Posts Tagged "blogging"

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cafe Bebe

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 30, 2012 in Blogging | 1 comment

I’ve seen in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, where “celebrities” list “5 Things You Didn’t Know About me”. Some bloggers have also been doing this but I must have missed my invitation as I’m not sure who started it in the blogosphere.

Following on from my recent About Me page re-do, inspired by Michelle Garrett and BritMums, I thought I would take this theme and tell you 5 things you didn’t know about Cafe Bebe as opposed to ME!

1. Advertising: I currently run ONE advertisement on my blog for which I am paid. I have only been approached to run an ad for payment by one brand. Ever. I do run “badges/widgets” for various causes, services, programmes for free as usually, I believe in promoting things that I enjoy and don’t feel the need to be paid for it. I suppose that makes me a giant IDIOT in the blogging  world. I effectively, give away, click-thru “advertising” for no payment whatsoever. I am probably a numpty. I would run appropriate advertising if I was approached to do so. The current ad which runs in my right side-bar is for the business/store, Kiddicare. I shop regularly at Kiddicare and wholeheartedly support their efforts so it’s a perfect fit for Cafe Bebe.
2. Income: I do not make an income from Cafe Bebe. I do not even make enough, annually, from my blog to afford the hosting of my blog. I do receive press releases and pitches from PR’s to review products and attend events. I used to receive far more, when I was more heavily involved in reviewing products. Now I am much more selective about review products as my time is far more limited. Thus, I don’t get as many review opportunities and I am invited to far fewer events than, say, a year ago. I also receive the occasional request to write sponsored posts and/or accept canned content to run as a sponsored post. I ran ONE sponsored post about a year ago. It was one of those where they give you all the specifics you have to write about, give you the links they want used and the keywords they should be attached to. They want to approve your post before they allow you to run it…one of those sort of sponsored posts. Then, your “payment” goes into an account where you have no right to claim it until you have written x-amount of posts totalling in x-amount of £. That was the only post I ran. I felt a bit dirty about it, to tell you the truth. It was only worth £40 and I felt like I had sold my soul to the devil. I didn’t like it one bit. Thus, I am not keen to accept sponsored posts. Again, many would say that I am a numpty but I am a bit precious about the content of Cafe Bebe.
3. Freelance Work: I am a self-employed freelance writer/blogger/social media consultant. I have accepted freelance work with several clients for whom I create original content, maintain their social media channels and advise them regarding blogging issues. I have been paid for that freelance work, however, no where near enough to even worry about the tax threshold. Of course, I file my taxes (thanks to an accounting service) and declare my income and expenses. I pay National Insurance. Cafe Bebe has integrity. I disclose relationships with brands and any compensation “in kind” for work. You could maybe argue that I, then, have made money, maybe even an income, from blogging. I would argue back that MY blog doesn’t make me that income. I have been able to secure freelance work as a result of the reputation that Cafe Bebe has achieved and thus, have been paid for work that has very little to do with Cafe Bebe. Thankfully, what little I have achieved has allowed me to remain a Stay-at-home-Mum and raise my children myself.
4. Time & Hard Work:  Cafe Bebe has not gotten to where it is today by accident. I have worked hard for the last 2 years 8 months and have put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to this blog. I love Cafe Bebe. I like to look at it, from time to time, and admire it. I’m weird, I guess. I am not ranked on the Tots 100 because I chose not to register Cafe Bebe. I used to be included in the Tots 100 rankings but I found myself getting too wrapped up in the competition with MYSELF each month. I was trying to dissect what I was doing WRONG each month when either Cafe Bebe didn’t appear in the rankings or when I dropped. I think the highest I ever got was 48? I can’t remember! It became unhealthy for me. Was I happy with the content of my blog? Was I engaging with readers? Was I enjoying what I was doing? YES! So where I ranked on a list wasn’t the most important thing to me. I think, when you’re starting out in blogging, it is very helpful to be registered with things like the Tots 100. If you can remain impartial and not take it too seriously, then by all means, go for it. I do end up in the Wikio Parent Blog rankings however but I can take or leave that. I’ve spent a fair amount of time on social networking channels (Twitter in particular) creating the Cafe Bebe “brand” and establishing relationships with followers. Keeping yourself on followers radars requires that. I have discovered that since having Sam and spending far less time on Twitter, that my Twitter “klout” has dropped considerably. Basically, you’ve got to be “in it to win it”.
5. Expertise: Thanks to my time spent in the blogging community, I have been able to develop a fair bit of knowledge about the parent blogging world and the best way to work with parent bloggers. Several brands and PR agencies have hired me to come speak to their “people” about these topics. Isn’t it brilliant to be valued and respected for your knowledge and expertise. I LOVE talking. Anyone who has met me knows this. I love talking about blogging in particular. I enjoy helping out newer bloggers, meeting with veteran bloggers to learn from them and sharing in a positive community. Despite all of this supposed “expertise”, outside of the guise of “Cafe Bebe”, I am actually quite shy and reserved. I hang back and wait for others to approach me and have a very limited circle of “real life” friends. What you see in blogging events, on the blog and in presentations is a far more confident person than reality.

There are 5 things you didn’t know about Cafe Bebe! Do they surprise you?

Comments Closed?

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 18, 2012 in Blogging | 11 comments

Lately I have been conflicted. I don’t have enough time. I have a teeny bit of an excuse and his name is Sam. He’s the best reason to not have time. I don’t have time for myself much less the Blogosphere. But, as I blogged about last week, I still love writing. I enjoy taking some snippets of time here and there to share what’s rolling around in my brain.

What I don’t have time for is reading, commenting and replying to comments on my blog, I’m sorry to say. My freelance social media work allows me to visit various blogs and spend time on social media channels but I just don’t have the time to devote to both Cafe Bebe and freelance clients. What I don’t want to do is continue to keep comments open and not be able to reply to those comments which is just rude. I love it when readers take the time to comment and share their thoughts and/or experiences. I don’t want to offend those who do comment by not acknowledging their efforts. There just is not enough time in my day, at the moment for me to do everything.

Some people have suggested that I just take a blogging break and I may still do that. However, I truly love blogging and writing. I think what I need to do is take some of the pressure off, allow people to just read and enjoy and see what comes of it. I would love it if people Re-Tweeted my links if they enjoyed the post or share their comment on Twitter and/or Facebook. I would happily accept direct comments through my contact system if people are so moved. Maybe my readers will enjoy my posts more if they don’t feel the pressure to comment? I know I will relax a bit about my posts if I’m not constantly checking to see if someone has commented. I always feel a bit sorry for the posts that get no comments anyway! What makes my post so unworthy of commenting? This is what I fret over!

Starting 1 February, 2012 and for the month of February I will be closing comments on all posts. It will be a bit of an experiment. Can I retain engagement and an audience without the need for comment? Will people still visit and engage with me? Will my stats drop or go up? Will I feel less pressure to write and thus end up writing better and more free? Who knows? I’m going to give it a go and see what the result is on 29 February, 2012. I shall report back on the results.

I’m giving you 2 more weeks to comment on posts…hit me with your best shot. Would you close comments temporarily or are you too worried about what might happen to your blog as a result? Talk to me…for 14 more days!

**I was inspired by a VERY cool blogger, HerMelness, who has closed comments on her blog. If only I could be half as brilliant!**

Why do I blog?

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 12, 2012 in Blogging, Motherhood | 10 comments

On Monday I had the pleasure of presenting to a group of PR’s. Why would they possibly want me to present to them? What could I possibly say to them of value? Well, it appears, due to my longevity in the British Parent Blogging community, I have some “expertise” to share. Go figure! And apparently I can talk the hind leg off a donkey. But I knew that…I digress.

One of the questions posed to me was “Why do you blog?” which is a question that all of us should revisit throughout our blogging “career”. As it’s January and I’ve spent most of the beginning of the year blogging about Sam and co-sleeping, I thought I would give everyone a break by blogging about blogging. How ridiculously self-indulgent, eh?

Quite simply, the main reason that I blog is because I MUST. Blogging has become “second nature” to me and is a part of my daily routine. Much like brushing my teeth, getting dressed, slaving away tidying the house (ha, bloody ha!), I simply MUST blog or the day feels a bit funny. Sure, I don’t blog every single day otherwise I would irritate the bejesus out of the handful of followers that tune in. However, on the days that I don’t blog, I feel like I’ve forgotten something. My closed, silent laptop looks at me and whispers “Come heeeerrrreeee my pretty”. Is it just me who hears it? I feel like I haven’t had the opportunity to unload if I don’t blog.

My blog has evolved over the last 2 1/2 years. What started with a 10 month old little girl for inspiration evolved into a review site and a blogging platform. I’ve come a bit full-circle now with a seven week old baby and a 3 1/2 year old princess who give me my material. My blog has also become more about me; my challenges with living gluten-free; my rants and raves; my NHS issues and my memories. My blog is my haven.

Blogging is also a community for me. I felt so much inclusion in the last year but am at a bit of an impass. As you reach a certain level and/or longevity of blogging, you stop playing childish games and look at the blogosphere with slightly different eyes. In the seven weeks since Sam joined our life, because my presence has been missing, for the most part, from the blogging community and Twitter, my stats have dropped dramatically and my interaction in social media has changed. It’s made me a bit cynical, to be honest. I’d like to think I’m just as interesting and entertaining NOW as before Sam was here but apparently I am wrong. It’s an interesting test actually. Try it yourself: take yourself off your usual publishing rota, lessen your presence on Twitter and see if it happens to you. It makes me a little bit sad, to tell you the truth. A bit like a circle of friends have just moved on and left me behind because I couldn’t keep up.

I was also asked, during my groundbreaking presentation, what I call myself. No not Karin. Am I a “mummy blogger”? I proudly said, “Yes, I consider myself a Mummy Blogger. I’m a Mummy. I blog. I blog about being a Mummy. I blog about my children and our adventures in parenting. Hence, I believe that makes me a Mummy blogger.” The whole LABELING of bloggers is what I don’t really understand, to be honest. Why is it such a big deal? I’m a Mummy blogger. I belong to BritMums which is a parent blogging social network. But just because I am a Mummy blogger doesn’t mean that I can’t write about anything else, does it? I hope not! Because I am breaking a rule then! Can’t a social network with a central purpose have other factions? Of course it can. That’s what makes life interesting.

Recently I’ve been questioning why I blog. I’ve seen my “presence” change in the blogosphere and have wondered if I’d be missed. I’ve witness childish behaviour and been disappointed in people. Ultimately I gravitate back to the real motivation behind Cafe Bebe. I blog because I MUST; it’s a part of me; a part of who I am; a part of what I do; part of what keeps me sane and helps me to cope. I love that my family know what we do on a daily basis. I love that I have a record of my children’s experiences. I am proud of the posts I’ve written- even the ones which have put me in hot water. What I’d love to see is for everyone to put egos aside, blog for the right reasons (whatever they may be) and stop criticising others along the way. I’ll keep on keeping on but I really hope that the rest of the blogging world, whether parent blogging focused or otherwise, just grows up.

Thoughts?

Happy New Year from Cafe Bebe

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 31, 2011 in Blogging | 11 comments

What a year it’s been! Blogging, controversy about blagging, conferences, giant bumps, friendships made and lost, NHS rants, Twitter births and a very special addition to the Cafe Bebe family just about cover it. I did a post in November highlighting my more popular/commented posts for each month so I won’t bore you with another post regurgitation. What I will bore you with is a final glimpse of the Cafe Bebe family this year. We had a photo shoot with Mark’s family this week and came away with some lovely shots of everyone. Here’s the result:

I’d like to thank everyone who has stopped by Cafe Bebe during 2011. I know I rant and rave; I know I gush about my children perhaps too much; I know I write a lot. But ultimately, I love this blog. It’s an extension of me and sometimes my lifeline. I feel compelled to write and share. In the words of Elton John’s song “Your Song”: I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, that I put down in words…how wonderful life is, while you’re in the world.”

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2012!

Cafe Bebe Resolutions

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 15, 2011 in Blogger Love, Blogging, BritMums Blogging Prompt | 4 comments

Tis the season to make resolutions, right? Well, I suppose so. I’m never overly keen on resolutions because I think, often, you are setting yourself up for failure from the get-go. For example: “I resolve to get fit this year!” and then by January 5th, when you look outside and see the wind blowing and rain pelting, you decide that fitness isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and end up weighing more by year end than when you began the year. Those are the resolutions I tend to specialise in.

Perhaps the key is lowering your expectations? Perhaps the key is TARGETED, SMART resolutions or goals? Perhaps the key is not being so hard on yourself? Maybe it’s down to setting only ONE goal for yourself for the first half of the year and seeing how you’re getting on by June or July? I’m not sure what the key is but I am going to try to set a few blogging related goals for myself as I’ve come to a bit of an epiphany in the last few weeks.

4 weeks ago I went into hospital with a slight bleed and was due to spend 2 weeks in hospital before Sam was scheduled to be delivered. Sam had other ideas, thank God! However, during my 4 days in hospital before Sam was delivered, Twitter and my blog were my lifeline. They kept me going, boosted my spirits, gave me hope and encouragement and showed me love. I suddenly had people following me that I never knew; wishing me well and tuning in for the “latest news”. Bizarrely, my blog stats went through the roof and the posts that I wrote in hospital were/are some of the most read that I have ever written. How lovely!

And then we came home from hospital. I continued to blog daily (part of NaBloPoMo for the month of November) but my stats started to dwindle a bit. I wondered if people were sick of seeing gooey blog posts and pics of Sam. I also spent considerably less time on the blog and on Twitter, reasonably so. I was enjoying my family, enjoying my son, resting, getting to know my couch very well and there just wasn’t time to tweet. Mind you, I do social media for a freelance job but Twitter just didn’t hold the same importance for me. That’s when I realised that as soon as you take your presence away from Twitter and social media, they are very quick to lose interest in you. I began to realise that perhaps it didn’t matter if my online presence was as strong if I wasn’t missed much anyway?

I’m not saying all of this in a “oh woe is me” sort of way, mind you. I’m saying this in a blogging epiphany sort of way. I adore my blog and the way it allows me to connect with others. Particularly friends and family who actually WANT to know what goes on in our day to day lives. This blog is a nearly-daily record of the last 2 1/2 years of our lives. That is precious and not to be dismissed. I will continue to blog and share and over-share and rant but what I will NOT do is LIVE for my blog. I’ll continue to use Twitter and enjoy the online relationships and friendships that I have built through Twitter but I will not spend my day thinking about what to Tweet next. If people aren’t interested, they can unfollow or unsubscribe. I can’t be worried about my stats and numbers and rankings any more. My Sam is too precious, my Ella is too special and my life is more important than numbers and tweets.

So, fair readers, for the year 2012, the Cafe Bebe Resolutions are as follows:

• Live for my family. Blog about what I like, when I like, how I like. If good things come of it, great. If not, no worries.
• Tweet when it works for us. Spend more time OFF Twitter living the life I am so grateful for.
• Make lists to follow on Twitter and don’t get bogged down in blogging blowouts.
• Enjoy blogging and all that comes with it. Don’t compare Cafe Bebe to anyone else and worry not about what others are up to or what their motivation is. To each their own…live and let live and all that jazz.
• Attend BritMums Live! in June

That’s it. I’ve been blogging for 2 1/2 years now and have loved (almost) every moment of it. I have benefited from blogging and enjoyed a lot of perks along the way. It’s time to step back, let the new blood in and enjoy the turning wheels of time. I sincerely hope that anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis enjoys what I have to share. I hope you’ll continue to pop by and have a peek into our lives and I will continue to freelance and maintain a social media presence in all freelance areas but it’s time to take a bit of a break, personally, and enjoy the precious life we’ve built in our corner of the East Midlands.

Thank you to everyone who has tuned in this year, given support and shared their thoughts through their comments. I look forward to the new year and seeing how much things change over the coming 12 months. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy my family and get a bit of perspective. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I’ll still be blogging the rest of the year but I want to be sure to get my holiday wishes out to everyone.

Are you making any BLOGGING resolutions? Feel free to share them…