All-Leo Asks…Nova, Blogger
We asked the author of Cherished By Me, Nova, a few questions about her blog for our All-Leo Asks series…
Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging as a creative outlet two years ago when I was going through a personal crisis. It became something I did for myself that felt self indulgent but rewarding too.
What do you find most rewarding about it?
Blogging became my time to sit and do something for me, it made me look at things differently and try new ideas. It gave me something of my own to be proud of that I could say, “I did that, and I did it all on my own.” The feedback was a great ego boost but I also got a lot of support from other bloggers. Now I find the biggest reward to be the people I meet and the new friends I have made from all over the world. I now have something in life that isn’t ‘just’ being a mum to five children.
How has your experience of introducing advertising to your site been?
I haven’t had any negative feedback to my sponsored posts, they always seem to be well received but I do keep them relevant and true to what is going on in real life here and I think my readers can see that. Being realistic I would like to introduce more advertising onto my blog and if that puts people off that is sad but every penny helps.
Do you feel part of a blogging community?
Definitely. There are lots of different groups and they all seem welcoming. I think generally everyone is supportive of each other.
How have friends and family members reacted to featuring in your posts?
I never feature friends and I can’t see that changing but I would always ask anyway. I don’t tend to write about my older children very much to protect their privacy but the younger children love being on the blog and I know they often look at the site on their own.
Which other blogs do you visit regularly?
I visit a range of blogs in different genres. My favourites are: Maison Cupcake, Gigi’s Ramblings, Looking Fab At Any Age and Notes From Home.
eeeeFun Pulls Up In Shoreditch
Check out these fun photos from our client eeeeFUN’s event on Saturday. We spread the word socially and invited a crew of bloggers, talented performers and hip young things to a cool afternoon party & filming session in Shoreditch Studios.
The event included the chance to design a customised scooter, with the winning design going into production and earning the designer a scooter too!
Find out more about over on eeeeFun’s website and get involved over on Facebook and Twitter.
All-Leo Asks…Kate Collings, Blogger
Kate’s blog, Two men, a cat and me, is a quirky mix of reviews, musings, anecdotes and reflections on her busy day-to-day life. She kindly took a few minutes out of her day for an All-Leo grilling…
How would you sum up the ethos of your blog?
Two men, a cat and me, is my life, my loves and longings scribbled down for the world to see. It is my release and passions shared. I like to entertain and to learn and explore new realms of the written world and build my portfolio both personally and professionally.
Why did you start blogging?
I began blogging after attending the ‘How To Get Published Roadshow’ event by Marie Claire Magazine as part of their Inspire and Mentor programme. It was there that I really was inspired to take my writing to the next level and work my way up to becoming a published playwright, freelance features Journalist and novelist. I was advised that I had the ideas and the beginnings of a strong future, all I needed were people to read and enjoy my work. And the rest, as they say, is history.
What do you enjoy most about it?
Blogging for me is my work. I take it quite seriously, sometimes too seriously, and seeing people comment fondly on my posts is always rewarding. I have met some amazing and talented people through this mode of social media networking and I class most of them as dear friends. It still touches me so deeply when someone whom I’ve never met, seen or spoken to can understand my point of view and thoughts. Maybe more than the person next to me. I hope I have meant something, even if its just a fraction, of what my followers and friends online have meant to me this past year.
Your blog is very personal. How do you decide which parts of your life to write about and which to keep private?
This is a tricky question because I have recently been toying with sharing some dark secrets with my friends/followers at Two men, a cat and me. I believe there must be some decorum in blogging. I am not there to offend anyone directly nor would I want to be liable for slander etc. Some parts of posts I elaborate on to encourage an entertaining read but I do not make light of heart felt situations as again I wouldn’t want to upset anybody. (This could be one of my weaknesses though, as I tend to worry too much on how people perceive me instead of just writing freely. I’ve learnt over the years to think before I write – so to speak)
How do you publicise your blog and which methods work best for you?
I tweet my posts and have found this method to be reasonably productive. However the real proof of follower returns is through commenting and following others blog. After all it is a community, albeit an online community.
What have your experiences of brands/PRs contacting you been like?
to be honest I have only ever had one PR company contact me directly and that was Gallic Books. Usually I have to chase PR Companies to ask if they would like me to review their products. I have found the process rewarding and exciting thus far and have enjoyed the products I have been offered to keep. Though I am now at a stage in my life where I need to take the next step. I want a career. You may not hear that very often but I can shout it out for all to hear.
Which other blogs do you read?
Ooh there are lots, probably too many to list but here are a few off the top of my head:
Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate-Covered Grins – Jennifer is a military wife who I have found great comfort in our messages.
Bees With Honey – Bruna is a teacher with great tales and ideas to improve family life.
Inside the Wendy House – newly following this blog but thoroughly enjoying Wendy’s honest and down to earth blogs.
Running Away? I’ll help you pack! – Alexis and I have truly bonded through our conversational comments and I value her as a great friend. I hope one day I will cross the pond to meet her in person and go for our long awaited coffee break.
Next Big Sound
The guys over at Next Big Sound are getting more and more interest in their site that gives musicians/management/labels etc.. a place to view all the stats from their online profiles in one place. The goal is to try and gather as much online data as possible and put it together with what the artist has been doing to determine what is the biggest thing that is contributing to hype that band is getting.
In a recent article on The Music Void, CEO and Founder Alex White gives us an intro to the company and the main use of the stats aggregator. “At Next Big Sound we track hundreds of thousands of artists and for each artist maintain an activity and event stream with the goal being to correlate all the career-building and revenue generating activities done by the artist and team, tying it to results and seeing what actually works.”
So whether a band is playing at your local pub to headlining a festival, NBS aims to offer up a way of measuring where and what has happened online and see what it means in terms of interest generated in the band and ultimately what has led to new revenue.
“Through the use of social media one can now measure feedback faster, and at a more granular level, than was ever possible before. While purchasing a ticket, t-shirt or album is obviously a more meaningful action than following a band on Twitter, viewing their Wikipedia page or streaming their videos on YouTube – in an age where attention is incredibly scarce (as opposed to distribution and shelf-space) all these smaller actions are indicative that people are aware of a band. It is the job of the band and team surrounding them to turn that awareness into engagement and ultimately revenue. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
Read on over at The Music Void.
Pic thanks to Next Big Sound.
All-Leo Asks…Sara Louise, Blogger
Sara Louise is the creative force behind the wonderful Sara In Le Petit Village, blog charting her new life since upping sticks and moving to her boyfriend (now husband)’s tiny home village in Provence.
Why did you start blogging?
Before moving to France to live with my boyfriend, I knew I would have to find something to occupy my time. I had been working 55+ hours a week in Dublin and since I was transitioning to a housewife role in a very rural area, blogging seemed like a nice way to flex my writing muscles and keep me sane.
What do you enjoy most about it?
When I started blogging I didn’t know what to expect as I had never read any blogs before. It may sound silly but blogging has given me a feeling of purpose again. Going from living in a metropolitan area to a small village of two hundred people where you are not yet fluent in the language can leave you feeling isolated. Every comment makes me happy and helps me feel connected to the rest of the world.
How do people featured in your blogs react to reading about themselves?
So far the reaction has been pretty well. One of my husband’s friends who features in my blog often, loves all the female attention he’s been getting and is quite chuffed with himself. But my mother has made a couple of comments about coming off ’ditzy’ but I did remind her that anything I’ve written about her has been completely accurate (sorry Mom). However, no ones real names are used in my blog or the name of the village where I live, so it’s fairly anonymous.
How do you publicise your blog and which methods work best for you?
I haven’t really publicised yet. I am a member of a few expat blogging clubs and I think that gets me some notice, but otherwise, it’s from being lucky enough to be on other bloggers blogrolls. But I do have a Facebook page and I’m on twitter too.
Do you have a particular policy when it comes to accepting products for review/mention?
If the product is something that I would actually be interested in, or would be something that I would use then I have no problem reviewing it. But if it’s something that I wouldn’t normally use, or be interested in like, tools or car stuff then I’d probably pass.
Have you formed relationships with other bloggers through your writing?
I have been lucky enough to meet a few people. My French tutor is someone who read my blog and then sent me an email. We emailed back and forth and skyped a few times before she started tutoring me, so that was very fortunate. And a couple of other expat bloggers and I have met up. The great thing about meeting someone through blogging is that it already seems like you know them a bit when you meet so no awkward silences. And that’s a good thing.