Mommy Knows Blog: A Q&A with Yee Wittle Things’ Brandi Yee

I wrote a post a few days back about the power of Moms, and their HUGE influence online. I thought it would be great to interview a successful Mommy blogger, and find out just ‘how she does it’. Brandi Yee is the owner of a very popular blog entitled Yee Wittle Things, and just so happens to be part of my high school alumni (small world, right?).  She took a moment to  answer some of my questions – and peel back the curtain on the mommy blogger industry.

1. How did you get started as a ‘mommy blogger’? I actually started my blog over a couple years ago after my mom suggested I try it.  She already had a “dog blog” and since she knows I’m passionate about writing, thought it would be a great fit.  Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, and the chance to share my thoughts with other people from all over was intriguing and motivating!  I was home with my two young kids and had the itch to start writing again, so what better way than to base my blog on what’s most familiar to me; my family.

2. How did you build an audience, and how long did it take?  My blog was casual and slow in the beginning, as the first year was just odd postings here and there since my kids were so small and demanded so much of my attention and time.  I actually only had a few followers during that time! Once I started posting regularly and joining blog hops, I saw a steady increase in my audience and it was encouraging to see my blog growing and attracting different people from all around the world.  Being active in the blogging community is key in gaining traffic and building an audience.

3. You do a lot of reviews and recommendations on your site – was this always the objective?  Not at all actually.  When I first started my blog, my daughter had just been diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy and it was a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings about that, and connect with other parents going through similar experiences.  As my kids got a little more independent and I could focus on my blog more, I started posting my thoughts on favourite products I use in my own home.  I’ve always loved sharing with friends and family products that I love and have made a positive impact in my everyday living.  If you find something good, why not share it, right?  I noticed other bloggers were working with companies on reviews and once I started reading more into it and learning about it, felt it would be perfect for my blog.  I wanted to share family friendly products to my readers and present them with my honest opinion on them.  I want my blog to be a place people can trust and feel confident in knowing that the reviews presented are 100% my own honest opinion of my experiences with the products.

4. Do you work with companies/brands to expose their products? What happens if you don’t like something?  The one thing I love, is introducing readers to companies/brands that they haven’t heard of before, have heard of but haven’t tried or have wanted to try but needed to know an opinion first.  I’ve worked with so many companies who have AMAZING products that I would have never known about otherwise and am now in love with that deserve the exposure.  So many people will read a review and comment similar to, “Wow, I’d never heard of this (company and/or product) before but am now intrigued and want one or want to learn more!”.  It’s a great feeling working with companies who are doing something wonderful and deserve the recognition.  Fortunately, I have not come across a product for review that I’ve had a completely negative experience with (knock on wood), but if that were to happen, I would simply let the company know my thoughts first before posting a review and leave that up to them whether they’d still like it posted or not.  I would never post a negative review without alerting the company first.  I prefer to keep an uplifting atmosphere on my blog and introducing positive products that will compliment any lifestyle and family.

5. What do you enjoy most about being a mommy blogger?  I love the connections and friendships I’ve made with people, like other fabulous bloggers, as well as relationships I’ve built with some wonderful companies.  I am so fortunate that I’m able to be home with my kids, while pursuing my passion of writing and staying socially connected.  Social media is such a great platform for being involved with others and keeping up with our world as it evolves and my blog allows me the freedom to be with my family while doing something enjoyable for myself as well.  The possibilities with blogging are endless and there’s so much to explore!

6. What advice do you have for aspiring mommy bloggers? Be unique by being yourself.  Write about what comes easy to you and what’s most familiar in your life.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help either.  Bloggers are extremely generous in offering advice to others and I’ve learned a lot from my fellow blogger friends.  Also, be involved!  If you’re involved in social media and supporting other blogs, you’ll find your blog will benefit as well.  Establishing those relationships with others is important to keeping your blog active and gaining support.

Remember to check out Brandi’s blog: Yee Wittle Things, and follow her on Twitter!

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