Welcome to this weeks Wise Words Wednesday feature and today we have the very lovely Nicole from Tales from Mamaville joining us today.
Nicole has a great selection of posts over on her blog however this one is my particular favourite as many bloggers can relate to it, Mumspeak #6: Sharenting: Should it stop? With the current technology on offer it is not uncommon for parents to share pictures and stories online. However should we? Head over to her post to have your say.
For now I am handing the blog over to Nicole for her thoughts on the world of blogging.
Tell us a little bit about you and your blog
I have always been a writer and a lover of the written word. Before I embarked on motherhood, I was a Lifestyle journalist with a national newspaper. Then I became a full-time SAHM. But when my son started at nursery three days a week and I found some time to myself, I decided to get back to doing what I love – writing – and so my blog Tales from Mamaville was born.
It started out as a public diary of a new mum – a place to record first-time experiences and lightbulb realisations, to write about the highs, lows, challenges, insanities and ultimate contentment of being a mother. I also wanted to help other first-time mums with the knowledge and experience I was gaining, as well as share our trials, tribulations and successes. But above all, I wanted it to bring a smile to a tired mum’s face.
What inspired you to start blogging?
As I mentioned, once my son started nursery, I wanted to get back to writing. And blogging seemed the perfect option – it was something I could do while at home alongside being a full-time SAHM. Besides, it was the one thing I hadn’t tried before (I’d written for newspapers, magazine and websites but I had never blogged!).
Choosing a niche was a no-brainer – motherhood was what my life was all about at that point. It was a new experience and it was something I knew would provide endless subject matter.
What has been your highlight of blogging?
Starting my blog has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in recent times. Two wonderful things have come out of it:
- I have made so many blogger and mum friends online, and although we haven’t met, they are my go-to for blogging and mum-related questions, problems and rants! I love that the blogging community is so helpful and supportive.
- I am now beginning to make some income from my blog and the fact that this could become a job I could do whilst being a SAHM is appealing.
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
Plenty! In retrospect, I wish I had gone self-hosted from the start so I could’ve built my DA from the beginning. There were so many technical things I learned along the way (SEO, optimizing images, keywords) and am still learning, which would’ve been helpful to know in the beginning.
I also learnt that unless you promote, promote and promote your own posts on social media and linkies, no-one will know you or your blog exist. Blogging isn’t just about writing and publishing – the real hard work begins after that!
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?
Making some lovely friends online who I hope to meet someday. Learning the technicalities of it all – html, DA and SEO don’t scare me as much now. And making some money whilst doing what I love!
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Be yourself. It is tempting to follow the crowd and do what is popular, but the whole point of blogging is to write about YOUR interests/ likes/ dislikes whatever. The essence is YOU – and even if you make your blog a career, never loose that essence. Genuine content is the foundation of a good blog.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
I have a long list of favourites but there are a few blogs that have inspired me from the start. I love Claire’s writing style in Life, Love and Dirty Dishes (https://lifeloveanddirtydishes.com/) and Dawn’s wit in Rhyming With Wine; Siobhan’s blog Pass the Wine Please is hilarious – I’ve recently discovered it and I love it! Lucy at Home , Mom of Two Little Girls and MummyMamaMum for telling it as it is, and My Random Musings for inspiration.
All of these bloggers are lovely, helpful people too.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I plan to make blogging my avenue for working from home while being a SAHM, so my efforts are now focused in that direction. I also plan to make myself more noticed on social media – something I have to work on! And I’ve to get on to the Pinterest bandwagon….
You can keep up to date with Nicoles posts on her blog but also over on her social media – Twitter – @MamavilleTales & – Facebook
