Candidly Speaking

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Babble has released their annual top 50 mom blog list.   There are categories such as;  Babble Best, Funniest, Most Controversial, Most Useful, Best Written, etc.   A couple of the blogs I follow are listed- Pioneer Woman and Enjoying the Small Things.  As I looked over the top 50 list, I started to feel like a real loser. Which is just silly, but I did. A loser because I am left thinking, oh my goodness how the heck did they do this? These women truly are amazing!

When I started blogging (next week I will have three years under my belt), it was just a means of  informing my family of  the latest antics my kids were pulling. Even if no one read what I was writing about, I felt like I was getting it out there. Being a stay at home mom can be brutal and isolating and we start to think are my kids the only ones who do crazy crap, like put the handheld can opener in the microwave and press the on button simply to point and laugh at the sparks?

And I will be honest. When I first started blogging I had no idea women made money doing this. Then, when Matthew was a baby, I was nursing him in the rocking chair and watching Oprah, and she had this slew of  bloggers on her show- Dooce  was one of the headliners. Dooce blogs and makes 6 figures at it.   As I recall her story, Dooce’s husband left his corporate job to work with his wife at running her site.   Their story is not the only one. Many, many women make money doing this. They get book deals, the are hired to run sites for larger companies (from home), they run the social media communities for large well known brands, etc. Who stinkin’ knew?!

My goals started out small. One of my first goals was to simply post on a regular basis. Provide consistent content that connects with mom’s. Then, I  wanted to reach 1,000 pageviews a month.   Then I wanted 1,000 pageviews a week. Once I hit 6,000 pageviews in a month I wanted 10,000. You get it- blogging is like crack. Connecting with other mom’s is addicting. Now my site is reaching anywhere from 18,000 – 24,000 pageviews a month, and while this is amazing to me, there are sites getting that much traffic in one single day.

I love to write. I love to share.  If I have given anyone the impression that I am this June Cleaver, cupcake bakin’, perfect little ’round the clock Mommy Blogger, boy is that far from the truth. For crying out loud, ask anyone who calls my house after 9:00 at night, my kids are generally still causing havoc in the background. Your kids are likely in bed. As a matter of fact, Matthew was playing baseball (in the house) while wearing nothing but a Pull-up (are Pull-ups not the biggest waste of money?) with daddy at about 10:00 last night. ‘Cause that is how the chaos rolls at my house.  My  site is not about looky- looky at how great I am. And if you are left feeling that way, that is truly not my intention. Just know that while I am baking those cupcakes, my house is a holy-hell mess.

My point? Blogging is real. Being a Mommy Blogger, Food Blogger, Craft Blogger, or whatever you choose to identify with, can be a real job. You can make revenue.   And yes, naturally, that has become my next step. Blogging is my career path.   It is.   And, if Pillsbury wants to buy an ad spot in my sidebar, more power to them, to you, and to me. We all benefit. If you are a blogger yourself this will not come as a surprise to you, but honestly, preparing content for this site, editing (photos and content), networking in the social media realm, sending/checking/responding to emails, negotiating offers with companies, working with PR groups to obtain giveaways and items for review, and just the day to day doings of  running this site easily consumes 40 hours of my life every week.   Easily! So, at some point if I can make a full time income from it, I am on board. Because connecting here is my passion. Being a resource to other mom’s is important to me. And sharing the struggles and successes is what this is all about. In my world anyway.

13 Comments

  1. Catherine says:

    Crystal, Thanks for this! You are laying out a path for me – it’s something I’ve been looking for. You are revealing your early goals. You’ve given me a baseline to start with. Right now, I’m trying to create consistent content. I guess, I will also set a goal of page views. I can’t thank you enough!

    1. I concur with Catherine. Thank you for the path. I have thought about it for a time now, I just need goals and a plan. You have helped.

  2. Catherine- awesome! I am so glad you find this helpful. When I got serious about blogging, serious about having a schedule and a plan (and by that I just mean a focus on the topics I would cover and a commitment on my end to publish content 5 times a week) it was hard to find someone (a seasoned blogger) who would answer questions or let me bounce ideas off of them.

    I found a great mentor, Kelle over at 3 Boys and a Dog (www.3boysandadog.com) , and she helped me with some of the basic set ups like Google Analytics, etc. She has a great Blogging Tip section on her site. Check her out. And I am glad to guide where I can as well.

  3. Kim Idell says:

    This is a great post Crystal. You are real. You aren’t afraid to say what you think. I like that. 🙂
    One day you will be on that list. Keep on sharing and being real.
    And congrats on your achievements thus far.

    1. Thank you Kim. You’ve been one of my biggest cheerleaders…. and I’ve needed that! 🙂

  4. Courtney K. says:

    I agree with you on this completely! Blogging is a FULL TIME JOB and it requires so much effort and time and energy. Blogging is a creative outlet, a scrapbook and a way to remember aspects of life that we might normally forget. And if we can make a few dollars [or MANY…] then good for us! Good luck in your future blogging endeavors! Making some money is my next step, too.

    1. You know Courtney, when I first decided I wanted blogging to be a career path, I really had no idea at all the time it would consume and the hard work that really goes into it. We think that if we write, readers will just find us. It does take time. I have taken baby steps, slow and steady I guess? I have all of these plans and ideas in my mind, but in the end, a natural evolving process has been best. If that makes sense.

  5. Thank you for this post. I kept saying yes to so many of your points. Right now, I’m not sure where I want to take my blog, but at least I know that I am not alone. (And not just about the blog thing, but about the kids wreaking havoc thing.) I’ve been shy to ask veteran bloggers in fear of being ignored or rejected. I have found a good mentor in Angela from Mommy PR, she’s been very helpful to me. Congratulations on reaching each of your goals. I know that even the smallest one takes so much time, effort, and commitment. I look forward to seeing your blog grow.

    1. You know what is funny… I was not expecting other bloggers to really respond to this. I am so glad others can connect. I think some readers feel like we sell out when we decide to make money and it is a struggle for us. Bloggers really do have so much to offer.

      And you know Angela at Mommy PR? She is so awesome! What a great mentor. 🙂

  6. I freakin’ LOVE this post!

    And I find it especially comforting that I’m not the only one with half-naked children playing baseball at 10pm…in my living room.

    I’ve chosen this as my career path, too. And while my blog is young, it’s growing every day. And yes, it is absolutely an elephant’s buttload of work. But it’s worth it. I love it. Helping other moms totally speaks to my heart.

    Thanks for this post. AWESOME!

    1. Oh Jessi, life is just crazy, isn’t it? I am so glad you can relate.

      I think the day we decide to make our blogs a career, sometimes we have no idea the true amount of work that is ahead. It is so rewarding and I love networking with other mom’s etc., but there truly is so much that goes into all the details before we hit the publish button for each post. I like you’re take- an elephant’s buttload of work. That it is indeed. 🙂

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