I'm back today answering MORE of your questions about blogging today... truth be told, it's Friday afternoon and I'm just sitting down to answer these (slacker!) but then I remembered how pumped I get to bring these Q & A sessions to you and suddenly it doesn't matter if it is Friday at 5pm and I'd rather be sipping a cocktail and relaxing!
I'm super passionate about blogging... this is just another way it shows! Last time you gals had some really great questions (and today you do too!) so if you missed the first installment... check it out here.
Some of you had the same questions... so if a few of the questions seem vague, I just combined them so I wouldn't have to answer them repeatedly...
Q. Did you invest money in your blog when you first started? If so, how much? When?
A. I will say that I did do a month or two here and there of advertising with some large blogs. I also invested in Photoshop Elements pretty soon after starting my blog. Other than that really, I didn't invest a lot. Keep in mind, I also started four years ago. Facebook was JUST getting popular with people other than college students, Pinterest didn't exist and Twitter was in it's early stages. Social media as it is today basically DIDN'T exist. Neither did the IT list (which I would have LOVED to take advantage of in my early stages!).
I have always felt like you can blog for basically free. Be sure to remember that and use your money or monies wisely. Never spend more than your gut (or your budget) says you should.
The other thing to keep in mind, is that if you are going to treat your blog like a business (I do!) keep track of any expenditures that you have in a year for tax reasons. Now I deduct business expenses like new computer software, hosting fees and the like from my yearly earnings. If you want more information about taxes and being a blogger do some online research or ask your CPA. (I'm no tax expert!).
Q. I've noticed a lot of bloggers using Disqus comments? What are the advantages?
A. I personally like Disqus better than Blogger's commenting system because it's easier for all my readers to use. Some people complain that if you don't use gmail or have a blog that Blogger's commenting system can be difficult. Also, I love that it allows discussion within the comments section between me and the readers. I find it overall more engaging than Blogger's commenting system
It's also free and very simple to install. I highly recommend it!
Q. What are you supposed to do with the comments that are basically bloggers screaming "FOLLOW ME" with a link to their blog?
A. I got this question from a few of you... I just ignore them. If they want to spam a million blogs like that, let them. They will tire soon. If you are getting bonafide spam comments (which honestly is pretty rare) then I delete them... especially if they have weird embedded links in them.
Tying into the above question about Disqus, it's really easy to moderate comments (even from your email).
I hope these few Q & A's helped! Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy blogging!
