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This week’s notions is inspired by the fact that last weekend was the fifth Arkansas Women Bloggers University conference, which took place in Hot Springs and was, by all accounts, fabulous. (I wasn’t there because it was my birthday weekend.)
While I wasn’t there to get the knowledge live, I’m happy to pick up some of it via my fellow bloggers, who say that it was really about being the best at what you do where you are. Whether you’re a hobbyist or someone trying to make a living from the business of blogging, you still have to work hard and make the things you present on your blog the very best that you can.
Or, as another post I read recently noted, to become a better writer you just have to show up and keep trying. It’s that easy, and that difficult.
And speaking of being a pro, Michael Hyatt has some wisdom on why you should charge for things instead of giving it all away for free. Most people like getting paid for their work, and you may rise to a higher level of quality just by knowing people are paying for your wisdom (among other things, go read the article if you’re hesitant to charge for products).
Once you do decide to start charging, how do you know how much to charge? This Girl Means Business has some tips on where to start in pricing your goods and services so that you’re really getting paid what you’re worth and in a way that will make your business sustainable.
If you’re selling goods or just want to have great photos on your blog and Instagram (something I totally need to work on), check out these tips on iPhone photography from Joann Pi. She’s taking pictures of food and you might not be, but her tips about composition, favorite apps and tricks for changing exposure on your phone’s camera are good for anyone who wants to take better photos.
Bloggers are always looking at different ways to get our message out and maybe make some money in the process. Podcasts are super popular right now and while I don’t think I could ever do one (I don’t even have the attention span to listen to them regularly) these tips from Abby Glassenberg, aka While She Naps are great if you’re looking to start a podcast and want to know how to do it with less of a learning curve.
If you’re a blogger I’d love if you share a post or a tip you’ve learned recently about blogging, photography, writing, podcasting, whatever. And if you were at Arkansas Women Bloggers I’d love to see your roundup post or hear your takeaways!
