Blog Improvement Project #5-- Social Media Carnival

According to our inspired, intrepid leader, Kim, March is Social Media Month:

Because I love alliteration, March is going to be Social Media Month for the Blog Improvement Project. For the next 31 days, we’ll be focusing on using social media to improve your blog.

I’m no expert in social media, and there are a lot of social media options to think about. There’s Digg, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Ning, and about a million other options I don’t even know about. In that spirit, Social Media Month is going to be about educating each other about social media. Our first project is the much-anticipated Social Media Carnival!

The task is simple: write a post about a social media tool that you currently use.

I'm no stranger to social media. I like trying out new things and seeing which ones are a good fit for me. I once had a page on MySpace and Facebook, but dropped them both for reasons which shall remain personal. I've joined Stumbleupon and Technorati but have yet to fully understand them. I belong to the Book Blogs group on Ning, and I know I don't spend as much time there as I should.

One thing that I said I would never try and did is Twitter. At first my reaction was, "I don't have enough hours in the day as it is. Why would I want one more thing to keep updated?" However, fellow book bloggers started talking about it, and I became intrigued enough to give it a try. It's easy to sign up, but once I had my foot in the door, I wasn't sure where to go from there. I sat here and had a little think about it and remembered that one of my favorite bloggers, Lesa Holstine, had a "Follow Me On Twitter" badge on her blog. I clicked on that badge, and I immediately connected to Lesa.

Okay. Where do I go from here? I decided to take a look at the people she was following on Twitter. Since we both share many of the same interests in books, I found several people to follow from Lesa's list. I took a look at the people they were following, found others to follow, and I rapidly had over 100 people and organizations I was following.

As I went through posts in my Google Reader, I began seeing mentions of Twitter, and I made sure to read them. That's how I found out about Twitter Feed. After a simple sign-up and set-up, Twitter Feed hooks up with the RSS feed on your blog and "tweets" your latest blog posts on Twitter. I saw other book bloggers using Twitter Feed, too, and now I've gotten to the point where I click on the URL in the tweet before I even think about checking my Google Reader. Others were doing the same, and the traffic on my blog began to climb.

When I first started using Twitter, I wanted to be able to follow along without keeping my eyes glued to a separate browser window. After all, I needed to get other things done while I was sitting here! I use Firefox, and I installed its TwitKit add-on. TwitKit runs on the left side of my monitor and keeps the feed updated. Be warned: the first week or so that you use Twitter, you're going to spend a lot of time reading each 140-character tweet because you won't want to miss anything! The "new" does wear off, however, and now I find "selective reading" has set in. I've become accustomed to the habits of the people I follow, and my eye usually looks at the person's name before I look at what's said. Certain words and phrases jump out at me now, and it's been a long time since I've read every single tweet on my screen. The only other Firefox add-on I've installed that relates to Twitter is Twitterbar. If I find an interesting article or URL online that I want to share with people, Twitterbar allows me to do that right in the browser address bar. Pretty cool, huh?

My opinion of Twitter has drastically changed from my original "Who needs something else to update?" I now think of it as an essential blogging tool. By following other book bloggers, I'm made aware of events occurring within our community. I can advertise the things happening on my own blog. If I need help or have a question I need answered, friends are only a short tweet away, and I've gotten to know them much better by following along with (and joining in) their conversations. I can win books and other prizes by following book publishers and other organizations on Twitter, and I can be kept up-to-the-second current on what's happening in the world, since many news organizations are using it, too.

If you've been wondering if Twitter is worth the time and effort, I would give it an unqualified two thumbs up. And if you decide to bite the bullet and give it a try, sign up and then go to one of your favorite blogs that has one of those "Follow Me on Twitter" badges. Click on it and start following. There's a world of news, tips, help and friendship out there waiting for you!

If you'd like to see what other participants are doing in March's Social Media Carnival, click on the Blog Improvement Project button at the top of this post to be taken to Kim's Sophisticated Dorkiness.

Blog Improvement Project Week 4-- Blog Basics

This week we’re going to focus on blog basics — when a new reader gets to your site, how easy is it for them to find out basic information about you and what your blog is about?

Over the next two weeks, take on as many of these tasks as you like. I know they are pretty general, but every blog is different and so what you might want to do with these particular pieces is up to you.

• Write (or update) your “About Me” Page— Make sure you can see your About Me from the main page of your blog because someone just arriving at the site should be able to easily see a little information about you

• Update your contact information

• Add some sort of picture of yourself (if you’re comfortable with that)

• Update your Blogroll

• Create a link to your Archives on your front page

• Add a link (or make sure a link is there) so readers can subscribe to your blog via RSS

• Get to work on other basic blog maintenance you’ve been meaning to do

This is one assignment that I did ahead of time without knowing it. When I signed up for the Blog Improvement Project, there were already several things that I knew I had to get done. Everything that's in Kim's list above was in mine.

• I updated my About Me page and made sure there was a photo. It's not slap dab on my front page, but it's an easily seen link in my header. I might be a tad strange in the blogosphere, but when I visit other blogs I don't particularly care what the blogger looks like, and the only time I really care to read more about the person is when I feel a connection because of what they've written in their posts. I realize that not everyone feels this way, so at least I updated my info, and I can tell that a few folks have checked it out.
• My contact info is current, and I added a Contact Me link in my header.
• My blogroll is current. I have an alert set up in my Google calendar to remind me to update it monthly.
• There are links to both my Archives and my Labels on my front page sidebar. They're both "drop downs" so my page won't look so cluttered.
• There are links to subscribe via RSS and email "above the fold" on my front page. I've also made sure that the Blogger feature "Follow this Blog" is there as well. It's not used as a form of bragging because the numbers won't support that. I put it there because I read in a blog with a lot more hits than mine that the blogger preferred the convenience of that one click in order to keep track of an interesting blog. As far as I'm concerned, the easier I make it for people to subscribe, it's more likely that they will!
• The other blog maintenance that I meant to do was work on my template. I've customized a simple free Blogger template, and I'm pretty happy with it. I've added a slideshow of some of my photos in the footer, which will be changed out regularly--more personal interest if a reader wants to know more about me.

The week I spent out of town also helped me with my blog. I was tired of constantly playing "catch up" and wanted to be able to write posts and schedule them for future days. When I returned to Phoenix, I had a backlog of about six books that needed to be reviewed, and those six books helped me set up a blog post schedule.

How I track and plan my blog posts

I have a three-pack of Levenger's Oasis Scheduler pads that I never used. Once I cleared off my L-shaped desk, I had a perfect spot to put one of the pads. I write in each day's date, and this has been such a help! I now have a clear picture of my posts days in advance. I also use the page to keep track of my feed subscriptions, and make notations whenever I'm contacted by an author or publicist--or whenever I request an ARC. The bright orange Post-It reminds me of where I post my reviews because, let's face it, how many times is a person allowed to blog uninterrupted?

All in all, Kim's Blog Improvement Project has been a wonderful thing for me, and I'm so glad she had this idea! If you'd like to see how other participants are faring, click on the graphic at the top of this post.

Blog Improvement Project-- Variety Is the Spice of Life

The third assignment in Kim's Blog Improvement Project is getting to know all the different types of posts. Being able to use these various styles will shake up your blog a bit and help keep it fresh. If you'd like to read more about this third assignment, just click on the graphic to the right.

Kim asked us to write as many differing styles of posts as possible within two weeks and then link back to her with the results. I have to admit that at first I wasn't going to accept the challenge. I'd just returned from a week's holiday in the southeastern part of the state, I'd read several books that all needed to be reviewed, and I'd also started work on a new feature for my blog that involved lots of emailing, research, starting a tracking sheet, and spreading the word.

I changed my mind. I didn't make a concerted effort to post in the ten different styles on her list, but I thought I would at least submit the ones that I did manage to accomplish within her time frame and my normal blog schedule. Here are the results:

1. A Short Post (less than 200 words): Elizabeth and Darcy in Facebook?
   
2. A List Post: Feel Like Testing Your Blog?
   
3. An Opinion Post: Teeth Grinding Time-- Commercials
   
4. A Poll or Question Post: I posted a new poll that's just below the featured artist on my home page
   
5. A Review Post: the most recent is An Ice Cold Grave
   
6. Free Space (a post of your choice that's not a listed type): I started participating in Wordless Wednesday so I can "show off" some of my photography

If I wanted to cheat, I could add this post as a Link Post, but as I said, that would be cheating. I didn't manage to finish Kim's entire list, but I think I did rather well considering all the irons I have in the fire!

For all of you who are participating in this great project, let us know how well you did with this assignment. Better or worse than you initially thought you would? Were some types of posts more difficult for you to write than others? Were some of them easier than you thought they'd be?

Blog Improvement Project--Brainstorming

Our second assignment for the year-long Blog Improvement Project is brainstorming to come up with a new, unique feature for our blogs. Kim gave us some excellent resources for how to brainstorm, and I did visit them all. If you'd like to take a look, click on the graphic to the left to be taken directly to the article on Kim's blog. Now, as I've said before, I tend to be a bit contrary. (I can see the expression on my husband's face when he reads that sentence!) I can read How To articles but don't necessarily follow them. What works for other people often doesn't work for me. What I have to do is to come up with a way that works for me.

How do I brainstorm? A lot of times, I'll just start making a list. I could probably medal if list-making were an Olympic event. But that doesn't always work. Sometimes I just have to walk away from what I'm trying to accomplish and not think about it. When I read about the new assignment yesterday, nothing immediately came to mind. What did I do? I did the laundry. I listed some more books on Paperback Swap. I spent the evening with my husband watching television. I finished reading one book and almost finished another. I went to bed. Blogging didn't feature much in my day yesterday, but that didn't matter. Somewhere in the lumber room of my mind, I knew what my assignment was, and I think that the little lumberjack who works there was busy all night long . Why? Because when I sat down at the computer this morning and began reading email, the ideas starting appearing.

What ideas for new, unique features are percolating for my blog? Some will be easy, requiring little or no help from others. A couple will be tougher, taking me out of my comfort zone and having me ask for contributions from others. Who knows which ones I'll go with, but here's the tentative list:

• A Family Feud-type meme. I've always liked the idea of that game show. Once a week I would ask a rather strange question and see how many witty folks respond with answers. This can be a lot of fun if enough people participate.
• I could do a weekly feature in which I spotlight various reader's tools-- different types of book lights, bookmarks, book software, etc.
• I'd really like to do something with an Arizona theme. (I have friends who call me an unofficial employee of the Arizona Department of Tourism.) This could feature books set in Arizona, movies filmed in Arizona...definitely something for me to think about!
• One that would take me out of my comfort zone is something I'm tentatively calling "The Writer's Room". I got the idea from an article in The Guardian which showed a photograph of the room where an author writes his books. Things like that fascinate me, and I would like to see more rooms where other authors write. This feature would mean that I have to contact authors to see if they're willing to share photos of their "sacred spaces".
• Another one that takes me out of my comfort zone is an extension of "The Writer's Room". What about a weekly feature that either shows fellow book bloggers' favorite reading spots...or their "offices" where they type up all the great content that fills my Google Reader?

That's my tentative list. All intrigue me. All enthuse me. I just don't know which ones I'll choose to actually do. What are your thoughts? Are there any in my list that you are more in favor of than others? Let me know what you think!

Blog Improvement Project-- Setting Goals

I really didn't have any goals for Kittling: Books in 2008. I started this blog in June 2008 basically to have a place for all my bookish thoughts. Although I really didn't want to sit here and talk to myself, my mode of transportation the first couple of months was flying by the seat of my pants. Then I began reading other book blogs and discovered what a wonderful community exists, and I wanted to become a part of it. When the first few people actually began to visit Kittling: Books, my thoughts about it all began to change.

The primary goal of my blog is to share my love of reading with as many people as I can. There are three secondary goals that I'm setting myself in 2009 that I feel will accomplish this:



DESIGN

I've already started working on this. Although I like three-column templates, it's way too easy to put up too much "stuff" and have the entire blog look cluttered and confusing. I switched back to a two-column basic template and have been learning a bit of HTML in order to modify it.

• The background is mine, from one of my photos manipulated in Paint Shop Pro.
• I learned how to compartmentalize the header, although I'm still not satisfied with it.
• I learned how to make a three-column footer.
• I learned how to make Wordpress-like "pages" on a Blogger template, and I'm still working on those.

My goal is to have a blog design that's "me". One that's simple, uncluttered, and full of content that people want to keep coming back to read.

CONTENT

This is something else I'd like to work on. The bare bones are there, but I've found that the posts that get the most comments tend to be the ones where my own "voice" comes through, whether it's tidbits about my life or just me spouting off an opinion. Yup. Gotta work on my voice. Do-re-mi-mi-mi-mi!

TRAFFIC

I've made it easy to subscribe and easy to comment, but there's more work to be done. Joining Twitter and Here Be Reviews have increased traffic to my blog. (Ringsurf didn't do much at all.) I've made sure that the URL for my blog is listed at sites that I frequent like LibraryThing and Paperback Swap. The URL is also in my email sig file. Here are other things I want to check into to increase traffic:

• Learn more about StumbleUpon.
• Learn how to make my post titles easier for search engines to pick up.
• Learn of other places like Here Be Reviews.
• Leave more comments on other blogs. I'm doing a lot of reading, but I don't always remember to comment!

Now that I've read all this over, I realize that my primary goal for blogging is wrong. Yes, I do want to share my love of reading with others, but I also want to meet other people of like mind--and enjoy myself while I'm doing it!

If you're interested in participating in the Blog Improvement Project, or if you'd like to see what other participants are saying, just click on the graphic at the top of this post!