Today's Guest Blogger is Karla, who blogs at Looking Towards Heaven, where you can find her writing about the chaos and joy of life with four children. She can also be found at Fruition Designs, where she designs mommy cards, blogs and announcements, and at Blissfully Domestic, where she is the managing editor.
A couple of months ago, I wrote a post outlining some tools for using Twitter more efficiently.
That post stirred a bit of debate about the usefulness (or lack thereof, as some argued) of social networking tools on the web.
Social Networking is something that you already do. Any gathering of people is a social network. Online, the premise is no different: gather some people together, find common interests and go at it.
How you go at it, or what you go at, is up to you. But do not be deceived - social networking is an excellent way to expand your web presence and glean information.
And if Facebook and MySpace are all that come to mind when you think of social networking, then think again.
Personally, I've never gotten into either of those. I just didn't understand them or, more accurately, take the time to. I set up a Facebook account, but it has been languishing in the depths of some internet void since I signed up. Frankly it overwhelmed me.
And the entire social networking experience can be overwhelming if you don't take it in small strides. Don't rush around signing up for every networking site out there. If you eventually do, that's up to you. But to start, try picking one or two and try them out. Don't just sign up and expect it to all fall into place either. There is an active role your must take to make them relevant. Hence the social part of social networking.
For instance:
You can follow 1200 people on Twitter, and unless you jump in and participate in the discussions, you've gained nothing from having those 1200 people at your fingertips.
StumbleUpon is of no use if you don't download the toolbar. Part of the interaction comes from clicking that Stumble! button in the toolbar and finding sites that other people with your same likes have discovered.
Let's consider some of the benefits to online Social Networking:
They have been used to help people find places to live, roommates, reconnect with old friends.
But it's not just for those obvious issues. One of the new and exciting things I've come to love about online networking is the ability to shoot a question out there and quickly find answers. Researching something? Ask your network. Need to gather a quick snapshot of opinions? Ask your network.
Some of the social network sites, like Twitter and Plurk, are basically worldwide conversations, that offer instantaneous results. Others, like digg, StumbleUpon, and Kirtsy are more passive - you indirectly interact with each other through checking out each others likes and dislikes (these are also referred to as Social Bookmarking sites). Even Flickr has groups that connect people with common interests - from knitting to strange hair.
And when you really get the hang of social networking, there is even a browser, {Flock}, for it.
There will always be people who don't understand the appeal of online networking. Some people may even be afraid it will take over their lives or that it is only for teens and coed. It's not for everyone.
But for those of us who use the computer for research, and work, it can be an invaluable tool.
And, I'm willing to admit, a wonderful distraction.
{If you'd like to dip your feet into the Social Networking pool, or already have, feel free to add me on Twitter and StumbleUpon)
I just returned from BlogHer 2008 in San Franciso. I appeared on a panel with four other women called FAQs for Beginning Bloggers. Our panel was flat-out amazing. We met fantastic bloggers and answered many beginner questions. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to answer everyone’s questions. I hope to talk to the BlogHer Three (Lisa, Jory, and Elisa) to discuss having this panel again next year and including a Birds of a Feather Room so we can continue our discussions.
Below you will find my notes from my portion of the panel. After each of the presenters (me, Michele Mitchell of Scribbit, Nelly Yusopova of Webgrrls International, and Shazia Mistry of Adventures in Motherhood) gave a short overview of some basic FAQs, we broke into smaller groups discuss platform-specific questions (i.e., TypePad, Blogger, and WordPress).
We have also compiled a Blogging Resources Document (pdf) for you to download.
In addition, you can find Nelly’s notes at WebGrrrls and Michele’s notes at Scribbit.
How do I find basic html resources to help me remember how to do things like strike-thrus etc.?
When I research information for Blogging Basics 101, I start with a Google search of key words. I also go to each of the three main platforms (Blogger, TypePad, and WordPress) and search their help files with those same key words. More often than not, I find what I’m looking for.
The following five sites are excellent resources for all bloggers to refresh your memory on how to do things like strike-throughs or add a button to your sidebar.
What are and how do I create permalinks?
A permalink is the link to an individual blog post. These are important because if you ever need to link to an exact blog entry (e.g., for a carnival or an archived post), you use the permalink as your link. It's poor blog etiquette not to use the permalink.
If you don't use the permalink, you'll just be linking to your main blog page. The problem with that is that, as you post new blog entries, the newest entry appears at the top of your main blog page and the other entries are pushed down on the page. The entry your readers are looking for may be down at the bottom of the page or already in the archives; your reader has no idea where to find the entry! If they click over to your site expecting to see a post specific to a carnival and they see a different post, they may not take the time to find the "real" post they're looking for.
You can find the permalink link under any blog entry. However, not all blog hosts/designs handle permalinks the same way.
What kind of basic sections should I have in my blog?
I take this to mean What should I place in my sidebar? Your sidebar is your list of things you want to keep handy for your readers and for yourself. Your sidebar is offering your readers something in addition to the day’s post. However, too many links in the sidebar can clutter your design and overwhelm your audience. Keep things clean and orderly.
Hosted vs. Non-Hosted?
Hosted: A blog that resides on the host’s server (e.g., Blogger or TypePad or WordPress.com).
Non-hosted: A blog that resides on the user’s (yours) server. You pay a third-party to host your blog (e.g., Moveable Type or WordPress.org).
Hosted Pros: Easy to get started because you don’t have to worry about server issues.
Hosted Cons:
- Blogger blogs can appear to be less professional
- Platform limitations (e.g., archiving can be less than user-friendly; TypePad can have issues with comment spam and trackback spam; difficult SEO)
- Less control over HTML and CSS
- WordPress.com does not allow advertising.
Non-Hosted Pros:
- Control over permalinks (articles aren’t randomly named) which can help with SEO
- Control over how archives are managed
- Control over CSS/HTML
Non-Hosted Cons:
- WordPress.org only supports one blog per installation; however, Moveable Type supports multiple blogs per installation.
- Moveable Type isn’t as malleable as WordPress.org.
How do I make a custom header?
To those of you who joined us, thank you! It was a pleasure meeting you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions. For those of you who were unable to attend our panel or BlogHer ’08, please follow the links to our Blogging Resources Document and panel notes. I’d love to hear from you if you have questions!
I am cross-posting this at Don't Try This at Home and BlogHer.com.
Today's Guest Blogger is Karla, who blogs at Looking Towards Heaven, where you can find her writing about the chaos and joy of life with four children. She can also be found at Fruition Designs, where she designs mommy cards, blogs and announcements, and at Blissfully Domestic, where she is the managing editor.
When I started blogging, I jumped, nay, DIVED, right in without looking. I didn't have much of a choice at the time. I started blogging right at the tail end of the wave just before blogging really exploded, and at that time, there wasn't much information on doing it well. You just did it.
Not that there is some manual on how to blog. When it comes down to it, all you need is a blog account on the platform of your choice and then type away.
But if you want to do it well? Now, that is different.
What does it take to do this blogging thing? This thing that everyone is addicted to?
Here is a basic run-down. It is by no means inclusive of every detail, but it is a good solid list to get you off on the right foot.
Decide what and whom you are blogging for.
{This is also referred to as finding your niche.} Are you blogging to share with family and friends (that is the way most of us got sucked into it)? To make money? To promote your business? Consider this first, because this will help establish the tone and voice of your blog. This can always change. But if it changes drastically (ie: switch from writing about family to mainly promoting your business) you may need to start a new blog altogether.
Think good and plenty about what you'll name that blog and what you'll go by (if you'll use your real name or a nickname).
You'll be glad you did. For every Bossy and ProBlogger, there are people who are stuck with names that were created at a frat party. It's not always a simple change, if you decide to go by something else. Remember what happened to new Coke? Change confuses people and sometimes irritates.
And make sure it doesn't just identify that specific time of your life. My First Year of Underwater Basket-Weaving School may be appropriate now. But some day, you may be an underwater-basketweaving school dropout. And then what?
Draft your posts in reader friendly formats.
If you want people to stick around and read your blog, please please please consider some visual basics. There is more to creating a reader friendly blog than just a nice design. One very simple suggestion is to break your text up into smaller paragraphs. Seriously.
When a post is written in one long paragraph, only your mom will stick through to the end. And she may have to bandage her eyes after doing so.
(For info on the design aspect of your blog, see my post on Basic Blog Design Principles.)
Provide a way for readers to contact you.
Comments only go so far. Sometimes, people may want to contact you and ask something behind the scenes; maybe just a sincere "thank you" for something you wrote. It's just nice to have that available. Create an address dedicated solely to your blog if you are worried about spam.
How will you deal with comments?
Eventually, you will have more people reading your blog than just your mom or BFF. And when that happens, you'll be glad you have some sort of commenting policy in place. Will you delete comments by trolls? What about people who disagree (vehemently) with a point you've made? Don't wait until something happens to determine what to do.
Along with this, how will you respond to comments? In the comments? Or via email? Remember, blogging is a lot more fun when you can create a sense of community and be an active participant in it.
Once you get yourself set up and ready to go, enjoy the ride.
Blogging is fun; there is no doubt about it. If it's not fun, consider your reasons for continuing. Or just scratch what you are doing and start all over. You may not be the next blogging rock star. But is that really the only benefit to blogging? It's so much more than that. I've seen blogging open up all sorts of opportunities for people off of their blogs. (hello, HP? Disney?)
For a very thorough article on beginning blogging, be sure to read The Blogging Starter Checklist on Squiddo.
Today's Guest Blogger is Karla, who blogs at Looking Towards Heaven, where you can find her writing about the chaos and joy of life with four children. She can also be found at Fruition Designs, where she designs mommy cards, blogs and announcements, and at Blissfully Domestic, where she is the managing editor.
We all want our home on the web to have personality. Frankly, all blogs have some sort of personality. But is yours showcasing the proper one? Or does it suffer from an identity crisis?
When we begin working on our blogs, most of us understand that design is important, but just don't know the rules of design to follow. Unless you pay someone to create your design, this will be left up to you. So it is helpful to have a basic understanding of simples changes you can make to create some visual impact on the web.
If you can keep these things in mind, you can create a lovely space on the internet, regardless of the blogging platform you use.
Remember the rule of threes. Try to stick to three main colors for your blog. When you start throwing more than that into the mix, it confuses the eye.
Solution: choose three colors based on the suggestions in principle #2, below. This doesn't mean you can not have additional colors in your design. It just means that there should be no more than three main colors.
Site that provides a good example of this: FlowerDust.net
Color Balance (using the color wheel)
Solution: Choose colors that fall side-by-side on the color wheel or colors that are opposite on the color wheel.
Site that provides a good example of this: Out on a Limb
Fonts - avoid Comic Sans, and other hard to read fonts. Serif vs San Serif - Serif fonts are fonts with tails; like this. Sans Serif fonts are fonts that do not have the tail; like this. Traditionally, Serif fonts are considered the easiest to read for printed material, because the tail pulls the eye across the word. However, blogging and other web design lends itself to a bit of flexibility on this due to the frequent use of short/one-line paragraphs.
Solution: Try to stick with the common fonts provided on blogging platforms, especially Times New Roman, Arial and Verdana.
Site that provides a good example of this: Baboo Baby
Keep your sidebar tidy. We probably all start out with this as a goal. But before long, you get cute little graphics for posts you've written, or for carnivals you participate in. Before you can say "I all of this clutter is making my eyes bleed", you've got a mess in your sidebar.
Solution: Consider creating a page dedicated solely to buttons and awards. When you receive them, place them on this page. Link to it from your home page, so that others can check them out when they choose to.
Site that provides a good example of this: Balancing Everything
Consider the emotion of the colors you are using. Do they match the words and posts you use on your blog? Do you use a cheery tone on your blog, but use dark, gloomy colors for it? Do you write with a sarcastic, biting tone, but have a romantic, floral print for your background? It's your blog, so seriously, you can do whatever you want with it. But it you don't want to confuse your readers, choose colors that are inline with the tone of your blog.
Solution: For a detailed look at the emotions of color, take a look at this article on color meaning.
Site that provides a good example of this: Oh! How Lovely!
A well-done blog banner has a lot of impact.
Solution: Even if you can't afford a full blog makeover, consider purchasing just the blog header from a designer. They will most likely be happy and willing to suggest colors to use to finish the rest of the look.
Site that provides a good example of this: LucyKate Crafts
You can do it. Stick to these principles and you'll have a blog that is visually equal to the awesome writing you publish on your blog.
Karen Lewis can be found daily at her personal blog, Simply A Musing Blog, and her design blog, Simply Amusing Designs. Recently she and I have been working together on an online radio show called Behind the Blog. Please welcome Karen and her expertise in design and branding!
What is a “brand”? Applied to the world of blogging, a brand is what determines the volume of subscribers and traffic. But what makes a reader want to subscribe to a blog, you ask? Simply put, they get what your blog is about, your brand, and they are attracted to it. If a reader doesn’t understand what you are dishing out at your blog, then they won’t know if they will like your future content. By having a clear brand, readers will know what to expect from you in the future. If they like that then they will subscribe.
A stronger, clearer brand will yield more subscribers.
Most bloggers are social creatures. We crave interaction with our own readers and when we discover the euphoria that comes with our first comment, we are almost instantly connected with a new breed of community in the virtual world. People are either drawn to us or repelled by us based on what they experience on our blogs, both visually and mentally. Of course, the most highly desirable option would be that people are attracted to us from what they bring away from our blogs.
I have compiled a list of things you really need to consider in order to establish a brand for your blog:
Your Blog’s Name – If you’re just about to start a blog, then pick an original name for your blog. You should also consider registering the .com version of your blog name, if it’s available. The name of your blog should be short and sweet, but still convey what your blog and its topics will be about.
If you already have a blog, does your URL match your blog name? It’s very confusing for a reader who is looking for “Simply A Musing Blog” to have to remember that the URL is actually “theadventuresofourfamily.blogspot.com”. So try to make them match if at all possible.
Design – This is without a doubt the easiest and most common way to distinguish yourself from others. An original design can do wonders for branding purposes. How many other blogs are out there running the same default theme as you are? Even if you don’t want to pay for an original design, there are some things you can do to set yourself apart – change the header image, play with the fonts and colors – but do something.
Focus on consistency with your design. Use your blog’s colors or graphics in your emails and feedburner subscriptions, (see Mamablogga’s post on Seven ways to Master Feedburner) and on other social platforms you use, such as MyBlogLog.com and Twitter. Do you have a “logo” – something you are known for? Have that turned into a favicon for your blog – include it where ever you can. The key is being consistent so when your readers come across something, they immediately recognize it as being you. When you think of Coca Cola…what do you see? What about McDonalds? You had a visual of the golden arches, right? That’s design branding at its best.
I’m known for my little blue birdy – I have incorporated it into both my personal blog as well as my business blog and even if I wanted to, there’s no way I can get rid of it now – because it’s an integral part of my brand.
Write Well and with a Purpose – A catchy name and beautiful design are not enough to keep readers coming back, especially since many people use feed aggregators such as Bloglines and Google Reader to read your posts. Spend a little extra time polishing that post before you send it out into the webosphere for everyone to read.
In addition, consider having a clearly-defined purpose for your blog. You might need to sit down and brainstorm this on a pad and paper – ask yourself the following questions:
Defining your blog’s purpose will accomplish several branding goals:
With over 80 million blogs out there, it’s important to find your niche. You might consider addressing your mission statement on your “About” page – Darren from ProBlogger has done a fantastic job of this. See also ProBlogger’s post about creating a blog mission statement.
Being Social – Advertising yourself through commenting, emailing and using social media like Technorati, Twitter and StumbleUpon are great ways to bring new visitors to your site. Another way that I’m using right now is guest blogging, which not only gains links to you, but it also raises awareness about your blog and highlights your writing for an audience you might not otherwise have.
When you comment, remember to leave your blog’s name in the name field. I usually sign off as “Karen {simply a musing blog} on everything I do, because it helps garner attention to my blog. ProBlogger has compiled a list of 10 things that will hurt your blog’s brand when commenting – which I highly suggest you read to avoid making those mistakes, at all costs.
Finally, remember that all of the above components work together to create a well-rounded before, during and after experience – otherwise known as your brand. And just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither will your brand be. I encourage you to take time to create a memorable experience for your readers that will leave them hungry for more and keep them coming back to visit and comment – because as we discussed in the very beginning of this entry, once you’ve had one comment as a blogger, you want more, right?
Today's guest blogger is Jan Ross of Mrs. Who's Open Book and Bluegrass Moms.
In January of 2007 I started a blog. I was young and naive and blissfully stupid about what was involved. OK, I was naive and stupid. Not so much young. I had heard of blogging at the librarian and technology conferences I had attended and understood that they were basically an online journal but I mentally dismissed them as being something only geeks and losers did. Who in the world would want to document everything they did for the entire world to read?
And then my daughter got pregnant, began doing research on the Internet and stumbled on two hilarious mommy bloggers. Amalah and Sundry. She started forwarding their posts to me and as I cackled aloud at the hilarious doings of these two young women, I admired their ability to write, to stay focused, to come up with so many good ideas. How could anyone possibly do that? And then my daughter started a blog. And I thought, "If she can do it, then so can I."
Like most bloggers, I had always written. Through high school and the school paper and the yearbook and college and the terrible poetry and even as a professional, I had written for magazines and newspapers. So, just how hard could this be?
Because I am extremely organized (when one has no memory, one is forced to be organized) and perhaps a tad anal, I decided I would write every single day. I didn't restrict myself to any topics, just wrote about pretty much anything that occurred to me. Family, friends, TV, movies, books, travel - pretty much anything was grist for the blogging mill. And so it began. First, my loyal family members read and then close friends and then friends of friends and then complete strangers. I never had to look for my "voice", my blog always sounded just like me. Or so people told me. I began to get more organized and participate in giveaways and events to drive traffic to my blog. I started regular weekly features, like a Monday giveaway and a Friday list of links. I had always shared lots of web sites with my teachers, so this was no different. I was comfortable and enjoying myself and I had an appreciative, albeit small, audience.
I had been writing for about a year when an editor from the local newspaper called and asked if I would be interested in being a blogger for a new website for moms they were starting. Offering another blogging gig to a dedicated blogger is kind of like offering water in the dessert to a man who is dying of thirst. You take it, you gulp it down, you enjoy it. And you hope that it doesn't make you puke.
I have been writing for both blogs for about five months now and I feel pretty comfortable that I am doing a good job with both. I get frequent compliments, my traffic has gone up considerably on my personal blog and the professional one also has a lot of readers. I haven't had a stranger stop me on the street but I have had parents at school that I don't know very well stop me in the hall to tell me how much they liked one of my posts. There is no high higher than telling a writer you like something they have written.
There is no one answer to the best way to manage more than one blog, but let me tell you how I do it and what I have learned and what I am still in the process of learning.
I hope at least some of this advice will help one of my fellow bloggers. Stick with it. You are doing a great job. And I love your haircut.
Sarah is the wife of Jesse, a very cool motorcycling husband, and the mommy of two sweet, amazing kiddos: a little girl (two and a half) and little boy (one). You can find her at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. Please give her a hearty welcome!
"Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows
about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best
friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man
is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house."
"There are 2 times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage & after marriage."
We’ve all heard the above type jokes, right? With every joke, however, comes a hint (or more) of reality, and the difference between men and women is certainly very real. Want proof? One word: blogging.
The majority of the top blogs that men write and flock to are "tech" blogs. What do the majority of women flock to? You guessed it, mommy-type blogs, a.k.a., women writing about random things in their lives. In fact, one of the things I read most often on sites such as Problogger (which I love) is not to be too personal. Women defy this.
A prime example of a successful female blogger who defies the "no personal" rule: Dooce. This lady could write about poop (and I’m sure she has) and she will have a million readers. Why? Because she writes well and is relational. She’s a woman. Women, mainly, read her posts because they relate.
There’s your key: relate.
One of the number one rules on how to have a successful blog is to have a niche. Well guess what? Women don’t need a niche! We can write about what we darn well please and if we’re good at it, we’ll get noticed.
I have another example for you: This woman has approximately 50,000 people visit her two sites each week; in fact, she wrote a book called "No One Cares What You Had For Lunch, 100 Ideas For Your Blog." You wanna know something funny? She wrote about what she had for dinner. So why is she so popular? She writes well and is relational. BINGO!
In the men’s world of successful blogging, personal is out, business is in. For women, flip it. I’m not saying that women who have a niche are not successful (hello Huffington Post). I am saying that, in general, women can get away with not having a real niche and still become extremely popular.
So, what am I getting at with this post?
F.Y.I. - I do not necessarily support or read the linked bloggers, I am simply pointing out their popularity.
Stephanie Precourt blogs daily at Adventures In Babywearing. She is also the Managing Editor at 5 Minutes for Parenting. Please welcome Stephanie as she touches on the fragile PR/blogger relationship. This one is sure to encourage comments!
Ah, the blogger/PR relationship. It can be a touchy subject these days. Just as no two bloggers are alike, not everyone agrees with how reviews and advertising on blogs should be done. Mommy Bloggers are a target market. Possibly one of the biggest. Because when someone in our online entourage says something, we listen. And that has more power than any magazine or commercial you're going to fast forward during TV tonight.
How do you want your voice to be heard? How do you want to be approached about product reviews?
You first must understand that what you have to say is worth something. To each other, as friends, we share freely. But when companies want to cash in on this "something special" that we all have, we have to wise up. The idea of a free box of cereal bars or bathtub cleaner might excite you for a while, but is it really worth posting about on your blog- where your deepest thoughts and rants and raves make their home? Decide if that is the feel you want for your blog, and- if this is something important to you- determine how it might affect your readership as well. And then, how much is it really worth to you?
I feel the best way to maintain the feel of your blog as well as your integrity is to be mindful of what you agree to review or put in your sidebar. It should accurately represent you and your blog. One of my personal guidelines is that the products or advertisements must be something I honestly would consider buying or recommending in real life.
Understand that although you might be getting a free product or payment of some form, you are also doing a favor for that company. Recently I had an encounter with a business owner who was less than respectful to me about featuring her product. The entire time we spoke- in person!- she kept implying that she was doing me a favor by allowing me to review her product. Truthfully, most often we are not going to earn what is really worth our time to try out a product, form an opinion, and then type up a blog post. The belittling nature of this person toward me was enough to make me not want to even consider her product. But at the same time, it also reminded me that she was probably not familiar with just how to successfully work with and understand bloggers quite yet. And also, just as my blog is my product and important to me, she most likely felt the same way about hers.
This brings us to another issue: respect. You will see many heated blog posts all around the blogosphere bashing the PR folks and their unprofessional pitch emails and/or behavior toward Mommy Bloggers.
One thing I definitely think is so very important: just as we demand respect as Mommy Bloggers, we must also show equal respect to the people marketing us. Many times they are Moms just like you- and possibly unfamiliar with the blog world and how it all works. They make plenty of mistakes, too. I’ve received many an email pitch addressed to the wrong name or “insert blog name here.” It’s up to you how you’d like to handle such situations. I often choose to use the power of my voice to positively guide and direct the person so that they can have a better understanding of how to reach me.
Don’t be afraid to ask for more. Ask for an additional product to giveaway, or turn it into ad revenue by offering ad space in your sidebar. And don’t be afraid to say No. If it’s just not something you are interested in or worth it in the long run, then let them know. I’ve been contacted about products that clearly weren’t consistent with who I am and what my blog is about, so I’ve let the PR person know. Often this is a wonderful way to inform them about just what you would be interested in reviewing. So next time they will have something more “you” to offer.
Some bloggers want to be contacted and pitched to, but don’t know where to start. I encourage you to check out marketing programs geared toward Mom Bloggers such as Mom Select. Be bold and contact companies directly that you’d like to work with. Most company websites have a contact page where you can easily let them know your interest in working with them. Be prepared to provide traffic statistics and how many readers you have. If you are interested in putting advertising on your blog, consider groups such as Blogher Ads or Google Adsense, both of which do not discriminate how big or small your blog may be.
Remember that cultivating the blogger/PR relationship can be a wonderful thing for both sides. A mutually appreciated partnership can go a very long way. It has taken me to Disney World and, later this week, all the way to Blogher in San Francisco. If you are pleasant to work with and value yourself, you never know where future ideas and opportunities might take you… which can lead to just about anywhere these days in the blog world.
