Meet Julie Bonner.

She’s not just a successful entertainment blogger for Disney Society,
she’s also owns a marketing business. In this interview Julie
talked about her blogging career and gave tips to new bloggers on how
to drive traffic to a new blog.

Here’s what went down:

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a wife and mother to three kids. I’ve been a full time blogger for 4
years now. I started off writing about home related subjects and about 3
years ago, moved into writing about the Entertainment Industry. Due to my
blogging I have had the chance to attend movie screenings and interview
celebrities so I love what I do!

I also own a marketing business with my husband where we help small businesses
market their products and services online. I’ve been working online for so
long that this seemed like a natural next step in my career. Blogging
is actually part of what we do for companies.

2. How long has your blog been around? And what inspired you to get into
blogging?

Disney Society has been around since November of 2007. I pitched the idea of
a Disney related blog to my company, b5media, because I saw that there was
nothing geared towards that audience. Needless to say, it has done very well
and my readers are amazing.

3. How did you come up with the name of your blog? What other names did
you consider?

I actually didn’t come up with the name. My boss did and I think she did a
great job!

4. How do you come up with different materials for your blog on a constant
basis?

I actually work with a lot of different PR agencies who work with Disney and
they send me news, pictures and tips. I also get a lot of my material from
Disney themselves. As for pictures of the celebrities, b5media has agreements
with photo agencies. And when in doubt, there’s always YouTube!

5. Do you follow any other bloggers or blog sites?

Yes! Some of my favorites are www.juniorcelebs.com, www.twilightgroupie.com,
www.oceanup.com and www.justjaredjr.com.

6. Do you blog full time or do you have another job?

I used to blog full time, but stepped down in October of 2009 to focus on
our marketing business. I don’t think I can ever completely let go of
blogging though. It’s a passion of mine and I really enjoy the work, the people I
work with on a daily basis and of course, my wonderful readers who make what
I do so much fun!

7. What advice would you give to new bloggers wanting to start their own blogs?

I get this question all the time and here is the advice I always give:

*Start with a topic you know and love.
*Blog consistently.
*Don’t steal content from other sites without permission and giving them
credit.
*Realize it’s not a get rich quick job. It takes time and dedication.
*Be ready to work hard.
*If you are going to be a well-known blogger, you will have to develop some thick skin.
People can be very mean!

8. What tools do you use to run your blog?

b5media uses the WordPress platform. We also have several different plugins
installed for social media sites, videos and image galleries.

9. What tips would you give new bloggers to help them start out on a path to success?

My two biggest tips are to start with a topic you could see yourself writing
about all day long and to get ready to work hard. So many bloggers get
burned out on their topic or don’t see the numbers they want immediately, so
they give up. Dedicate a year to blogging (almost) everyday.

10. One of the hardest things for beginner bloggers is getting traffic. What tips can
you give new bloggers to drive traffic to a new blog?

*Blog consistently because Google loves consistency and blogs!
*Use social media (Facebook, twitter, MySpace)
*Ask fellow bloggers for help! I have chatted with many bloggers who are
willing to share links and give you a shoutout. It’s a very competitive job,
but I promise there are other bloggers out there who will lend a hand.
*Write original articles – don’t just grab other people’s stuff.
*Realize that in most situations, traffic comes with age.