Today I am happy to announce a new series on my blog... I'm going to be sitting down and having a chat with as many bloggers out there that I can get my hands on... well not quite literally!
I believe that not one blogger is the same. It could be their blogging style or what inspired them to blog in the first place; they could be a full time blogger with their own office and thousands of followers, or they could be small bloggers who blog in their spare time, with dreams of making it big. I'm making it my challenge to find out the passion behind each person's blog, and what drives them to post on topics daily, weekly and monthly.
So pull up a chair and make yourself a cuppa, because today I'm sitting down and having a chat with Victoria from Lylia Rose.
Victoria blogs at www.lyliarose.com - a lifestyle blog from around my neck of the woods - Gloucester, in the South West of England (It's a small world!)
She also runs a fashion boutique through her blog (definitely worth checking out!) Let's see how she does it and what she has to say...
First things first, how would you describe your blog?
It’s a UK lifestyle blog featuring anything I find
fascinating or I’m passionate about. The
main themes are family, natural beauty, vegetarian food, healthy living,
blogging tips, home and garden.
So how long have you been blogging for?
Just over four years.
Full time or spare time blogger?
Full time.
What was your main reason for starting Lylia Rose?
I originally started a blog for my online fashion boutique
to increase the traffic to my website and hopefully get more sales. I quickly fell in love with blogging and
decided to change to a lifestyle blog instead of a business blog. Now blogging is my main passion.
Do you have a blogging schedule or do you write what you
fancy at the time?
I write what I fancy at the time. I’ll sometimes schedule these posts to go out
once per day over the coming week instead of a cluster of posts all at once.
Are you a sofa blogger or do you prefer to sit in an office?
Both. I have an
office, but I tend to find sitting on the sofa comfier. If I really need to concentrate on a task
then I’ll sit at the dining table or at my desk.
So where would your idea place to blog be?
If I could choose anywhere, it would be a beachfront lodge
with no one else around and the sea in front of me on a hot summers day!
What's your blogging daily routine? How do you manage your time?
I blog in the morning for around one hour before the children go to school/nursery, if they let me! My son is at nursery weekday mornings, so I have 2.5 hours undisturbed to blog on these days. I will blog in the afternoon if he’s happy playing, sleeping or watching TV and every evening once my children are in bed. If my husband is driving us somewhere I will be working on blog related tasks on my iPhone for the duration of the journey. If I’m not looking after my children, doing housework or out and about then I’ll probably be working on my blog! It’s a full time job around mum duties and I use every spare minute I can find.
We've been chatting for a while now.. do you want a cup of tea, coffee or something herbal?
I love green tea with ginger and honey.
Now you have your beverage, let's talk about future plans. Where do you see your blog in the next year? And next 10
years?
I hope my blog will continue to make a reasonable income in
the next year and my sole full time income in ten years, if that’s still
possible then.
If you could develop your blog in any way, what would you
do?
I have a small online boutique and I’m just trying to move
away from online selling, so I’d prefer to develop my blog in itself rather
than adding physical products to sell. Blogging is much more satisfying to me.
Where do you find your inspo for a blog post?
My inspiration comes from everywhere. It can be day to day activities with my
children, a rant I feel brewing from something that has irritated me; reading
other blog posts, trying something new, travel or sponsored blog post
assignments.
Do you always find it easy coming up with ideas?
Yes I always have too many ideas and not enough time to
write all the blog posts.
That's great! Any advice for those who find it difficult?
Read more, see more, adventure more and if you still have
writers block just take a break. Sometimes a little break is all you need to refresh and restart your
mind.
How do you interact with other bloggers? Does this help
grow your blog?
I interact via Twitter and through Facebook groups. I also take part in a regular linky as well
as leaving comments on blog posts I enjoy reading. It definitely helps to raise the profile of
my own blog too.
Have you ever collaborated with another blogger? And how would you approach a blogger?
I’ve not collaborated with a blogger on my own blog yet, but
I regularly respond to crowdsourcing requests on Facebook and Twitter to help
other bloggers who need quotes or ideas. Using hashtags on Twitter such as #bloggerswanted or #bloggersrequired, and asking in blogging groups would be the best way to approach other bloggers.
Do you have a blogging idol?
I wouldn’t say I idolise anyone, but there are some blogs I
enjoy reading. I find Slummy Single
Mummy enjoyable to read. You Baby Me
Mummy is great for blogging tips and The List linky. For making money from home inspiration, I like
Emma Drew, The Money Shed and Katykicker.
I'll definitely check them out! Do you think it's better to blog about everything and anything or
to have a niche?
I think it’s up to the blogger to decide. I blog abut a variety of topics and I enjoy
this. My niche is me! The main advice I see is to blog about one or
two topics only and find your niche, but I much more enjoy writing about
everything I’m passionate about. I
originally tried to blog about one or two topics and I didn’t enjoy it as much.
Great advice, thank you! Let's talk money. What is the biggest blogging cost for you?
My newsletter is my biggest expense at £30 per month. My outgoings are approx £100 per month for my
website and the online tools I use.
Have you attended any blogging events?
No I haven’t attended any. Workload and childcare usually stop me. I’m not too clued up on the
events, so I have no idea of which are the best to attend.
Do you feel that there should be more acknowledgement
and promotion of bloggers in the press?
I really have no idea. We are our own press in a way.
Interesting. Blogs are used a lot these days to raise awareness on
contemporary issues such as mental health. If you could use your blog as a platform
to talk about something taboo, what would talk about and why?
I probably already do this through talking about how I
believe refined sugar and people’s diets are the cause of many illnesses and
disease, especially in later life. We
need to wake up today and be responsible for our own health rather than relying
on medicines from doctors. I have a few
blog posts on the subject, but I could talk about health and food choices all
day long!
I totally agree with you. So, any tips for a novice blogger starting out?
Write about what you are passionate about and don’t get too
sucked in to the ‘how to blog’ guides. If you want to schedule then schedule, if you don’t, then don’t. If you want a niche then great, but if not
then blog about whatever makes you happy! There are too many ‘you must blog like this’ guides out there, and I see
bloggers worrying about what they’re doing all the time. Blogs are personal and there are no rules, so
as long as you are happy with your content that’s the only thing that matters.
Thank you Victoria! If you want to check out Lylia Rose, go visit:
www.lyliarose.com / Victoria tweets at: @LyliaRose
Next week I'll be chatting with another fellow blogger. Follow me at @fessjarmer for updates.
If you want to take part, drop me a tweet with your email address.