As the old saying goes, even an old dog can learn new tricks. That adage very well applies to blogging, as programs and systems change, get tweaked, have different offerings, FTC rules change and you can never know enough or keep ahead! Most bloggers are very happy to share how they started, what works for them and great ideas to keep starting bloggers organized, but having all that knowledge in one place can be daunting!
So I was thrilled when I found out that Trisha Haas, from MomDot, and Lynsey Jones, from ThePartyPlanCoach, had started a new site, called Top Mom Blogger, aimed at training on blogging skills and tutorials for topics that bloggers need the most: a virtual how-to encyclopedia, all in one place!
Top Mom Blogger is designed to help all Bloggers, both new and experiences, to better their blogs and reach their own personal goals. No matter what your niche (or if you are niche-less like we are) Top Mom Blogger can help you make your blog better than it is now, better for your readers and profitable for you! When I got into blogging I found that the fence was 2 sided- some successful mom bloggers were VERY willing to answer questions and point me in the right direction, while others really sorta bordered on the 'rude/self-centered' side and refused to even answer a simple basic question. In fact, I remember sending Trisha an email and asking her a couple of questions and she took the time to answer me back, and point me in the right direction, which was a HUGE help!Trisha and Lynsey understood this was not experiences by just a few newbies, but by most. They feel that the ."Blogosphere has suffered tremendously with millions of people simply not knowing HOW to build a terrific blog or what to do next. We feel that by sharing what we know and helping you to be more professional and therefore more successful, that we will help to better the Blogosphere as a whole, creating more success and opportunity for everyone.". I totally agree, which is why I've always been happy to answer questions, or help another blogger out.
But even if you have had a blog going for a couple of years, there are new things to learn. Especially when new social promotions sites come online (like Pinterest) and keeping up with the new programs can help lead your blog into a new direction. New training is put on the website every week (on Tuesdays), making it constantly current!
In just my first visit I found 4 topics I realized I really needed to check out, and learned quite a few things that I will be implementing on this blog, like:
- creating a more professional 'About Me' page that features highlights from your blog, all on one page
- how to secure sponsorship for a blogging conference
- creating a 'More Info' page, that is private and strictly for PR distribution- no more digging through sent emails for it- keeping it on one page and constantly updated, is SO much easier!
- making better use of Twitter for blog promotion
Training topics include: Building Your Audience, marketing and Branding, Social Media Success, Content Inspiration, Monetization, Pitching and PR, Blog Conference and Blog Challenges, and more! So you can see where there may be a topic that you are week on, or just want to improve on! There is a section that includes FREE articles and training, for those that want to check out the site, without committing to a membership. But trust me, once you check it out, you'll want to read EVERYTHING!
One of my two quibbles/wish is that there was a 'Print' button on all the training posts, as I found some, like the 'About Me Post', that I would like to have printed out, so that when I had the time, I could pull it out and use it as a guide, while typing. Obviously you can copy/paste into word and print, but as their on sharing buttons, it would be nice to have it as well. The other quibble/wish is that there would be a SEARCH button for the training area, so if you were looking for say articles on Taxes (which could fall under multiple categories), you could find them quickly and easier than searching all the boards (actually that might be a topic board that NEEDS to be added asap!). As the site is new, this isn't too much of a headache, but as it grows, it could be cumbersome without one. But if I know Lynsey and Trisha, these are 2 things they've already thought about and have in the next re-tweeking of the site already! And neither one limits or deters from the experience of the website!
Besides the topic forums, there are also audio and video training sessions you can access. They also have Invoice and W9 downloadable forms, to help you out. Top Mom Blogger hopes to have live trainings, complete with Q&A, for you to get answers to your personal blog struggles, pretty soon as well.
Be sure to check out their Facebook Page, Twitter, and brand new YouTube channel for more info, and updates.
All in all, I was VERY impressed with my review session, and think I learned a lot: like what I was doing right, and things that can be improved! I would definitely recommend the site as a MUST for all new bloggers (and by that I mean that you've been blogging for UNDER 2 years!), and a good recommendation for everybody else to brush up and finese their blogging skills!
Like to win a 6 Month Access to all the site has to offer?
Yup, one lucky BTHM will get to win that! Talk about a Merry Christmas to You present!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was given access to the site, free of charge, from Top Mom Blogger, for blog review and giveaway purposes, on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told what to say about the website or training
I want to start a blog :)
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about starting a blog but just dont know where to begin. I think this would be a great resource.
ReplyDeleteI would so love to win this! I've been blogging for two years about raising our quadruplets and could really use some extra guidance! Here's hoping I win!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
I would give it to my cousin, who runs a coupon blog. :)
ReplyDelete