Saturday, February 23, 2013

That time I did an awesome blog chat.

I love to write.

Journaling. Writing stories. Poems. Words. Whatever. I've always had (sometimes still have) dreams of living in a loft in Paris or New England or somewhere a little more beautiful than the O-H. I'd spend my mornings drinking coffee and my evenings drinking wine, and just write and write and write. Basically the same thing I do now, just without going to work.

Cue blogging.

I've had this blog for about a year, but just in the past month or two have I really been taking it seriously. Really wanted to make my blog into a representation of my whole self. Something other people can enjoy and learn from. The question is, how exactly do you do that? There are so many approaches one can take when starting a blog, which one is right for me?

But I've realized- that is the beauty of blogging. If you write what you feel, you can't really mess it up, can you?

I came to that little gem of a realization two nights ago, during the most exciting 90 minutes of my little bloggy career.

 This was right before the best picture EVER. If you participate in this q&a somewhere down the road, do NOT forget to request to see Erin's cell wallpaper.

I was lucky enough to participate in Erin's first blogging q&a session. Erin blogs over at Living in Yellow, and our co-host was Jenni from Story of my Life. I am pretttyyy sure every blogger who has been around for more than 10 seconds has heard of these ladies. If you're not familiar, I suggest you make it happen.

Erin is absolutely hilarious and Jenni is the most refreshing blog I think I've ever come across.

The other participants included a pretty impressive line up in my book:

Casey. Allie. Talie. Courtne. Lisa. Jen. Alli.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in, but within 30 seconds our chat was already better than I'd expected.

So many good questions were asked. Everyone was super supportive. Knowing these lady's voices and personalities will make it much more fun to read their blogs in the future.

My biggest takeaways?

Be you.

This advice has served me well in all other areas of life, so no surprise it's the advice the veteran bloggers had to give. Whether you're worried about others perceptions of your blog, how to find your voice, when it's the right time to make your blog a business- just be you.

Secondly, connect. Get to know other bloggers. You can have a million followers, sponsor a thousand blogs, but if no one is reading your posts on a regular basis, is there really a point to all the exposure? I sometimes have to pick and choose which blogs I read. If there are 50 I love, and I have 20 free minutes, something's gotta give. Developing a personal connection through comments, emails, social media, whatever- that will make people read your blog over someone else's.

Thanks again ladies for all the kind inspiring words, and I can't want to see where everyone's blogs go in the future!


Suze said...

Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing some wisdom.

JaneA said...

I've been blogging for quite a while now, but not with any concentrated effort. I just decided last month that I wanted to take blogging more seriously, to really make an online home for my writing and illustration. Thanks so much for sharing what you learned! I really love your blog, too, and i'm now following!

Jeneric Generation said...

Oh, I love this! I have been a big fan of both Erin and Jenni for a while now, and I love that you participated in this Q&A, and shared it with us. I have had my current blog for a year and a half, and I am finally learning that connecting with a few good bloggers is so crucial for both growing and support. The blogging community is so great. I am your newest follower, and I look forward to watching your blog grow! :))

Rachel said...

Welcome to the blogging community! That chat sounds like it was a really good and educational experience! Erin's blog is most definitely a fun one to read.

elle rae-marie said...

thanks for sharing with us about that awesome experience. i hope they do more beecause i would love to join! your story is similar to mine. i have had my blog for a year but just started taking it serioulsy! i love reading your blog!

xoxo
lindsey

Casey said...

Wasn't Thursday night a total blast? I had such a wonderful time chatting and getting to know you...and now your great blog! I'm looking forward to following along and encouraging one another on our blogging journeys! Hope you're having a great weekend, Brittany!

Lisa said...

Brittany - It was great meeting you and finding out about your blog! Our video chat was so much fun - Erin and Jenni are great, and so are all the lovely ladies we met. I look forward to keeping in touch throughout our blogging journey. Keep up the great work and being you!

Allie @ Between Dreams said...

The video chat was so much fun! And you're soooo right.. the main thing is to just BE YOU! Get out and talk to people... because the blogging world is full of so many gems :)

It was so nice to get to chat with you and I'm so stoked to have been introduced to your blog! :)

Hope you're having a great start to the week! xx

Jenni said...

This was so fun to read, Brittany! Thank you for bringing your pretty face the Q&A last week... so glad you enjoyed it and felt you learned something from it. I think we all left feeling reinspired, so YAY for that! :) Have a great week, girl!

Jenni@Story of My Life said...

Well as per our little email chat the other day, I was signed in to the wrong account for that comment up there... oopsie! :)

Jen said...

I love your recap, and so glad we could virtually meet last week. Oh how I wish we could have this little blogger chat every week. It was so much fun!!

Alex[andra] said...

Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing. Definitely appreciated!

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