging-101_06.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic" width="125" src="http://www.spearmintbaby.com//HLIC/dd3c791ccf008f5d5c3ec3c59b84fc06.jpg height=125" /></a>

how is your Thursday? i’m enjoying an afternoon blogging at Starbucks!

if you haven’t been following my blogging 101 series you can read it here:
Part 1
Part 2

PART 3 …BLOG HOPS!

today i am going to continue talking about driving traffic. specifically, BLOG HOPS!! Blog hops are great for getting new bloggers to follow your blog, and hopefully gain a few new readers. instead of telling you how they work, i’ve decided to host one today on Spearmintbaby.com.

here are the rules:
*add your blog name & URL to the linky list below.
*then follow any blogs on GFC that interest you (be sure to leave a friendly comment on their blog letting them know that you are a new follower so they can follow back!)
*feel free to grab the Spearmint Baby Blog Hop banner & post on your blog to get more people involved in the hop. (the more the better, right?

Blogging 101

tumblr/mochaberry

hi bloggers! do you love your blog? well you should! loving your blog is not about being cocky or conceited. -but it is key to gaining an audience. your readers will only enjoy your blog as much as you do!

i am going to start where i left off last week with my Blogging 101 series. today will be about driving blog traffic.

keep in mind that this advice is targeted for those looking to make blogging their business, not for those that are blogging to share photos/information with family and friends.

PART 2 (driving traffic)

there are 2 things that you should do today before you even begin to think about driving traffic:

1. install the Alexa Toolbar. it only takes a few seconds! there are toolbars for Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. (i use all 3 of these browsers and have an Alexa Toolbar installed on each one!) the Alexa Toolbar will allow you to keep track of your daily Alexa traffic rank- which will give you an idea of how your efforts are paying off. you can also use it to check out the Alexa Rank of any website. if you are like me you will become a little obsessed!

e.g. Facebook is ranked a 2, Blogspot is a 6, Anthropologie is 5,998, and today Spearmint Baby is 233,895. your Alexa Traffic Rank will most likely fluctuate daily and the lower you are the better!

2. install Google Analytics on your blog. Google Analytics is an extremely helpful tool for keeping an eye on your website traffic. (where people are coming from, how long they are on your site, what key word searches are leading people to your blog, etc.)

you need to sign up for a free Google Analytics account, accept the terms/legal agreement, and then paste the code they provide into your blog template. it is not incredibly difficult, but takes a little bit of time. once you have this set up correctly, you will be able to track data in about 24 hours. here is a good step by step to installing Google Analytics.

after completing these 2 steps you are ready to begin driving traffic…

so, you’ve been blogging for a few weeks now. you’ve come up with the perfect blog name and you’ve been posting interesting content everyday. your blog layout and design is a work in progress, but it looks presentable and clean and you are ready to have an audience…(bigger than your mom, dad, sisters, and husband!)

today i am going to discuss 3 simple things for bloggers to do to build their audience. they may or may not help you, but remember that experimentation is key. you will be able to see which things are more effective at driving traffic by checking your Google Analytics data at the end of each day!

1. Visit forums & chat rooms.

once you define your niche, you can easily become part of online communities that are relevant to your blog. most forums & chat rooms will allow you to include your blog url in your signature. people that read your posts will often click over to see what your blog is about.

when i first started Spearmint Baby, i was already an active community member on thebump.com and thenest.com forums. i added my blog url to my signature and i would get many visitors from their sites each day. the editors of The Bump quickly took notice and named Spearmint baby as the Editors’ Pick for Baby Design Blog. Spearmint Baby was only 6 months old at the time and this drove a lot of new traffic to my blog. i’m not sure that the editors of thebump.com would have known about my blog had i not been an active community member.

a few other mom/baby related forums that i visit: Circle of Moms, Social Moms, Baby Center, Just Mommies

one thing to note is that you should NOT go to forums specifically to promote your blog. community members can be VERY unforgiving to bloggers who post messages specifically about visiting their blog. in addition, go in with a little caution. forums/chat rooms can be full of drama!…which is best to just ignore.

2. sign up IMMEDIATELY for Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn pages for your blog/business.

the first year and a half that i spent blogging i totally neglected all of these free social media networking sites. it was a huge mistake! it is only in recent months that i have become active every day in these communities and it has made a HUGE difference in my blog traffic.

follow Facebook & Twitter pages for businesses & bloggers that you like or want to network with. make relevant comments on their Facebook pages, post replies on Twitter, or retweet their posts- these are great ways to get them to notice you!

update your Facebook page & Twitter status daily- or more if you like. soon this will become like brushing your teeth every morning!

there are many ways to use LinkedIn and i am just starting to explore them. i always invite anyone that i have done business with to become one of my LinkedIn contacts. in addition i invite any PR reps that contact me to become a LinkedIn contact. you will be so happy that you have an online bookmark of all of these contacts!

there are also lots of groups/forums on LinkedIn that you can join. one that i belong to is M2MOms.

3. be an active member in your blogging community!

remember the advice i gave you last week?:
pick 4 or 5 blogs that you really enjoy and read them EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! study what they are doing, how they relate to their audience, their formatting/design style, etc. you may want to take notes of similar things that you would like to do on your blog.

have you been reading your favorite blogs every single day? if so, you need to take it one step further…

whenever you enjoy or relate to a blog post, post a friendly comment… “oooh, i love those shoes,” or “my 17 month old won’t let me brush her teeth either!” at the end of your comment sign your name and include your blog URL. most bloggers enjoy reading comments and have no problem if you include your blog URL. if fact, most bloggers actually want to know who you are and will in turn visit your blog. other commenters may also notice your blog URL and visit too.  this is a super easy thing to do so no excuses!

ok, that is all for today. next week i will be writing more about driving blog traffic. until then you should keep busy working on these things! xo, shari

p.s. feel free to add your own advice. i would love to hear about things that worked for you when you were just starting out as a blogger.

Blogging 101

happy Thursday! i am currently at my office, AKA: Starbucks! – working with some new Spearmint Baby sponsors, reading this book ↑, and answering emails.

in the past few weeks i have received a few emails from other mamas asking for blogging tips/advice. though i am no expert, i have learned a lot in the almost 2 years since i started Spearmint Baby. so, i’ve decided to share some things that i’ve learned along the way. we’ll call this segment “Blogging 101″ – since i’m not yet qualified to teach an advanced class ;0

this advice is targeted for those looking to make blogging their business, not for those that are blogging to share photos/information with family and friends. i’ll start at the very beginning. to bloggers that are way beyond this, feel free to add your advice.

PART 1

ANYONE can be a blogger. if you love to hear yourself talk you will probably make an excellent blogger. you do not have to be a journalist or english major to write a blog. blogging audiences are surprisingly forgiving- once they make a connection with you/your blog, they will not care about the occasional misspelled word or run on sentence! (i think i may have written 2 run on sentences in this blog post already!)
everyone has something to say– a view, or an interest that could be interesting to others.

Blogging platforms: when starting Spearmint Baby i decided to use Blogspot as my blogging platform. it is FREE and to me it is the most user friendly for someone that is not very internet/tech savvy. (others to consider are WordPress, Squarespace, Tumbler, & Posterous)

before you even start your blog, it is important to think of a good blog name. said perfecly by Hannah Queen, “I’m not going to start a blog until I have a name I love.”

is your blog being created to drive traffic to your online store? if so, it is probably a good idea to include your online store name in the title of your blog. or maybe you want to start a blog as a stepping stone to a future business venture?- a possible brand, online magazine, or book? or maybe you are looking to become a future mom personality/celeb like Martha Stewart, Oprah, or a real housewives style mama? (think BIG!) if that is the case you may want to use your name in the title of your blog. either way, thinking of a name that you love as well as a name that will resonate with your audience is important.

it took me about 1 week to come up with the name Spearmint Baby. i knew i wanted “Baby” in the title, since i wanted to talk mostly about baby stuff. i just wasn’t sure what should go with it. after an exhausting battle with Go Daddy suggestions, i turned to the good old thesaurus which led me to the word “Spearmint!” i knew that was it– i loved the flavor. it felt refreshing, unrestricted, and somewhat weird! the reaction that i got from family and friends was pretty much the same. they thought it was equally weird, which pretty much sealed the deal on my blog name. somewhat UNUSUAL/Weird = memorable!

the next thing that you can do if you are ready to invest some money in your business is buy a dotcom domain. there is no problem with having a NAME.blogspot.com blog address, but if you are trying to look a bit fancier, you can spend $11.99 and have your blog redirected to the www.NAME.com address. i HIGHLY suggest GoDaddy to purchase a domain name. their customer service reps are very knowledgeable and will walk you through the entire process if you need help. (they also answer the phone within minutes which is important if you are a busy mama!)

my 3rd (& most important tip) is to go in with an open, positive attitude. there are millions of Mom Bloggers on the internet and instead of thinking of them as your “competition,” think of each and every one of them as teachers and networking tools.

are there bloggers out there that you admire? are they extremely successful and do you want to replicate the success that they are having? pick 4 or 5 blogs that you really enjoy and read them EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! study what they are doing, how they relate to their audience, their formatting/design style, etc. you may want to take notes of similar things that you would like to do on your blog. remember that it is your blog/your voice, and you can do anything that you want. content may be original, but no blog segment idea is completely original- we all take ideas from each other.

and finally (for today), do not underestimate the time you must put in to become a successful blogger. when i first started my blog, i worked around the clock. i was on the computer probably 12 hours a day writing new content (initially even on the weekends), studying other blogs, promoting myself, rearranging my layout, etc.
to me, blogging is similar to losing weight. if you do not make the effort to exercise and change your eating habits it will just NOT happen. same goes with blogging..
success does NOT come overnight. it comes from hours upon hours of hard work!

i think that will do it for today. next week i will get into more details about blogging as a career. i hope i have motivated at least 1 you! xo, shari