Quantcast
You are here: Home / Archives for Blogging / Blogging Basics

Blogging Basics: Week Two of 12 Weeks to Goal #12weeks

January 11, 2012 By 2 Comments

***SCAVENGER HUNT ANSWER WITHIN THIS POST!***

BloggingBasics

By now, you should have your goals. Did any of you spend anytime last week working towards reaching any of those goals?  If not, it is perfectly ok!  If you are jumping in a week late, please go back and read the first post on 12 Weeks to Goal.

I made you some super simple printables last week to help you keep up with things.  If you are looking for specifics increases, you should take the time to write down your starting point AND check in each week.  This will help you to see what is working and what isn’t.

Goal Check In

I also have a daily check in sheet to help you brainstorm or simply write down what you have done for the day.

day goal sheet

Ok, for this week you need to spend a little time every single day (I do week days only) working towards each goal.  If you only have 5 minutes to work on each goal, then spend the entire 5 minutes doing something to help you reach it.  I try to spend AT LEAST 10 minutes on each goal per day.  I find that this way keeps me working smarter and not harder.

If you need an extra push, you can find me on Skype (ID:  Kelli_3boysandadog ) or visit my Facebook page to beg for a little timer fun!  Timer fun means you say, I am going to work on a specific thing for x-number of minutes.  Who wants to play?  You set your timer and do it.  When the timer dings, you check back in and see how the others did and let them know how you did.  It helps to make you accountable to the specified time and even gives you a cheering squad!

Update on my Blogging Goals:

GOAL NUMBER ONE:  Increase Twitter Followers to 12,250 for @momof3boys3702 and 5,300 for @Deals_3BD – As of 01/11, I am at 10,102 for @momof3boys3702 and 3,905 for @Deals_3BD

GOAL NUMBER TWO:  Increase Newsletter Subscribers to 800 – As of 01/11, I am at 616!!  That means that I have increased this by a little over 200 this week!  I will discuss how I did this shortly. <– This is an actual newsletter through Aweber, this is NOT my RSS email subscribers.  I put out my NEW weekly newsletter every Thursday morning.

GOAL NUMBER THREE:  Add pictures to 10 of the 37 recipe posts missing images As of 01/11, I am at 36, but I actually have a few pictures taken.  I just need to update the posts.

GOAL NUMBER FOUR:  Complete A-Z Alphabet Book through K!  As of 01/11, I am at about half-way through G. My goal is to complete it and H this week.

How to Increase Newsletter Subscribers:

Honestly, it is just like increasing any other followers.  You have to work at it. LOL! 

I sort of cheated this week by joining a $500.00 giveaway hosted by another blogger.  With that said, I am seeing a huge increase in the number of followers,  I am just curious to see if they actually stick around or start to disappear after the giveaway winner is announced.

That isn’t all I have done this week though, so I am going to give you a few hints.  Aside from joining in one of the cash giveaways that bloggers host (or hosting your own and using the newsletter subscription as the entry), you can:

1.  Put random notes on your Facebook page asking them why they aren’t signed up to your newsletter.

2.  Have a newsletter only giveaway item – example:  a free ebook only to newsletter subscribers!

3.  Put some random Tweets asking your twitter followers to join your newsletter.

4.  Tweet and Facebook your newsletter when it goes live.

5.  If you have Google Friend Connect followers and you are NOT hosted on Blogger, you need to start sending regular messages to them letting them know that in March, GFC will be going away.  So, if they want to keep up with your updates, they need to sign up for your newsletter.

Today, you can link up your tips to increase your newsletter subscribers and your updated goals!  Next week, I will be discussing ways to increase your Twitter Followers!

If you have missed any of my Blogging Basics posts, you can read the Huge Tips post that lists them in order with a short description of each. Also, if you have a topic that you would like to see me tackle, be sure to email me with “Blogging Basics Request” in the subject. You might even get your blog linked to!

Print Friendly
Filed Under: 12 Weeks to Goal Tagged With: , ,

Blogging Basics: Week One of 12 Weeks to GOAL #12weeks

January 4, 2012 By 5 Comments

BloggingBasics

12 Weeks to GOAL starts NOW!  Are you ready?  Do you want to do a massive push on your blog this quarter?  Personally, I do.  I tried this out last year to be sure it was going to work for me and by golly, it did.  I accomplished more in those 12 weeks than I did the entire life of my blog!

This week is about goal setting.  I don’t care if you decide to just do your blog or do personal goals.  It is all the same concept.  Here’s what you will do.

Step #1 - Grab a piece of paper and a pencil (or a blank sheet on your computer… whatever is your best way to brain dump) and start scribbling everything you want.  It can be everything from “Get to 1200 twitter followers” to “buy a new house.”  Dream and scribble!  I suggest you set a timer for 15 – 20 minutes and don’t stop writing until that timer goes off.  Then, walk away and find something to do.  Come back in about an hour.  Set your timer again, read through the things you wrote before, and start scribbling again.  When you have completed this process, you should have pages of things you want to do.  Some will be very specific and some will be pretty generic.  Some will be doable and some will be so far in your dreams that you might think it is never going to happen. LOL!

Step #2 -  At this point, you need to go through and decide which things could actually be accomplished in 12 weeks.  For example:  If you put “Make 1 million dollars” then you need to move it to a different place.  That is a LONG TERM goal, not a 12 week one.  If you put “Buy a new house” but you haven’t looked, haven’t saved, haven’t had yours appraised, etc then you need to move it to a Long Term goals page and maybe add something like “save 1000 dollars per month for the next 3 months to put towards a down payment on a new house.”

Step #3 - Looking at your new list of fairly attainable 12 weeks goals, go through and start really looking at them.  You need to make them more specific.  If you just wrote “Increase Facebook Fans”, you need a specific number.  Maybe it is “increase Facebook fans by 25%” or it is “Get to 5,000 Facebook Fans”.  Whatever it is, clean it up and make it specific.

Step #4 - Go through your new, very specific list of goals (I would guess you have a few dozen) and start breaking them down.  You want to choose 4 – yes, FOUR! That you can actually accomplish.  They need to be fairly specific.  For example, my goals for the last time I did this were:

  • Complete A – Z Curriculum Book
  • Double Visitors on Deal Blog
  • Write 8 Guest Posts on Other Blogs
  • Have 50% more Facebook Fans
    I met 3 of the 4 in my 12 weeks!  Yes, seriously!  Plus, I found that when I met the above goals, it actually made me meet some of the others that I hadn’t even chosen to use!  For example, I wanted 50% more Twitter followers and by increasing the guest posts, visitors, and Facebook fans, I also gained lots more twitter followers – yes, enough to mark that off even though it wasn’t one of my four.

Step #5 -  Write a blog post and link it up below. That is all we are doing this week.  Take your time with it!  Next week, we will start breaking down ways to actually reach those goals! 

I set my goals for the entire year, already.  So I am looking at those goals to help me break down the four things I would like to complete in the first quarter:

GOAL NUMBER ONE:  Increase Twitter Followers to 12,250 for @momof3boys3702 and 5,300 for @Deals_3BD 

GOAL NUMBER TWO:  Increase Newsletter Subscribers to 800

GOAL NUMBER THREE:  Add pictures to 10 of the 37 recipe posts missing images

GOAL NUMBER FOUR:  Complete A-Z Alphabet Book through K!

Through the next 12 weeks, you will be accountable to everyone that reads this for those 4 goals and I will be giving hints, tips, tricks, and advice to help you reach them. 

You can even  email me  to specifically ask:  “Kelli, one of my goals is to XXXXX.  What can I do to try to reach it?”

    Remember, you must link back to this post so your readers can play if they want!  Link up here:

Print Friendly
Filed Under: 12 Weeks to Goal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Blogging Basics: A Reflection of 2011 and Goals for 2012

December 28, 2011 By 5 Comments

BloggingBasics

Last year I never got around to my Blogging Basics reflection and goals.  This year, I refused to put it off again. (See, I am growing and maturing with age, tee hee).  This is going to be kind of a big year for me… my oldest boy will turn 13 (yes, my very first teenager!) and my middle one will hit his double digits.  With that said, this post is not about family.  It is about the blog:  the things that I have accomplished with it this year and the things I want to accomplish next year.

#1 – I wanted to increase my blog readership and my social media presence.  I did!  Majorly!

  • My blog traffic increased 134.90%!
  • My Facebook fans increased 482% and my interactions increased 4,080%!
  • Twitter, I have no idea how many fans I had at the beginning of the year, but in May I had just barely over 5,000 fans.  I am now pushing 10,000!

#2 – I wanted to start making actual money with my blog.  I did!  Again, a pretty good bit!

  • I have sold a blog sponsorship set each month since October!
  • I am finally getting a regular check from Google Adsense… not every month yet, but it has been every other month for most of the year!
  • I have figured out Amazon’s affiliate program and am getting money from it every single month!
  • I typically have 60% of my 125 x 125 spots filled and sell a few sponsored posts and text links every month.

#3 – I wanted to travel with my blog and I did!

    • I went to BlogHer this year  – my first time ever!
    • I went back to Kraft Foods this year!

 

#4 – I wanted to get some help and again, I did!!

  • I set up 7 full-time contributors on this blog!
  • I hired a part-time assistant!
  • I filled out an application to get interns and was approved.  This new quarter should hopefully actually get them.

#5 – I wanted to work with some more brands in a closer capacity.  I did!  I “scored” some pretty big brand Ambassadorships:

  • I am a Kraft Delicious Bytes Blogger (still)
  • I am a Tropicana TropiMomma
  • I worked on short campaigns as a Brand Ambassador for: Jockey, Mrs. Dash, and Purina!

For 2012, I want to increase even more!  I have already taken a few steps to see that happen.

    • I finally was able to join the Collective Bias group and have been having fun with that over the past month.  I am excited to see what 2012 is going to bring as far as that goes.
    • I was finally approved for Burst Media – from everything I hear, it is the way to go for bloggers!
    • I have teamed up for a year-long Simple Dinner Ideas Series with Crystal and Company and am super stoked about it.
    • I started my new deals site in May of 2011 and have a few regular linkies over there that are growing slowly (Homeschooling and Giveaways)- I want to start getting around 100 link ups on each one this year!
    • I (and my assistant) have been working pretty hard on my Twitter and FaceBook pages and I want to see them continue to grow as a place for my readers to hang out and come to with questions!
    • I finally set up my very own newsletter.  I can customize it as I want and feel that I am really able to keep in touch with y’all more that way!  I want to see it grow back to what my Google Friend Connect readership was.
    • I want to write a blogging basics ebook and publish it

 

So my Blog Goals for 2012 are:

I am trying to be very specific in my goals for the year.

    …to consistently make 1000 per month on my blog (consistently to me means 1000 per month at least 3 months in a row.
      …to reach 2,000 newsletter subscribers on my

NEW newsletter

    .
    …to finally review a car.
    …to reach 5,000 Facebook Fans
      …to reach 20,000 Twitter Followers on

@momof3boys3702

      and 10,000 on

Deals_3BD

      …increase traffic on my blogs by 140% EACH
        …post at least 1 video to

    my YouTube Channel

      each month.
      …Increase YouTube subscribers to 200 (I only have 9 LOL!)
      …to have an image (or video) of every recipe on my site!
      … to complete A-Z Fruits and Veggies book and start selling it!
      … to begin (and hopefully finish) A-Z Countries book and start selling.
        …to consistently have no less than 100 entrants in my

    Homeschooling on the Cheap

        weekly linky and my

    Giveaways Around the Web

      weekly link!

    Where do you want your blog to be at this time next year?  Are you writing what your readers want?  Do you interact with your readership?  Are you maybe thinking this is finally the year to take the plunge and start your own blog… or a second blog?

    Well, stick around!  For next week’s Blogging Basics post, I am kicking off my 12 weeks to GOAL in 2012.  A pretty specific (and possibly intense) series to help us jump start our blogs this year!

    My biggest goal?  I want to drive a stinking vehicle for a couple weeks and test it.  I have wanted to do that for so long.  It is actually less value than lots of things I have been able to try out and that I have been able to do, but for some reason a person who reviews a vehicle seems like a big blogger to me. LOL!  That is like my ultimate goal. LMBO!

    Print Friendly
    Filed Under: Blogging Basics Tagged With: , ,

    Three Basic Blog Design Mistakes Commonly Made in Today’s Amped Up Blogosphere

    December 14, 2011 By 4 Comments

    There are several principles to blog design that most bloggers out there abide by or at least understand as the convention. No doubt, however, it can be very easy for bloggers to get caught up in the excitement of web design and go majorly overboard with their site design or severely under think their design and create a site that is dull and immediately outdated. Obviously, both sides of this spectrum are bad for successful blogging. In today’s competitive web 2.0 and HTML5 influenced online world, these basic design principles get lost along the way. Blogging relies heavily upon the design and usability of your site. The appearance and usability of your blog is essential. Without clear, attractive, and useful web design, it can be very difficult to find, interest, and keep a regular audience for your blog. These three blog design flaws are prevalent among bloggers throughout the web and are hindrances to the success of several wonderful and enlightening blogs out there.

     

    Tricky to Read

    Readability is one of the most important aspects of a blog. Obviously, you write your blog entries so that you can share useful or entertaining information with people around the world. However, if your blog is difficult to read or decipher purely from a web design perspective, you are likely not getting the audience you had hoped (and, in all likelihood, deserve). Readability is key. This is a basic principle in web design that has gone somewhat overlooked by blogs across the blogosphere. Some of the common issues include small text, bad color contrast, difficult fonts, or a combination of the three. You want to choose a text setup that is easy to read. Type should be large, but not too large. Your font of choice should be unique, but clear. Your background color should contrast significantly with your text color. All of these things seem very simple and straight forward; however, many webmasters overlook them for flashiness and glitz.

     

    Visually Messy

    Another common issue among blog design elements is the relationship between text and images on a page. All too often, webmasters will choose blog design elements that are messy and distracting. Hoping to create something that is different and unique, many web designers opt for busy layouts with numerous images and lots of colors. This creates a site that is visually noisy and ultimately difficult to focus on. Scattered layouts with too much information and movement on one page are visually unappealing for users. It is essential that a website be easy to navigate. As with writing style, users want web layout and design that is clean, concise, and easy to read.

    Unrecognizable Links

    While this mistake is a less significant aspect of blog design, it is nonetheless distracting from the quality and content of your blog. By default, text that is set as a hyperlink is displayed in a different font color and is underlined. This helps readers notice and locate the hyperlinked material and is the standard convention for web links now. By not using this convention, you make it more difficult to find that link and you risk confusing (or annoying) your readers. Moreover, the underlining of the hyperlink helps the color-blind and those with poor vision locate linked text. Sticking to convention for this aspect of site design is probably a wise decision.

    Byline:

    Guest article provided by Jane Smith who is a freelance writer and blogger. She writes about free background checks for Backgroundcheck.org. Questions and comments can be sent to: janesmth161 @ gmail.com.

    Print Friendly
    Filed Under: Blogging Basics, Guest Blogger Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Are you on Pinterest? Are you an addict?

    December 2, 2011 By 1 Comment

    So, a couple friends and I that are bloggers have started a Pinterest Addicts group.  We will share pins and such with each other.  If you are interested in joining this group, please visit the following link and submit a request. 

    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/PinterestAddicts/

    You should receive an email immediately after filling in the form.  The email should be a document.  Please fill out the document and return it quickly to speed up the approval process!

    Can’t wait to see you there!

    Print Friendly
    Filed Under: Blogging Basics Tagged With: , ,
    « Older Posts
    Newer Posts »

    Bad Behavior has blocked 5265 access attempts in the last 7 days.

    Stop SOPA