Homeschool Blogging Heather Bowen

For the past six years, there has been one question that I am asked over and over:

How do you do it all?

I'll admit, from an outsider's perspective, it DOES look like I do a lot. I homeschool my children, while running a successful online business, keep my home decently clean, feed my family, participate in church activities, and maintain relationships with friends and family....BUT- there is a whole lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don't realize. There are also MANY things that I don't do {that most people would say that I SHOULD do}.



I don't have a magic formula or a secret recipe that will provide you with perfect balance in your life. I wish I did. But, I have learned a few vital tricks along the way. Today, I'm sharing with you a few key ingredients for finding a successful work at home while homeschooling life balance....and then I'm going to share a few confessions that may totally change the way you think about me.

How to Balance Working from Home While Homeschooling:



* Embrace the season that you're in.

* Clear boundaries are a must.

* Identify your priorities.

* Routines are your friend.

* Don't even try to do it all.



My secret weapon in finding balance lies in identifying the things that are important to me, doing those things well, and forgetting the rest. If you're going to be successful in working from home while homeschooling, you're going to have to embrace where you are, identify your priorities, set {and enforce} strict boundaries, and implement routines and systems that help you to be effective and productive....and then you have to let go of the rest.



Be sure to subscribe to the Homeschool Blogging Podcast so that you never miss an episode!



 

This week, I'm discussing a question that I hear bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask often...Is Facebook dead?



My answer? Absolutely not. Each month Facebook is my #2 referrer only behind my email list. Despite having good SEO and a decent Pinterest following of over 30,000...Facebook still trumps them both.

If you aren't finding any success with Facebook, it may be time to evaluate a few things, and those things are exactly what we're going to discuss in this week's episode.



* A solid strategy is key.

* Understand the fact that Facebook likes Facebook. Find out exactly what this means and how to apply it to your strategy.

* Understand the types of posts that will prompt your readers to press like, leave a comment, and/or share it with their friends.

* Understand that algorithms change frequently and what you need to do to thrive.

* High engagement will lead to higher reach which will lead to higher conversions {more traffic, sales, sign ups, etc}.

* Consistency is a must.

* Find out my favorite  tool which helps me to stay consistent, share viral content, AND increase engagement and reach.

* Posting a variety of post types is necessary. Post those types that your page followers are most likely to interact with. I'll tell you how to find these types of posts.

* Post important posts at optimized times. I'll tell you how to find which times are best for your particular page.

* How I'm getting the highest reach on posts...hint- LIVE posting is NOT it.

* Share posts from your page to groups,



As promised in the episode, click here to get a FREE trial of SmarterQueue, the scheduling tool that I use and LOVE!



Also as promised in the episode, here a brief look at my daily Facebook posting schedule:



9am- either my new blog post published that day OR one of my popular evergreen posts.



11am- an affiliate link *if there is something that I want to promote that day*



12pm- engaging conversation starter



1:30pm- viral meme or quote image



3pm- either viral post from another blogger in my niche, my own product, or my own freebie



5pm or 7pm- either viral post from another blogger in my niche, my own product, or my own freebie



8:30pm- one of my evergreen popular posts



 





Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor - Well Planned Gal





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Click Here to Go to Well Planned Gal

One of the top questions that I'm asked is "How do I start a blog?". In today's episode, I'm sharing with you what I consider to be the 8 most essential steps to starting a successful blog. These are the steps that I use myself when I launch a new blog and they are the steps that I coach others through when I am assisting them to start a new blog.



Note- this episode is an overview of these eight essential steps. In future episodes, I will expand on each of these steps.

Overview of the Steps



* Define your purpose. Think long term. Will you be a hobby blogger or a professional blogger?

* Determine the mission and vision for your blog. Are you passionate about the subject? What do you do if there are already hundreds of blogs on this subject? How can you provide a different angle to set yourself apart?

* Brainstorm post ideas before purchasing a domain. Have a brain dump where you list out potential post topics. Are you stuck at 20 posts? Time to go back to the drawing board.

* Decide site name and purchase domain and hosting. Your answer to question #1 determines the path you will take at this step.

* Design a professional looking logo/header for your site. You can hire a professional designer or you can find tools to design it yourself. Again, your answer to question #1 will influence this decision.

* Establish a social media presence and begin engaging with potential readers before you launch your blog. Secure your handle/username on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

* Launch your site with no less than ten quality posts published.

* Recognize and embrace the importance of networking with other bloggers. This is key to your success.



Blogging Basics Bootcamp Offer

As mentioned in this episode, I have a Blogging Basics Bootcamp course which is a nine week course designed to help you launch a successful blog from the very beginning. We cover everything from developing your idea for your blog to blog design to content creation to developing a social media strategy and building an email list to networking with bloggers to monetization and making money from your blog.



 



It is a self-paced, very hands-on course that ensures that you get your blog off the ground and helps you develop a plan to make it successful! Listeners of the Homeschool Blogging podcast can save $25 by using coupon code: PODCAST at checkout! Click here to learn more about the course!



Stay tuned next week as I cover another frequently asked question "How do you balance running a successful blog while being an effective homeschool parent/spouse/friend/and all of the other hats we wear! I'll share with you my top tips and the secret to being successful and effective!



Be sure to subscribe to the Homeschool Blogging Podcast so that you never miss an episode!

Welcome to the Homeschool Blogging Podcast! In order for me to properly introduce you to the podcast and why I feel there is a great need for the Homeschool Blogging Podcast, you must get to know the real Heather Bowen and know the story behind my blogging journey which involves me being "forcefully coerced" into starting a blog. LOL- keep listening, you'll see what I mean!







In this episode you'll learn:



* The unexpected way that I found myself in the blogging world

* Why I didn't want to be a blogger to begin with

* How I transitioned working full-time as a nurse to becoming a full-time professional blogger

* The way our family dynamic has changed since entering the blogging world

* The importance of faith and obedience {even when you have NO clue what God is doing}

* Why one of my blogs failed miserably

* How I battled blog identity crises to become successful

* How I found a new passion

* What HomeschoolBlogging.com is all about

* Why homeschooling bloggers are TOTALLY different than other bloggers



Topics we will cover in future Homeschool Blogging Podcast episodes include:



* Encouragement for the days when you just want to quit

* Tips and Tricks for all things blogging, business, and social media

* Latest blogging/social media trends

* Proven methods for blogging/online business success

* Hard lessons that I've had to learn along the way

* How to effectively use email marketing

* Ideas for product and content creation

* How to best network as a blogger/online entrepreneur

* Essential time management skills that you must have in order to be a successful blogger AND an effective homeschooling parent.



I've seen all sides of the blogging world. I know the highs and the lows. I know the challenges involved in running a six-figure blog while struggling to stay afloat in maintaining a home and homeschooling my children. Join me each week, as I cover these topics and more with honesty, humility, and a bit of humor {we all have to laugh at ourselves!}.



Subscribe to the Homeschool Blogging Podcast today! Each week you'll hear something that will make a positive impact on your blog/online business!