Be a Better Blogger Week: Put Yourself Out There

I am PUMPED about this series! I have readers asking me questions about being a better blogger, and honestly, I need the help just as much as someone with 2 followers. I can’t wait to learn from all of the awesome guests I have lined up for this series. Our first guest is one of my favorite people. I met her at Snap and I instantly came to adore her…

I feel so honored to be a guest today talking about “putting yourself out there”. I am Staci and I blog over at The Potters – Place. I blog about things we are creating, making, DIY-ing, and doing at our place.

I blog for fun, but blogging is A LOT of work. I have been blogging for a while now. At first my best friend was the only one who ever read it!!! I really wanted to teach or inspire someone {besides her} to take what you’ve got and make it work. So I asked a few blogging friends what I could do to get others to read my blog. This is the tricky part. You have to link up to other people’s blogs and get involved with other bloggers to help drive traffic to your blog. I LOVE people and I LOVE talking/getting to know new people. I know this has helped me put myself out there. Now, I have to tell you that it hasn’t always been easy. I went to a blogger’s conference and I was a loner for some of the time because I didn’t reallly know anybody. Sometimes I was nervous and just wanted to get in my car and go home. But I stuck it out and ended up meeting the most amazing people ever. {This is how I met McKenzie. We became instant friends. I just wish she lived closer!} I also had to get over worrying that I didn’t have a big blog or that I wasn’t like others who had successful blogs.

I AM ME!!!

That is what is so GREAT about blogging. You get to show others what makes you who YOU are!

I used to be so nervous about what people thought about my blog but was encouraged to write like I was talking to another person and not to worry about being perfect. That helped a lot. I didn’t have to be someone who I wasn’t.

Ask yourself, “Why do I visit people’s blogs?” It’s usually because you like what they do and who they are. Just be you!!! Do your thing, link your posts to other blogs, and leave a comment on posts that you like {I need to work on this}. Guest posting on other blogs {like I did today} is another way to get yourself out there.

Figure out your goals, be proud of what you do, and DO IT!!!

Get out of your comfort zone and you will not regret it. It is fun to get comments or emails from readers who just created something inspired by something you did.

I have had some amazing experiences. I met a local daytime TV host and told her about my glitterized laundry room. Next thing I knew I was on her show. If I wouldn’t have put myself out there that wouldn’t have happened.

I am limited with my time. As you can see I have 2 little girls and I love spending time with them. My family is my priority! Since I blog for fun, I blog when I want. I have done a few posts for trade or pay. Of course, these posts have to be done by a deadline. How do I balance everything? I make crafting and blogging part of my life. My craft room is kid friendly. We paint, make messes, and have a blast. While I work on projects my girls work on theirs or with with me. We do alot as a family. They don’t even know we are working. My girls are so creative. I don’t want to have my kids remember me as the one behind the computer all the time and not spending time with them so I craft during the day and blog during nap times, while they are at friends, during a movie, or when they are in bed. I feel very blessed because I have the support I need from my family. They are my biggest fans!

I kinda joke and say that bloggers are in their own world! Well, we kind of are! Put yourself out there. What have you got to loose? Make some new friends{you will be glad you did}, and just BE YOU!!!

Thank you so much Staci for the amazing post. I can’t agree with her more about getting out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you just have to step out there and say “Here I go! Take me as I am!” and go for it. I am a huge advocate for linking up at link parties. I would guess that a lot of you found my blog from another blog or from Pinterest. Well most of those pins came from blogs that I linked up at. Link! Link! Link! I can’t stress it enough. If you don’t know where to link up, do a quick Google search and you will find plenty. A lot of times, one link party can lead to another one too. Also, I really recommend commenting on other blogs. I feel like I have gotten to know some of my favorite bloggers because of commenting. That also leads me to getting to know other bloggers… Take a chance and go to a blogger meet up, a conference, or event! I went to the Snap conference alone, but I was able to make the greatest contacts and friendships there. As Staci put it, just BE YOU! The blogger world is all about originality. If you are just YOU, you can’t be anything BUT original!