The Blogging Class

By A.J. Llewellyn

My friend Ruth, who has an online art gallery is a marketing whizz and she reads my blogs. Recently she suggested I should learn more about how to make money out of my blogs, as in, how to drive traffic to my blogs and earn money without really trying.
Well, all's fair in love and blogging so last night I was eager to join the free marketing class she took me to. About ten people showed up at Jinky's in Sherman Oaks, where a lovely blog expert, Olivia talked to the assembled group about maximizing their blogs' potential.
Now I contribute to six blogs a week and I guest blog on more, but many of those present are still new to blogging and were curious about it.
What I found last night was an entertaining, energetic bunch of people who were all doing one thing by day, another thing by night.
Poor Olivia.
Our shared experiences, swapping information, our excitement at meeting other positive, multi-tasking, high-functioning folk kind of ran over her presentation.
But here is the thing.
The Internet has introduced to me not just a bunch of readers I would not otherwise have found, but my boyfriend and a wonderful new world of friends.
The network pool keeps getting richer and deeper.
Last night, one of the guys talked about how he's on Facebook but not Twitter.
Another woman agreed. "I don't twitter...tweet...twit? Twat? Twaddle? Whatever you do on Twitter..."
It was hysterical. I loved these people!
Olivia gave us a link to a pistachio manufacturer who doubled his income via Twitter, This I must read.
I was sitting next to a woman who is a hypnotherapist. I might need to get her help on my cupcake problem...but I digress.
I personally adored singer Michelle Andria and her boyfriend Jessie. I think we three are already maximizing our potential and our questions were different to some of the others. Michelle, like my amazing friend Lizzie "The Countess" Black gets free stuff sent to her - a different kind of income from her blog.
I must be doing something wrong. I mention cupcakes on a daily basis and I don't see any of the bakeries in my 'hood sending me freebies. I must write a fan letter to Betty Crocker. Immediately.
So, while I didn't actually figure out how to get money from my blog, I learned a lot about some wonderful new people. And I learned it's very easy to stress out a waitress when blogging comes to the real world.

Aloha oe,

A.J.