I'm Not a Highly Effective Blogger.

I was reading this nifty article over at BlogHer and have realized I may not be a highly effective blogger. Oops. 


#4 says bloggers are lifelong learners. I've got that covered. I learn something new every day. I learned today that if my 9 year old was an only child, she'd probably weigh about 30 pounds more. Why? Because now that her sisters are on vacation, I am letting her fend for herself and she has eaten frozen pizza 3 days in a row. Bad mommy. 


I've also learned that my readers think (know?) I have ADD. I was looking at my Alexa reviews today and saw this one from Real Mom Reviews. It says: Sadie is a mom to three beautiful girls. Her blog is full of stories on being a same sex parenting couple, coupon deals, and some amazing recipes (marshmallow brownies OMG yum)!!! She does have a bit of what I assume to be ADD, because she switches from subject to subject super fast, but THAT is what makes this site worth reading! :) -- When I read this review, I had to giggle (and call my mom, so she could too). I know I jump from subject to subject all the time. It probably drives some of you crazy! I just can't help it. Forgive me? 


That brings us to #5. It says effective bloggers are focused and consistent. Err... um... oh look, a butterfly! Just kidding. But seriously, I'm rarely consistent. I mean, I am consistent in the fact that I blog almost every day. And I'm also consistent in the fact that I change subjects at least once a week. So, maybe I am consistent after all?? 


#6 says effective bloggers plan ahead. I totally agree with this one, and if you want to be a good blogger you should try to plan ahead. This is one of those "do as I say not as I do" things, because even though I'm a planner in some ways (my budget, grocery list, etc), in other ways I am not (er.. blogging). Did I mention that my designer was up til 5AM configuring my layout because I emailed her saying "The guy from the newspaper is going to look at my blog at 7AM and I need a new layout!"? Yeah, bad blogger. Lack of planning = stress. So, it is best if you plan ahead. It leaves you much more relaxed. Trust me! 


Last but not least, #8 says: effective bloggers are self-starters. This is so true. So many people ask me "how do I start a blog", "how do I make money blogging", "how do I get more followers"? The answer is simple: be a self-starter. The readers are not going to come to you unless you go to them first! Find some blogs and comment on them. Leave genuine comments (not the annoying ones like "Great post come look at mine here ____".) Ones that show the blogger you ACTUALLY read their post! Ones that show true interest in what they have to say.


Overall, the BlogHer article is pretty correct. I am a known rule-breaker though, so of course a few of the points didn't apply to me. If you want to get started blogging, all I can say is just do it. Dive in head first. And if you have any questions at all, just email me or leave a comment! I always answer as soon as I possibly can, and I never charge to help people out. It's just something I love to do. Just remember to pay it forward. :)