Today we have Susan Bewley from Budget Earth as our influencer of the week!
How did you being blogging?
For me, I started blogging a bit differently than many other bloggers. I started ghost blogging for various professional website and personal blogs about five years ago and prior to that, was very active in a number of online forums. In 2012, I decided to start my own blog, wanting to see my own thoughts and feelings on subjects with my own name associated with the content. Over time, Budget Earth became a successful blog that is respected by my readers, PR firms, and companies from around the world!
What are you preferred blogging topics?
This is actually a very tough question for me since I love to write a bit about everything. If I had to pick my top two topics, it would be food (recipes) and product reviews. My first love will always be food. I have been a foodie as long as I can remember, and people love just about anything that comes out of my kitchen. After food, comes our product reviews. As someone who has been burned quite a few times by advertising masquerading as a review, I do my utmost to provide honest, thorough reviews. While I am very picky about the products I review, I try hard to be unbiased, and give my actual opinion on the product. Normally with product reviews, I lean more toward tech, health, and household products.
What are you up to when not blogging?
When I’m not blogging, I am usually hanging out with my husband and our friends, both online and offline. Unlike most girls, however, I lean more toward being a tech geek. My free time is spent tinkering with my computer, playing video games, reading, and playing Dungeons and Dragons a couple times a month. While I am different from the typical female blogger, it does give me a unique prospective that both men and women seem to love!
What are your tips for balancing family life and blogging?
Really, the best advice I can give is being willing to let some things go. This includes making sure that nights and weekends belong to your family, and actually timing how much time you spend on social media in addition to the blog itself. I have found that a firm schedule works best for me, since it makes sure I have that time for my family and I know when to stop, although I must admit I’m far from perfect and this is a constant work in progress!
Do you have any tips for your success on Sverve?
I signed up for Sverve while it was still fairly new and I use the same tactics for success today that I used when I first started. Keep your stats updated, and only apply for campaigns that you think are great for you AND your readers. While it may be tempting to apply for everything, keep your availability in mind, your demographic, and what your readers typically respond best to with your content.
Can you share any blogging tips that have really helped you?
Really, the biggest tip I would give, and one that has definitely helped me, is to stop comparing yourself to your peers. At the end of the day the only person who can make your blog succeed is you. The time spent mentally competing and comparing yourself to other blogs is time you could be spending researching content, looking into the latest WordPress tools, or even improving your own writing. While the community may seem competitive, many companies will want to work with most of us at some point. Rather than burning bridges, or even just quietly adopting an ‘us versus them’ mentality, become part of a growing support community. You will meet other amazing bloggers, get help, and most likely find a few great contacts along the way!
What do you love most about blogging?
To me, the best part of blogging is meeting new people. While I love trying out new products, I could easily spend the entire day talking to my readers, other bloggers, or even a few of the great company representatives I’ve spoken with. I am very happy to be a part of a fantastic blogging community who is willing to work together as we figure out what is best not only for our blogs, but our readers and clients.
Connect with Me!
Blog: Budget Earth – http://www.budgetearth.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BudgetEarth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/budgetearth
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/budgetearth/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/susanlbewley
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lenoriarose/
