We are so excited to introduce you to Jessica from Smartter Each Day! These will be weekly blogger interviews, and Jessica is our very first! Click here for more details about the blogger interviews and how you can be a part of the interviews!!!
Now, on to the Interview!!!
I’m Jessica Smartt, and I blog at “Smartter” Each Day! Every once in a while someone comments on my “misspelled” blog name, but (as you might notice) it’s a play on my last name! In my former life, I was a middle school teacher. Amazingly, that was nowhere near as chaotic as life now, where I’m raising my two boys (two and four). I blog about the hilarious moments of motherhood, cooking for my son’s allergies, and how God loves me no matter what I’m worried about (there’s always something!)
Do you have a blogging schedule, or write as you feel inspired? Back before I was a “public” blogger, I would just blog whenever. I always had this nagging guilt (“blogger’s guilt,” I call it) whenever it had been two weeks without a post or something. When I began to promote by blog, I decided to be consistent, so my readers would know I was there, and hadn’t disappeared for a month without notice. I decided once a week was my absolute minimum (in times of complete chaos) but my norm would be 2-3 times a week, and also the Saturday Pinterest link-up where I share my weekly links. I have been able to stick with this. The days of the week vary, but I know I at least post twice a week. I think as long as you’re consistent for you, you’re gold.
Share a link to your favorite post you’ve ever written. Why is it your favorite? One of my favorites is “Is This the Good Life?” It makes me cry. I guess if your own post makes you cry, that says something, right? J I guess I also like that anyone could read it and love it. I have a lot of friends who are childless or unmarried, and they could still be challenged by this post. I love sharing the lessons I’ve learned in a way that all people, no matter their role in life, might benefit from.
Do you have any pieces of advice for other bloggers? I’m not as good as these “Blogging on the Side” girls at monetizing and all that. I’m still learning. But one thing I have done a lot of is guest posting. Now I’m proud that I now contribute to three of my favorite blogs, ever. This happened solely through guest posting. I “cold-called” these big bloggers with a great post idea…not the whole post, just a proposal. I spent a lot of time coming up with these post ideas, finding one they hadn’t covered, that I knew I could do well, that was seasonal, etc. All three accepted my posts, and when I delivered great ones, a week early, revised a million times, they all gave me a second post. And on it goes. My goals for blogging may be different from others…I want to grow my platform. Others may have financial goals. I’d love that eventually. But my main goal has been to share the thoughts I have with the largest audience possible. I’m proud that I’ve been able to do that through guest posting.
Be sure to stop by and Visit Jessica on Facebook and Pinterest to keep up with her wonderful blog!!!
Jenny says
Welcome Jessica, nice to meet you.
Sarah says
“I want to grow my platform”. Love that attitude!
Peggy says
Jessica,
Nice to meet you! I hopped over to your blog, and I love it, especially the post on kissing the internet goodbye. Seems that this topic has been finding me a LOT lately, just as I’m beginning to be inspired to write, connecting with other bloggers and such. It’s good to keep things in the right {His} perspectives! 😀
Peggy
Yvonne @ Sunnyside Up-Stairs says
It’s nice to get to know more about you, Jessica. 🙂 I’m looking forward to reading your posts, past and present.
Jessica@The Junk Nest says
I too try to post 2 – 3x a week and sometimes it gets stressful. I always “want” to sit down and write up three for the week at once but that rarely happens. Nice “meeting” you :))