Today I’m excited to introduce “Ninja Networker”, pro blogger and now author Janice Wald with her debut book – An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Blog
Janice runs her blog, MostlyBlogging.com and for those who aren’t familiar with her blog, you’re in for a treat! Janice’s blog is a wealth of information for writers and bloggers alike. She shares everything you could possibly want to know about starting, running, and growing a blog, from SEO to Apps, to how to effectively use social media. It’s no surprise that Janice is also a Blogging Coach and offers services for hire.
Janice decided to compile her goldmine of information and put it into a book. I’ve been following Janice for almost 2 years now and can’t wait to sink my eyes into her book. I could see by just checking the ‘Look Inside’ on Amazon, and the contents that this book is a must have ‘bible’ for all bloggers to up their game. Not to mention, I was FLOORED when I found my own name and website listed in one of her chapters ‘71 Tips that Will Make Your Blog Successful’.
About Janice:
Wald’s blog, Mostly Blogging, is included in
Wald has been included in fifteen expert interviews and interview panels including a panel of experts sharing their strategies for increasing Google+ traffic.
In addition, she has served as a coach for many satisfied bloggers and authors desiring to improve their website traffic.
A recipient of a Master’s Degree in Education, Wald uses her skills as a teacher to empower her readers to increase their online visibility.
When she is not writing, Wald can be found reading current trends in social media, attending blogging conferences and social media webinars, and teaching medieval history and yearbook design.
A happily married mother of three daughters and two dogs, Wald resides in Santa Clarita, California.
Blurb:
Are you a blogger? Are you ready to see your page views skyrocket?
If so, you know the importance of using proven tips to engage readers, improve content, and increase blog traffic.
In 2016, there were over two billion social media users.
Fortunately, this guide is the only roadmap you will need to send them rushing to your blog.
“By your reading this particular ebook, you’re finally ready to cut through the clutter and all of the confusion and online noise.”
Janice Wald’s tips are proven by research and easy to understand and implement.
AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL BLOG is a collection of Wald’s articles from her own successful blog, Mostly Blogging.
It contains step-by-step directions for content creation, tips for increasing readership, and advice about which tools to use to make blogging easier.
By following the advice in these posts, you will be able to increase your content’s visibility.
Follow her established strategies and see a dramatic increase in your blog traffic.
Now let’s get to know more about Janice and her book and blog!
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Please tell us what inspired you to write this book and a little about how the book came to be.
Hi Debby, I am so excited to have my book featured on your blog!
My readers are amazing. When I entered my second year of blogging, the next logical step was to combine my articles into an ebook. However, I didn’t know what to write the book about. I surveyed my readers and they overwhelmingly responded they were interested in reading a social media ebook. There is tremendous overlap between blogging tips and social media tips since you use social media to promote your blog. As a result, when my publisher, Lois Hoffman read the book, she expressed a belief the books should be about both topics– blogging tips and social media tips, and I agreed. That’s why the book contains tips on both.
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How difficult was it for you to put together this book, given the vast amount of information you’ve packed into your book?
Thank you for the compliments on how thorough the information is in my book. Since I am a teacher, I am versed in breaking down information into understandable details. No cursory information here!
As a result, the editing process took longer than expected. Much of 2016 was devoted to this project.
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As a blog and content writer, becoming a first-time published author, did you find the book publishing aspect a difficult journey? Did you have assistance putting the book together?
Happily, yes, my amazing publisher Lois Hoffman (http://happyselfpublisher.com/) guided my every step before, during, and after the publication. My post “One Thing Successful Authors Know That Others Don’t” (http://www.mostlyblogging.com/successful-authors/) lists all the many people that helped me on this journey– you included.
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Being an avid blogger with so much weekly content to gather and share on your blog, can you tell us how much time you spend searching for new material, Apps, etc. and putting posts together?
I am constantly on the lookout (the hunt?) for new material. For example, while brushing my teeth I can often be found stumbling through articles on StumbleUpon looking for information I’d like to reference in upcoming blog posts.
As far as putting posts together, I used to claim it was four hours from start to finish for each post, but in actuality it’s much longer. As I indicated, once I get an idea for an article, I may spend months looking for information to use in the post. This starts long before I even schedule the article.
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Please share with my readers, about your ‘Linky Parties’. How are we able to take part, and what do we have to gain by participating?
I like to think of my site, Mostly Blogging, as a community for bloggers to visit and gain empowerment from their time at my site. I like to think they leave with more than they had when they arrived. Bloggers come to my site for information, of course, mine is a blogging tips site. However, they also come looking for a feeling of community that new bonds, new friendships, bring.
I am genuinely shocked when I hear people are unfamiliar with linky parties. I consider them so valuable for the blogging community to expand their connections, I actually host two each week!
Linky Parties are blogging events where guests come, and share a link to a post they’ve written. They can share as many as they want, although other linky parties may have a maximum and a required topic.
Blogging is about forging new connections, new bonds, and turning those connections into a community. For readers wishing to know more about how to take part in a linky party, I wrote an article they may find helpful: How to See Your Traffic Explode: Have a Linky Party Part II (http://www.mostlyblogging.com/how-to-see-your-traffic-explode-have-a-linky-party-part-ii/)
- What’s your advice for writers to help build their platforms? And what is your opinion on the best social media sites to use to grow an audience?
I once wrote a post called “Secrets of Successful Bloggers” (http://www.mostlyblogging.com/secrets-of-successful-bloggers/) However, there is only one secret– networking. I can not stress networking enough. The article explains why that has to be the secret of successful blogging. The tips apply to writers who want to broaden their readership. How to network is explained in my post “How to Easily Get People to Subscribe to Your Blog by Networking” (http://www.mostlyblogging.com/easily-get-people-subscribe-blog-networking/).
Regarding social media sites: That may depend on one’s niche. I am so grateful to the Facebook community for the support I’ve received as a writer. However, other bloggers, Do It Yourself (DIY) bloggers like craft and recipe bloggers will probably find the best reception over at Pinterest.
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Do you anticipate writing another book with yet, more information, down the road?
Big smile here. I don’t know Debby. I guess we’ll find out together what the future brings.
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What main factors would you say are the most important to focus on to build a readership?
Network, network, network. I can’t stress that enough. Finding like-minded bloggers matters too. If people you network with aren’t interested in what you’ve written, you won’t make much progress toward building a community.
Comment on the blogs of people in your niche and their readers will learn about you.
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Please share an excerpt of one of your many lessons in your book, about tips for writing attention-grabbing headlines.
Thank you for mentioning the importance of the headline. The headline is the first part of the post the reader sees. If it’s weak, no one will click the link to see the post.
I never publish a headline without checking with the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer first. Here is an excerpt from my book:
CoSchedule’s free headline analyzer is indispensable to bloggers.
Whatever tool I initially use to help me arrive at a headline, I invariably end up back at CoSchedule’s headline analyzer trying to get a higher score.
When coming up with a score, CoSchedule’s analyzer considers power words, emotional words, common words, uncommon words, placing of key words, length of the headline, the type of headline, your readers’ emotions, and even how the headline would look in an Email.
Thank you so much Janice for visiting with us all here today and for helping us learn how to make our blogs the best they can be!
FYI there is a live party currently going on at Janice’s blog to add your links to her linky party and share your blog. Please click HERE to join in!
Social Links:
Do yourselves a huge favor and visit Janice’s blog at MostlyBlogging.com
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