Blogger Behind the Blog {Katykicker}

Here’s this week’s instalment of Blogger Behind the Blog where I interview a blogger all about their reasons for blogging and what it means to them. This week I’m joined by Katy from Katykicker.

Blogger Behind the Blog {Katykicker}

Here’s Katy with more about her blogging life:

Where did your blog name come from?

Katykicker is a nickname that somebody gave me when I was around 5. While nobody in my real life uses it now it has stuck with me throughout my life.

When did you start your blog and why?

I started my blog to help people make money online. I was already earning maybe £500 a month when I started my website and people would regularly message me on forums and websites and I basically wanted somewhere I could direct them to with my personal opinion without having to reply to lots of messages every week.

What did you do before you blogged?

I used to work in retail and now I work from home, for myself, full time. I have done since 2013/4 and I love it!

What was your first post?

It was a recipe for honeycomb that I worked on earlier that week. I was really proud of myself for creating something and I still use the recipe often now!

What inspires you to blog?

My family and my readers. I know that people often visit my website to find out how to make money online, or how to save money, and this inspires me to post.

What post has had the best response, which post are you most proud of and which post did you enjoy writing the most?

The best response has been to my post about winning almost £8,000! I had some lovely messages from my readers congratulating me and lots of nice tweets too.

The post I am most proud of is one on airfryer roast potatoes because it has so many hits on Google. It may not look fancy, or be the most well written post, however, lots of people use it and helping others is the
main reason I started my website! I’m always surprised when anyone wants to attempt a recipe I’ve shared!

The post I most enjoyed writing was the one announcing our daughters’s birth. After seven long years of waiting we finally have our daughter and while my pregnancy went wrong at the end we both made it and I’m so proud of my body and what my husband and I have achieved through all our fertility treatments and hard times.

Have any of your posts not had the response that you expected?

So far I’ve been lucky that my posts have been taken the way they are intended – to help people! I try never to be preachy, especially when talking about parenting, as everyone has to find what path works for
them and follow it. I’m mostly looking to offer guidance rather than tell people what they should do.

Where do you see your blog in a year’s time?

I’d like to improve my readership, help more people and be blogging even more. I’ve increased the time that I spend blogging lately and it is paying off. I’m loving my blog and the feedback that I receive from
readers.

What is your favourite thing about blogging?

Having my own little space on the internet where I can say absolutely anything that I want! I can talk about anything really, and often do.

…and your least favourite?

Sometimes people will see me receiving a ‘free’ product (that isn’t really free as I’ve had to work for it!) and assume that I don’t deserve it or that they could just get an item themselves. People don’t always see the time and effort that goes into a blog post, taking photographs, dealing with brands etc. Nobody who blogs really gets anything for free as it is always payment for the work that is carried out. I work hard, most of the time, so if I receive an opportunity that others may not while I sympathise ultimately it doesn’t mean that I don’t deserve it.

What’s the best blog post you have ever read?

A post about things not to say to women who’ve had a c-section really resonated with me after I had my daughter. A c-section was not part of our plan until a few days before the end of my pregnancy. Most people were great about how our expected birth had changed but a few people offered sympathy, despite the fact that without the c-section my daughter would have likely not made it even a few more days in the womb. This post made me realise that some of the ignorant comments I was receiving were ‘normal’ for people but it also empowered me to say something when people made them. This nipped it in the bud quickly and helped stopped some of the guilt that I was experiencing at the time.

What blog do you love to read and why?

I love to read TobyandRoo I feel that Harriet has a fantastic, refreshing honesty to her posts. I have shared a few of them lately, in response to judgmental people online, and I really enjoy that she is so active on social media too!

Do you do anything differently now to when you started blogging?

I take more time over my blog posts and I am more free speaking. I talk about anything and everything that I want and I worry a lot less about readers and figures overall.

Is blogging what you expected it to be?

It is better! I expected that maybe a few people every week would read my posts and now I have 1,000s visiting my website every month. I find it bizarre that people are truly interested in what I have to say!

What’s been your favourite blog collaboration to date?

I really enjoyed working with the Money Advice Service on the rise of YOLO living. This post seemed to hit home for a lot of people and there were some fantastic statistics within too.

Are there any brands you would love to work with, why?

I am already working with some fantastic brands, however, I would LOVE to work with Centerparcs. I holiday there several times a year already so they’d only have to let me try out some delicious meals or new
activities!

Have you had any blogging fails so far?

Not that I am aware of! I find that it is hard to predict which posts will be amazing and which will just be average. I try and avoid worrying about that too much and instead just write what I want to write. I think a blog should mostly be about having fun, although if I can help people too then that is fantastic.

What is your biggest blogging hope, dream or ambition?

I’d love to people able to help more people make and save money online. I like knowing that I am helping people to improve their quality of life and I actually inspired a blogger who has more followers than myself to quit her job. I’d like to inspire more people to work for themselves and take the leap!

What do you do when you’re not blogging?

I am a Mum to Daisy, 6 months, and I am a wife to Thomas. I love to spend time visiting family and friends, going for walks, going down our allotment and also making money online.

and lastly, tell us all a random fact about yourself

I’ve escaped death – more than once! I’ve even survived two strokes!

Blogger Behind the Blog {Katykicker}

Now that you know all about Katy from Katykicker, make sure you go and read her blog. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – thanks so much Katy for being involved!

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2 Comments

  1. Oh gosh, I’ve read a couple of Katy’s making money online posts before but I didn’t realise she covered so many other topics as well. I’m off to check out her blog.
    Nat.x

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