There’s a first time for everything and today we are asking our guest YOUR questions! Goal Diggers, welcome to “Ask A Blogger ANYTHING!” I wanted this episode to be with an expert in the field and I couldn’t have found anyone better thaaaan….. Kathleen Barnes! This woman is the life and style blogger behind CarrieBradshawLied.com. After quickly realizing life as a twenty-something wasn’t as effortlessly fabulous and sprinkled with sparkle as Carrie Bradshaw led her to believe, the website was born in 2010. The blog flourished and Carrie Bradshaw Lied has been featured on The Today Show, Oprah.com, People StyleWatch, RealSimple.com, SouthernLiving.com, WhoWhatWear.com, New York Magazine‘s The Cut and more. Without further delay, ASK A BLOGGER ANYTHING!
TUNE IN TO HEAR THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS:
WHERE TO BEGIN:
- Brittany Stombaugh asked What made you just DO it? That initial jump between the idea and the actual product or blog – what made you take that step of faith? How do you overcome the idea that it has to be perfect before you can start? As in, I don’t have the right template or photography but I want to write…what to do when you are stuck before you even start.
- Lateefah Adesanya asked Yay!!! What’s their advice on niche-ing down to grow especially when you have multiple interests.
- Kristen Adams asked Are there any pitfalls or missteps that seasoned bloggers experienced early on that they would warn others about who are just starting out?
- Lauren Haley wondered How the heck they got traffic in the beginning!
LOGISTICS & BUSINESS:
- Robin Bichsel-Connor asked I would love to know how they made the jump to full time blogging- did they save up for an extended period of time? How do they know if they would be secure financially month to month? Do they have a budget spreadsheet they work off of to make sure they’re bringing in more than what they’re spending
- Shelby Roebock Can you walk us through their day! or how they stay productive and focused while not getting distracted by what everyone else is doing.
- Rocquelle M asked: I am thinking of rebranding my blog, but i am SO overwhelmed by this. Have you ever rebranded? If so, what went into that process? Do you regret it?
- Sabrina asked What content do you reserve for your email list vs your blog? WHAT OPT-INS DO YOU MAKE AS A BLOGGER?
- Danielle Shaub wondered When to invest in outside help? Whether that’s an assistance, an outside company to help increase SEO/ traffic, or someone to help manage your social media, etc etc.
PHOTOS & CONTENT:
- Jasmine Walbom For real, who does take their pictures?!
- Tara M Bowlin How often do you recommend blogging and how do you keep readers engaged & interacting with each post?
- Kristen Elle What’s the balance between things they want to write about and thing they “should” write about to be a well balanced blog?
- Mandie Menzer How often are photo shoots done?! For as many posts as people have, it seems like daily, but is it one crazy day of a million outfit changes that gives enough photos for a few weeks, or is life truly just getting photos taken all day long ;)?
- Brianna LaRouche How far in advance are they usually planning/creating content?
SPONSORSHIPS:
- Andrea Reno Yay! Looking forward to this one! How long before they got traction to start actually making money and having influencer deals?
- Nicole A asked Can you walk us through what a typical partnership looks like? From the initial “reaching out” to completion?
- Kristen Adams asked: How much “traffic” is necessary to catch a company’s eye in terms of a blog?
- Angela Wingard Do sponsors find that website traffic is more important or the engagement rate on social media?
- Kristen Adams Asked I’m really curious about the behind-the-scenes financial transactions. I follow some great blogs, but I feel like much of it feels so secretive. What is happening when readers click on those links? Is there a difference if they only click, but don’t buy? Do all companies track where their traffic is coming from?
AND LASTLY:
- Bobbi Brossard My question is how do we start our own blog, with our own voice.. without looking to other blogs for inspiration?
Safe to say we have an expert and today Kathleen is going to teach you EVERYTHING you need to know about blogging. If you’re wondering how the heck to even start, drive traffic to your content, get sponsorships, or how to *actually* make this career a sustainable source of income, you’re in the right place….
Jenna! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I remember your request asking for our questions in the Goal Digger group on Facebook in preparation for this podcast, and I’ve been so excited to hear it ever since! I took your request to heart and submitted a bunch of questions since I am just starting out in the blogging world. I almost fell out of my chair when I heard my name and questions mentioned (twice!) in the podcast. I know you listen to your audience, but this hit home in a more personal way as multiple questions I asked were answered. It was a great lesson that to learn and achieve what you want to, it’s always a good idea to speak up and ask the important questions when the opportunity is presented to do so in order to learn from the experts. I am pumped after listening to this podcast! My sincere thanks to you and Kathleen for helping others to chase and accomplish our goals and dreams, no matter where we’re at on the path. THANK YOU!
[…] marketing, social media, self-love and entrepreneurship. I was fortunate to be interviewed by her here, and she has so many amazing conversations on her podcast! A big […]