Nadine is a busy working mum (“Is there any other kind?!”) who has a fascination with time management which borders on the obsessive! She loves to find more effective ways of doing the daily juggle whilst enjoying the journey and has lots of practise through raising her two children, managing her small businesses, being a best-selling author, running her home, public speaking and finding time to get to the gym!
Nadine loves updating her blog JuggleMum and vlogging on her YouTube channel allows her to pretend she is on the telly! She can also be found on Pinterest, G+, Facebook and Instagram but her favourite social media site is Twitter where she is Businessmum. You could say she’s an internet junkie!
What were your original plans for your blog(s) and why did you start blogging?
Blogging was initially a creative outlet for me, somewhere that I could write creatively, a place I could design and make my own and have everything exactly where I left it which isn’t always the case at home with two kids! I wanted to make a record of the children’s childhood, and I’ve done this but now the blog has turned into something more. It is about me and my life and things of interest to me, so I find it completely thrilling that I can make money from something that I find such fun and I’ve been able to carve out a career that fits completely around the kids.
Approximately how many visitors and followers do you get to your blog?
The last time I checked, my overall reach was around 200,000 a month including my social media channels and the freelance writing that I do. I was pleased to notice that my YouTube channel has had a quarter of a million views too… this was quite exciting!
What are your favorite social media tools to increase user engagement?
My faves have to be Instagram and Twitter but then I use G+ for sharing posts and the community and also have a Facebook page where a lot of my personal contacts find out what is on the blog.
How do you make money on your blog? Are you using affiliate marketing tools?
I have several streams of income including affiliate links, advertising, sponsored posts and I also use my blog as a platform to promote my books so I earn royalties from the sale of those too.
What is the most important thing that beginner bloggers should understand about SEO and PR?
Content is king. Write great regular content to help your SEO and be mindful of your personal brand. Everything you put out onto the internet, on social media or your blog reflects upon you. Be sure that you are sending out the right message.
What tips would you give new bloggers to help them start out on a path to success?
Find your voice first, before you try to make money. You need to know who you are and what you stand for. What is your passion? This is what will keep you blogging through the tough times.
What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started to saved time and energy?
I wish I knew what tags were for! I didn’t know what post tags did or why they were important, and now I know, I make sure that I tag all my posts appropriately. If I go back into an old post for any reason, I will always update the tags!
What tips can you give bloggers to drive traffic to a new blog?
You have to comment on other blogs and join linkys. It takes a lot of time but it is worth investing in making comments, add your URL to the comment so people can see where you came from! You’ll get to know other bloggers by doing this.
What are your three favorite blogs to read? What makes those blogs special?
I like The Londoner for her lifestyle and her great photos. Cherry Menlove is a UK homemaker whose blog is very nice to browse and Not Dressed as Lamb is a 40+ UK style blogger who always looks fantastic. I like her love of colour.