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Why Every Blogger Needs an Email Newsletter

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Why Ever Blogger Needs an Email Newsletter by @TrinaHolden on #Allume

When you read yet another post enthusiastically encouraging you to start a newsletter, what do you think?

Probably the same thing I did for a long time: “That’s advice for bigger bloggers, bloggers who are marketing something, or bloggers with a clear idea of where they’re going online. But definitely not for me.”

But today I’m going to give you two key reasons why any blogger, big or small, casual or focused, ministry or marketing minded, would both enjoy and benefit from creating a newsletter. And then I’m gonna tell you exactly how to get started with the help of my techie, friend, Gretchen. Are you ready? Here we go!

1. Email is Tried and True

In the busy summer months, or anytime you don’t have a lot of time for the computer, what’s the last thing you hang on to? That’s right—your inbox. Facebook may get neglected, your favorite blogs pile up in your RSS reader, but when you just have a few moments, you still check your email faithfully. Why? Because email remains the most trustworthy way for people to contact you, and for you to collect information that’s important to you.

It’s also the most assured way that you can get in touch with your readers. Facebook’s algorithms may squeeze your statuses out of their feed, they may have forgotten to switch their RSS reader when Google reader died, but email remains steadfast. You don’t have to fight to be heard on Twitter or seen on Pinterest—when you offer your readers the chance to connect with you via a newsletter, they’re asking you right into their private inbox where it’s much quieter, and a personal note from a friend or blogger they enjoy will probably get top billing. Instead of fighting for attention on a busy street, you’ve been invited to the kitchen table to share your heart over a cup of coffee.

2. Email is Personal and Private

Have you struggled to connect deeper with your audience, pouring words out of your heart, but rarely hear even an echo back? There are several reasons (besides the hurry of life) that keep people from giving feedback on posts.

  • Your reader may not be as tech savvy as you and has trouble commenting no matter how easy you make it (a very dear relation of mine would certainly fall into this category!).
  • Your reader may have been too deeply moved by your post to be comfortable pouring their heart out in a place as public as a comment form.
  • Your reader may have a question or a concern they don’t feel like airing publicly.

Email resolves all of these issues, encouraging your readers to respond to you in a way that is familiar (“simply reply to this message!”) and private. When they realize that their communication with you will go straight to you and no one else, you may be amazed at how they open up, feedback increases, and relationship deepens.

Do you begin to see how even you and your audience may benefit from an email exchange? It’s the perfect tool for a deeper, more reliable communication with your audience. With a newsletter you can transition from one-way communication to a rich, personal dialogue with your readers in the comfort of your inboxes. So, let’s get started!

Gretchen Answers Your Newsletter FAQ

I know by now your head is full of questions about how this works and how much it costs. So my friend Gretchen is here to answer your questions:

How much does it cost to build an email list?

It’s free! I recommend MailChimp or Mad Mimi, and both are free for limited emails per month to less than 2,000 subscribers. (Check out the price breakdowns for more frequent emails and other services here.)

Isn’t this what FeedBurner or Jetpack already does with my latest posts?

Yes and no. You can use MailChimp or Mad Mimi to send out your posts by email (it’s called RSS to email). But what Trina is talking about here is offering an additional subscription option, a personal newsletter, directly from you to your readers’ inboxes.

I don’t know anything about coding—will I be able to set this up?

Both MailChimp and Mad Mimi are super easy to use, and have great tech support and helpful tutorials. Advanced signup form configuration may require coding help from a VA or designer, but setting up an email list and sending out a newsletter is pretty simple.

How do I get people to subscribe?

Put the signup form in your blog sidebar and on your Facebook page, create a special “subscribe” page on your site, Tweet about your newsletter from time to time, offer a free download exclusively to your subscribers, etc.

How do I get started?

Choose a service like MailChimp or Mad Mimi, set up your “list”, and get started creating your first campaign (that’s the fancy term for “newsletter”)!

Click here to check out Gretchen’s detailed guide to creating and building an email list over at gretchenlouise.com.

Now, what to put in this here letter?

Well, there are many types of newsletters, but the goal of most of the good ones I’ve received seems to be to serve the reader either info, inspiration, or a juicy combination of both.

The Informational Newsletter

Includes tips and tricks your audience would expect to get from you, plus multiple links to further content on the subject of the email, either from your blog or other’s. (Example: Amy Lynn Andrews)

The Inspirational Newsletter

Got a really special message the Lord has put on your heart for your readers this month, or a great new idea that’s helping you on your journey? Choose to make it newsletter content over a blog post. Perhaps include links to other related posts on your blog or books that have been inspiring you this month. (Example: Emily Freeman)

The Blog Wrap Up Newsletter

This newsletter, which is basically a synopsis of what your blog has offered in the last week or month, is a great way to serve your reader who’s been too busy to visit your blog every day or keep up with their RSS feed. Give them a brief rundown of what you’ve been writing about, and let them choose the links they follow. It can be automated through RSS to email campaigns, or you can code it yourself. (Example: Jeff Goins is one of many bloggers who offer this option in addition to his weekly Inspirational-style Newsletter.)

The Personal Update Newsletter

Do you have news or thoughts you’d rather not broadcast to the whole world, but still want your readers to know about? Consider using your newsletter in it’s simplest form—a traditional, newsy, heartfelt letter, just what you’d share if you were having coffee together. (Example: My newsletter falls into this category, though I’ve been inspired by all of the above styles at one time or another in the past year since I’ve been sending a newsletter.) If you do want your news to stay private to people’s inboxes, MailChimp gives you the option to disable social sharing, etc.

As you can see, there’s a whole slew of options to mix and match into the newsletter you’re uniquely equipped to write to your readers.  Once you decide what you want to convey, let the fun of deeper connection begin!

My Best Tip for Learning to Craft a Great Newsletter

My final tip for creating a good newsletter is to subscribe to some great ones! Besides the ones mentioned above, you may enjoy the newsletters offered by some of our very own Allume writers: Erika, Gretchen, Jill, Kayse, Kris, Natasha, Tricia, and yours truly. (And if you’re an Allume attendee this year, don’t forget to sign up for Allume’s own newsletter!)

Do you receive a newsletter you love? Please share the sender’s blog address in the comments, as I’m looking to fill my inbox with fresh inspiration! And if you have a newsletter, do tell us where we can sign up!

 

Tweetables:
  • Email was the first way to connect online, and it remains the best method to get in touch with people. (Click to Tweet)
  • Newsletters: Not just for bigger bloggers! (Click to Tweet)
  • Want to connect more deeply with your readers? Try a Newsletter!  (Click to Tweet)

When Your Soul Needs Splinting

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As a wannabe runner with a few {slow} 5k’s under my belt, I often have questions about my new hobby. When I do, I call a more experienced friend of mine. Such was the case last month when a pain in my foot persisted past the usual soreness one would expect from running for the first time in, ahem, months.

My girlfriend had experienced similar pain and her doctor said she was on her way to a stress fracture if she didn’t take it easy. Her advice to me? Wrap it and take it easy, girl. 

The wrapping is easy. It’s the taking it easy that isn’t so…easy. But it got me thinking:

I’m usually a ‘push through the stress’ kinda gal. Commitments, expectations, dreams, goals, tasks, and responsibilities pile on me until I fracture (usually in the form of a verbal explosion aimed at my *usually* innocent children). I’ve been telling myself my problem is I’m just not strong enough, and I should be able to handle the stress if I just Try Harder.

wisdom, not weakness. @trinaholden on allume.com

But maybe, just maybe, pushing through is the worst thing I can do for my soul. As I’ve stared down at my splinted foot this week, I’ve come to accept this truth: Admitting I have limits isn’t weakness–it’s wisdom. {<–Tweetable}

This month the Lord has been calling me to “Rest”. Over and over the refrain comes. He knows what I need. He knows my soul is fragile and weary. Instead of giving me a pep talk to get back out there and run harder, He’s said it’s time to rest. To not require myself to be superwoman. To splint my soul with peaceful days. To trust that the best thing for my mamma’s heart and for my days is to require less rather than more.

What does this look like for a busy mom of 3? 

  • I’ve given myself permission to embrace seasonal blogging. Our summer schedule IRL is way different than our winter schedule–my blog is going to reflect that.
  • I’m trimming my involvement in social media and unsubscribing to any and all emails that don’t seem to be getting read right now. I can always re-subscribe later, right?
  • Reducing the time I spend multitasking each day. Social media is not the only culprit–anxiety and fear of man are mental treadmills I hop on way. too. often. It’s time to get off, choosing to letting my mind rest even as I’m busy with the day’s activities.

Just a few small things…nothing earth-shattering. No relationships are being negatively affected, no dreams up in smoke. But my soul–just like my foot–is feeling a lot better from taking the advice to rest.

Have you been feeling splintered and fractured? It’s OK, girlfriend, to rest. In fact, it might be the very thing you need the most. Share in the comments one idea for how you lighten your load when the stress builds. Let’s encourage each other towards rest.

4 {Great} Reasons YOU Should Write an eBook

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Hi, I’m Trina and I’m a blogger who writes books.

My books have not gone viral nor made me famous. I’m not making a full-time income from my ebook earnings, nor have any publishers come calling. But I still love writing books, and I believe no matter how big (or small!) your blog, or what your vision for your writing is, you should consider self publishing an ebook.

Here’s why:

youshouldwriteanebook

1. It’s a step toward bigger dreams.

A published book is the ‘Holy Grail’ for many writers. Whether self-pub or contracted, we long to see our name in the author line on a manuscript. Although I don’t believe for a minute that authorship is the ultimate proof that we are REAL writers, there are still many writers who believe that title as an important milestone in their journey, and they will—often subconsciously—put most of their efforts into reaching that point.

But what if you were past that goal? Then what would you feel free to pursue?

For years I saw publishing a book as the ultimate goal of my writing. Once I got that out of my system, I was able to expand my horizons with my writing, and also felt more freedom to ask God what His dreams for my writing were. (Novel idea, I know!)

If publishing even a small ebook helps you get past that mental block of “I have to write a book first” so you can pursue different or broader dreams with your writing, then go for it! If, on the other hand, my little confession helps you realize that a book has been getting in the way of your calling, then skip the book and go straight for your dreams!

2. People still prefer books.

If you had a series on your blog that I was really interested in, and you had gathered all 6 or 10 or 31 posts into a PDF I could download and read on my Kindle app, guess what I’d prefer? The file that has it all in one place.

As much as we all love reading blogs, there’s still something about a book that continues to draw us. Maybe it’s the fact that a book doesn’t ask us to comment or share or engage. Instead we ingest, meditate, and relax into the content, and any ‘call to action’ is hopefully something that calls us to engage more fully in life, instead of just social media.

If you have some great content on your blog, or some posts that you feel get to the heart of what God has called you to write about, consider doing your readers the service of organizing them into one place. Maybe it’s a fancy, shmancy ebook formatted for kindle, with a custom-designed cover. Or maybe it’s a simple PDF they can download for free. Either way, creating a book is a way to serve your readers well. (<–Tweet that!)

3. It’s a wise use of your time.

Let’s face it, blog posts have a very short life span. No matter how much work you put into that post, it’s going to eventually get bumped into your archives. You can try to resurrect it, but it’s still just a blog post that people are going to have to be willing to follow a link trail to read.

On the other hand, a book is not so easily lost. It can live right in your sidebar with a cute graphic, be shared regularly with other bloggers via reviews or giveaways, and be easily linked to in current posts. You can also get it formatted for print and have a tangible capsule of your words to share with friends and keep as a reminder to yourself of what God has taught you.

Putting our efforts into creating something more enduring than a blog post is a wise stewardship of our gifts and calling.

4. Makes great residual income.

I love things where you do the work once, but continue to reap the rewards: like taking the time to teach your children to do the laundry, or planting a perennial in the garden.  The benefits keep coming after you’ve quit sweating!

This is what ebooks have been for me. Sure, they’re more work than a blog post. But once they’re finished, and you upload them to Amazon or Ejunkie, the work of creating is done. You may spend a season of time actively marketing your book (and that can feel like more work than the writing!), but eventually you will move on to other things, while the book stands on its own two feet, and people can continue to buy it.

My first book sold 2 copies the day I released it. I had such a small platform at the time and so few connections that whatever attempts I made to market it hardly made a ripple. Within a few months I had moved on to other projects. But the book was still there, and every once in a while, someone would buy a copy. For the first year, I only sold a few per month, but my little book sitting there in my sidebar saved me the trouble of having to find sponsorship for my blog in order to afford hosting fees. It continues to sell two years later, providing a blessed little residual income stream for our family.

Final Advice for Would-Be Authors:

If these points have got you brainstorming about what idea or content you can turn into an ebook, I’m excited for you! But my final word of advice is this: as with any project or dream you pursue, make sure the idea is actually in line with God’s desire for your writing. Writing an ebook is a lot of work, and not something to be embarked upon without prayer, counsel, and counting the cost. With that, I wish you well and look forward to seeing what God calls you to write in the future!

Tweetables:

 

DYI ebook publishingYou can read the full account of my first self-publishing journey in my series: The Smaller Blogger’s Step-by-Step Guide to DYI Publishing. You may also enjoy my husband’s techy tips for formatting a book for kindle and for print. P.S. My second ebook was released last month. Though it hasn’t gone viral, some of my friends think it’s pretty cool. *wink* Find it here. 

Do you dream of writing a book? What’s holding you back? If you need feedback or encouragement for your dream, I’m your gal. Let’s brainstorm in the comments!

10 Do’s and Don’t’s for Your First Blogging Conference

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Just a little list I kinda wish someone could have stapled to my packing list last year….

10 Do's & Dont's for your first Blogging Conference #Allume

Do get some business cards. No blog is too small to not need a business card because that blog and that card represent amazing YOU! If you’re still in the middle of the branding process or not sure what all one puts on a card, why not start with Your Name, Contact Info/Site address, and a bit about YOU (ie. “Writer, Laundress, and lover of pink shoes”). Consider your business card as YOUR card, not your blog’s card. After all, it’s you–not your blog–who’s walking around meeting people. Your blog is an extension of you, not the other way around (<–Tweet this!). If your blog has a great title and tagline, definitely slap it on there! (And I’ll be just a little bit jealous). I’m making my own cards this year from this awesome tutorial from Gretchen Louise.

Do put your face on your business card. This will help me remember you! Thank you.

Don’t Cling to Un-Realistic Expectations. Tragically, there are only so many days in one weekend; there will not be hours and hours of uninterrupted conversation available. The speakers and authors you’ve come to love and can’t wait to meet in person? Give them grace—they’ve got a lot of responsibilities and demands on their time. Realize that the beauty of a conference is to hear with our ears what we’ve only seen on a screen, or to exchange an IRL hug in place of an emoticon. The deepening of a relationship most often comes in the before or after of a conference.

Do get yourself a little notebook… and some tape to collect your business cards and keep track of conversations. Each time you exchange cards with someone, immediately tape their card into a new page of your book, and during or after your conversation, jot down a few notes you may want to remember about your new friend (ie. “She lives two hours from me!” or “Email re: design work”). I got this idea from Logan last year, and it was pretty much the best thing I took home from Allume (OK, and the awesome swag bag. Did I mention AWESOME?!)

Logan’s amazing business card notebook idea!

Do Combat Uncertainty with a Plan. Familiarize yourself with the schedule and speakers and make a short list of your priorities at the conference. Is it to get as much instruction as possible? Is it to network? Decide what you most hope to glean from the conference so you have a guide in choosing sessions and what to do with free time. Are there a few individuals you’d really like to meet? Make arrangements now: send a message, exchange phone numbers, and decide on a meal or a session when you’ll try to sit together.

Just for Introverts:

(Note: I would never presume to speak to you dear ones without the input of my wisest, sweetest, and most introverted friend, Diane—I quote her almost word-for-word here!)

Do give yourself permission to take a break from the crowds. Look for windows in the schedule that would allow you to enjoy some quiet time in your room or one-on-one with a friend. Make a plan that helps you disengage from the flow and to recharge.

Do be willing to step out of your comfort zone and dive into the beauty that is 400 passionate woman gathering to grow and have fun together. Now is your chance to connect in person with the women and hearts you’ve learned to love in the quieter spaces of their blogs. Try sitting at a different table occasionally and not always sticking with your roomies–it’ll be worth it, I promise.

Just for Extroverts:

Don’t do what I did last year: I was so giddy to meet so many wonderful, new people, I exchanged business cards with over 80 women. There was no WAY I would remember which face belonged to which conversation, or ever have the opportunity to follow through with that many connections (even my handy notebook couldn’t keep up!). Slow down, girlfriend! And tap me on the shoulder if I look like I’ve forgotten this one, will you?

Do go deep rather than wide. Give yourself permission to get to know a few new friends a little deeper rather than feeling like you must work the crowd and shake everyone’s hands like a bloomin’ politician (again, I’m preachin’ to the choir here!). Take the time to listen to another’s heart, to pray, or even—gasp—be still. 

For all of us:

Do Remember it’s Not All About You: look at the weekend as an opportunity to bless and serve others. There will be others at the conference more shy or overwhelmed than you. There will be hurts barely bandaged, joys asking to be celebrated, fears that need to encounter truth, and hearts that need an encouraging word. Extrovert or Introvert, Newbie or Veteran, we all need to be willing to put our own agenda aside and tune into ways we can serve the other beautiful women we will meet during the weekend.

your blog is an extension of you...

Tweetables:

  • “No blog is too small to not need a business card because that blog and that card represent amazing YOU!” <–Click to Tweet
  • “Great blog conference advice for extroverts, introverts, and everyone in between”<–Click to Tweet
  • “Handy tip for organizing all those business cards you’ll collect at your next blogging conference!” <–Click to Tweet

Have you been to a blogging conference before? Any kind of conference? Will you share your favorite networking, preparation, packing, or getting-the-most-out-of-a-conference tip in the comments? I will love you for it. See you there!

The Best Personal Branding Advice I Ever Got {Or Gave}

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personal branding advice

As a smaller blogger, unsure of my niche and how to bill myself, branding was a big, intimidating obligation, kind of like meeting prospective in-laws for the first time. (Can we just get this over with?)

Much of the advice I read seemed to apply to people who could already define themselves and what they had to offer their readers in one tidy sentence—all that was left to do was hire someone to design a logo and header to match.

But what if you are too new to know what your main contribution to the blogosphere is will be? Or what if you’ve got your hands in a lot of different stuff, and don’t yet know which one you’ll end up focusing on?

The best branding advice I ever received came from Michelle at So I Married a Mennonite. Intrigued by her unique blog title, I asked her why she chose it. She said, “I picked something about myself that would never change.”

So, I ask you: what’s something about yourself that will never change?

Don’t think too hard here. It’s right in front of your nose.

Your Name.

Letting your name be your brand is simple, yet it works for you in so many ways:

  1. It allows people to connect with you personally. The online world is all about relationships–people want to connect with real people anymore, not a billboard or a slogan or a caricature.
  2. It allows for growth and change of direction in your online pursuits without losing your followers. No matter where your blogging journey takes you, they will know how to find you.
  3. It gives you a solid place to hang your hat today, even if you haven’t quite figured out what you’re about yet.

But what about protecting my identity? Michael Hyatt says hidden online identities are a thing of the past. People can now Google you and find anything they want about you. Why fight it with a nickname people can’t spell or remember?

“A real name communicates authenticity and accessibility. Don’t hide behind a made-up name that is only meaningful to you.” -Michael Hyatt, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

We are here to build relationship. We need to introduce ourselves the same way we do in real life—by announcing our name.

How this works:

  • On your blog: call it whatever you want, but make your blog address yourname.com. You’ll be easy to find no matter what you blog about.
  • Your Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest handle: Use your name, or a close variation (see below).
  • Your Email: YourName@gmail.com, or, better yet, yourname@yourdomain.com (ie. trina@trinaholden.com)
  • Facebook Fan Page: Name it after yourself. A personal fan page is simply  the easiest way for people to connect with you on facebook—no friend request necessary, just one click of the ‘like’ button and you’re connected.

I know this can sound a bit egotistical, but really, it’s not. You’re simply removing barriers and making it easy for people to find you and talk to you. It’s a favor to your friends and anyone you meet online to be consistent in your online identities.

Having a solid brand is as simple as just being yourself wherever you go.

Creative Variations

But what if your name is already taken? If you have a popular name, you will have to get creative  with your handle. But don’t go too crazy. You still want people to recognize you.

  • Use your first and middle name if your first and last aren’t available. This is also a good idea if your last name has the potential to change or is hard to spell.
  • If that doesn’t work, try using a verb after your first name—something about you that won’t change, or something pertaining to the particular social media platform you’re on. (On facebook I’m TrinaHoldenWrites because TrinaHolden wasn’t available. On Twitter I could have been TrinaTweets if TrinaHolden wasn’t free. If your domain name isn’t available, try YourNameBlogs.com or YourNameWrites.com.)
  • When trying a variation of your name on for size, imagine referring to it in a phone conversation to a friend—if it flows easy and you don’t have to spell it for them, it’s good.
  • Keep in mind that a long handle will get in the way on Twitter. You want it as short and too-the-point as possible. Avoid numbers and too many initials in a row.

Use a site like KnowEm.com to help you check availability. When you find a handle that works all around, grab it!

Now all you have to do is BE yourself each place you visit, and people will begin to associate your writing voice, personality quirks, and actions with your name, and you will have created a brand for yourself. Are you fun and funky? Deep and articulate? Artistic and random? Embrace who God made you to be and let it shine through your online identity! (<– Tweet this!)

True Confessions Time: What’s one of the aliases you’ve gone by during your online journey? I started out with my dutch name, Trintje, in an effort to be unique. But my friends told me it was impossible to spell or say! What about you?

P.S. Have you already built a brand but feel the need for a change?  There’s no better time than the present–you’re smaller now than you will be!  Check out my friend Gretchen’s rebranding journey and all her awesome branding tips.

Why the World Needs {Smaller Bloggers}

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Today I wanted to share with you a bit of my journey as a smaller blogger. You see, just ‘cause I’m sharing my two cents from the platform of Allume doesn’t mean I’m big and famous. Fact is, I have a small but loyal band of followers (last time I did a giveaway I had just seven—count ‘em—seven entrants!). My struggles with growth, insecurities over stats, and craving for significance have been a very real battle. But the peace and joy the Lord has replaced that with are real, as well, and that is why I’m meeting you here.

Lily of the Valley

I started blogging in 2007, for that classic reason—to share little bits of my life with distant family and friends. My only readers were people I already knew—I had hardly a thought toward growth. I loved the kudos and affirmation I received when I posted something clever. This whole blogging thing was great for the ego. Then I began to see the broader scope and potential of a blog. You mean I could make money? I confess, my motivations for blogging more intentionally were almost entirely selfish and mercenary.

I began putting hours of time into creating tutorials, wrapping my mind around the concept of SEO optimization, and signing up as an affiliate for a few companies I loved. I learned that guest posting was a great way to gain new readers, so I tried that, and became a regular contributor to a larger blog. I followed other women bloggers who were where I wanted to be, and that’s how I ended up at the second Relevant Conference (now Allume Social).

Here, for the first time, I heard the phrases, “Blogging for One” and “Upside-down Blogging”. I met bloggers face to face, heard their passions, and saw just how big this blogging thing had the potential to be—and it had nothing to do with numbers.

I came home determined to blog for God, not for numbers, popularity, or fame. My readers immediately noticed a difference in my content, one even candidly informing me, “It’s like you no longer have an agenda behind everything you write.”

My numbers didn’t grow significantly after my writing changed, but the depth of my relationship with my readers did. I was learning to embrace my impact. I also learned to take my online presence seriously, continuing to learn to skills as well as setting boundaries to keep my blog in its proper place in my life.

But I still struggled at times with how small my blog was. It was tempting to look at posts with zero comments and wonder why I was even trying. But then a funny thing happened. I started hearing from readers who had read my entire blog (how embarrassing!) and readers who were asking to meet in real life. My readers were seeking a deeper, more personal relationship with me – they were seeking fellowship and community. I began to see how even my small blog could have big impact if I was willing to go deep, instead of wide.

That’s when I remembered witnessing a beautiful woman at Relevant weeping as she expressed her grief that she could not answer all the emails she received from her wide readership. I suddenly caught the vision of a solution to her sorrow. What if there was a blogger in every town and every corner of the blogosphere willing to use her blog to reach out and build community within an arm’s reach of each needy mom, lonely single, or hurting heart?

And that is why the world needs smaller bloggers. Because the world needs more bloggers—big and small—whose vision goes beyond the numbers and reaches for hearts. Women who take the time to build relationship with their readers so they can love each other well. Women willing to light up their corner of the blogosphere with the love of Christ. These women will change the world. (<–Tweet this!)

(I have so enjoyed my time with you here on the Allume blog, but after a rather busy online season due to promoting my ebook, I need some time off. I’m going back to just writing on my own little blog now, and I welcome ya’ll to come visit if you’re so inclined. Have a great summer and I’ll see you at Allume!)

{Smaller Bloggers} Let’s Grow!

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Does true contentment as a blogger mean we don’t try to grow? Absolutely not! As Christian bloggers, growth should definitely be one of our goals, though how we pursue that goal will look different for each of us.

Some prefer to let growth happen naturally as God leads people to their blog. And there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as we have been good stewards by willingly laying a foundation for growth, it’s ok to let your blog grow at its own pace.

But perhaps you

  • need a platform from which to launch a book,
  • have the vision to supplement the family income through your blog,
  • or God’s given you something so great you just have to spread it far and wide or you’ll bust!

In that case, you will want to actively engage in growth. Growth-oriented tasks should be given priority on your to-do list and you should pursue a variety of strategies. Keep in mind that aggressive growth can be exhausting and can’t be sustained indefinitely without the danger of burn out. Set a specific goal for your stats or decide on a time frame for this season of growth and when you get there, take the time to adjust and get your bearings.

Also, as Christian bloggers, we ought to avoid prideful forms of self-promotion and using controversy to gain attention. We are called to humility and an attitude of service. The great news is, putting other bloggers before yourself and willingly serving your readers is actually a successful and enduring strategy for growth!

Serving Readers

Give Something Away. Product reviews and giveaways are a recognized strategy for growth, but they can involve a lot of preparation and follow up. Even if it’s simply an ebook, there’s still a half dozen emails to exchange each time. If you’re looking for an easy yet effective way to grow through giving, try creating a printable that’s only available to people who subscribe to your blog. Take a popular post on your blog, format it into a one-page PDF file with some graphics, and offer it to anyone who subscribes to your blog via RSS or email. It won’t cost you a thing, and once it’s set in place, your guests can help themselves.

Host a party! Twitter and Facebook parties are a great way to create buzz, and they’re a whole lot of fun. You can host one on your own, or team up with a few bloggers in your niche or network. Choose a date, drum up some giveaways, and invite your readers to join you on your favorite platform. Share tips and links, ask questions, give prizes, and interact with your followers in a public place where others can notice the fun and join in.

Serving Fellow Bloggers

Guest Posting. Providing quality content for someone else’s blog is truly a selfless act! Yet guest posting can be a very effective way get your words in front of a wider audience. Serve larger bloggers by providing them a well-crafted post, and often many readers will follow you to your blog for more. Just be sure your new friends will find what they are expecting when they visit you—if you guest posted on the subject of photography but your own blog is mainly about homeschooling, they may visit, but few will return.

Social Media Sharing. We’ve all heard it—promoting yourself on Twitter or Facebook is only palatable in small amounts. The majority of your tweets or updates should be sharing great content from other sources. Again, serving trumps selfishness for effective growth (<—Tweet This!) Learning to maximize social media takes time and commitment, but the ability to use this tool to help promote others has wonderful fruit. Being known as a generous person is the best plug you can give yourself.

How about you? How do you promote your blog? What works for you? Feel free to share your blog link and a brief description of how you endeavor to serve your readers. Then practice serving your fellow bloggers by tweeting or facebooking the link to a fellow commenter’s blog!

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{Smaller Bloggers} Laying a Foundation For Growth

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By now I hope you’ve embraced your impact as a smaller blogger, are celebrating the joy of building relationship with your readers, and {just about} ignoring your stats altogether. It feels good, doesn’t it?

But…What if God calls you to enlarge your reach? Or what if seeds you’ve sown in your blogging journey suddenly ripen and you wake up one morning to triple the traffic you’re used to? Are you ready for that? Are you prepared if God decides to grow your platform?

Being a good steward of our platform involves laying a solid foundation for growth. Whether growth comes slowly, suddenly, or never, these are wise stones to set in place….

1. Solidify Your Vision and Brand

It’s essential to know who you are and what your personal goals are in this online space. As doors open and opportunities arise, a strong vision and brand will guide your choices and keep you from getting overwhelmed as you grow.

Resources for Vision and Branding:

  • “You’re Already Amazing” by Holley Gerth – this book helped me finally create a personal vision statement, which in turn allowed me to discern why I blog.
  • “You Are A Writer” by Jeff Goins – the chapter on branding alone is worth the price of this {awesome} book!
  • Your Mastermind Group (or closest bloggy friends) can give helpful insight and perspective as you nail down who you are online and why you’re here. Just ask them!

2. Make Your Blog Hospitable

To make your readers feel welcome, you and your blog should be:

  • easy to find. All your various social media platforms should lead seamlessly to your blog. Your avatar and contact info should be the same at each spot, and all the places you can be found should be listed in your email signature.
  • easy to navigate. Subscribe, contact, and share buttons should be easy to find (upper right corner is often recommended). Organized archives, labels, and pages make your guests feel welcome and as if you’ve prepared for their visit.
  • easy to contact. Display your email (with spaces to prevent spam, of course) prominently, install a contact form, or–if you wanna be really sweet–do BOTH so people can choose the reach you in the way that’s most comfortable for them. Be sure to install email forwarding so all your mail comes to one inbox allowing you to be prompt and organized.
  • easy to converse with. Make it as easy as possible for your readers to comment. Reduce friction–do the work of installing spam guards so your readers don’t have to register or type in CAPTCHA codes. Akismet will take care of spam on your WordPress blog, and Disqus is a great commenting system that works on all platforms to facilitate conversation and reduce spam.

3. Prepare for a crowd

Set up balanced habits and boundaries now so that if a crowd shows up at your doorstep, they feel welcome and you’re not overwhelmed!

  • Make your online presence scalable. Responding to every comment is nice–but will you be able to do that if your blog grows? Michael Hyatt said in this podcast that your comments are like a dinner party – you don’t need to dominate the conversation.

“You have the privilege as a blogger of introducing the topic, of initiating the conversation. Then you can comment as you have value to add, as you have something that will move the conversation along.”

  • Prepare for traffic behind the scenes. If you’re on a self-hosted WordPress site, sudden increase in traffic could crash your site. Install a cache plugin just to be safe. (most popular, for the techy, easiest install)

Sound like a lot of trouble? All of this is simply being a good steward of our platform so God can use it as He will. May I suggest: take one tip a week and tweak your blog as needed. I’m excited to see what God does next for you, sisters, as you seek to serve Him with your blog!

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{Smaller Bloggers} Are We Partial to Partiality?

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I read a passage this week that, despite being recorded way before the age of computers, seems  totally written to us bloggers. Will ya’ll forgive me a liberal paraphrase?

“Dear blogging sisters, don’t be partial! For, if a well-known blogger with a professional head shot and a custom graphics visits your blog, and you fawn over them, responding to their comment and following up on twitter and facebook, and–that same day–a smaller blogger, maybe someone you’ve never even heard of, visits your blog, and you don’t even take the time to respond, aren’t you showing partiality—playing favorites? You are judging someone’s worth by their online presence, and this. is. so. wrong.”

How’d I do? Did you recognize James 2: 1-3? Are you as convicted as I am? 

See—I’m the chief of sinners in this area. I inventory outward appearances and rank a person’s worth faster than you can type your favorite password. Whether online or in real life, I am quick to don the gown and wig of a judge and sentence people with my indifference if they don’t meet my standard.

But did you catch that—this makes me a judge. And James goes on to say that judging, or partiality, is a SIN, just like murder and adultery.

Ooops.

Guess we’d better deal with this.

I believe us smaller bloggers get caught in the trap of partiality so easily because we’re stuck on quantifying our own validity and worth. Instead of resting in the calling God has given us, and willingly embracing our impact to whomever comes our way, we measure, gauge and compare, and generally use those same spectacles to set a value on the bloggers around us.

Here are my steps to setting down our judge’s gavel and seeing our fellow bloggers from the right perspective.

  • Call it what it is. Partiality and judging are a sin—not just a distasteful habit. We need to repent and confess, sisters. Good news is, though He is the true judge, He delights to show mercy. He will be faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all our ungracious self-centeredness.
  • See ourselves as Christ sees us. He has appointed us not as judges but as servants. We must ask Him to plant our true calling deep in our hearts to give us the proper foundation for how we view and interact with each other online–and in real life!
  • See our fellow bloggers as Christ sees them. In your mind, strip that big blogger of all her perfect tweets, her gorgeous blog design and her huge platform. And do your other friend the same favor—overlook the blurry avatar, grammar glitch, and lack of a custom domain. Zoom in on their heart–that’s what God says really counts.

Will you join me, sisters? Let’s ignore the jewels and fine robes of the online world (<—Tweet this!) and embrace each other as Christ does–without partiality. Then we’ll be free to focus on what brings us together—our passions and our love for God–and fellowship and work together for His kingdom.

How can we live this out practically, gals? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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Who Has Time To Eat Healthy?

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I believe in a literal interpretation of ‘you are what you eat’ – that what we put in our mouths is the single largest influence we can have on our health. From my own research and experience, I feel that the best thing to put in our mouth is food as close to the way God created it as possible.

Many would agree with this simple hypothesis, but it’s the “living it out” that gets overwhelming. To avoid all the over-processed, additive-laden packaged foods in the typical American diet means a lot of cooking from scratch. Who has time to spend all day in the kitchen?!

Very few of us–and that’s why I wrote this book. Even as I was becoming convinced of what I must do to feed my family well, that family was growing. We had one, two, then three children in less than 4 years. We moved twice. I wrote a blog, sewed, and pursued a passion-filled life all while trying to prepare most of our family’s food from scratch. Over time, I found many little ways to save time, and had the occasional brainstorm on how to better fit nourishing food preparation into our busy days.

You and I both know it’s not enough to be handed a recipe and be told “This is good for you—make this!” If it’s a new technique (like making yogurt) or calls for an ingredient we’ve never bought, we’re already overwhelmed. But the real challenge is figuring out how get the bread rising, stock simmering, and beans soaking, and still have a life not chained to your kitchen stove.

Real {Fast} Food was written for that very purpose—it’s not just a recipe book (though it contains over 50 of our family favorites); it’s a time-management book for the kitchen. I show you all the little ways you can save time as you prepare nourishing food for yourself and your family, minimizing hours of repetitive tasks and reintroducing you to the joy of preparing and serving good food to your family.

Many of my recipes go together as quickly as a mix or hamburger helper thanks to bulk food prep. Soaking, sprouting, drying, grinding grain and baking bread are all explained and fit seamlessly into days of homeschooling, appointments, and shopping trips. I show you how to make pantry staples from scratch to save trips to the store, how to plan once-a-month shopping trips and to create a month’s menu plan in a matter of minutes.

You’ll learn how to make a great BBQ sauce free of high-fructose corn syrup, homemade ice cream with nourishing, raw ingredients, your own seasoning mixes and salad dressings, and guilt-free, crave-able casseroles. With step-by-step directions, plenty of photos, and a friendly, casual tone, the book is like a friend coming alongside you in your own kitchen to help you feed your family well.

Real {Fast} Food is available on Kindle, Nook, and as an instant, PDF download. Visit my website for list of contents and to read reviews. Like the facebook page to ask questions and see what we’re having for dinner this week. Join the community of women cooking real food for their families–fast!

{Smaller Bloggers} Act Big!

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I’ve learned a lot from the glimpses that some of my favorite, big bloggers occasionally give of what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ of a large, successful blog. I’ve noticed a few things that show up repeatedly in how these professional bloggers handle their online presence, and it’s not what you think.

What defines a great blogger is not how often they blog, who designed their website, or how many social media platforms they’re active on. If it was excelling in those areas that guaranteed greatness, I’d be sunk. I can’t blog every day, can’t afford to hire a designer, and am nearly helpless on Twitter. Thankfully, the stuff that every great blogger does is actually small stuff that you and I can start doing today, even with our limited time, money, and experience.

1. Manage Your Inbox

With all the ways to communicate anymore on social media, we forget that email is the most personal. It’s vital that we maximize this aspect of our online presence and manage it well.

  • Like a pro…Be prompt and concise when answering emails. If you can answer that email in 2 min., do it immediately. Give yourself a 3 sentence limit if you tend to get verbose (like me)!
  • Act Big…Take the time to make yourself a nice email signature. Create a fancy one here, or keep it simple–just be sure to include all your social media links so your recipient can find you easily. Here’s mine:Trina Holden
    Blog…trinaholden.com
    Twitter…@TrinaHolden
    Facebook…TrinaRenaeHolden
    Author of Real {Fast} Food…Plan better. Cook Faster. Eat Healthier.
  • Be intentional about developing healthy inbox habits. Here are some great tips if you’ve got an overflowing inbox.

2. Manage Your Time

Whether your blog is a ministry or a business, it’s essential that you manage the time you spend on it.

  • Like a pro…When you’re blogging, blog. Keep a list of actions you need to take (“write that post”, “research this”, “contact so-and-so”) and check off that list before you lo-gin to Pinterest or chat with friends on Facebook. Don’t mix work or ministry with recreation—stay focused.
  • Act Big…Take scheduled blogging breaks. Missionaries get furloughs, executives take vacations—bloggers, too, need to step back occasionally to recharge and get perspective. A daily week off, or week-long break every few months is great. Give yourself permission–you and your vision are worthy of rest.
  • Get instant help in the time-management department with Amy’s quick book, Tell Your Time.

3. Manage Your Input

You can’t expect to grow or excel unless you are feeding yourself great input.

  • Like a pro…subscribe to a few great blogs in your niche or attend a blog conference geared toward your passions.  Be intentional about continuing to learn and don’t undervalue the importance of investing in yourself.
  • Act Big…Interact with the bloggers you respect. This blogging thing is all about connecting and relationship. Deepen that relationship by thanking and encouraging those who’ve inspired you. Your voice is not so small that they won’t hear-– everyone needs to be encouraged.
  • Go where they are…I’ve found Twitter to be a great place both to see what great bloggers are being inspired by and to leave them a short note of encouragement. If Twitter confuses you as much as it does me, check out Gretchen’s  Twitter 101 series.

Developing your online presence is a process that takes a lot of time and energy. But these are small ideas you can start implementing today to provide a strong foundation and prepare you for future growth.

What would you add to my short list of small habits for successful bloggers? What is YOUR secret, sister?

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{Smaller Bloggers} Don’t Do This Alone

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Finding your voice, building your platform and learning all the different aspects of blogging is challenging work. Feedback and encouragement are valid needs as we craft a vision and carve out our niche. You may not be getting that feedback from your readers yet–what you need is a mastermind group!

“But mastermind groups are for bigger, professional bloggers!” Yeah? How do you think they got there? Ask any successful blogger and they will probably name 5 or 6 close, online relationships that supported and encouraged them back when they were small. A small group of like-minded bloggers can give us the support and companionship that will enable us to thrive and enjoy this adventure.

“A Mastermind Group has given me a place where I’m comfortable bouncing off even ‘wild ideas’ and knowing I’ll get good, honest feed back and encouragement. I’ve made new friends who understand and support me in my need to write and my desire to do it well and that is a beautiful thing.” –Chantel

Starting Your Own Mastermind Group
Begin with identifying some of your close online friends who share similar goals as yourself. They need not be bigger or more savvy than yourself—you will all grow together in the fertile ground of accountability and the combined talents of the group. Share your vision for creating a mastermind group, and invite them to each invite a few more friends. This should give you the variety essential to a productive team–but keep it small (12-15 people max.). The power of these groups is in the closeness of everyone knowing each other well – it’s not just a discussion board.

“Anyone can think – but only in a group of more than one, can ideas be processed and refined…a mastermind group is the same feel as a Bible study–but for blogging.”- Katie

Next, choose a place to gather. My team uses a private Facebook group for discussions and sharing links. If your friends are within driving distance, you could get together in person on a monthly basis. Conference calls, Skype-ing, or group email are great ways to share and connect. On our Facebook page we’ve created documents containing all the team member’s contact info so we can email, snail mail, or call each other with questions or encouragement.

Let the fun begin!
Once you have your group, you can begin enjoy the benefits–it’s like having your own cheerleading team and board of directors for your blog! Use the group to bounce ideas around, challenge growth, share what you’ve learned, and post all those great techy links that your blog readers or Facebook friends just don’t get. ☺

  • Introduce a topic of discussion each week, like ‘Using Twitter’, ‘Creating a Media Kit’, and ‘Comment Policies’
  • Trade services and share skills
  • Critique each other’s writing, blog, or guest post submissions
  • Support team members by liking their Facebook page, retweeting them, and promoting their projects.

“As I start to recreate my blog to bring in readers for my upcoming book, I am excited to know that I have a wealth of information, help, and support from the women in my mastermind group! Blogging seems less overwhelming now that there is someone coming alongside me in the journey.” –Ginger

The Benefits of a Team
Many of us are intimidated by the many aspects of blogging and social media. In a group with various talents we can learn from and help each other grow. My friend Natasha says, “it’s just like another body of believers, one where each member has their own niche and everyone brings something of value to the table.”  Jessica  has enjoyed the transition from trying to figure it all out on her own to being part of a team that continually inspire and push her to new heights. Surrounding yourself with a close group of like minded, intentional bloggers can help you gain vision and make steady progress toward your blogging goals.

We know we can’t do this blogging thing alone, but often we small bloggers fight the feelings of insecurity and isolation by trying to elbow our way into the ‘in crowd’. We spend time and tweets, energy and stress trying to get noticed. But this energy is often wasted and our impact is weakened trying to ‘fit in’. Success will come from pursuing excellence, not acceptance. (<-Tweet This!) I challenge you to build a team where you’re at and then together grow toward excellence.

Your Challenge

  • Read Amy‘s Post “Why You Should Be Part of a Mastermind Group”
  • Create a private Facebook group (be sure to choose the setting for a Secret Group-so only members can see who belongs and what’s posted)
  • Invite 2 or 3 intentional bloggers you already have a personal connection with, and ask them to invite a few more.
  • Once you have a team, begin to get to know each other and seek how you can support your new team members.

Many thanks to the ‘Ladder Blogger’ gals–my mastermind group: Kateri, Chantel, Diane, Ginger, Katie, Cynthia, Jessica, Kristina, Mandy, Natasha, Gretchen, Rachel, and September. Thanks for the quotes for this post and all your support–I couldn’t do this without you!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

{Smaller Bloggers} – Embrace Your Influence

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 relevant_2011_0436Photo by Darcy

I fought with her for months–that Voice in my head that argues that I’m “too small to have an impact.”

I’d created a home management binder that was actually helping my crazy, driven personality to make progress on goals AND find space to breathe. Even my neighbor noticed, “You’ve changed–you’re more peaceful!” I wanted nothing more than to share what was working for me, but The Voice kept me quiet for months. “So many other bloggers have covered that topic”, she said. “Others with better graphics, more resources to offer, and a much bigger audience.” My readers didn’t need me to add to the slew of home management posts…or did they?

Then it hit me: each of us–you and me–are more likely to to listen to the advice of a friend than a stranger, right? We’ll stop to hear a story from someone we care about before reading the blog of someone we don’t even know. A candid photo in a friend’s post draws us in more than the flashiest stock photo.

The simple fact is, every blogger, big or small, has influence, and it has very little to do with numbers. Your influence is based on the relationship you have with your readers.  They have chosen to listen to you because of YOU–your voice, your perspective, you humor, you servant’s heart,your passion on that topic, or your experiences. They’ve connected with you, and they want (I may argue NEED) to hear what you have to say; and they want to hear it in your unique voice.

Do you believe that God made you unique, and that He’s pleased with you? He doesn’t look at you and say, “Woops, sure wish she had turned out more like so-and-so!” No, he looks at you and whispers, “Tell it, daughter–tell the story of how a personal God reached down and touched you.” And when you tell your story, your way, that’s when you have the most impact. The truth is, hearing it from you may finally move your readers to action or touch them deeper than anyone else.

Then The Voice cries, “But so few are listening! It’s a waste of your time!” Maybe you don’t doubt you have something to share, but you wonder if it’s worth the effort for such a small audience. But would you choose the way of a servant (the way of our Lord) and do the work for that one who needs to hear it? Even if they never respond? Even if it is simply a seed sown and someone else gets to reap the harvest? Are you willing? I pray that you are.

When I realized I needed to be willing to share my home management binder ideas with just one reader who might find them helpful, I finally sat down and started posting about it. The results were delightful–my relationship with a handful of my readers deepened and blossomed as I was willing to invest in them. My style of organization resonated with a few of them and they, too, were able to find some room to breathe. I found great joy and fulfillment in embracing the influence I did have.

How to Embrace the Influence God Has Given YOU:

  • Engage – be faithful to answer comments and to dialogue with your readers. If you’re on Blogger, install the new comment threading feature to facilitate conversation. If you’re on WordPress, consider this plug-in which allows your readers to be notified of follow up comments.
  • Serve – Look for ways you can serve your readers. Is there a post you’ve promised them, or a topic they’ve expressed interest in that you haven’t followed up on? Do the work and show them you care about them and not just SEO or more followers. Function as the part God has gifted you in. Are you good at giving directions? Share tutorials on how to do or make things.
  • Pray – For God’s vision for your blog–ask for clarity on what He wants you to blog about. For me, it was the inspiration He gave me for my home management binder. What is it for you?

If you have one reader, that’s one person who’s chosen to listen to the song you are singing because she happens to like your voice. What has God called you to say to that one?

Challenge: For this next week, take great care of the people God puts right in front of you. When someone asks a question, take the time to give a thoughtful answer. Reply to each comment left and/or visit the blog of those who comment and leave a comment. The challenge is to make the effort and set aside time specifically for connecting with the readers you have.

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