Blogger Recognition Award

On By Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)In Award, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness

I’ve been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by the lovely Rachael from Rachael’s Thoughts. We first met on the facebook group Big Up Your Blog, a fantastic community set up by Suzie and Em.   Rachael blogs about all sorts and recently she has shared about her move back to the North East of the UK with hubby….just one week before Christmas! You can see her original nomination post here.  Thank you so much, Rachael.

Blogger Recognition Award

RULES FOR THIS AWARD :-

  • Write a blog post to show your award
  • Thank the blogger that nominated you
  • Tell your readers how your blog started
  • Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
  • Nominate other bloggers for the award

How my blog started…

In all honestly I knew nothing about blogging and it started on a complete whim, and as a little bit of a joke.  I was going into hospital to have a spinal cord stimulator trial in the hope that I would find some relief from the chronic nerve pain in my leg and back – secondary to nerve root damage and a genetic condition Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  Initially I asked my son to set up a blog thinking that friends and family could follow my progress and save hubby from too many phone calls.  The kids thought it was hilarious – “why would anyone want to read anything you write, mum?”.

 

I had found advice and support online from others invaluable in the lead up to this, and if I could offer the same to anyone else then I wanted to give it.  The writing process itself has been really therapeutic and I have found a lovely community out there – a chronic illness community who I can both support and gain support from, and some fantastic new friendship groups who are a lifeline for someone like me who spends increasing amounts of time on the sofa with symptom flares/deterioration.

I can’t quite believe that I am still here, tapping away and part of a world that just a couple of years ago I knew nothing about.  My kids can’t either – and daily regret introducing me to Facebook, Instagram etc….but that is another story!

 

Two pieces of advice I want to give to new bloggers:

  1. Enjoy it! – Take it slowly, Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that, find your blogging feet and get into your writing groove whatever that may be.  I know that there can be a tendency out there to focus on stats, followers, traffic etc…..but think about why you are doing this.  Don’t get so embroiled in the numbers that you forget to enjoy the experience.
  2. Meet & support other bloggers – much the same as Rachael said in her post.  Follow other blogs that interest you, leave likes and comments – generally engage.  Join groups on Facebook – for me it was the Chronic Illness Bloggers and The Book Club on Facebook initially – and take part in threads and chats.  If you are a social media dinosaur like yours truly, learn about Twitter & Instagram & Pinterest….but don’t try to do it all at once as you risk feeling swamped.  None of them are going anywhere.  But it is out there that you will find your community and then your own blog will grow…..but it isn’t a competition.

MY NOMINATIONS:

https://brainsandbodiesblog.com/

https://dazzlingzebra.wordpress.com/

https://kimc91.wordpress.com/

https://schoolrunshop.com/

https://fancypaperblog.wordpress.com/

Keep sharing the words and the love!

Pin for later

Blogger Recog award

 

 

18 thoughts on “Blogger Recognition Award”

  5. The Dream Girl

    I love advice piece number 2. I made a promise today to learn how to use the business angle of Pintrest for my Etsy this year. I have improved my Twitter and Instagram in the last 2 years (2 years ago, Instagram and last year Twitter) and this year Pintrest but I decided to ditch Facebook altogether. I’m keeping my business page up just to network but I’m not bothering with it too much. It’s not worth the cost.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. We have a small new business venture and have been exploring best avenues – it is really tricky to know which will be the right one when you have no experience isn’t it? It is hubby’s venture, but he doesn’t really do SM so left it to me – I agree that with the strange algorithms on Facebook, posts don’t reach a target audience. Thanks so much for reading x

      Like

      Reply
      1. The Dream Girl

        Facebook is pointless unless you have a huge advertising budget (like, million dollar corporation budget) or have a b&m store and a lot of business that traffics to your Facebook page.
        Do set up a facebook- it’s good for marketing, just don’t put too much into it but some people only have facebook accounts so it is necessary to use it.

        Like

  7. Congrats on the very well-deserved award! Interesting to read more about the start of your blog, and a great piece of advice with enjoying it (it can be so easy to get caught up with expectations, wondering if it’s good enough, pressures to post more often etc). I’d not heard of the Big Up Your Blog FB page before – off to check it out now! 🙂
    Caz x

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m just checking out Rachael’s blog, but I can’t find the FB Big Up Your Blog group (and feel I may be being very silly or technologically inept), I don’t suppose you have a link as I’d love to request to join? xx

      Like

      Reply

Leave a reply to Invisibly Me Cancel reply