I wasn’t going to write this post yet. While the Savvy Blogging Summit ended almost a week ago, I arrived home late Wednesday night. Really late.
I got home at midnight and copy-pasted a post I had written on Tuesday morning, but hadn’t had the chance to put up for lack of Internet access. I couldn’t stop myself from checking my comments, email, and twitter.
Do you remember the euphoria after your first youth camp? You know, where you made friends-for-life, and couldn’t wait to get home and start writing letters (with stamps) to keep up with them, because, y’ know, you totally shared a bond that no one else could ever understand?
Well, imagine something a little like that, but add in Twitter.
And so as I check out the blogs and tweets of people who are now “real” to me, I’ve realized that I need to write this post before I’ve read all of their posts about the same subject, so that I can get my real thoughts down without being influenced by others.
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I started blogging because I wanted to blog. That may sound strange, but if you’ve been around here for long, you know that it was my desperation to start writing, combined with my inability to justify taking any more focus from my home, that brought me to the place of starting a blog about conquering this “slob problem” that I have.
So, while I’m amazed that I’ve come to love discussing and analyzing the subject of housekeeping, I’m not amazed at all that I love blogging.
I have always dreamed of writing, and most of all . . . having others read what I write. So when the Savvy Blogging Summit was announced, I decided to apply because I wanted to learn how take this blog to the next level. I’m glad I did.
The classes were at times overwhelming, but I came away with real and usable information from each one.
Here are a few of my favorite things from the summit:
J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly was the keynote speaker, and hearing him talk about his blogging journey was especially interesting to me, as he is also what could be termed a “transformation” blogger. He was a wealth of information on the realities of making blogging your life, and several of the things he shared about his perspective on blogging have continued to rattle around in my brain all week.
I loved our session on Personal Productivity. I’ll be sharing more about this later, because although it was directed at productivity in business, it included great concepts that I hope will help me with my productivity in the home, since ultimately, my family is my work.
SEO means Search Engine Optimization . . . but that’s not all I learned about it! I learned some basics about making my site searchable, which is fun since I love seeing all of the crazy searches that bring people to me. The main change this will bring for me is that now I know I can’t title posts “Daily Checklist” . . . day after day . . . after day. I’m going to have to at least add the date to each one, since Google doesn’t like duplicate post titles.
And now for the uncomfortable subject – monetization. One of the reasons I blabbed on and on at the beginning of this post about my desire to be a writer was to set you up for this.
I want to be a writer, and I want writing to be my job. I was willing, in the beginning, for this blog to be a learning experience only, until I could get my home under control and then start writing “for real.” Turns out, I’ve been writing about this subject for almost a year, and have a very long way to go. It also turns out that my passion for writing, entertaining, and helping others is being satisfied through sharing my own struggles, successes, and failures in housekeeping. I know that many of you have shared, either in comments or in emails, how much you needed to know that you were not alone in your own struggles in this area. Because of this, I see that my blog can meet a need, and I want it to grow into a community of women (or men, I guess) who can encourage each other in making real, realistic change in their lives.
And yes, I want it to be my job, which means I want it to be profitable. Talking to other bloggers helped me realize that I am not alone in my dilemma about viewing writing as an art form, but also as something to produce income.
I’m not a saleswoman. As I explained in my swagbucks post (by the way, if you haven’t signed up for swagbucks, you totally should . . . under me!), I hate selling things. One summer in college, for a very short period of time, I was the girl who stood outside of the mall entrance for Sears, trying to get people to sign up for a Sears Card. I was offering fabulous gifts like flashlights and staplers . . . . just for signing up! But I quit when I couldn’t hack it. I couldn’t handle watching the horror in people’s eyes when they saw me standing there. I couldn’t take the rejection when they turned around to look for another entrance to the store. And I wasn’t even a hard-seller! I usually included “you don’t have to, you know” in my pitch. I couldn’t care less that they didn’t want to apply for a card, I just didn’t want them rejecting ME!
The reality of this form of media, which is wonderful because it allows l’il ol’ me to write, is that to make money at it, you have to “sell” to some degree. I don’t want to sell. I don’t want anyone buying something that they don’t need . . . I know all-too-well where that can lead. But if you were going to buy or sign up for something anyway . . . and you could somehow do it through me . . . and I might get 2 or 3 cents here and there . . . and those cents could possibly add up to a few dollars . . . . I need to do the work that will make this a possibility.
I’m sharing all of that to say this – I’m going to be doing a few things to monetize the blog. It will never take the place of my purpose, and I am committed to maintaining the blog’s integrity. My hope is that you won’t even notice, but occasionally, I’ll share something cleaning or organization-related that might be an affiliate link. If it is, I’ll tell you that it is.
Like I’ve said before, there is no gadget or product that I can endorse as “the thing that will solve all of your problems.” I have finally accepted that no system or product will ever keep my house clean. The only thing that will keep my house clean . . . is me. But if I do run across something that makes it a little easier, and I can use it to help turn my passion into a business, I’ll share it with you.
P.S. I demanded sweetly requested that my husband read this post, to be sure that I was communicating well (as I’m petrified that all of you will reject me when you read it) and his criticism was that it isn’t funny enough. Sooooo . . . . “Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9.”
Tiffany @ Eat at Home says
Great re-cap of sbsummit. I'm with you – I learned that I could do a much better job of monetizing my blog. And I also hate selling. I've made a few changes already and more are in the works. We can do this!
Mar says
I can totally understand wanting to monetize your blog; why shouldn't you make money on it. If you start charging a subscription fee, I wouldn't pay it but other than that, go for it.
By the way, it would obviously be within your rights to charge that fee, I would just exercise my right to not pay it! 🙂 I hope that makes sense and doesn't come across as mean.
Lenetta @ Nettacow says
I find affiliate links no big deal at all. As far as I know, it doesn't affect my end price as the purchaser (like via amazon) and the blogger gets a few pennies. I think it's a super idea.
Your last line reminded me of a joke my brother and I used to love. One of us (usually him) would start out by saying "I 1 the sandbox." The other (pretty much always me) would reply "I 2 the sandbox." This would go on until we got to 8, at which point the other would say "ohhhh! you ate the sandbox!" :>) Took me a while to catch on, hee hee.
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says
Hahaha! Definitely no subscription fees! Can you imagine? I wouldn't pay one either!
Lenetta, I love that joke! In fact, I think I learned that one (but using dog instead of sandbox) at the same time that I learned mine – as a camp counselor. Now they're two of my kids' favorites! Those, and "What are you eating under there?" Their response (hopefully) "Under where?" "Hahahahaha! You're eating underwear!!!"
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says
Tiffany, I'm so overwhelmed with all I COULD do, but I'm trying to just take one tiny thing at a time. Not that I've even done a tiny thing yet.
Bonnie says
Love the post!!! Love having a face that I can put to your name, too!!!
The rejection thing totally describes me, too.
Sweetie, we just have to take baby steps with our blogs. The important thing is that we took a major baby step by applying to attend the blog. We were accepted to go. We'll get the rest done in due time.
I think that your post is very funny!!!
(((Nony)))
Eos Mom says
Good luck with your monetizing efforts! I don't mind seeing ads or affiliate links or paid reviews etc. And I like seeing women, just regular real women and moms, find ways to bring in extra income while staying home with their kids (or supplement an outside income, whatever). So go for it!!!
Anonymous says
I'm Hypnobarb1 and for some reason, LJ wouldn't let me verify my identity.
I just signed up for Swagbucks from your link, because you are awesome and the bathrooms got cleaned today and it was fun for the kids.
Good job!
Nony the Slob says
Thanks hypnobarb!!! Feels like a reward for toilet cleaning!
ju says
I don’t know if you’ll even notice a comment on such an old post, but I want to compliment you: I only started reading your blog a few weeks ago and the commercial aspect is nice and low-key. It’s all about your personal story, and connecting to other people’s experience, just like it should. Way to go!!
Nony says
I get an email when someone comments on an old post, so thanks for commenting! And thanks. It’s a constant struggle to keep my mission strong while also treating it as a business.
Anonymous kindred spirit says
I admire you treating this as a business. I haven’t caught up, but I hope you’re doing well, both in house keeping and in business.
Dana White says
Oh thank you! I appreciate that encouragement. Keep reading!!
kay says
Hi, I’m all for the affiliate links(as long as they are worthwhile products). Ah, just thought I would mention, (and this may be my phone and that I am in Australia) that recently after I click on the link for the next page I need to quickly turn off the Internet or a page wanting me to subscribe for $15/month to some service replaces your page. If I hit the back button I get your previous post (I’m working my way through from the start), but then the page quickly changes to selling me something. I have not had this happen on any other site. It seems that as long as I turn off the internet before the ads load then your page stays. I can turn the internet back on after I have turned it off and your page remains.
Sharon says
Suggest you block pop-ups on your browser. Will probably resolve the issue.
Judith says
I’m following a course this year on value-based living. As in, living a fulfilling life based on your core values. They teach that in order to feel fulfilled, you need to get serious. They have you define a mission and then figure out a way to make money whilst working towards your mission. Because, they say, otherwise it would just be a little hobby. So why apologize for earning something for this very real thing that you have to offer? Genius is not just calculating rocket tracks to the moon, it’s whatever unique thing that you have. They’re called talents for a reason: you were never supposed to just hide them and wait for your boss to come back 😉
Charlotte says
It’s been ages since you wrote this post and it’s so heartwarming to see how you started (I actually found you because of your collaboration with Clutterbug and The Minimal Mom) I have read two of your books, so it truly helps seeing the early struggles because so often it feels like lip service when people describe how they used to be. I have lost count of the number of times I failed Flylady but you have encouraged me that I can do it my way…at my pace, as long as it’s forward. For the first time in forever I am actually maintaining progress. They are still babysteps, but they are success. On my bad days, the next day isn’t nearly as hard to catch up as when it multiplied into weeks. The best part, my family is learning too, simply because I didn’t say anything about what my plan was. You have been such a blessing to my family and I am forever grateful.