Martha is a friend I made on the ultimate blog challenge. It happens four times a year and she is always there sharing, commenting, and encouraging all the bloggers. Her posts are direct from the heart blog posts. She shares reviews, her life, her recipes, her garden stories, and of course about Lia her great-granddaughter on her blog TheMarthareview.com
Did I tell you she is a great grand mom?If that’s not inspiring that she is 71 and started blogging in 2014 should inspire you.There really is no age when you can’t start.
Tell me a little about who you are and what you do.
I’m married to my first love after meeting on a blind date on Christmas day 1965. Rich and I are celebrating our 53rd anniversary this July 29th. We have 2 grown daughters, 7 grandchildren, and 7 great grands. Rich and I started our interior decorating business back in 1967 and in 2018 we retired and closed our retail location but kept our workroom. Sewing was my passion and I’ve taught our grandchildren to sew and now I’m in the early stages of teaching Lia the art of sewing. In 2018 our new business of Mama’s Minkys was born when I made a Minky blanket for Lia when she was born. My granddaughter Alexandra works on the fabric selections and website while I create the blankets, rugs, and Minky cuddlers. Lia is our quality-control inspector of the finished product. As for what else I do…. I love taking candid photos, flowers, nature, and of course my great-granddaughter Lia.
Everything I know and learn while Blogging and writing
How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging back in 2015. My grandson helped me build a WordPress blog on Christmas day 2014 mainly for my product and book reviews I received. Within a few months, I started adding categories and my blog opened into a variety of topics. I love writing about family, life, gardening, photography, healthy living, sharing tips, recipes and my latest category is one for my 2 year old great granddaughter Lia the Baby Blogger. Lia started “blogging” when she was 6 months old.
How did you start? Did anyone help with the blog tech stuff?
My 27 year old grandson helped me start my WordPress free blog but when he saw how it had grown in only a few months he switched me to a self hosting WordPress site. There was no looking back, I was hooked into blogging even though writing was never something I thought about. When I came up against a problem or road block, I would find an answer by checking Google or trial and error. I’ve also had experienced bloggers help me out and in turn I share what I’ve learned to others. I’ve always been one to learn by doing or from mistakes. My motto has been “If you want to explore deeper oceans, you first have to leave sight of the shore.”
How do you create content? Tell us about ideation to publishing?
When I started my blog it was mainly for posting reviews on products I recieved. That quickly changed and the content just seems to come through things I see or do, my photographs, gardening, cooking or topics that interest me. Many of my blogs come to life from things that happen in my family, both happy and sad, looking through photos and creating a memory, or sharing helpful tips. My blog is humorous at times, I like to keep things lite, making my readers smile and laugh so therefore I don’t write many controversial blogs. I also write a few poems mostly from memories and photographs. Of course my main content lately is Lia and her Friday Story Time where she shares her baking, gardening and humorous blogs of her life. Since this category has been added, my hope is to turn Lia’s blogs into a book and give it to her when she turns 18 years old.
What are your top must do, for persisting at blogging?
My top goal for persisting at blogging is that I love a challenge and I plan to write a certain amount of blogs each month. I also read and share other blogs and this helps bloggers grow by exchanging links. Again my motto is perfect for being persistent and taie on a blog challenge. This is my 5th year with the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I’ve completed every challenge since I joined in January 2016.
If you were to start now,what would you do different?
I can’t think of anything I would do differently if starting now, I started at the bottom without knowing hardly anything about blogging and learned as my blog grew. In fact I’m still learning. I’m 71 years old and think it’s great that I can learn and retain what I learn today.
What about SEO? How much do you focus on that?
I use lots of keywords for each blog I write. The more keywords, the better chance of people finding your blog. When I write a product review and add “review” or “product review” as keywords and I’ve actually received messages where companies are interested in my reviewing their products. Although SEO is great for getting your blog out to more viewers, I don’t focus on that alone. My main focus is my readers who share my blog to their sites and when someone reads it from them, they in turn share so the cycle is non stop in sharing a blog.
How do you drive traffic?Give us tips.
Most of my traffic is from other bloggers and from those who follow my social sites. Sharing sites is one of the best ways to bring traffic to a site so I like to follow other bloggers and they in turn follow mine. When posted on new social sites, the traffic just keeps coming. Another way I drive traffic to my blog is by using my own photographs. I think it gives a more personal feeling for those reading my blog and can connect with the topic I’m writing about. I try to use an eye appealing photo as my feature photo because that’s the first thing a reader will see. If the picture is interesting more people click on the blog link.
How did you make your blog become self sufficient?
Since I started my blog I’ve always been ready and willing to learn new things, whether it be from other bloggers or myself. The more I learned, the more self sufficient my blog became. I’ve been known to be frugal (or maybe cheap) so I’m always looking for ways to be self sufficient not only with my blog but with everything. I am an Amazon and Walmart affiliate and what I earn from that pays from my domain and website.
What would you like to tell anyone who wants to start blogging now?
If you want to start blogging, do it now, don’t wait! It’s interesting, fun to meet other wonderful bloggers and if you start and have questions, there is always another blogger willing to help you out.
I love blogging, I love all my blogging friends and I’m always up for a challenge.
This post is so wonderful!! When Martha told me you were going to interview her, I was so thrilled for her. And I love hearing more about her blogging story!
I enjoyed my first every video interview! I was so nervous but now I know I can do it and plan to set up a few video blogs. Vlogging here I come! Thank you so much Amrita, it was great th “see” you!
A cross-continent interview!