Last weekend I crossed a boundary. I blurred the line between my tall, dark and deep voiced blogging persona and my not so tall, far from dark and slightly high pitched real life self. The line was blurred (somewhat more blurry for some than others) at the Sydney Digital Parents catch up at Kirribilli hotel, somewhere that is now far more classy than the old place I used to go for “warm-ups” before hitting Berry Street (my age is now firmly exposed).
I’ll start by pointing out that I had a great time and met a whole lot of people who lived up to the expectations I had in my mind after reading their blogs, tweets and Facebook pages. I also should also point out that there were far more ladies there than blokes so my already healthy ego got some unnecessary but appreciated stroking. Best of all I got to thank some of the people who took an interest in my small part of the interwebs and have helped me along the way.
Over a few drinks we talked about our kids, our blogs, crazy search terms (seriously – stop looking for Dad’s that suckle), SEO and what our individual plans were for taking over the world, post by post. One question I was asked was why I started a Daddy blog which got me thinking… why did I start a Daddy Blog?
Well it’s about 7 months later and it appears that the keys to my Porsche have been lost in the mail and rather than working two days a week, I’m doing my full time job, with a full time family and then spending most nights, blogging, cajoling likes and hoping for follows. And I like it.
I like the way I get to write. I like the structure that blogging provides for the thoughts that speed around my easily distracted brain. As I guy, I like the way I get to post how I feel about my wife and daughter and how much they mean to me. I like the way that words in my posts are they way they sound in my brain, rather than the way they come out of my mouth as I fit them in between dinners, baths, dishes and bed.
I like the way I’ve managed to tap into a community of people that are mostly as rubbish at parenting as I am. That have easy kids, hard kids, allergic kids, crazy kids, toilet trained kids, pooing at the post office kids, fussy eaters, over eaters, good feeders, bad feeders, huggy kids and stubborn kids. That have travelled, modelled, fixed things, broken things, read things and written things, admitted things and hidden things.
And what have I learned while tapping in?
- As a blogger, be yourself.
- Blogging is not about the numbers. If you follow point one, numbers may come. If you don’t follow point one it becomes a job
- Karma’s a bitch, best keep on its good side
- Writing about boobs will guarantee you views
- People care about spelling and grammar. Apologies – I’m trying.
So as I approach my 10,oooth view and 1,500th comment I’d like to say thanks for a great 7 months. Thanks for popping by, commenting and following. I should also point out that I’m still open to offers of expensive European cars and head-to-head conversations with Karl Stefanovic.
As always, linking up this Tuesday with Jess’ IBOT at essentiallyjess
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the illiterate infant 
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Great stuff Kevin. I read your blog because it’s consistently good quality and funny and you always have something to say. I think I like blogging for similar reasons. Keep on as you are.
Cheers Zanni, for popping in today and pretty much every other week. Appreciated.
I thought you had been blogging longer then 7 months! You always crack me up, great for my early morning, I can’t open my eyes properly, coffee read. Like today!
I am jealous you got to go to a meetup. Apparently down here in Tassie we are incapable of organising anything!
#teamIBOT
Great to see you on Saturday even though we didn’t really get to chat. You were pretty brave being the only male amongst us ladies, but we are all lovely so that is a bonus! 🙂
It was all too quick. I was a little nervous at first when I looked over and saw the gender mix on the table but glad I didn’t follow my initial instinct and high tail it out of there. Hope the league was to your liking
Sigh, second post this morning about the catch up sure sounds like fun. If only there were more bloggers nearby…I am still waiting for my millions as well.
maybe we both need to go halves on the millions. That way we could arrange a catch up half way?
Have you seriously only clocked 10K views? I find that hard to believe. And spelling and grammar is EVERTHING. (See what I did there?)
Another great post. Great to finally meet you on Saturday.
great to meet you Kelmeister!
Yip – only 10k views.
It was great to meet you on Saturday afternoon. You were like a sultan in the harem 😉
It was great to meet you Kev and you were just as funny and engaging in real life as you are on the blog. 11k in your first 6 months is great, it takes time to build up a readership.
Excellent post Kev, and definitely some good things to know about blogging. I always say that if you get in to blogging for the money you’ll be sorely disappointed! I think the connections we make through blogging are worth more than a million bucks anyway!
It was great to meet you on Saturday and well done for not nicking off when you saw all the chicks! Balls indeed!
“Balls indeed” has to be one my favourite comments yet 😉
I’m sorry the keys to your porsche have been lost – your postman needs a razzing! Congrats on seven months of blogging – I (among many others) have enjoyed reading a man’s perspective! 🙂
Cheers for that. It has been fun giving it.
The very best blogs, monetised or not are the ones that people write from the heart – not for the audience. I’ve always had a “if you build it they will come” mentality to blogging and see the process of writing first, the readers second and the money as a bonus. I won’t lie, I’ve made money blogging… not quite millions but enough to have to worry about disclosing all to the ATO come tax time. Saying that, I never set out to blog for money (except Beyond The Bump which was solely for free product), it just happened along the way and I’m not stupid – I like money (a lot) so I say yes more often than I say no.
Oh and 10k views, seriously? That seems low compared to how damn entertaining you are.
I’m surprised at how surprised everyone else has been about my 10k views. It’s got me thinking that I probably need to try some different tricks.
My first instinct is that the confusion is in the terminology – 10k visits or 10k page views? 10k visits is pretty good over 7 months (you’re looking at just under an average of 330 visits a week which isn’t too shabby), but 10k page views would suggest to me that there’s something hinky going on with whatever tracker you’re using.
As a Dad blogger you’re always going to be well outnumbered by ladies at blogger events- good move. Liked your points above too. I once wrote about cameltoe months and months ago. Daily hits, I kid you not. :O #teamIBOT
Oh Kev, we love having you in the blogosphere.
And I’m still waiting for Karl to call me too….
I love reading the dads’ perspective. And 10k is still a dream for me, go you! 🙂
Well done! Now if only someone had told me there was money in this gig when I started… *sigh* 😉
Oh you are a funny chap…..we haven’t had a poo in the Post Office, but there was a little wee in Aldi yesterday…..I sneezed 😉
One of the most hit posts I ever wrote was about the myth of sexy housewives. Any poor sucker who googles ‘sexy housewife photos’ gets me in the jammies holding a nappy.
Hot stuff.
Your reasons for blogging really resonate with me……very well put.
Hi Danielle, thanks for causing tea to be sprayed on my keyboard with the Aldi comment!
Yep boobs are always great to write about 😉 It’s a blog eat blog world out there – but slow and steady wins the race so I’ve heard. Hang in there Kev, we love you
Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk on Saturday but I am pleased to “meet” you via your blog. Grace mentioned you as me of her featured floggers but since I’ve taken a back seat with regular “full-time” blogging since I returned to work last year, I’ve not been around much. The DP meet was a great opportunity to showcase to me showed me how many newer bloggers were out there and so active and enthusiastic. More good blogs to try and visit when I get the chance now!
You have great quality writing and something original to say for yourself which is a huge step in the right direction. Blogging has been such a massive learning curve for me. After a year and a bit I’m still learning every day about numbers, SEO etc, but it’s the freedom right whatever I like that keeps me at it. Sounds like it’s similar for you. It’s a crazy and most enjoyable playground to muck about in.
Absolutely right about the learning curve. I suppose if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
I was asked this last week, if I only blogged for money. It actually never crossed my mind! I just blog to get my words out there. You however have a kick ass blog which I love to read! I hope your porshe keys arrive soon 😉
I walked in late and didn’t get to meet you – stayed up the other end. Congrats on so many views and such a great blog.
I still don’t know what SEO means… but glad to hear you had a good time at the bloggers get together- seriously I was checking Facebook and twitter hoping for a bit of scandal! If you read my Ascot Mum post (http://www.housewifeinheels.com/2013/01/30/week-14-mummy-swap-ascot-mum/) I can send you the keys to your own Porsche 😉
P.S. Porches $9.95 at ALDI
Amen to that list!
But thanks for the tip that I probably need to write more about my, er, personalities 😉
yep – both of them 😉
Great tips! So true. My keys to the porsche got lost in the mail too – the delivery company must have the same issues…
I agree with you on your list, especially number 1. You’re not the only one waiting for the millions! But I think the most important is to do it for the love of it. I like coming here because I like to have the perspective of a man on parenting.