I read recently that one sure fire way to build reader loyalty is to show a bit about yourself in your writing: more personality, less facts and stuff.  Where this may be true to some extent, I think not so much really.  People are ever changing landscapes, at least I am, which means that I’m not so sure my expressing every facet of my personality in my writing would build reader loyalty as it would most probably solidify in many minds that I am a bit unhinged, not really the persona I want to convey, but hey why not?

For the most part I am an introvert.  I realized this fact after reading an article in Body & Soul Magazine or it might have been Natural Health. In any event I fell in love with the author.  From that article I learned that being an introvert does not mean that I am antisocial; I just value quiet over talking, I reflect, I engage people with purpose, I’m not a gabber or social butterfly, which again does not mean that I do not enjoy the company of people.  I am an analytical thinker, I compartmentalize, and I’m practical.  This is why for Modern Hippie Mag I don’t publish a bunch of fluff for the sake of just having it appear that I have something to say or so that the site has content for content sake.

Around the time that I began to re-evaluate why I started “blogging,” my loving husband forwarded me a post by Adam Baker entitled, “How NOT to Suck at Blogging” (more about Adam later because he really rocked my world!)  After reading his post I felt validated in my belief that being a successful blogger really comes down to trust.  In his post Baker reflects on some of the things he learned within 6 months of blogging.  Two points really made an impact on me:

• · If you aren’t 100% passionate, you will fail miserably.
• · Be as transparent as possible

YES! For me integrity is paramount.  I don’t want to succumb to the practice of republishing list of links to other posts and articles just for the sake of increased in-links and traffic.  If I publish or repost something, rest assured it’s because I found value in it and thought you would too.  I started this journey in the hope that someone could find something useful in my discoveries.  But I don’t want it to be only my voice mainly because I am not a writer. It’s not my forte.  I’m barely computer literate, yet I have found a medium that I can share and learn as I go.  A year ago I had no idea what a blog was.  In less than 5 months Modern Hippie Mag reached nearly 10,000 unique visitors.  And though I feel this is a milestone, there’s still so much more to learn and do to make Modern Hippie Mag more interactive, a place where people will engage and participate.

Modern Hippie Mag will no longer solely advocate “being green”.

People have different criteria for what “being green” means and there are thousands of blogs and websites dedicated to the subject.  Though I wholeheartedly support their efforts, it’s my intention for Modern Hippie Mag to draw attention to ideas and articles that focus on how incorporating conscious living choices in our lives, in addition to adding more eco-friendly options to our purchases, can make a difference.  Not that these two concepts are mutually exclusive. I just want to emphasize that it is extremely important to consider our actions in what products we purchase and the environmental impact of the foods we consume. This is where the modern hippie understands that it’s the little things we do daily that are important.

Getting paid…

If I publish a review, paid or otherwise, you will get my honest opinion…if it worked for me, why it did or didn’t, and often where you can purchase it for the least amount.  Will some of the links I recommend be affiliate or sponsored links?  You betcha.  Although not my main motivation, I hope to build sponsorship revenue in order to compensate regular contributors for their writing, to periodically donate to environmental and charitable organizations, and on occasion to buy a new pair of shoes.  I like shoes.

So there you have it folks.  You got a piece of me, you got into my head.  Maybe you have a better understanding of why I blog, what you can expect of me, and what makes Modern Hippie Mag different.   Most importantly you learned that I like shoes…size 7.   But also I would like to take this opportunity to open the gate. Are you a modern hippie? Let Modern Hippie Mag be your rooftop, sound off!  I’d love to hear your story.

Jaszy McAllister

Jaszy McAllister is the woman behind the curtain of Modern Hippie Mag.  She is a self-taught jewelry designer featuring her eco-conscious jewelry designs at www.Jaszy.com and several local boutiques.  She is also an A+ Blogger for WQ Mag Online and a Green Guru for TheGreenGirls.com. Find her on Twitter, @msjaszy. Read articles by Jaszy.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Linkedin
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend

Related posts:

1. Editor’s Notes: What Shade of Green are You?
2. A conversation with Julie Urlaub, founder Taiga Company
3. Book Review: Peace is Every Step – The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
4. DISCOBALL, Groovy fun benefiting a great cause!
5. Look Ma, no hands!
6. Water Activist, Lynn Hasselberger – I Count for myEarth
7. Modern Hippie Mag Video Profile with jim lampl
8. Are You a Modern Hippie?