Kimberly D. Coleman

NYC Mom - Blogger - Marketer (& So Much More!)

Click-Through: Jennifer James and Chris Brogan

P1050363
Every week (or so), I will share a few posts that I have been reading that are focused on blogging and social media.  I know that there are a gazillion posts a week, but these will be the ones that I especially think are worth a "click-through" in order to read the entire post.  I will start off with a couple of posts that I read this week from two of my favorite bloggers - Jennifer James and Chris Brogan.
 
This post is a "must-read" for all of the mom bloggers who constantly ask, "but HOW do I make money off my blog?"  Jennifer, who has become a dear friend, does an excellent job of providing practical advice on a variety of ways to earn money from blogging.  There is a little something for everyone.  (Although the focus is mom bloggers, the tips really do apply to any type of blogger.)  Jennifer also provides examples of mom bloggers who are successful examples for each money-making method that she highlights. FYI: #4, #5 and the options mentioned in her "one final note" closing paragraph are my favorite ways to earn money from Mom in the City. Which are yours?
 

Make the Ask (Chris Brogan)

Chris Brogan is another one of my social media favorites.  If you are not subscribed to his blog feed, you are missing out.  He is constantly sharing pearls of wisdom.  This particular post provides some practicals regarding asking for sales and encouragement to move past the fear of asking for what you want in the social media realm.   It reminded me of one of my former roommates who loved to say, "You do not have, because you do not ask." I always joked that would never be her problem...she was definitely an "asker"!  She was right though.  Other people can't read our minds, so it is important to be clear regarding what we want and/or need. (I see this very clearly in my relationship with my husband and kids.  It would be nice if they did anticipate what I want, but I would be silly to count on that!)  For some reason though, it took a while for me to embrace this simple truth when it came to the blogging world. Perhaps that is because Mom in the City started out as a fun little hobby five years ago and just kind of snowballed into this "brand" over time.  In any event, I'm clear now, so I ask for what I want.  Sometimes I get it.  Sometimes I don't.  Such is life. It's amazing what happens when you clearly lay out your expectations though.  For instance, I wrote a post called "Show Me The Money!..." last month.  In it, I shared the types of marketing things that I get paid to perform.  Within a couple of weeks of publishing that post, I received six related paid opportunities.  How cool is that?! (One is still "under wraps" for a bit longer, but I'm excited to share about that soon.)
 
On a related Chris Brogan note, I tweeted about another one of his posts (http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-power-twitter-tips/) earlier this week.  Almost 20 people re-tweeted my tweet about it, so I would say that it is also another "must-read". Don't be thrown off by the "power" word in the title. The tips are practical and easy to apply.  (I don't know.  Maybe it's just me, but the words "power", "influential", "expert", etc. are just used so much in social media, that they no longer make an impact on me.) Anyway, I especially liked #8, #9 (twitter is addictive!) and #50.  Which of the 50 stood out to you?
 
Has there been anything exceptional on your "click-through" list this past week?  If so, let me know!

A place to post "bloggy" stuff

I am not a fan of multiple blogs.  My life is too full (or I'm just too "lazy") to maintain more than one.  That is why I designed my Mom in the City blog to have several different sections....but all on the same blog.  That has worked pretty well for the last five years.  Over the last couple of years, I have become more active in the blogging/social media space.  I have spoken on panels and at conferences, done some consulting and such.  To date, I have just written about such things on my blog under the "My Life" heading.  After all, the act of blogging is part of my life.

Recently, I noticed a problem with my "hodgepodge" blog approach though.  My core readers (who have been with me from the beginning) don't really "get" the blogging/ social media world.  They are simply moms who want a glimpse of how I live and what I like as a NYC based mom.  Since I noticed that I have more thoughts and opinions - based on my own observations and/or questions that I get asked a lot from other bloggers - I decided to move the"insider" talk to a separate space.  (Personally, I hate when people are having a conversation around me that I don't understand.  It's as if they are speaking another language.  I just don't want my non-blogging readers to feel left out by holding blogging conversations on my Mom in the City blog.) That is the purpose of this blog.

I won't have a posting schedule on this mini-blog.  I will simply write when I have something to say. For some reason, I think that might be pretty often.  I already have over 10 post topics from observations and conversations in the month of June alone.  (I decided not to go further back than that. I want to stay forward focused!)  If you have any questions that you would like to get answered or topics that you would like for me to discuss over here, simply email me at kcoleman@mominthecity.com.  (I know a lot of super smart people.  If I don't know the answer, I'm pretty sure that I can connect you with someone who does!)