How absolutely flattering and heart warming to receive the replies so speedily for my project - Guests on my blog.
After reading all the wisdom in the responses from Jeanette Levellie, I had to re-read and I took notes. It just goes to show how much talent, wisdom and valuable sharing happens with the input from experienced writers like Jeanette.
And I promise you, there is more wisdom on it's way. Fellow blogger and (first) name sake Anita Hunt, from her blog: Gathering the Stones, has also managed to divulge more pearls of wisdom and given insights into her source of energy, ideas and hints for bloggers everywhere.
Enjoy your read
With the utmost pleasure I present;
The 10 answers to questions from:
Anita Hunt from Scattering the Stones
1.
What came first- writing or blogging and how
long have you been a blogger?
Writing came first. Journaling was and is still an
important part of my personal relationship with God.
I have been blogging for 8 years. During this time, I
have read a lot of material on writing and blogging, which has been helpful.
In 2007 I began a small business selling my personalised
greeting cards that included my botanical photography and design. I began
blogging as a way to complement my cards, and share information about plants
and visiting gardens for my readers. I learned early on that blogging is a very
important part of your marketing strategy.
In 2009 my children’s novel, ‘Matty-boy and the Secret
Pigeon Racket’, was published, which has the underlying message – ‘If you are
being bullied, please tell someone’. Blogging complemented this message and
helped to build an audience, giving information on where to go for help if you
are affected by these issues.
In 2011 I began Scattering the Stones Christian ministry,
with a mix of devotions, courses and encouragement.
2.
As a blogger, how do you decide on topics and
regularity to place posts on your blog? What would you not share – (e.g.
specific topic?)
With each of the three topics I have written about –
flowers, anti-bullying, and Christian devotions, I have learned how important
it is to know and understand your ‘why’ before you begin. Why do you want to
blog about this? If you are passionate and dedicated to the ‘why,’ it will help
you write material for your target audience.
My ministry is focused on helping those who are hurting find hope through their
difficulties, as well as specific Bible teaching in a devotional capacity. My
posts will always be lined up with this focus. Occasionally I may share a post
that falls outside of this structure, but will always connect in some way.
In terms of when to post, it’s vital to research when your target audience is
most likely to read your posts. In the past I have completed various trials and
analysed which specific days and times are best. Consistency is more important,
so that your readers know when to expect a post from you.
A question I always ask myself before writing a post is – ‘Will this subject
benefit my readers?’ if I’m not sure, I journal about it first. Through this
process is helps you to see if it’s more of a private cathartic exercise rather
than for public consumption. This helps particularly when going through a
difficult time.
3.
Are reader’s numbers and responses important to
you? Do these two items influence your writing?
Numbers and responses are always going to be there in
the blogger’s life. There are a number of reasons why these may be important to
you, particularly if your aim is to find a publisher.
If you read books, articles, and posts by marketing
gurus and building your platform experts, numbers and responses will be key in
analysing what is working and what isn’t. Sadly, it can either become an ego
trip or a trigger for major discouragement.
Balance is key.
Numbers can all too easily become the guiding
influence rather than the Holy Spirit.
When I graduated from Bible College, I was handed a
piece of paper with the words – ‘For the audience of One’. This is probably one
of the best things I received, because if God is leading me to write a post, I
must be confident in the knowledge it is for someone or a group of specific
people. I have to lay the results in His hands. I just have to trust and obey.
4.
The Blogger’s world has become ‘a place to be’
for non-published writers – I also see that a number of Bloggers now also use
Facebook as a writing platform – do you also combine these two media options?
Blogging is important whether you are published or
non-published.
If you have written and published a book, the journey
has only just begun. No one will buy it, or get the chance to read it, if they
don’t know it’s available. Blogging is a vital tool for marketing your
material.
If you are seeking to become published, publishers
will first look to see if you are building a platform, and whether you have an
audience before they consider you, so building your blog first is crucial.
Publishing has changed hugely over the years. Self-publishing
is much more common and the internet is the new publishing model. It provides,
dare I say it, an accessible platform, to share your message from, but it can
also be hard to be seen and heard when there are millions of other websites.
When I think about it, it still amazes me that within
seconds of publishing a post, someone on the other side of the world can read it.
Blogging can sometimes open more doors than focusing on the traditional
paperback. This is where our responsibility as Christian writers is underlined,
because what we write about will influence others, so we must be careful with
what we write.
The internet has provided us with a number of other
opportunities to grow our audience, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest etc… to video such as YouTube and Periscope, and each of these can be
a useful tool in reaching our audience… Just because we have a variety of
Social Media avenues it doesn’t mean they are the best for our particular
community. We need to be where our niche is. If you don’t know, ask them J.
I do use Facebook, with a page for my blog, and
private groups. For me, the groups work best, as a place where you can discuss
and grow, building on from your blog posts. As Pages have become more monetary
focused, it’s hard to build a follower base and share your content with them,
due to Facebook’s ever-changing algorithm.
5.
Publishing- ( a multi question )
5a. Have you considered publishing any of your blog posts?
5b. In what form?
5c.
If you have published – what process did you follow in choosing the ‘right’
material?
5a. It’s certainly an area to consider, but needs to be much more than just purely
publishing your posts. Platforms such as Amazon prefer new material, or at
least built upon work, so using your pre published blog posts as a structure to
work from could be the way to go.
5b. I haven’t published my blog posts in book format. If
I do, it will probably be in the format of a free report for my subscribers.
In the past I published an Advent Reflections eBook. After publishing it, I
then built a specific website to complement the book with extras, and this
worked well.
5c. In choosing material to publish, I have done a lot
of research, to learn what is either missing or needed in my niche. There is no
point in publishing a book no one wants to read, or has been done before,
because the market is huge and often saturated with similar content.
6.
What is your motivation to Blog and share?
My main motivation to blog is to share the hope we
have in Jesus, and what God places on my heart, to encourage others in their
relationship with Him.
7.
Is writing your main activity or a much loved
hobby?
It has become my main activity. I am working on
building more material in various formats such as podcasting, and providing a
range of services such as coaching. I am currently working on developing a
Christian blogging website with a coaching format for new bloggers.
8.
Are there unforeseen repercussions due to
blogging?
You have to be dedicated to your ‘why’ that I
mentioned in a previous question, and put time aside for it. It can be
wonderful, but also discouraging and exhausting if you don’t put strategies in
place, and lose sight of why you are doing it.
9.
What are (if any) main hurdles to overcome- to
start a blog?
·
It takes more time that you think to plan,
write, and share.
·
It takes far more time to build a presence than it
does to begin a blog.
·
You have to be prepared to persevere if you want
to do it well.
·
It can be tempting to compare yourself with
other writers.
·
At some point you will more than likely want to
give up, so having a good support system behind you will help to look at the
pros and cons of continuing.
10. Can
you give beginner bloggers your 3 most valuable tips to a successful blog?
1.
Take your time in thinking and planning your
blog.
*Why do you want to do it?
*What do you expect to gain from it?
*What does success look to you?
*Are you prepared to pray, plan, and persevere when the tough gets going?
2.
Don’t be tempted to be the next Sharon Jaynes,
Ann Voskamp etc… we don’t need a copy; we want to hear what you have to say.
3.
Choose your blogging platform carefully. Free
isn’t always best. I recommend a self-hosted blog such as WordPress.org with
your own domain name.
Anita Hunt – Scattering the Stones
Thank you so very much for sharing your thoughts and insights into the
world of blogging with me Anita. I have enjoyed getting to know you better. Your tips will also be referred to in future I am sure.
Thank you for asking Anita, I hope what I shared will be helpful to your
readers. God bless.
Readers, believe me there is something weird about addressing someone in your own name. It makes me smile though.
Do you want to find out more about Anita and her blog contents- then go to the link:
Happy reading
