4 (+ 1) Questions Bloggers Ask Me All The Time

Below are four questions new and seasoned bloggers ask me about PagesbyIke and my blogging experience. Come to think about it, readers ask question #1 all the time. Hmm, what are they all trying to say? 

#1 "Where do you get your ideas from?" (What they are really asking is, "Do you think, somehow, someway, you might be a nutcase?)

Lol! Well, yes. I've always been a little nutty but who isn't, right? *hollow empty silence*. I guess it's just me then. Anyway, I believe I get my ideas when I am still, when I'm not fidgety and when I have peace with God and peeps. They just come at me and slap me in the face. Wet slaps in the shower, while driving. Anywhere.

Tip: Create Me-time. Clean your heart out. You need creative space and peace to channel your energy.

#2 "Where do you get your photos?"

I use photographs from stock photo sites such as unsplash.com and pixabay.com. My husband, Ed takes some photos and I do some photography as well. I also work with David Bragdon who is a great photographer and always makes shoots too fun!

Tip: Buy a camera. Just do it. Return those Ted Baker shoes and buy a camera.

#3 "Ike,*sigh* how do I start my blog?"

Just write. That's what my husband tells me. It's the best advice anyone could ever give you. Don't get boggled down by the logistics and site-hosts, just write. There are many pretty blogs no one reads. Content, however, is to live and die for!

Tip: After reading this, write 5 posts, 300 words each about 5 independent situations that interest you! Do it, yes you can! Yes, you can!

#4 "What if people judge me?"

When I started blogging, my friend said to me, 'You are about to open yourself up to a lot of scrutiny, people will do screen shots of your writing, take you and your literal work apart literally." He asked if I was ok with that. I sighed. I am a very private person you see, so it was a hard pill to swallow but I did anyway with some chilled mango juice. Swallowed it. You have to be willing to accept that side of the job. It's kind of a work-hazard, if you know what I mean. I've had a few run-ins with critics but I can assure you, those who you reach and serve through your writing are far more important and rewarding than any critic.

Tip #1: Say with me "Judgement is sexy!"

Tip #2: Keep improving your writing skills. Don't ever stop!

#5 Whenever you refer to someone as "my friend" in a blog post, are you really talking about yourself?

Haha! Always my friend and I always get permission too. I won't publish until I get permission to use their story, as a rule.

Tip: When your friends agree to their story being used on your platform, let them choose their pseudonyms! Fun.

Do you have any questions for this blogger? Do you need tips for your blog launch? Someone needs to have a blog-launch party and invite us, please! I hope this post helped you. Please remember to share!

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Ibo Meets Yoruba Blog!

Congratulations to KacheeTee.com , the new blog written by my friend Kachi Adesina, based on her experiences with inter-tribal marriage!

Marriage requires a certain amount of courage, an inter-tribal marriage must require a triple dose and writing a blog about it must require you to have WAY too much guts. Welcome to blogging, gutsy-K! I can't wait to read all the posts!

Here's this cute video by Banky W and Chidinma, dedicated to all the inter-tribal and inter-racial relationships out there! All the best, KacheeTee! Love you to blogger-heaven and back.

The end of this video was so adorable. Lol. [Kachi, this is our new handshake!] Are you in an inter-tribal marriage or relationship? How fun is that!

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To Be or Not to Be a Blogger

Here's a hypothetical question to consider as a blogger or an aspiring blogger: If there was just one person who read your blog in the entire world, would you keep blogging? 

Would you work as hard as you do to give a consistent quality of posts for one reader to ensure his/her satisfaction?  

Would you still do Give-aways?!  That would be one lucky reader! She/he would be the only give-away winner! Well, actually, luck would have nothing to do with it and that wouldn't even be winning, more like having a gift registry. Lol.

On a serious note though, those questions help you figure out how much of a commitment you are willing to invest in blogging. There might be days you have thousands of readers, sometimes just a few consistent readers and on some grey days, just 2! On those grey days when you feel a little discouraged, just think of that one hypothetical reader and blog away.

Much love to my one hypothetical reader!  I love you, thanks for getting me out of bed everyday!

PGI's most read post last month had over 1000 hits!! Thanks for the shares!

Where the Magic Happens (wink)

Photo credit: Ed

Welcome everyone, to where all the magic happens- my creative space! Hehe, you didn't really think I meant magic, magic, MAGIC! *side-eye*

Anyway, I'm delighted you are here and have been sharing my space with me. This is our 86th blog post! Thanks for all the comments, private messages and support, so yeah, i thought i'd show you where it all goes down. I want to say all my ideas come to me as I sit at my desk and stare intensely into the distance but they don't! They come while I'm in the shower, as all eureka moments do.

This post is dedicated to everyone who reads this blog and a million thanks for sticking with PGI all this while! Greater things coming! 

Enjoy!

"Pink in Paris" by  Debra Cartwright 

That's Judah, my Bonsai plant. He doesn't take walks and I inhale his waste (what perfect pets are made of) 

 

Product Collage (and links)!

1. FJÄLLBERGET (IKEA) Ed and I spent almost an hour deciding to get this chair, I loved it and he didn't think the price was commensurate with whatever customer value they were trying to provide. Anyway, I got it. It's not the most comfortable of chairs, I spend more time on his chair *side eye from Ed* Lol! #betterdecisions2016

2. Mouse Pad and Coaster (Etsy)

3. "Pink in Paris" by Debra Cartwright (Etsy)

4. RIGGAD (IKEA)

5. Polka Dot Mug (Kate Spade)

Become a Blogger in 5 minutes!

This post took me about 5 minutes to read (and 2 weeks to write, lol), hence the title. I need to take out time to appreciate bloggers out there. They work really hard to ensure they provide the best quality for their readers , spend a lot of time getting posts together and usually don't go to bed until they know they got it right, only then, do they permit themselves to plop down on their with a smile on their faces because they know they have made someone's day. So, here's to bloggers out there!

I have been blogging for about one year now, actually 11 months. I seem to have fallen in love with it. From sourcing for a creative urge to sitting down in my space to build and design; watching responses and blog statistics; finding ways to be better; encouraging new and fellow bloggers; posting; interacting with all my great readers; giggling with people who send me private messages. I love it all and i'd be crazy not to encourage others to blog. Some people say it's therapeutic- the writing bit. I don't know about that, maybe, but I do know it's fun and challenging! Here are a few things i have learnt over the last 11 months both first-hand and second-hand, which have helped me on this super-exciting journey. Enjoy! 

Set your vision and goals

A question i had to answer at some point on this journey was; what do you hope to achieve from blogging? My honest answer was and still is to provide a space where we all can be life/relationship hackers, unfazed by life's curve balls, which it throws at us all the time. Pagesbyike was created on that vision and serves as resource that draws from science, God, experiences and real people to provide its community with hacks! Understand what your vision is and run with it. Set goals to achieve this vision, then plan.....

Map out a blog plan

Something bloggers might struggle with is the consistency of putting up posts. We have other responsibilities that require our attention, of course and your readers completely understand....not! Lol! If they love what you write, they probably want it everyday, every hour even! Drawing up a blog plan to work with and setting deadlines, makes blogging much more tangible and manageable. I have learnt to always plan ahead, 3 months ahead. Having an idea of what you'd like to blog about ahead of time, takes out the initial nerve wreaking frazzle of the "What do i post?!!!" situation.

Choose your subject matter

Write what you know but also test the waters. There's so much stuff to write on. Choose something that you are absolutely passionate about, not merely just interested in. I am super-passionate about making better life decisions and continuous self-improvement but i am interested in food recipes. I would gladly read food recipes off another blogger but i might not last a week blogging about recipes. Know you passions and differentiate them from your interests.

Don't be obsessed with statistics

O, the statistics!! I remember my first month writing, i think I was my only reader, lol and of course Ed. I'd check the blog metrics and there'd be only two counts for visitors. Needless to say, it was quite discouraging but Ed would always say "Just write", I don't think there's anything more inspiring than those two words. It outweighs all the technicality and stats and helps to focus on the right thing; passion. 

Know your audience

It's helpful to know the demographics of your target audience. Some blogging platforms provide the geographical locations of your readers (blogger, squarespace). Blogger provides a very comprehensive geo-location analysis of your audience. When we were on blogger, sometimes, i'd see readers in Russia, Senegal or Alaska! It was terribly exciting and it helped me understand that i had to be more dynamic with my writing. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your posts to their needs and interests. 

Help me tailor yours, send me a message here! 

Respond to all comments

From my statistics, i can tell you that less than 10% of readers comment. If some readers from that very small percentage choose to comment, honor their comments with a response. Also, as a blogger, make it a habit to comment on other blogs. My friend says its like a sowing a seed, it will eventually come back to you too. Another reason is that your comment encourages those bloggers and it may also direct traffic to your blog if you leave an interesting comment. 

Do give aways!

Giveaways are a great way to engage your audience. True, there may be people who just stop by for the freebies but hey, haven't we all. No judgement. My first giveaway is coming up soon! Watch out for that...christmas might be coming a little early this year!

Thank you, to all those who comment ever so frequently!

xx

What is your favorite blog? Are you thinking about starting a blog? Are you a new blogger? What are your main challenges? How long did it take you to read this post?