Kelly Phillips Erb started her career as a tax attorney. Who knew that law and taxes could be turned into a successful and entertaining blog? Kelly did. That's why she started Taxgirl.com. Kelly's blogging success and dedication led her to become the Business Channel Editor for b5media's blog network. Kelly took some time to answer questions in order to share her path to success and help beginner bloggers looking to carve out their own success in the blogosphere.
What did you do before you started writing your blog(s)?
I was (and remain) a practicing tax attorney and mother of three.
What were your original plans for your blog(s) and why did you start blogging?
I love tax as a subject matter (I don't love to pay tax, that's a different issue altogether). Most of the material that's out there is written for professionals or academics. I wanted to write about tax law in a way that was really accessible to everyone. Demystifying the system is important. No one should just blindly follow rules without understanding them.
Approximately how many visitors do you get to your blog(s) each day?
I now write a few blogs. Between my personal and business blogs, I get close to 10,000 page views a day. My traffic for Taxgirl.com is the most complicated. It's seasonal as you can imagine.
How did you get to where you are now with your blog(s)? To what do you attribute your phenomenal success?
I approached b5media about making my Taxgirl blog part of their business channel. The Business Channel Editor at that time was really instrumental in getting that going. The folks at b5media have just been great in terms of helping me grow my blogs and also diversify into other genres. I also have to give kudos to my dad who read my blog when nobody else did. It is much easier to write for an audience, and he's always kind of been my audience for Taxgirl.
Where do you see your blog(s) and yourself in 5 years?
I've written a work of fiction about being a Philadelphia lawyer, and I'm hoping to have it published (fingers crossed). I'm working on a new fiction book and also a history of tax. I just landed a gig writing for The Legal Intelligencer, which is a law journal. I hope to just keep writing and speaking about tax and blogging away at Taxgirl. Some of my other blogs are more trend-oriented. I don't anticipate writing those forever, but tax will only get more interesting. I'll never run out of things to say.
What tips would you give new bloggers to help them start out on a path to success?
Choose a topic that interests you and identify your audience early. It's tough to write about something that you only "sort of" care about, but when you're passionate about something, it shows. However, as passionate as you are and as great as your writing is, it's not really meaningful if no one is reading. So choose your audience and don't be afraid to promote your blog! Part of what sets blogging apart from print journalism is that it's not static, and it is very community oriented. Remember that as you go forward.
One of the hardest things for beginner bloggers is getting traffic. What tips can you give bloggers to drive traffic to a new blog?
Don't be afraid to promote your blog. Use your URL in your email signature. Talk about your blog with your peers. You can't be afraid to sell your blog to readers.
What is your favorite blogging tool or the tool you couldn’t live without?
Mars Edit. Who knew? I've been blogging for years and never used an offline editor until last month. It is genius. I don't know why I didn't use it before. It takes the guesswork out of formatting (HTML is not my strong suit), makes my blog look pretty and reminds me to tag my entries.
What are your three favorite blogs to read? What makes those blogs special?
Oh, that's just mean. I read and love so many. Um. Well. Um. Okay, here goes (*holds nose and takes plunge*): Problogger.net because Darren is brilliant; Crazy Aunt Purl because she's hysterically funny and real; and a zillion of my virtual law moms' blogs. They help me through my day. Actually, Angry Pregnant Lawyer was the first one that I read regularly, but since she had her second child, she doesn't post as often as she used to (sniff).
What else do you do aside from blogging?
I practice law with my husband (we have a firm, Erb Law). I am also the Channel Editor for b5media's Business Channel (I manage around 30 blogs). My other "job" is being a full-time mother to daughters, Katie and Amy, and son, Charlie, as well as chasing our dog around the house. When not working, chasing the kids or volunteering, I enjoy gardening, hiking, wine tasting, blogging and camping. I like to travel as much as possible, having visited many of our 50 states (and Puerto Rico) as well as jaunts to Asia and Europe. I'm also a self-confessed BBCAmerica and HGTV junkie watching as much as my schedule allows.
Kelly is certainly an inspiration to beginner bloggers. You can find Kelly blogging at:
