One phone, two phones, three phones, four, and on it goes. The list of phones the average cellular user goes through is only a fraction of the phones Justin Cauchon does. He is not what you would call a “loyal” cell phone buyer. He is particular about his choice in cell phones though as he only chooses “smartphones”. He currently uses a Blackberry 9700 and keeps his iPhone 3G on the bench.

What does someone do to satisfy such an addiction? Since Justin changes phones like underwear, he had to do something. He decided to start a blog, writing about his favorite topic. Now instead of emptying out his own pockets to buy the newest phones, he reviews them. His blog has really taken off and is a top player among smartphone websites. Justin proves that doing what you love is possible. After introducing you to Smartphonenation.com, this college entrepreneur will explain how to run a blog, manage time between school and his work, and his goals for both Smartphone Nation and after graduation.

Can you give us a brief background of yourself?

My hometown is Framingham, MA. That is where my website, Smartphone Nation, started and is currently located. I attend the University of Tampa and plan to graduate in 2011. As a marketing major, I can apply the theories I learn in class to my website.

You have a very popular blog about smart phones. Why phones?

I have been addicted to phones ever since I got my first black and white Sidekick. I started out on the hiptop forum, helping current and potential Sidekick owners with their questions and concerns. After getting sick of constant AIM instant messages, I decided to move on to other smartphones. The problem was that I was never satisfied. I would get a new phone and after a month or two, I would be sick of it! So I started changing phones every month or two to keep up with my smartphone addiction. Therefore, I figured that starting a website where I would be able to review smartphones and accessories would be perfect.

When you started your blog, what did you expect would happen with it?

When I first started the blog I did not really know what direction I wanted to take it. I started by writing news and rumor articles about phones, but there was too much for one blogger to cover. So I hired another editor, Andrew Duong, who helped me cover the large amount of news coming in. But that was still not enough so we decided to change the content of the site, covering smartphone reviews, accessory reviews, and new product launches. This way we get review units in and have time to evaluate and write an in-depth review, without having to worry about covering all the other news and rumors at the same time. We figure that we will not be able to capture the consumers who are interested in buying a new phone, but are unsure which phone to choose.

Some people get intimidated starting a blog without any web experience.  Smartphone Nation uses WordPress.  What has your experience been like, using WordPress?

We have used WordPress since the website first started. WordPress has so many options and plugins that let the website owner to do almost anything they want on his or her site. It is also very easy to update the site, without having to edit the HTML every time I want to make a new post. Out of all the blogging software I have used, WordPress is by far the best one.

In your opinion, is WordPress difficult to use? How do you recommend people interested in starting a blog go about doing it?

WordPress is not hard to use once you get it running, but if the user does not have any experience with hosting, it could be difficult to set up. To start off, I would recommend the beginner to use www.WordPress.com. This website will set everything up and host the website for you, all for free. However, the user does not get all the options they would get by hosting the website themselves. If the user wants to go right to hosting it themselves, they need to buy a hosting package and can follow this tutorial to get started: http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing WordPress.

What does it take for a blog to grow (get traffic)?

In order to get constant traffic, a blog needs to post often. Differentiating itself will also bring in visitors and hopefully keep them checking back on the site often. However, if the blog isn’t posting very often, it is hard to keep the traffic. Also submitting the blog to the search engines will bring in traffic when people search a subject relevant to the blog’s content.

When you write an article, how do you get the word out there about it?

To get the word out about my articles I sometimes use twitter to promote the article I have written. However, most of the time I just make a post and people will find it on search engines or repeat readers will read it. Sometimes I will post a exclusive story that will lead to a large amount of viewers and those viewers will often keep checking the site for updated content.

You’re a full-time student and full-time editor in chief.  Life must be busy.  How do you manage both?

It is hard to do both, but I have managed to find a perfect balance. It is obviously important to keep my grades up, but it is also important to post on a regular basis and stay informed about the industry news. During times when I know that I will have a lot of work at school, I will let my editors know so that they could look out for information that I would normally post. It is all about balancing your time.

What are your goals for smartphonenation.com?

I want Smartphone Nation to continue growing rapidly. To do this, Smartphone Nation needs to continue posting regularly and differentiating itself from other blogs that post similar content. As with any company, we also want our profits to continue to grow and so far we have been successful with that.

What are your plans after you graduate college?

After college I want to continue to run the site, but I also plan to get a job in marketing to cover the life expenses. Once I graduate, I will need to find a new balance between a full-time job and being a full-time editor in chief.

What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers?

Keep working hard and writing articles. Don’t give up if you have low views. Just keep posting good articles and working hard.

For all you business people looking for phone advice, the expert recommends a Blackberry or an iPhone.

Check out more from Justin:

Visit Smartphonenation.com
Follow Justin on Twitter