Welcome back to the next installment of our Wise Words Wednesday feature.
Today’s guest blogger in the hot seat is Emily who you will find blogging over at Twin Mummy and Daddy. Over on her blog she has shared her journey of having twins and everyday life that comes along, as well as some great reviews!
Tell us a little bit about you & your blog:
I’m Emily, mum to five year old twin girls and married to my husband, Nigel. We live in Cardiff. My husband also has three children from a previous marriage.
I write about parenting, fitness, crafts and pretty much anything that takes my fancy!
What inspired you to start blogging?
I was on maternity leave after the premature birth of our twins and decided that I wanted to write about experience. My husband and I had IVF and during that time I’d kept an online diary on a fertility forum. I’d write about our IVF as it happened. After our girls were born it didn’t feel right to continue the diary about our girls on the forum so I started a blogging. Five years later, I’m still writing!
What has been your highlight of blogging?
There have been so many, but my highlight had to be going to London with You Tube Kids for the launch of the app. My husband and our girls came and we had an amazing time. I also enjoy working with a variety of brands and companies, as well as going to events and meeting other bloggers.
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
Yes. I wish when I’d first started that I’d started on WordPress self-hosted instead of on blogger! I moved over to WordPress last year and it’s the best thing I’ve done. I now own all of my content and have so much more freedom when it comes to the design of my blog and so much more.
Bloggers sometimes get a lot of stick however many work really hard and are reaping the rewards, what has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?
I totally agree! Bloggers, especially ‘mummy bloggers’ do get a lot of stick, but I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of time it takes to run a successful blog. It doesn’t happen overnight, and you don’t start earning money within a month of starting! It takes dedication and it’s like a full time job. The most rewarding part for me has to earning a little extra money and being sent lovely things to review. Oh, and going on days out!
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Don’t worry about statistics, views, how many followers or likes you have. When you first start, just concentrate on writing good content. Check your spelling, punctuation and make sure what you’ve written makes sense. Write for yourself and don’t worry about what other bloggers are doing, or ‘say they’re doing’!
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
I love Cath from Cardiff Mummy. Her blog is immensely popular and well read. Cath writes really well and her posts are insightful and useful. My husband also blogs at DIY Daddy and I’ve loved watching his progress. He was named as one of the top 10 Dad Bloggers for 2016 by Vuelio.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
Just to keep ploughing on as normal and working hard on whatever comes my way.
Thank you for taking to the hot seat this week Emily!
