BLOGGER: Natasha ‘Tasha’ Ball

FEATURED BLOG(S): Tasha Does Tulsa

TWITTER: @TashaDoesTulsa (Tasha Does Twitter)

FACEBOOK: Tasha Does Facebook

FLICKR: Tasha Does Tulsa on Flickr

TASHA’S TOP TIPS FOR BLOGGERS

Last week we introduced you to another local Blogger We Love, Tasha Ball of Tasha Does Tulsa. This week, we’re bringing you her top tips for local bloggers!

1. FOCUS GROUPS.

“My advice would be: before setting up a blog of any kind, spend a couple of weeks writing, thinking and talking about your blog idea. Talk to people who would care about what you’d be writing about and ask them: ‘what do people want to know’? You can get an idea about what your site should look like that way.”

2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

“As I was starting out, I read The Pioneer Woman a lot. Her site is pretty and I admire her, really—the way she’s so lighthearted. If you visit her blog, it’s guaranteed that you’re probably going to smile, at least a little bit. In the middle of a lonely day,  you can go to The Pioneer Woman and get that goofy, funny thing. I’ve enjoyed watching her photography improve and I aspire to that myself. I like to think I’m teaching myself photography, like Ree Drummond. I do a lot of reading of Oklahoma blogs—that’s something I’m passionate about.”

3. LOOKING TO GO PRO? DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY.

“I do make some money off of my blog – but it’s just like writing: your money comes from a lot of little different places. Some of my income comes from local ads, some of it comes from internet ads, and some of it comes from freelance blogging projects: for instance, I contribute to a local TV station that has a mom site. When you’re a writer, you very rarely have one income source—that’s something I always remind bloggers of when they start out: they should diversify.

It’s really tough to make it happen any one way—and, as a blogger, you have to straddle the editorial/advertising divide, which are usually separate in traditional media. It’s a full-time job in and of itself to sell ads.”

4. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE.

“I think it’s pretty important to post something every day, or at least to establish a consistent posting schedule so readers can rely on that and know when to check back on your blog.”

5. OFFER INSIDER TIPS.

“If you’re a local blogger, you want your readers to be that guy at the water cooler who knows everything that’s going on in town– especially the underground stuff—because he read it on your blog.”

6. LISTEN TO YOUR READERSHIP (& DON’T FORGET THE ‘BURBS!)

“I use Twitter and Facebook to connect with my audience, but I see a lot of people who don’t use them as an interactive tool but rather for SOAPBOXING, which doesn’t work. Oh my gosh, I don’t think I would have gotten to meet half of the interesting people I’ve met through blogging if it weren’t for Twitter. I love to ask all kinds of questions, like: ‘what’s the best make-out spot in Tulsa?’

(It turns out Woodward Park is a top spot for romance in Tulsa)

I also have a lot of readers in Tulsa’s suburbs [and I'm careful not to neglect them]. I figure if an area is in the metropolitan statistical area, they deserve coverage. There are really cool, unique, independent businesses in the 6-7 surrounding counties.”

7. TRY NEW THINGS.

“I just want to be able to continue to offer readers inside information into what makes this city interesting. And whatever enables me to do that— whether it’s reader submitted content, an events calendar, an exclusive calendar, different types of media such as a podcast or video—I’m looking into all of those things.”

8. GIVE YOUR READERS A TASTE OF THE REAL THING.

“Make your local blog a one-stop shop for your town or city. Tell your readers the best place to eat – just don’t tell me it’s Ruby Tuesday or Red Robin! Give them the night life, a true taste of your city and what makes it special. Write about it and publicize it not just for visitors, but also for locals that live there, too.”

9.  BE PREPARED FOR SKEPTICS & STRIVE TO ENROLL THEM.

“I still get the ‘what is a blog?’ question here in Tulsa. I STILL get that question! Or, ‘What’s Facebook? What’s Twitter?’ People will say ‘I don’t do those things.’ The internet freaks them out. I tell people I run a website and they look at me kinda like I have leprosy or something. I have this challenge to not only tell these people about the technology but I also have to say ‘Did you know that Tulsa is this really cool place and you should let me tell you about it? Oh, and I post 4-5 times a day!” Those two things are kind of tough.

10. VISIT TULSA!

“I do think we’re the greatest city in the world! For instance, in what other city…
- Could you find an art and food scene to make the snooty snoots take notice?
- Find two world-class museums (one of them has the largest collection of Western American Art IN THE WORLD)?
- Find one of the largest collections of Art Deco buildings in the world?
- Visit ‘America’s Favorite Zoo,’ (and hang out with a rhino and his keeper on Rhino Awareness Day)?
- Go to one of the largest BBQs in the state?
- Go to a gunshow and a rodeo IN THE SAME WEEKEND?”

Like we said last week: Tulsa, OK is, well, kind of a big deal — and so is Tasha Ball.

P. S. Local bloggers, don’t forget to register your blog here. It’s quick, simple, and will help drive traffic to your blog.

P.P. S.: If you’d like to be featured in our ‘Bloggers We Love’ series (or you’d like to nominate your favorite local blogger(s) for inclusion), we’d love to hear from you! Simply send an email to esther@outside.in

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