Therapy Thursday: So You Want to Blog

So I get a lot of questions from you girls about blogging etc, so today I'm going to try to answer them. 
FYI: My blog was having big problems this morning and published this three times before I was done editing it.


1) How did you start blogging? 
I started blogging almost five years ago. July 8 will be my 5 year anniversary and also my birthday. I plan to have a nice bash for that so if you can go, let me know. We'll have great gift bags, drinks, hair done, nails, and girl talk, at maybe a spa in Manhattan. I'm already working on it. I started blogging for a few reasons 1) I was addicted to blogs, specifically shake your beauty and afrobella, and would crave for them every day 2) I loved blogs with personal stories 3) I loved writing 4) I noticed there weren't too many Latina blogs. 5) Mr. Milly and I had a huge fight on my bday five years ago, and I needed something to keep my mind busy, so BeautyLogic was born.

2) How do I interview fun people  if I don't live in NYC? 
You can interview people no matter where you live. Most of my interviews have been done by phone or email. My first big interviews were Mally Roncal and June Ambrose. I contacted Mally through her PR, and funny enough, I contacted June through Myspace and she got right back to me. Don't ever be afraid to email or ask someone to cover them. Remember that the worst thing they can say is NO, which I've heard many times.

3) How do I build traffic?
A lot of ways. Leave comments on big blogs. That's important. 2) Don't be like me, create a facebook immediately after starting your blog. Believe it or not getting traffic wasn't the most important thing to me  so I never thought to create a page, but then everyone kept asking me about my facebook, so I finally created one the end of last year. The power of Facebook is amazing. 3) Create a twitter right away. Twitter is so important 4) Befriend other bloggers. Instead of looking as bloggers as competition, look at them as your allies and make friends with as many of them as possible and then join sharing sites like Triberr so you can share their content and they can share yours. 5) Photography-up until last year, my camera sucked, what a mistake. If you're going to blog, get a good camera, good camera's don't have to be expensive and learn how to use it.  6) Try to blog everyday. (I need to take my own advice.)

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4) What happens if my traffic isn't what I want it to be? Keep working on it. Use those tips above, and keep doing it. You will get there eventually. It takes time. But don't get discouraged!

5) But Milly, there are too many blogs, how can I make mine stand out? 
Stop worrying about other people. We discussed that before here. Put your own personal spin on your blog. Write with your personality in every post. Don't be boring. I always try to throw in either a funny line, or some random fact about myself in each post because I feel like people may want to know more about the writer.  The master of this is makeupandbeautyblog. I study her blog everyday. I also write my blog as if I'm talking to you. I can use big words, but because of my news background, I was taught to make my writing conversational, and that's how I do it. S

6)What happens if I don't get comments?
When I first started blogging and had like 50 hits a day, I used to get a lot of comments. Now my blog traffic is much more than that, and comments are very limited, but I do get a lot of emails from you girls (which I find really interesting). I once had a woman contact me who was going through a divorce and she had no one to talk to.  Ask your readers a question at the end of your post. But don't go crazy if you don't get comments. I know a lot of huge blogs that don't get too many comments.


7) Worst Mistake you ever made blogging?
Waiting way too long to start a facebook. What a dumb move. Don't make the same mistake.

8) What blogging platform do you rec?
Everyone and their mama uses Wordpress. But I'm a creature of habit and have been on blogger since I started. I don't imagine moving anytime soon. Setting up a blogger account is pretty easy.



9) What has blogging done for your life?
Blogging has given me so many opportunities that I would never have had. Also, I love talking beauty, giving life advice, and talking to random people so my blog is almost like a therapy for me. If you have a passion for something, blog about it. You never know who is reading. And if ever you do become a big blogger, if you get an email from someone who is seeking blog advice, don't dismiss it. Help them. Remember by helping others you are helping yourself.

Hope this helps.

If you have any suggestions, please let us know: 



Hugs,


Milly


Oh something really cool that came from blogging, was having my mentor Loren Ridinger interview me for her own blog: Here's my interview, check it out here.