How to Start a Blog - Interview with Lisa Marie Fletcher

Blogging has become a popular choice, specifically for homeschooling moms. It gives them an outlet to share their journey as well as connect and encourage other homeschoolers out there. We sat down with Lisa Marie Fletcher from The Canadian Homeschooler to ask her about her journey in blogging.

TCS: When did you start blogging? What inspired you to start the blog?

Lisa Marie: The Canadian Homeschooler began in the summer of 2010. I'd been homeschooling for a year or two at that point, using an American boxed curriculum that my sister-in-law highly recommended. It was a great program, but there are only so many American flags you can have your young learner colour before you realize that there needed to be Canadian options. As I searched for Canadian homeschooling resources, I thought maybe other people would be searching as well so I decided to put it on a blog for others to find. 

TCS: How did you advertise your blog and get it out there to people? Did that happen naturally or did you have a strategy for that?

Lisa Marie: At first, I didn't really do much in terms of getting the word out. I was already blogging a mommy review blog so I used some of the skills I'd learned there - started a Facebook page and shared my posts. I joined a few networking groups and homeschool review teams and got to know lots of other bloggers. We all shared each other's posts with our audiences on social media, on emails, leaving comments and sharing on Pinterest, etc. The online world is a lot different these days and not all the tactics I used 10+ years ago would work today. 

TCS: How long after you started blogging did you start making money from it?

Lisa Marie: When I started The Canadian Homeschooler, it was just a hobby blog. I didn't really intend for it to be more than that. But, in 2014, I had a long chat with a blog expert/mentor who asked me some very tough questions about my intentions for the blogs I was running at the time. He believed that I needed to decide which of my two sites I wanted to pour myself into instead of splitting myself in multiple places. And then, when I finally made a choice, I needed to find a way to make my website bring in money. If I was taking time away from my family in order to put work into a website, I needed to get something financial in return. So, I decided to put my full attention on The Canadian Homeschooler. I dropped my mommy review blog, put together an intentional plan of action, and moved ahead. In retrospect, I'm glad that was the decision I made. 

TCS: What ways are there to make money from blogging?

Lisa Marie: Over the years, I've done just about everything that the "experts" recommend for making money from a blog site: advertisements, bundle sales, products, courses, memberships, sponsored posts, events, affiliate promotions. The truth is, I never really followed the advice of said “experts.” Everything I've added, created, or hosted have been natural progressions from what the community and I needed at the time.

TCS: What is the best advice you would give someone looking to monetize their homeschool blog?

Lisa Marie: My advice for anyone thinking of starting a homeschooling blog is to know that: 

1. This isn't a "make easy money" job. Blogging is work. Lots of work. You are going to have to learn a lot of things, including tech stuff, writing skills, social media, graphic design, networking, video editing, accounting, etc. Many of my blogging friends agree that it tends to feel like a never ending hamster wheel. 
2. It isn't cheap either. The bigger you grow, the more it costs. 
3. It takes time. Sure there will be people who find the exact market and blow up fast, but for most people, it's slow, it's hard, and it takes time. Frustrating amounts of time. I admit - I recently started a new website, and the results have been very disappointing. It's hard not to feel discouraged. 

On the good side though, blogging has allowed my family to have a 2nd income that I couldn't have made in another way. The skills I've learned have been transferable so I can do outside jobs now helping others with their businesses. My blogging has directly led me to some of the people who are now my best friends and closest connections. I've met many amazing people from all over the place, had the opportunity to work with some amazing companies, and been able to see how the work I've put in has significantly helped people with their homeschooling journey. That has been incredibly rewarding on its own.

If you want to monetize your homeschooling blog, here are my words of advice.

1. Get to know your audience. What do they need? What do they want? How can you help with that? Start there. 
2. Share things you use. See if they have affiliate programs that you can use to promote. 
3. Don't do things because an expert told you that you have to do it. There's no point in spending lots of time, money, and effort to create something that your audience doesn't want or need. 
4. Don't spread yourself too thin. 

Blogging to make money is a job. There are a million working parts, and they don't always work. Be willing to learn. Be willing to step back. And most of all - be willing to remember that your family needs to come first. 

TCS: Thank you for sharing your expertise on blogging. We are sure your tips will equip our readers with the knowledge needed and encourage others to embark on their blogging journey.

The Canadian Online Homeschool Conference

The Canadian Homeschooler is the host of the annual Canadian Online Homeschool Conference.

You are invited to attend the seventh annual Canadian Online Homeschool Conference. It is planned for Feb 6-10th, 2023, and features speakers and sessions intended to encourage you on your homeschooling journey - no matter if you are on Day 1 or Year 30. We want you to feel revived and ready to tackle the days ahead. Join us at https://canadianhomeschoolconference.com for lots of fun, learning, and support.

Lisa Marie Fletcher is a homeschooling mom of 5 kids ranging from early elementary school through high school. When her homeschooling journey began, she searched for Canadian homeschooling resources and started to share them online. That was the beginning of The Canadian Homeschooler - whose mission today is to connect homeschoolers across Canada with each other and with resources to help them on their journey.