1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Your blog, and your aspirations and your hobbies!!Well I have three blogs - one is www.madamletmetellyouonething.com, my personal blog about my foolish life in India. One is my food blog, www.notgotmuchin.com for the busy person with not time to cook who's after never fail healthy recipes, and my company blog, www.blog.rethinkretreats.com, which is about life coaching and career tips.
They keep me busy but I love writing or working on them with my team (my business blog isn't all me writing them).
I've lived in India 3 and a half years and it's been a delight blogging about it.
2. How you first got involved in with blogging, are you an imaginative person?
I worked in film for 20 years doing lighting for visual FX so I do consider myself to be creative. I love to write and as foolish things happened to me here, I wanted to share them with other people.
3. What do you find most challenging about blogging about your topic?
Getting enough time to write - I have so many ideas I'd like to post, but it's getting time to fit it all in.
4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?
Recently I've been meeting more people who want to work with me because of the blog - and it's great to feel opportunities are starting because of it.
I get fan mail now, which was a surprise at first and very flattering. And I'm getting used to beginning to tell a story when I'm out and for someone to say - oh yes I read about that on your blog. it takes a while to get used to being known and popular. I can see how it would get to turn your head if it happens a lot.
5. How would (someone) describe your blogging style?
Informal. And possibly badly punctuated!
6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
I'm a life coach and I run a company helping people find their perfect career, start a business and if they fancy it, become location independent. I can work from anywhere in the world, and it's lovely helping other people get to the same place.
7 .Where do you see yourself blogging wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
Well I'm going to continue blogging of course, and I'd like to build my subscriber base up. I want to reward loyal readers more directly - maybe special content for them, that sort of thing.
8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging business?
I'm part of a few networking groups for work, and that indirectly helps my blogging.
9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
I must confess I have the opposite problem - I have so many ideas, I can't keep up with writing them. I find India very inspiring and easy to write about.
10. Whats your strategy with your blog in general?
Write from the heart and share my love and amusement of the country and people will understand that. And people seem to be responding well to that.
11. Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?
Write a blog plan - and stick to it. Once you've got a month ahead in your blog you can relax and will feel a lot less pressure each week
12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Content is king for me. And that will bring readers. Good SEO is of course important, but no one wants to read keyword rich articles that mean nothing - it's got to be good content first of all.
13. Whats the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?
Really solid writing, entertainment and information on the topic they're writing about. I find it annoying when people really wander off topic without excusing them selves. People come for your topic, give that to them - or start another blog!
14. A lot of people are interested in blogging for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
Apparently most bloggers earn a tiny amount - but with anything if you have a large readership you can make money. Great content, don't over monetize or advertise and respect your reader.
15. What motivates you most in life?
Love - not romantic love - but love from the heart to make change and have an impact by supporting people. It might sound trite, but it really is why I'm here: to show people that anything is possible, no matter what you've been through
16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
I've not done too much of that - but guest blogging and more video is our way forward.
17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
I'm dyslexic - so I have to be very careful about spelling. I often miss or fail on that.
18. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
My favourite post is about the ridiculous trouble I had having a massive painting hung on the wall of my apartment. It was a complete comedy of errors. Even now it makes me giggle when I read it. And it's often the post I send people to when I introduce them to my blog - http://www.madamletmetellyouonething.com/nearly-straight/
19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?
Marketing and business wise I like Marie Forleos work and there are many food blogs I mouthwateringly follow. Jeremy Dean of Psyblog is always fascinating as well - he shares psych research to explain our basic human behaviours. It's entertaining, and it's always fascinating.
20. What is the story behind the name of the blog?
Madam, let me tell you one thing - is what I hear most often… directly before some bad news. If you spend time in Bangalore, you hear it a lot.
21. Your connection with any Blogger Network like Indi blogger or Writeupcafe or any other and the experience?
Always good to get exposure and there are keen readers at all the indian blog and travel blog spots. Some of my sweetest and kindest readers are from these sites. People are very kind
22. Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?
Actually one of the things I love about blogging is that every one can blog on any subject. So very small niche subjects can have their Hemingways. it's kind of beautiful.
23. Which one plug-in would you suggest all bloggers to have?
Facebook comments
24. Five adjectives that describe you.
Amused, foolish, quick, entertained, bookish
25. What book would you say has made the biggest impact good or bad on you?
1984
26. Do you get easily provoked by positive/negative comments??
Well no one likes haters - but it usually reflects more about their own state of mind than on what they hate. So although I haven't' had many negative comments I brush it off quite easily. And of course, it's always a delight to get positive feedback; obviously those readers are particularly discerning.
27. Do you plan to write a book, as every bloggers dream it is?
I already have! http://www.amazon.com/Cake-12-healthy-cakes-ebook/dp/B00DJWLU8M/ My food blog did a book of healthy cakes last year and we're launching a new on in a few weeks. This one is all about easy cakes which create very little clean up
28. Are you a judgmental person, do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral?
I'm a coach, so I like to see all sides and bring people together
29. Your collaboration with other bloggers, are you much into social networking, tell us everything about it?
I regularly guest blog and this is an area I am increasing. I network with other bloggers and it's always lovely
30. What genre attracts you the most and which genre you avoid?
I read a to of food and self development blogs. I avoid some of the bitchier comment blogs. That's just not who I am.
31. Your Views on Contests and increasing plagiarism?
Plagarism is never good - but I think that almost always you can tell when things are stolen, and it only reflects badly on the thief. It's a shallow thing to do and really has little long term gain for your brand. As to contests… well, obviously I'm in favour of those, eh?
32. Words for me and my blog.
Fun, entertaining, informative, funny but true
33. On winning the Award/s?
I'd like to thank the people who kindly voted for me. Obviously you're smarter and better looking than those that didn't. thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment