Blogging University Day 7: Make the Most of Big Events

July 28, 20156 Comments

CREATE recurring blogging event or MAKE plans to attend a blogging conference. That’s today’s assignment.

A blog event attracts visitors, and participating in a blog conference raises your profile.

A BLOG EVENT

I participated in the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop and I’m going to participate in the Fabri-Quilt New Quilt Block Blog Hop.

Blogging University invites its students to start an event of our own.

Through the New Quilt Bloggers I was in the “Sewcial Swarm” hive, and one of the hive mates, Deanna at Stitches Quilting, posted about wanting to make a Cathedral Window quilt some day. The pattern was from a subscription service, Best-Loved Quilt Patterns, which I have. It belonged to my mother.

Deanna suggested we have a Quilt-A-Long together. Each week we’d make a Cathedral Window and within about three years we’d have enough for a twin-sized quilt — if we used 6″ blocks. Of course we could make it modern and oversize it — maybe double it for 12″ blocks. We could call it “Cathedral Windnesday.” I’d create directions for the “bigger” windows then post a block each week. My concern is it wouldn’t be very exciting and limited to one quilt block. I like the idea of oversizing traditional quilt blocks so maybe a combination of a Block of the Month sampler where I upsize a traditional block. That would be a BIG EVENT.

WordPress has a complete guide to help me host the perfect event. I can submit my event to their listings. I’ll study on this some more.

A BLOG CONFERENCE

Who knew there was Bloggy Boot Camp or blogging conferences? WordPress has WordCamp.

Not sure this is for me, but perhaps this is something the Modern Quilt Guild should consider hosting.

Please let me know what you think about CATHEDRAL WINDESDAY.

Wanda

Blogging U. Day 6: Dig Deep into a Social Network

July 27, 2015July 27, 20158 Comments

I GROANED when I read the title of today’s assignment.

The good news is: I WAS ALREADY following some of Blogging University’s advice.

SHARING

I have Sharing Buttons at the bottom of each post. In WordPress, you go to “My Sites,” then “Sharing”. Located at the bottom is “Sharing Buttons.” There are four different options. I changed mine to “icons only” from the “official” option. And, I changed my “sharing” prompt. “SHARING is sew sewcial” I hope it worked.

FOCUSING

Blogging University recommends focusing my energy on one social network.

I’ve discovered that quilt bloggers are using Instagram as much as they use Facebook.

My Pinterest page connects to my blog, but my blog doesn’t post to Pinterest automatically like it does to Facebook and Google through WordPress’ Publicize option. The same is true for Instagram.

I haven’t settled on which network to focus on.

PUBLICIZE

I use Publicize for Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. I learned I can control the message that is shared with these sites. I can be a tease for the first time ever.

SIDEBARS

Do you see the tears dripping from these lovely icons? During the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop, I learned how to add buttons to my sidebar. And, I shed a few tears getting them to work. I got these buttons from Carrie Loves. I wanted different colors to coordinate with my blog logo. That made me cry tears of joy.

INVOLVEMENT

Networking requires taking the next step: sharing other bloggers’ posts or links I find interesting. I can also share “status updates” about an ongoing project. I can ask my readers to help me. I can build personal connections with readers.

Asking a question is also one way to engage with readers.

WHAT ONE SOCIAL NETWORK SHOULD GET MY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION?

Thanks,

Wanda

Blogging U. Day 5: Make the Most of Your Archives

July 26, 2015July 25, 20156 Comments

THE BEST of Wanda’s Life Sampler is on tap for today’s course homework.

Blogging University professor Krista advises:

Why do this?

Because a go-to page compiling your best posts is the simplest way to get readers to your content — you never know which post pique someone’s interest, so make the good ones easy to find.
Because while your About page does a great job introducing you, a curated selection of posts further illustrates your perspectives.

WAYS I CAN DO THIS

Refer to past posts in the current post.
Use widgets such as Top Posts, Archives and Categories.
Use Related Posts feature at the end of the current post.
Then, there’s a “Best of” page which can be added to the main menu and to the About page.

I have a “Quilt Gallery” and a “Tips & Tutorials” page, but I include every associated post on those pages.

For my homework, I’ve added a page called, “Quilt Porn,” as my best of section. It’s the really hot stuff on my blog.