Hi everyone!
Thank you so much for reading my blog and your continual feedback. It's been six months and almost 200 blog posts and I've enjoyed every minute.
I first started to write for fun. Blogger provided a method for me to document all the things that constantly float around in my head. It occurred to me one day, after a few friends asked me some questions that I detailed in very long emails regarding advice, products I've sampled, relationship issues etcetera, that I could share for whatever it's worth, my thoughts and ideas in this method.
I'm an amateur at best and realize there are millions of bloggers out there. I claim no further knowledge about this technology stuff than the next guy. I am however, going to take this a little further and seek out ways to expand whatever it is I have started. I've made a little bit of profit from the ads that are generated by Google. I really haven't designed this blog to make money, because I think when you do so, you lose your love of what you're writing. If every other word was a link to someone else's page, my readers would really start to wonder if they should believe what I'm saying, or am I just pimping other people's blogs to get coin in my own pocket.
I've had a few people contact me and ask me to write for them, or attend blogging conferences. I've written truly from my heart about products, and had those same franchises contact me with a thank you of free products from their line. I really pour my soul into my words and hope from the bottom of my heart, you enjoy them. Sometimes, I throw in some fluff like photos and images, for some added eye candy. This could pose problems in the future because nothing on the internet is protected. I've had people copy some of my work and it's not a nice feeling. Similarily, I'm taking images from the net that may belong to someone else, and they may feel the same way.
As I feel out where Life Wrapped In Lace is heading, I turn to you for feedback.
What would you like to hear or see more of? Articles on fashion? Home Design? Personal Stories? Photos? Music? Recipes? How often would you like to see blog posts? Once or twice a day? Every other day? I've noticed if I skip a day, people contact me and ask me where it is so I know that I must keep up daily. People these days have a short attention span and if things aren't kept up to date, they'll move on to something else. I've added gadgets like photos, google stats and a playlist which I'm adding songs that are special to me.
I checked my stats through google analytics the other day. Clearly, home decor is the topic of interest worldwide. 490 people have read the post about Bergere chairs and they ranged in places such as Italy, Bolivia, Australia, Germany, Mongolia, Denmark, Turkey, Russia, Bolivia etc. Its strange to see thousands of people reading, and you wonder how someone living in Mongolia could have the same relationship issues as you do, and yet we live in two completely different cultural worlds. The stats show almost 30,000 visits to my blog. One girl who I just met, told me she read it before she even knew me. How bizarre. I've made a small amount of money in U.S. dollars that I can cash out at any time. The payment does not come from you reading my posts, it comes from clicking on ads.
This got me thinking about starting my own website and advertising locally. The key to a successful blog is proper marketing. You really have to get the word out there. Social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter spreads the word fast. I can also go on other like minded blogs and support their content, and they support mine. I haven't got there yet, as I really am not in it for a business at this point. But, the wheels are in motion as to where I am going. I've googled my name and found that companies have referred to my posts on their products as "Press Release" and that is exciting for me.
When it comes down to it, it's really all about my love for the written word. What makes it even sweeter though, is that people really connect, enjoy and relate to what I have to say. It makes everything I've been through in life, completely worth it. If I can tell my stories and help someone in turn, well, there's nothing better than that.
Please give me any feedback you may have. I would really appreciate it! Feel free to post comments, send me an email or just let me know.
Have a wonderful fall Sunday, and thanks for the support.
Wendy