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Theta Mom®

Redefining Motherhood

Where in the World is Theta Mom?

If you’re an avid reader of my blog, then you may have been wondering where I’ve been the last few weeks. Coming to Theta Mom and reading Guest Post after Guest Post and Featured Blogger after Featured Blogger, you probably thought I was a little MIA.

Well, I was.

Just a little.

I recently launched a fantastic new campaign with momAgenda, I’m in the midst of launching a brand new partnership next week and currently in development of another new project while The Marketplace and this Community continue to grow. And I happened to squeeze in a vacation with my family recently, too.

Yes, life has certainly kept me busy around here but I wouldn’t want it any other way. In that respect, I couldn’t thank my guest bloggers enough for gracing us with their presence and sage advice while they kept things afloat these past couple of weeks.

I have since recognized that throughout this period of growth for me and my blog, I am still really committed to writing. I just wish there were more hours in the day but since we know THAT will never change, it required me to think about making a few necessary changes moving forward that work for me.  I’ve always said you have to make decisions that are right for YOU and YOUR blog. As long as you stay true to yourself and your convictions, you can’t go wrong.

Since I host some fantastic Guest Posts and Featured Bloggers I’ve decided to cut this down to once a week – sharing either a guest post or a feature will give me the chance to really get back into a writing routine. So if you don’t see a featured blogger one week, it will be replaced by a fabulous guest post and vice-versa. This small change will really allow me the freedom to be able to do what I love – share my own unscripted words, the very reason I started this site in the first place.

I love my blog.

I love this community.

I love every post I have ever shared in this space.

I appreciate every comment, subscription, tweet, email and feedback provided from YOU.

I haven’t gone far…just had to take some time to refocus, align my priorities and once again, maintain that balancing act that we moms do daily.

And for the first time in weeks, I can honestly say it feels so good to talk with you again.

I’ve missed you.

Welcome back friends. Better yet, welcome home.

10 Commandments of Blogging and Social Media

My guest post today is the amazing Gigi from Kludgy Mom. Gigi has certainly made a name for herself in the blogosphere and has quickly become a sought after freelance writer. She knows just how to utilize the social media stratosphere to her advantage so she’s sharing some advice on how you can find your own blogging/social media groove.

If you’ve ever visited my blog, you’ll know that I like to blog about blogging. A lot. I find the interplay of so many different elements of business, the creative process and social dynamics so very fascinating.

There are some principles of blogging that I try to adhere to – commandments, if you will. Some are to extend courtesy to another blogger; some are to advance the growth of my own blog. Some are just ways to help me sleep at night. They’re practical guides by which I run my blog and my business. They may not all work for you, but it might give you a starting point to think about your own blogging principles.

1. Thou shalt not be afraid to ask: In order to make your way in the blogosphere, you need to NOT be afraid to put yourself out there and ASK for stuff. Ask to guest post. Ask for technical help. Ask for ideas on how to grow your readership. Ask brands if you can send them your media kit. Ask whether Tweetdeck or Hootsuite is better. Ask, ask, ask. Most people are more than willing to accommodate you. I’ve asked some of the largest bloggers for help and advice and they’ve given it willingly and kindly.

2. Thou shalt not schedule posts on guest post days: Guest posting is supposed to be a win-win.  If a blogger has willingly given you his or her readership by letting you guest post, you should be repaying in kind by introducing YOUR readers to HER blog. If you have a post on your own blog + a guest post somewhere else, chances are that people are not going to read both.

3. Thou shalt thank people for RTs: It’s not always possible, but if someone retweets one of your blog post…try to tweet them back with a thank you. If a lady at the grocery store said that you had nice hair, would you walk away from her and ignore her? No.

4. Thou shalt think outside the box: Strive to find ways to be different and stand out. Read as much as you can and draw inspiration from others, but always do things with your twist, your voice and your perspective.

5. Thou shalt pay it forward: Blogging is all about being part of a community. Do what you can to pay your good blogging karma forward to someone else. It can be a retweet. It can be allowing a newer blogger to guest post on your site. It can be sending on a PR opportunity that is not a good fit for you. Remember, you were a beginning blogger once, too.

6. Thou shalt edit your posts: I have a motto, “To blog is human, to edit, divine.” Don’t dash a post off and hit submit. Read it. See if you’re repetitive. See if your paragraphs are too long. See if you can approach the post in a more effective way. Try reading it out loud…how does it sound? Your readers will notice and appreciate your attention to detail.

7. Thou shalt produce quality: Each person has a different standard of quality. Make a personal commitment to yourself, your blog and your readership that you will always strive to publish quality posts.

8. Thou shalt stand up for bloggers’ rights: I can’t stress this enough. We are all part of a larger whole. While we all have different goals, motivations and ideas about what constitutes success, remember that everything you do affects the perception of our community as a whole and can work to set precedents. If you fail to disclose a relationship with a brand, it tarnishes the reputation of the blogging community. If you agree to work for a brand for no charge, companies will start to expect all bloggers to work for free. Conversely, if you always strive to operate your blog with a solid ethical compass and with a value for your own hard work, you benefit ALL bloggers.

9. Thou shalt give credit where credit is due: Err on the side of caution. The blogosphere, while huge, is a place that is actually very small and word travels fast. Even an innocent mistake of not crediting another blogger’s work can backfire into an ugly situation. I’ve credited other bloggers for the format of posts I’ve written before even though the content was completely different…just to be safe.

10. Thou shalt not please all people all of the time: For me, this is the hardest commandment to follow. I want everyone to like me. I want everyone to find my content useful, funny, and enjoyable. I want to never make anyone angry. Despite my best intentions, this is an impossible feat. I’m still learning, but a little thick skin never hurts. As long you are not hurtful to an individual, be proud and comfortable of what you are saying.

 Do you have any other principles of blogging that you follow?

Featured TMC Blogger: Nina Badzin

TMC welcomes the fabulous Nina from Nina Badzin’s Blog. Nina is one of those bloggers that you know is an amazing writer from the first post you read. Every visit to her site I am always left with something to think about but moreover, I am always impressed with the quality of writing that Nina puts out consistently. She is a dynamic addition to this community and here is how she describes her blog in her own words:

“Hello Theta Mom readers! I know there are a lot of you because Heather is brilliant at bringing bloggers together. In fact, the minute I figured out how to use widgets, I joined the Theta Mom Community and proudly displayed her fabulous button. I’d known about Theta Mom for quite a while.

How did I know about Theta Mom long before starting a blog? Well, I came to blogging somewhat backwards. Right after my second child was born, I decided to finally follow my dream of becoming a novelist. I wrote two books (that will never see the light of day) and several stories (most of which are published or are forthcoming in literary magazines). I love writing fiction, but the long process of getting 80,000-100,000 words on a page gets isolating.

During writing breaks, I relaxed by reading blogs (many had the Theta Mom button). Then a funny thing happened in early 2010. I joined Twitter and learned about opportunities to guest post on blogs I read regularly, landing fun gigs on Scary Mommy, TCJewfolk, and Writer Unboxed. I had a blast reading those comments and feeling like a real blogger. Obviously, I’d been bit by the blogging bug.

By then I had a third baby and a burning desire to write another novel. I was terrified that managing a blog would take away from my dwindling writing time so I came up with excuses. What would I name it anyway? How could I possibly focus on one topic like expert bloggers suggested? I kept saying it wasn’t for me.

Then one day in November 2010, I was possessed by a WordPress demon. I HAD to have a blog.

Immediately. And so I began.

I toyed around with names and landed on “A Mom in the Middle.” Three weeks into it, I hadn’t written a word about motherhood. Uh-Oh. So I decided it was a writing blog, changed the name, and proceeded to post about nothing BUT motherhood. In the end I made the executive decision to call the blog exactly what it is: Nina Badzin’s Blog. It’s a web log of my meandering passions with the tagline “the writing life, marriage, and motherhood” to keep me somewhat focused. 

I’ve loved every minute of blogging and being part of a dynamic virtual community like Heather’s. Thanks again for having me here today everyone, I hope to see you soon!”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter! New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*To be considered as a Featured TMC Blogger, be sure to comment on this week’s feature! Have a great weekend ladies!

The Art of Guest Posting

My guest post today is the lovely Empress from Good Day Regular People. Alexandra is known for her awesome guest posting skills, so what better way than to provide some helpful hints about posting for another blog from someone who does it well!

I am known as a guest poster. I get asked often why I enjoy guest posting so much. It’s true, I do enjoy it. I think my guest posts show that my enthusiasm for being at someone else’s site is evident. I was lucky enough to begin guest posting early into my blogging days. At two months, I had already been a guest blogger on two sites. One opportunity came by way of invitation, the second by my own initiation and submission. From this early start, I was hooked.

Why I Like to Guest Post:

*It develops and expands your writing style

*It takes your blogging friendships to another level

*It helps build community

*It has me write on a topic I wouldn’t think to approach on my site

*I get to be relaxed and a bit like someone else, just like a vacation

*It shows my readers a different side of me, like meeting me outside of the usual surroundings

*It truly is a lot of fun

The Benefits of Guest Posting:

*Increased traffic

*Exposure to a new audience

*Allows you to showcase a side of your writing (or self) that your blog doesn’t

*Ability to gain new followers and subscribers

*Creates a friendship with the blogger that invited you, or accepted your offer to guest post

*You get to introduce your regular readers to a new blogger as well

What I’ve Learned About Guest Posting:

Think outside yourself. When you come across an opportunity to guest post that may not be for you, think about whether it’s right for another blogger you know. If so, forward that contact information to them because they’ll appreciate it.

Just ask. When you see a blog you like, email them a short, sweet note telling them you’d like to guest post for them. All they can say is no. Take the risk.

Use guest posting as a test bed. If you know you want to try writing something “new” that your blog’s niche doesn’t allow, search out a site that will. Say, you like science fiction. Well Google, “Guest Posting for Science Fiction,” and “Submitting Guest Post on Science Fiction,”  and “Guest Post Submission on Science Fiction.”  Visit those blogs and see if they’ll take a submission from you.

Utilize Twitter. Follow the tweets of a blogger you like. Some bloggers will tweet “looking for guest posts. I’m feeling very generous today.” Respond!

Utilize search boxes. When visiting a collaborative blog you’d like to contribute to, enter “guest posts” in their search box: good chance that everything you need will pop up with one click.

Look for “write for us” and “about us” links. Many community blogs will have a “write for us” link in their top navigation bar. Also, click on “about us.”  There will usually be an email address for guest post submissions there.

Check out guest blogger communities. They seek high quality content and a fresh perspective. Very exciting collaboration.

Start out small.  Exchange guest posts with a bloggy buddy. You can reach a new audience there that you are somewhat familiar with, in a niche you know well.  Consider hosting a guest post once a week at your site. Tweet it out! You’ll meet new people, and bring traffic to your site for others to meet you.

Bring your “A” game. This is the most important thing I can say about guest posting. I would not say to myself, “it’s a free post for them, I’ll just hammer this out in ten minutes.” No, no, no, no, and No.

So, bring it! Provide the awesome content that will have people wanting to know more about you and follow you. Make your host proud. Make your host beam with “look what I found to show my readers!” Be a guest, as in “guest post” and good luck with your efforts!

Please send me an email if you are interested in guest posting at Theta Mom® for TMC Network. Full details can be found on the Network page.

Featured TMC Blogger: Good Day Regular People

TMC welcomes The Empress from Good Day Regular People. Alexandra {better known in the bloggyverse as The Empress} is truly one of the most supportive bloggers I know and she really adores this community. She is a natural writer and a mother who expresses her ideas with thoughtfulness and compassion. It’s an honor to feature her today but moreover, to have “met” her in this space. Here is how she describes her blogging experience in her own words:

“My entire life, I have loved to read and loved to write.  I have stacks and stacks of notebooks filled with made up stories, from when I was a little girl. I was the type of kid that would stay up to 3 a.m., hiding quietly under the covers, just to read “one more chapter, I promise” when I should’ve been sleeping. Reading and writing have been true, constant loves in my life.

I discovered blogs, about three years ago when there was a feature article in Time Magazine on The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. Up to that point, I had been using my computer for emails, Google searches, etc., but not much else.

Oh…those were the days.

I read the article on “blogs” and how that word was short for “web log.” I’d leave comments, I’d send emails, I’d hear back! Oh, yes, I was liking this “web log” stuff a lot. After following blogs for more than three years, I naturally had made blogging friends, by then. A few had been encouraging me to start my own blog, since I loved to read their blogs so much, and they liked my comments.

I thought about it: blogging is reading, blogging is writing – two of my favorite things. What’s not to love?

So, on a winter morning, one year ago, my husband set up a Blogger account for me, and with my 3 boys clapping behind me, I sat and typed in my first post, pushed Publish, and voila!

I.was.a.blogger.

And can I tell you? Or, better, try to tell you, that blogging has been worth all the nights going without sleep, to visit my peeps, to meet new people, to have a place for my words. I still can’t believe how blessed I’ve been with the richness and depth to my life, that blogging has added.

For that, I am grateful, to all of you, for gifting me with your time…with so many blogs to visit, I am still so very grateful, when someone visits mine.”

Be sure to check out the blog and follow her on Twitter! New to TMC? Join us! We LOVE new members!

*To be considered as a Featured TMC Blogger, be sure to comment on this week’s feature! Have a great weekend ladies!