Resources for Blogging Success

Over the last 30 days we gave you quite a lot of information in the Mom Blog Money Blog Series. If you missed any of the posts check out the Wrap Up Post with links for every single day of the series.

As we are still on the mindset of improving our blogs with the hopes of making money blogging we figured it would be a good time to give you a roundup of social media posts that will help you grow and be successful in the blogosphere.

Blogging on WordPress

If you are serious about blogging you need to be on WordPress.org with a self-hosted blog. No question. Here are some posts that will help you with WordPress.

Understanding self-hosted blogs – learn some of the basics about self-hosted blogs.

After getting your hosting secured you can install WordPress through the cPanel and then install a theme in WordPress. Once that is done you are ready to design a beautiful blog.

If you want to design the site yourself you can use free resources to design your own header or you can hire a blog designer. If you go the DIY route make sure that you follow the rules on how to legally create your own header.

After your blog is designed you can start working on adding plugins and customizing other areas. Some must use WordPress plugins include the WordPress Editorial Calendar, plugins for engaging, sharing and link checking, spam filters, related posts, and mobilizing your blog.

Word to the wise…always backup your WordPress blog before installing or updating any plugins. 

How to use Twitter

Once you have your WordPress blog setup and your posts published it is time to start amplifying them on various social media accounts. Twitter can be a great resource for sharing your latest posts and connecting with other people. Here are some posts that will help make you a Twitter champ.

Basic Twitter Tips including terminology, how to send tweets, how to delete tweets and an explanation of Twitter streams.

How to create and use Twitter lists to help you stay organized and not miss important tweets. In addition to lists, it is also good to know about Twitter hashtags and how to use them properly.

To actually use Twitter there are a few different options for you. Each Twitter Management Tool has pros and cons so try each one to see what works best for you. If you aren’t on your computer there are Twitter apps you can use for your smartphone.

Don’t forget to customize your Twitter page to keep your branding consistent.

How to use Facebook Fan Pages

You can also engage with your readers on Facebook. Same as Twitter, you can customize your Facebook fan page to keep your branding consistent. There are many options for Facebook tabs for your fan page including sharing Instagram photos, Pinterest pins and your RSS Feed.

Use the Facebook Pages Manager App to keep up with your Facebook fan page when you are away from the computer.

Time Saving Tips for Blogging

Blogging can take a lot of time. Seriously. But there are some things you can do to save time blogging and make your life as a blogger easier.

Have your Facebook updates auto send to Twitter. You can schedule your social media efforts so that you aren’t stuck on the computer all day long. Also, setting up a 12-month editorial calendar will help you stay organized for the entire year.

Even more coming up!

Whew. That was a lot of recap information for you. Take your time and work through it all so that you can be on the correct path for blogging success. Starting next Monday there will be some posts on Google + (are you using it yet? If not, you should be…).

We are also going to continue the Monday night Google + Hangouts on How to Mom Blog with Holly Homer. Hope you will all join us!