Changes In Attitude, Changes in Latitude

Ah yes, the great Jimmy Buffet. I grew up listening to a lot of Jimmy's music, especially with my Dad. Fins, One Particular Harbor, Volcano, and of course the song reference  in the post title. Yes, I know I said it backwards from the original title, but I did it like that for a reason. Change is inevitable. Life is going to take us in many directions as we cruise along, and eventually we will have to change lanes. So what does this have to do with anything?

I have found out that social media moves at an insane pace. Getting posts up, remembering where and when to post, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn connections, and self-promotion. It can get your mind warped sometimes. In my recent attempts to simplify what I do online and get on an even track I have found myself asking more questions than producing more results. When I first started blogging last year I had no clue that it could lead to some of the places it has, and that maintaining would take so much effort. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about blogging. I love it. Writing is a passion for me, and writing what I am passionate about, or whatever pops into my head comes fairly easy. It has proven to be a great outlet for me and a great way to connect with so many people across the world.

Though  enjoy what I do, my attitudes towards how I do it and where I do it have changed quite a bit recently. Maintaining two separate blogs has become a chore. I have a lot to write about and trying to keep it separate is becoming exhausting. In recent discussions and with the help of some friends' suggestions, I have decided that I am just going to fuse the two blogs together. Soon I will be moving this blog over to WordPress thanks to the help of Japster, Inc. With this transition comes the transition of The DaddyYo Blog and it's overall feel. I am still a dad. Nothing can change that fact. I am also a human, a man, a music nut, social media geek, and techy. I have opinions on a lot more than just parenting.

So if you see the content start to change a little, posts that are not parenting related, never fear, The Dude is still here. I just think at this point it would be better for me to centralize it all and build upon a community as a whole, not just of a certain type. As always I hope you will continue to visit, continue to comment, and continue to enjoy. "I wear my heart on my dot com" and I am not afraid to do so. The Dude Still Abides.

Three Mistakes in the Dad Blogging World

The idea behind this post came from a tweet from Jeff Herring*, article marketing and content creation expert. The tweet was simply this: "What are the top three mistakes in your niche? That is your next article." I didn't even have to think about it before I responded. I am far from being any kind of expert when it comes to blogging. I have only been at this for 9 months. I still find myself to be very much a beginner on so many levels in the whole realm of social media. As my experience grows I'm sure my opinions may change and how I do things will change as well. This post is just based on my experience in blogging so far. Please feel free to comment with agreement or disagreement. Leave your opinions and continue the discussion.

Three Mistakes in the Dad Blogging World According to The Dude


1. It was said by many people after the whole "Dad Bloggers Suck" deal, that dad bloggers don't read other dad blogs. I don't think this is entirely accurate. I think plenty of dad bloggers read other blogs. The problem lies in the fact that  dad bloggers don't engage enough on their blogs. I am very bad about this one. Comments might come rolling in, but a lot of us are not that great at responding to comments on our blogs. Discussion cannot happen with only one person talking. A lot of times, readers will leave their thoughts in hopes of getting a response from other readers, but more importantly, the authors. Responding to the readers and continuing the discussion are vital parts of keeping readers, growing your online community and presence. More important though, it is another great way to engage other people and discuss with other dads. It should always start with community, after which everything else will  fall into place.

2. Dad bloggers, as individuals, do not market themselves as outwardly as they could, therefore decreasing reach to brands and marketers. For those looking to bring in extra income by working with brands and social media marketers, this one is for you. When I first started out I said I would never take money to do this. Well,  I did, and I would again. Good example of how opinions change. My primary reasons for writing The DaddyYo Blog are still because I love my family, I love being a dad, and love sharing my experiences. Writing is a good outlet for me so here I am. If there is a chance of bringing extra bread to my family's table though, I will give it a chance. To be successful at it takes work and a little marketing of it's own. If we are going to work with brands, they need to know we are willing to do so. Disclaimer notices are necessary so satisfy the FTC, but they are not good promotional tools. Dad bloggers must be willing to let it be known that they will work with brands and marketing companies and not be afraid of the term "selling out". Supporting a family is not selling out, it is being a dad. If you can do it, go for it!

3. Personality doesn't reign over content. I know what you are thinking: "Isn't content what makes a blog?" Yes, content is probably the highest ranking focus for a blog. In my opinion though, it should be number two. I have been guilty of this as well a few times. It is easy to generate a post based on a topic that is going viral around the blogosphere at the time. Opinion articles on current events are personal, but I'm talking a little more outside of that little box. Grammar, spelling, and such are important for many reasons, but it doesn't provide a voice. I love to read blogs where perfect sentence structure and grammar have been stomped on and a true, individual voice can be heard in the words I read. Some days it seems that there are a million posts on the same topic, but only one voice. Don't be afraid to let people know who you are as a person. After all, it is personality that makes us the people we are.

Now it's your turn. In your opinion, what are mistakes that dad bloggers make that prevent them from progressing forward as bloggers and social media entities? What can we do different? What should we do the same? Share your thoughts!

*Find out more about Jeff Herring online!


Websites:
http://JeffHerring.com
http://JeffonTwitter.com
http://JeffonYouTube.com

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http://SocialMarketingBlueprint.com/
http://ArticleMarketingforBeginners.com/
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My Commitment to The DaddyYo Blog

I started writing The DaddyYo Blog back in April of this year. Didn't really think about where I would go with it at that time, just that I wanted to start writing about my experiences and thoughts about being a dad and sharing  it with others. This was when I had only 29 followers on Twitter too. Now, 4 short months later, I have over 400 followers, and the blog has come into its own. I have had so much fun with it, and I am truly blessed for the connections I have made with others through the blog and twitter.

I was talkin to my boss the other day about it. I told him "If there is anything in the world that I could chose to do, love it, get paid enough to support a family, and do it for a long time, it would be writing about being a dad. It's my passion, my joy, and my honor. Obviously, it is a very hard job to write a dad blog and get paid enough to support a family of 4, and I don't really expect it to happen. So where am I going with this?

 I told my wife a few months back, and now I am telling you about my commitment. I have made the comittment to writing The DaddyYo Blog until the last child has moved out of the house. That's right, for the next however many years it is, I will continue to write this blog, every week, until the day the last child moves out. Let's put that in perspective. My youngest is a year old. Giving an average of 4 years in college and moving out that same year, thats 21 years from now. At an average of 3 posts per week, that's 3,276 posts until then.

Why the commitment? The journey through dadhood is a never ending trip. It is a quest of sorts. I will always have new experiences and knowledge to write about and share with others. There will be the first day of school, first date, first turn down, the struggles or adolesence and puberty, prom, graduation, college selection, weddings, and the time for leaving the nest.  There will be a lot of experiences and growing during that time. There will be many times of joy, many times of sadness, and many times of all out, stick you to the walls silly stuff. There will be much to share and much to write. Only when they move out is my job as dad, preparing them to step into the world on their own, be complete. Obviously I will still be dad, but my job will be complete.

When it is all said and done, I will write one final post. A farewell and thanks for the memories. I will look back on all my years raising my children and on the posts and the memories attached to them. I may never do this for a full time living. I may never see a single penny from it all. But what I will get from it is the opportunity to share my life as a dad with the world. To let people into my life, my home, my mind, and share what I learn, what I do, and the joys that come with being "Daddy". It has been so much fun so far, and I look forward to many many more years of bringing my experience as a dad to you, and to look back as time goes by at where I was, to where I am, and think of where I am going. When it is all said and done, it will have been a fantastic ride, and worth every second of it.

DaddyYo