INTERVIEW: MEET JAM JAR GILL

Jam Jar Gill is an established blogger and member of the Guest Bloggers Wanted community (a place for UK lifestyle & parenting bloggers to find new collaborations & partnerships), I caught up with her to find out a bit about her blogging journey and pull out some tips and tricks about growing a blog audience and how to make money blogging.... 

Hi Gill, nice to meet you! So, tell us, how long have you been blogging?

Hi – lovely to meet you too. I’ve been blogging for around 10 years now ☺


Can you tell us about your blog Jam Jar Gill and who it is for?

I started off with a recipe journal blog, inspired by the film Julia & Julie, and then when we bought our first house I started another blog entitled Practical Beautiful, when I decided to get more serious and regular with my blogging I amalgamated the two into one super lifestyle blog using the nickname I got whilst planning my wedding.

​I now define it as a parenting/lifestyle blog since having my twin boys in 2016, but I hope it has something for everyone as it covers all from parenting to mental health to music, food and recipes and interiors and a bit of fashion too, basically everything I love in one place.  


Were you a complete blogging beginner when you started Jam Jar Gill?

I was, and it has been quite a learning curve ever since, one of the things I love about blogging though is how I am constantly learning so much by doing it ☺


What has Jam Jar Gill given you in your life you didn’t have before?
​
I guess the most important thing it gives me is an outlet for my creativity and a platform to express it. It also gives me a small surplus income, which is very handy (if not essential) when working part time with a growing family. 

What three tools could you not run your blog without?
​

1. WordPress – It makes web development possible for everyone, it is still a massive learning curve with each new thing which I introduce, but it is possible. 
2. My Laptop – Where I work on all my blogging, where I save all my archives, I couldn’t be without it.
3. My phone – Which I use to take all my photos, and then I develop social media strategy using apps like Followers Chief, Hashtag Inspector, Mailchimp and Canva. I also update my Instagram of course off my phone. 

Name three inspirational bloggers you’ve met or discovered on your blogging journey and tell us why you chose to tell us about them.
​

1. http://pinchmysalt.com/ - was the first blog I ever followed, and I found out through India Knights – Thrift Book, which is a must read! I instantly fell in love with the food photography and style.
2. http://www.kendieveryday.com/ - was one of the first fashion blogs I followed and one I still follow now. I always love her clean posts and her mix of highstreet and thrift clothing and honest and relatable style.
3. https://thehollisco.com/ - I am definitely a big Hollis.co fan, ever since reading Rachel’s first book “Girl wash your face” I have been hooked, they just do so much and so much good as a couple are so inspiring. I have found a lot of other inspiring people through the people who they have interviewed on their Podcasts Rise & Rise Together too, I would love to go to a Rise Conference as and when they bring it to the UK. ​

What is your advice for writing great content on your blog?

I have templates I use for each type of post to keep things neat and consistent, then I write in blocks, effectively breaking each post down into bite size chunks.

​I use a combination of paragraphs, bullet points, numbered bullet points and bullet points along with photos to break up each article.  A good example of this is my weekly Meatless Monday posts. I've recently started using block editor on WordPress which simplifies it even more, it also makes it easier to add to your post throughout the week and dip in and out as you just update a block at a time.

What is your number one piece of advice for growing a loyal blog following? 

Be authentic, only you can do you, and post consistently and like people back and try to build a community with each decision you make. 


And finally, we would love to know how you have monetized Jam Jar Gill and what you would say is the best way to make money blogging.

Collaborate posts and sponsored posts are how I earn money off blogging.  

​I have only been earning any money at all off my blog in the past two years and this is an area for sure which I am constantly working on expanding, I just keep putting myself on blogging directories and reaching out to local businesses, businesses which inspire me and PR agencies in order to seek opportunities to collaborate whenever I can.

I have also used the services of a freelance copywriter recently in order to help me format my media pack, so its nice and clear for my readers what my expectations are from the beginning.

Please find out more about me at www.jamjargill.com/about/ and how to work with me at https://jamjargill.com/work-with-me/