Name: GAYATRI RAO
Profession: Digital Marketing & Public Relations

Bio: I blog because I love to write! I have an MBA & a Masters degree in Marketing from Georgia State University. I work for a global Public Relations firm. My two biggest passions – reading & writing!
Blog(s): www.lifeunordinary.com Get in touch: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

My first blog post was on my erstwhile blog - Peridot. The first post was about my Grandmother; I reminisced about the many glorious summer vacations ensconced in her love and abundance.

It’s a toss between two:

A Tip or Two which was a humorous take on my key learnings on marriage after my 2nd anniversary.

My 15 seconds with Indra Nooyi which really brought to life 15 seconds during which I was in the presence of real greatness.

All my blog posts are inspired from my own life and day to day experiences. It could be a simple bumper sticker on a car ahead of me at the traffic light that prompts a blog post.

Frequently. When I do, I search my own memory archive for old stories that I can potentially regurgitate. For the last one year, I have started carrying a little notebook in my handbag – one that allows me to quickly jot down an interesting thought.

Heather Armstrong – www.dooce.com - she has a crazy, uncanny sense of humor!

I attended the BlogHer (www.blogher.com) conference in San Francisco this year and was able to meet and learn effective blogging practices from leading voices in the industry.

Absolutely. As an example let me circle back to Heather Armstrong who has just returned from a humanitarian trip to Bangladesh and is now raising money for the empowerment and betterment of midwives and children in Bangladesh through her blog and followers.

Yes. In fact, professionally, I work on online advertising and paid media and know the value that impressions and clicks create. At the very core, they promote brand awareness.

Lilypie is my all-time favorite - http://lilypie.com/. This is a ticker/ countdown based widget. I used it while I was counting down to my wedding and plan to use it as a weight-loss calculator too.Another good widget (this may actually be an application) is Networked Blogs. This one automatically publishes every blog post on your Facebook wall.

I’m on a mission to make THIRTY rock.

I provide a unique Indian-American perspective on women, marriage and professional life. My experiences growing up in India and then studying and working in the US make for some interesting blog posts.

I choose strong women – those that have great content to offer. For example, I have recently started following Rachna Chhabaria http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/ a children’s book author who blogs exclusively about literary tips and experiences. She offers great perspective on everyday writing.

I use several SEO techniques one of which is LINK BUILDING. For this, I post my blog on several directories, post comments on other blogs and articles and cross promote through my own Facebook & Twitter pages. I also use Networked Blogs.Last but not the least, I have a strong support system in my friends who graciously read my blog and comment.

All of the above! You can find me on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/gayatrirao26 . I also participate in local Meet Ups (http://www.meetup.com/) and belong to a few local blogging communities as well.

Not as yet. I have just signed up for a service called “Seeded Buzz”  (http://www.seededbuzz.com/) that identifies blogs on which you can submit a guest post and also identifies guest bloggers for your own blog.

Amitabh Bachchan. I have the utmost regard for his prolific writing.

I hope to become a Tier 1 blogger like the Meenakshi Madhavans of the world.

http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/ I have read and enjoyed her work for longer than I can remember – her novels, her columns and now her blog.

A powerful platform that showcases talent and a community that is bringing together writers from across the nation and abroad as well. Blogjunta is poised for phenomenal growth and I am proud to be a part of this success.

Keep writing. Don’t have a gap of more than a week between blog posts – that’s when the lethargy sets in. Look around you for inspiration – your muse may be your neighbor or your best friend.

Finally – READ. Try to read a strong novel every now and then. Good reading promotes good writing.