Photograph by Justin Hackworth
The second day of Alt Summit started with small group roundtables about many different topics. It was really hard to choose which one to attend! I went to the Bridge the Design/Lifestyle/Mommy Blogger Gap presentation by Melisa Russo of The Lil Bee. Note: As you can see, Melisa has put blogging on hold, at least for now. Melisa, if you happen to see this post, I’m thinking of you and I hope to see you blogging again soon. xo
Here are some of the tips from Melisa’s session.
* Create a clean design for your blog, clutter free with lots of white space. Sponsors are looking for blogs with a clean aesthetic.
* Speaking of ads, make sure that you feature those that look nice and fit with your blog.
* Since you’re trying to bridge the gap, create compelling content and show motherhood as it relates to the complete picture. Note: Personally, I like how Sheri Silver does this when she writes about her outings with her son Noah. She takes him to cool places around NYC, like the Guggenheim, and we get to explore the city with them.
* Look at your blog’s homepage as one post. How does it all look together? Does it fit well?
* Your blog is not Facebook. You don’t have to publish everything.
* Your photos should move the story forward or break up the post. Melisa mentioned Mackin Ink as a good example of a blog that punctuates stories with beautiful images, and recommended Nicole’s Classes as a good resource for improving your Photoshop skills.
* Sometimes it’s hard to describe your blog if you write about family, your art/design interests, travel, life, etc. You can always start with, “I’m a lifestyle blogger interested in…” and fill in the main topics of your blog.
* Other blogs that were referenced as good examples during this presentation included NYC Taught Me, Rockstar Diaries, Bleubird Vintage, Sweet Fine Day, and Nat the Fat Rat. Note: Excellent choices.
Are you a design/lifestyle/mommy blogger? What challenges have you faced with marketing yourself or writing your “about me” page? What are some ways that you’ve bridged the gap? xo