Follow these links to find out what people are saying about coming to BlissDom '09:

~I am particularly looking forward to meeting some of the women I have secretly worshiped and adored from afar on the web… [read more] [MomAdvice.com]

~…I know, I know. It's not about me. I know the main attraction is Ivy. She'll be there. And she can't wait to hang out with fabulous ladies like Shannon from Rocks In My Dryer who sent her these fine sparkly shoes that Ivy thinks are fierce… [read more] [Adventures in Babywearing]

~ There's a new blogging conference in town. We'll not in my town. In Nashville more specifically. Online mag Blissfully Domestic will be hosting it's second blogging conference the first week in February. From the looks of it, the last one was a blast… [read more] [Blog Coach]

~ This February, I’ll be kickin’ it in Nashville for Blissdom ‘09. It’s THE place for fun, friends, and fabulous blogging for women. I need a weekend away, you need a weekend away, let’s meet up at Blissdom! [read more] [Makes and Takes]

photo by Micky

Why do you blog?

Many people blog for reasons associated with personal fulfillment.  Some blog to create a platform for their business or brand.

There are so many individual reasons for blogging, but I've discovered that, no matter what the original intent, blogging is always improved by human relationships.

You may have started your blog as a creative outlet or as a way to communicate with far-off family and friends.  However, I've interviewed over twenty mom bloggers, all of whom say their blogs have reached beyond their original aspirations.

So now that you've become a member of the blogging community, how can you continue to grow and develop your blog and its purpose?

The answer lies within you.  You hold the key to your blogging success.

I recommend you take some time to evaluate and assess where you're at with your blog.  Are you entirely happy with the direction it's taken or do you feel it could be better?

I was at that place recently, and after contemplating the matter for a few days, I realized that the posts that were most meaningful to me were those that had to do with the personal development of women.  So I asked my Twitter friends about women-friendly products to review and for inspiring stories relating to women.  The results were amazing.

Now I have renewed excitement about my blog and its possibilities.  I feel like I've taken action, rather than just continuing to go with the flow.

You can do it, too!

• Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.
• Take some risks.
• Ask for help.

As the old saying goes, "No man is an island."

By making connections, you'll discover inspiration and collaboration.  Try it.  Reach out to one person in the blogosphere this week for advice or guidance, and see what happens. And don't forget to comment back here with your success story!

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Mary Davis is a freelance writer who loves hearing from readers at her own blog, Everyday Baby Steps. She’s excited about her newest blog venture, Adventures in Freelancing, where she hopes to build an interactive community for newbie freelance writers.

image by Mannequin-

Starting a blog can be a daunting task.

What is the purpose of the blog?

Is there a targeted niche?

Do you want to make money from it?

Is it going to be a group blog or individual?

Which platform should you use?

Do you want to be self-hosted or a free site?

A little discouraging when it's put into perspective, but it doesn't have to be.

Create an outline of what you'd like to accomplish; make an informed decision.

I won't tell you what platform to go with, because that's a personal decision based on what your specific needs may be - but even a bit more knowledge can help you review your options before jumping in, right?

It's important to know that some platforms have restrictions.

A free Wordpress.com site does not allow its users to advertise, and users cannot change any part of the design without purchasing credits to do so. But a free Blogger site allows customization as well as advertising.

Self-hosting is possible.

Self-hosting can be a little costly depending on what your intentions are for blogging - if you're going to be an occasional blogger, then you should consider if you're willing to pay for hosting costs and purchasing a domain when you're only posting a couple times a month. Is it really worth it to you?

I've personally found that self-hosting on Wordpress.org has opened up so many doors for me and helped me learn about design and coding. They also offer drag-and-drop sidebar widgets for those who aren't code loving nerds like me - I enjoy the tinkering behind-the-scene and avoiding widgets. Going self-hosted does not mean you have to be a tech guru, since many platforms have begun to make the administrative area even more user friendly.

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Sam {temptingmama} blogs daily at her personal site, Temporarily Me as well as at Craftastrophe.

photo by viralbus

It's a fact - bloggers love comments. It's nice to know someone else is reading your words, and getting feedback can be validating. Another reason bloggers relish comments is for the community that is created when people reply to posts.

But how do you create that community if you're a new blogger just starting out? You want people to interact on your blog, but how do you get them to come? Isn't everyone just reading the big name bloggers, anyway? These common questions are understandable. Even the "popular bloggers" had to start somewhere. Follow these tips to grow your personal blogging community.

1. Interact with your readers

Bloggers frequently post replies in the comment section of their blog. This is a great way to show readers your appreciation or to follow up to their response. You may also want to consider sending a personal response by email to the commenter. This is what I do because it's efficient and ensures the commenter will hear from me.

2. Invite comments

I read somewhere that 98% of readers are lurkers and do not leave comments. A good way to entice your lurkers to take the time to leave a reply to your post is to ask for it. Ask for thoughts or suggestions at the end of each post. Or request that readers supply a personal example related to the post.

3. Get involved

Become active in other communities, whether they be blogs you enjoy, Twitter, or our very own Blissfully Domestic Living. Get interactive and leave comments and tweets or respond to forums. Not only is it fun and empowering to make these online connections, it will certainly lead to increased visitors and comments on your blog!

This is just a sample of the actions you can take to improve your blogging community. Give these things a try and look for more suggestions in future posts. Also, stop by Blissfully Domestic Living and join in the building community discussion!

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Mary Davis is a freelance writer who loves hearing from readers at her own blog, Everyday Baby Steps. She's excited about her newest blog venture, Adventures in Freelancing, where she hopes to build an interactive community for newbie freelance writers.

Photo by Jean-Francois Beauche

You’ve got a brand-new blog and it’s starting to fill up with content, but nobody is commenting and your blogroll is almost empty.

That’s where I found myself last year when I decided to start a frugal fashion and beauty blog. All the other bloggers I knew were focused on technology, design or other completely different topics. I needed to find a way to connect with other bloggers in my niche.

It’s easy to find high-profile bloggers to add to your blogroll. If you care enough about any subject to start a blog about it, you probably already read the “big names” in your subject area. That’s a good way to get your blogroll started, but it can be a lot harder to build relationships with those bloggers before you’ve established yourself. (For example, I link to the Sartorialist because I think my readers might like it, but I don’t harbor any delusions that he’ll be linking back to me any time soon.)

I wanted to build relationships with other bloggers like me, people who had good ideas and were interested in the same topics who probably weren’t too busy to comment on my posts and who might reciprocate if I added them to my blogroll. But the blogosphere is huge – where do you begin to find your blogging soulmates?

Blog Carnivals

I started by participating in a blog carnival that I saw on a blog I read regularly. Blog carnivals are weekly or monthly events where a group of blogs with similar topics share links to their best posts. Carnivals are a good way to promote your blog, but they’re also an excellent way to find like-minded bloggers. I submitted a post to the carnival via BlogCarnival.com, and when the carnival was published I read through all the other posts to find new blogs I liked. I commented on the posts that intrigued me, and in my comments let the other bloggers know when I was adding them to my blogroll.

But blog carnivals are just one way of finding other bloggers. For example, Blissfully Domestic has 14 channels covering different topics. Click on the links to contributors’ blogs at the end of each article to find women with similar interests who really know their stuff.

Social Media Sites

Beyond padding my blogroll, I wanted to really build relationships with the bloggers themselves. I added their blogs to my news reader and made sure to comment on their posts. I joined their communities at MyBlogLog and they joined mine. For those with Twitter accounts, I followed them and friended or became fans of a few on Facebook. I also took note of who else belonged to their social networks and found a few more good fashion and beauty bloggers that way.

My blog is still small, but I now feel like I’m part of a great community. I know that at least a few people read my posts and occasionally comment, and the bloggers in my blogroll daily inspire me with new ideas. Blogging on your own can be fun, but I find being part of a community more fulfilling.

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Susanna King is a web designer and mom who has been blogging on various topics since 2001. Her current blog is The Wardrobe Miser.