Automation Tools for Your Mommy Blog
Try to remember why you decided to get into mommy blogging. You may have to think back several years and retrieve what was running through your mind at the time you made your decision to enter this field.
It could be that you chose to be a mommy blogger because you wanted to share your daily life experiences as a mom with others. Perhaps you decided to be a mommy blogger because you needed a creative outlet while staying home with your kids. Maybe you became a mommy blogger because you wanted to earn a little income to help with the family finances.
Probably none of you decided to be a mommy blogger so you could spend more time in front of a computer screen. But how many hours a week do you sit at the kitchen table with your laptop in front of you? Some of you may feel as if you are working full time on your blog without the benefit of a full-time salary.
If you decided to become a blogger to spend more time with your kids, you have to stop and ask yourself if this is really happening.
If you find that your blog is taking all your free time, it’s time to work smarter. It’s time to utilize automation tools for your mommy blog.
Here are some ways that automation tools will make your life easier.
With automation tools, you can post at optimum times.
Weird people who loved taking statistics classes in college have figured out the best times to post on each of the social media platforms. In general, the optimum time to post is between 9 and 12 EST, Monday through Wednesday.
This means that if you are a mommy blogger, the best time to post is during storytime at your local library. The best time to post is when your toddler is most active. The best time to post is when you need to cut up apples for snacks, and when you want to cuddle up with your three-year-old and her favorite book.
Instead of pulling yourself away from these important activities, why not check out Hootsuite or Buffer. Create and manage your posts when the kids are asleep, and Hootsuite or Buffer will take care of the actual posting. Their service is sophisticated enough that you can vary your posting schedule depending upon the social media platform.
Look at Tailwind if you tend to utilize Pinterest more than any other platform. Tailwind allows you to schedule your Pinterest posts and also monitor the results.
With automation tools, you can reuse old posts easily.
Perhaps you have found that retweeting old posts with different images gets you valuable traffic. Consider using a WordPress plugin or Social Jukebox that will allow you to repost old content, perhaps in the middle of the night. Those following mommy blogs may follow different schedules than those following other blogs. If your blog focuses on babies and infancy, a well-timed post at 2 a.m. may attract those who are up with their babies.
Automation tools can manage your subscription lists.
Use technology to make your life easier, not more complicated. If you ask your readers or viewers to fill out a subscription form, automate your welcome emails. Check out how Captain Formworks with either MailChimp or Get Response. These work together to collect information and disperse emails to new followers.
Hire a virtual assistant.
Maybe you became a mommy blogger because you wanted to write, share, and make a few extra bucks. Perhaps all this tech junk that comes with blogging never has appealed to you. If this describes you, hire a virtual assistant to help you navigate subscription lists and posting schedules.
Look for people who are savvy in WordPress. Find someone who is an expert in social media and email management. Look for designers who will help you find your look. You can hire writers to write guest blogs for your website. You may even try to find someone who is an expert in affiliate marketing.
Hiring a virtual assistant will help you free up your time to focus on the part of mommy blogging that you love.
Automation tools can’t replace relationships with your subscribers and other bloggers.
While all of these automation tools work great to schedule your posts, it would be a mistake for you to put your business on autopilot. Make sure you are interacting with people who are commenting on your posts. Your authentic, individualized responses will get more attention than automated messages ever will.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach!
