Blogging Tools

Free Guide: Using Genesis on WordPress for Absolute Beginners

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” – Thomas Huxley

Are you using WordPress, and could use some help figuring it all out? Or maybe you’re just thinking about making the switch from Blogger – and want to learn more to get prepared. WordPress is not difficult, but it can be overwhelming when you first get started.

This new, amazingly helpful – and totally free! – ebook from Copyblogger will make you feel like a total blogging rock star.

This book is targeted towards bloggers who use the Genesis framework on their WordPress site, which is what I use. But – I started out on a basic free WordPress theme, and this book will be helpful to you too if that’s what you’re using – trust me. It works great as a guide to understanding basic WordPress features – since many of them are the same on a basic WordPress site as they are on Genesis.

Learn more and download the FREE guide for Using Genesis on WordPress from Copyblogger today!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 12, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Tools | No Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012 – Chapter 4: Understanding Your Blog as a Product

“Blogging is hard because of the grind required to stay interesting and relevant.” – Sufia Tippu

I’ve partnered with a group of bloggers to follow the advice from the super duper amazing guys at Problogger, to follow the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog book together – And I am SUPER excited to take on this challenge! {Use the code FBWO33 at checkout to get $10 off!} To make sure we all have a great foundation to build on, we’re going through the Guide to Your First Week of Blogging book first – {Click here to view more details} – If you’d like to follow along with us – join the linky at the bottom of this post, and I’ll make sure to invite you into our fun Facebook group too!

Chapter 4: Understanding Your Blog as a Product

For this first series, I’m following along by using Misty’s notes, from CEO of Me, Inc. – Read her Chapter 4 notes too, if you want to get a great overview of what the book covered. After reading Misty’s notes, I realize that her and I really are so much alike – Like her, I too LOVE marketing and branding. I can already tell that this chapter is going to be a fun one….

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” – Steve Shearer

Just like a crafter is selling their handmade jewelry, or a baker is selling amazingly delicious cupcakes – You’re selling yourself, and your content. Maybe you’re not actually charging per piece, the way a crafter or a baker does. But if you want your blog to be your business, and you intend to earn an income from it, then you must think of it in a more businesslike way. The systems that have been covered in the chapters so far help set you up with a plan for your business – If you’ve been following along, you know have a checklist system to use with each post, a folder packed with creative post ideas, and an editorial calendar with scheduled posts set up. That is a great basic foundation to start building on, right?

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

To really boost your business, you need to be able to reach people. And one of the most important first impressions that people have is when reading your headlines. If someone is scrolling through their Twitter stream – What is going to make them stop and choose YOUR post to click on? Learning to write more powerful headlines is on my list of blogging to-do’s this year, and I absolutely LOVE Darren’s exercise in this video – Check it out…

“A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list.” – Unknown

Your blog content is totally unique – just like you. There really is no wrong or right – just what makes YOU excited, and what you’re passionate about. Make sure that those posts you put so much effort into creating actually get read by taking the time to learn how to write effective headlines. {And check out another cool exercise from Darren that uses magazines to help you become a better blogger.} If your blog is your product, make sure that your content is good enough to make people want to buy into it – Meaning, subscribe to your posts, follow you on social media, and become the kind of involved readers that we’re all wanting to connect with.

Planning Your Content

Ok, so now you’ve got an idea folder filled with future posts, the tools to write great headlines to help people find those posts, and a calendar for your blog all set up. Well, just like a magazine posts different types of topics, so should you. Make sure as you continue to fill your blogging calendar with scheduled posts, that you have a good mix of different types of content – Some short, some longer and more in-depth. Make sure to post about different angles of your topic – If you write about recipes, make sure you share a good mix of different types, and not 6 days in a row of dinner recipes featuring chicken – know what I mean?

“Breathe. Know that the Internet has no eraser.” – Liz Strauss

As your content improves, so will your traffic. People will begin to be drawn in by your totally compelling headlines, intrigued by the genius posts that you’ve put together – {yes, a post about your toddlers finger painting CAN be the most intriguing article ever written :)} – and will tell all of their friends that they simply MUST visit this amazing new blog that they’ve found. That’s your goal, and that’s great. But – never get to a point where you think your work is over. Continue to network with others, find new connections, meet new faces. And a great way to do this is by sharing the content of other bloggers.

So today, end this chapter by stopping by a few of your favorite blogs – if you see a post that you like, and you think your readers would be interested too, share it!

This accomplishes a few things – The blogger who see’s that you shared her link on Facebook will be flattered, and may return the favor. Your readers will appreciate that you share great content that’s relevant to them – even when it’s not your own. And maybe you’ll build a little bit of a connection to that other writer, that could lead to something cool down the road. There is a lot of negativity to be found on the web – so try to add something positive each day.

Wrapping it up

Want to read more about this week long challenge, and follow the chapters too? You can buy the First Week of Blogging ebook here – or for an abbreviated version, check out Misty’s notes for each chapter so far.
We’re almost done with this 7 day book – then we move to the real challenge – the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog book!
If you’d like to join our 31 day challenge, buy the ebook, and add your name to the linky below! The challenge starts on Monday, January 16th – and the more, the merrier!
You can read my take on each of the daily chapter challenges and task here – Build a Better Blog in 2012 Intro.

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brian Clark

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 9, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blogging Tools | No Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012 – Chapter 3: Concentrate on Content

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brian Clark

I’ve partnered with a group of bloggers to follow the advice from the super duper amazing guys at Problogger, to follow the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog book together – And I am SUPER excited to take on this challenge! I started my blogging journey in late February of 2011, and what a fun {and sleepless!} year it’s been so far! To make sure we all have a great foundation to build on, we’re going through the Guide to Your First Week of Blogging book first – {Click here to view more details} – If you’d like to follow along with us – join the linky at the bottom of this post, and I’ll make sure to invite you into our fun Facebook group too!

Chapter 3 – Concentrate on Content

The amazingly smart and tech savvy Misty over at CEO of Me, Inc. covers each new chapter really thoroughly, so be sure to read each chapters notes on her page – Building a Better Blog in 2012 – Chapter 3 – so you know what today’s challenge includes. And I’ll share how I’m going to use these tips and ideas here on MY blog. This chapter includes a ton of info, and it’s all really good stuff.

Task 1: Writing your “My Story” post

In Chapter 2 – Publish and Build Presence – Misty talks about writing a “My Story” post – something that let’s your readers know who you are, and what you’re blog is all about. I think that writing this down helps YOU too – It helps you figure out exactly what you want your blog to “be”. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Who are you trying to reach? Moms on a budget? Women running a business? Moms with babies, or moms with teens?
What do you want to them to learn on your site? Narrow it down: If you want them to learn ‘How to save money’ – do you want to teach about coupon usage, online shopping rewards, how to complete DIY projects yourself, budget-friendly recipes, frugal fashion?
What makes you unique? What can YOU teach them about using coupons that they can’t learn on another site? Why should they subscribe to YOUR blog?

Use the answers to these questions to write down your Mission Statement – Who you are, what you do, and why it’s important. Think about how major companies do their branding – when you read the phrase “Just Do It”, you know what to expect. Nike doesn’t use a new message on every ad, and neither should you. Use this Mission Statement as a tag line on your blog, in your bio when you guest post, on your Twitter account and Facebook page – anywhere that your blog has a presence. My Mission Statement is this – “Smart Solutions for Busy Moms – Simplifying Life One Post at a Time” – My goal is to find the best Busy Mom Solutions to share – products, services, apps, books, sites, tips, and more – things that help busy moms like myself save time, money, and sanity. I want to show people that living frugal can still be fun and fashionable. When setting your goals, remember – “Readers subscribe to blogs when they provide an informational or entertainment value SO great that it would be a loss to not subscribe to it.” Maki.

Check out My Story in the About Me Page

For my “My Story” post, I decided to use this opportunity to finally update my “About Me” page. I wrote that page almost a year ago – And my focus and goals have changed dramatically since then! Check it out – and if you have some feedback, suggestions, tips – share them in a comment! I’m always looking to improve :)

Task 2: Create a Pillar Content Post

Ready, Set, Blog! – I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month, which is all about encouraging you to find creative new ideas for writing your posts. We’re already on Day 8 – but join in anyway, it’s a great way to push yourself to think outside the box, and create quality posts. And that’s what your pillar content is all about – The type of post that will be just as relevant next year as it is today. Here are a couple things to help you when writing pillar content posts – Google Keyword Tool, to help search engines find your post, and Eliminate 21 Reputation-Crushing Writing Mistakes from Your Blog.

Task 3: Create a Series Idea using Mind-Mapping

Just like there are a million different styles of bloggers, there are a million different ways to do mind-mapping. The basic idea is to find a method that works for you, and use it to brainstorm new ideas for your blog. It’d go something like this –

You want to do a series about dinnertime recipes.
What kinds of recipes can you share?
Write down a ton of ideas – no censoring yourself, no “dumb” ideas – just write as many as you can as fast as you can. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write until it stops. Whatever works for you.
Now, figure out how to make some of your favorite ideas into a series.
Can you divide it by chicken, fish, beef, pork, and vegetarian?
Separate posts by skill level – Clueless, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master Chef?
Have a week of themed dinner ideas – Base themes on movies, music, holidays, or colors?

The more you do these brainstorming exercises, the more fun ideas that you’ll come up with! Don’t censor yourself as you do this, there are no dumb ideas. My next series starting in February is going to be about babies – A whole month worth of posts, reviews, tips, giveaways, and fun stuff. This little mind mapping task really helped me narrow down the things that I want to write about!

Task 4: Non-Pillar Content

In addition to the Evergreen content you create in your Pillar content posts, you need other stuff to read too. When you buy a magazine, you have lots to choose from – Editorials, letters to the editor, opinion pieces, fun ‘fluff’ type pieces. Make sure you give your readers lots of choices too! I like to share funny pics I come across, my favorite Pinterest finds, and great quotes that I love. Think about what types of things might make YOUR readers smile, and be sure to share them often!

Task 5: Building Community

This is SO important! The difference between a traditional website and a blog is that a blog draws the readers into the experience by allowing them to comment on the article, ask questions, and respond to others. Sometimes I’ve learned just as much info from reading the comments on an article as I learned in the article itself! Problogger has a totally awesome post about this – Principles of Successful Blogging – Community – It’s a must-read. After putting together my 10 Blogging Goals for 2012 , I realized that I need to add this idea into my social media plans for the year too, to build more interaction with my readers, followers, and fans. And – If you’re looking to network with other bloggers, my BEST advice is to find some groups to join on Facebook! It’s a super convenient way to connect with others, and I’ve learned and incredible amount of new knowledge from others this way.

Wrappin’ it Up

Read the full notes from Chapter 3 here.
If you want to join the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge with us, buy the Problogger book, and add yourself to the linky below. {Click here to view more details on the book}
If you missed the earlier posts, you can start at Chapter 1 – Building a Better Blog.

I hope that some of these tips and ideas help you too!

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and I’m always glad to answer any questions you have. And if you’d like to share some feedback on my new About Me page – I’d love to hear that too!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 8, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blogging Tools | No Comments

10 Blogging Goals for 2012 – Starting with “Be More Awesome”

My 10 Blogging Goals for 2012

1. Be More Awesome! Yep, that’s right. This year is all about simplifying – in life, in work, in relationships, in my daily chores, everything. If it makes me smile – then I need to find ways to add more of it to my days. If it only causes me stress, then I need to figure out ways to fix it, get rid of it, or just let it go. I’m going to fill each day with awesome. This year is going to be a rock star year for me, I can just feel it….

2. I Love Social Media. It’s true. I am a total social media junkie. And this year has brought NEW social media sites for me to get hooked on. I’m now totally addicted to Pinterest – I’ve lost count of the hours I’ve lost there. And I’m starting to kind of get into this whole Google+ thing too. So – my social media goals this year: 10,000 fans on Facebook and Twitter by the end of March. Reaching that goal would be a pretty cool way to celebrate my one year anniversary of my blog, right?

3. Attend my first blogging conference! This one is pretty easy, since I was recently invited to speak at Reviewers Retreat this summer!! Woo – Super exciting! It’s in North Carolina, and I’m in Washington State – so that’s a lot of travel. I’m hoping to find a sponsor to partner with for this event, as well as for BlogHer, which I’ll be attending in August. But I want to make sure if I partner with someone, it’s a good match, and we can both bring each other huge benefits, so I’m still planning….

4. Get new business cards. This may sound boring – and that’s the point! So many business cards are boring as can be. I want to put together a new set of SUPER cool cards. If that’s my first connection with someone, I want it to let them know that I’m anything BUT ordinary! {Have you seen the amazingly creative business card ideas at Moo.com?}

5. Connect locally. I had the chance to partner with a couple of local business owners this summer, and loved it. Most of my blog readers are from out of the area, but I’m going to work on connecting more with moms in my local community. I’m hoping that I can meet some great local women to promote this year!

6. More “real life” promotion. While I LOVE what I do online, and am amazed at the way my posts can reach across the country – and sometimes even farther! – I’m excited to come up with some new ways to promote the brands I work with offline too. I’ve got a few ideas I’m cookin’ up – but I’d LOVE to hear your ideas too. {Which is my way of saying – Leave me a comment with some advice! Lol}

7. Get more organized. Last year was a total whirlwind, and I’m still trying to catch my breath. I’m going to start menu planning to make more time in the evenings. I set up a new account at Manilla to help me organize my household accounts. Email can be crazy – so I’m using OIB to sort it for me. I’ve finally figured out a system for a blogging binder that works perfect for me. Hopefully getting some good systems in place will help me feel less overworked and overwhelmed!

8. Learn SEO skills. I’m incredibly tech-challenged. My brother was helping me with a project the other day, and asked me how many pixels of padding I wanted on the image. I said – I don’t care how many pixies you use, just get it done. He replied – “And your the successful website owner, while I’M the web designer who can’t find a job….” Lol. I’m amazed every day at what I’ve learned – But my next big goal is to get better at Search Engine Optimization. I bought a book. So that’s a start :)

9. Media Kit. I need to make a new one. One I actually like. I may need to hire someone for this. If you have a good suggestion, I’d love to hear it – Leave me a link in the comments!

10. Time Management. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. And I have more enthusiasm and ideas then I do time. These combined mean that I sit at this computer WAY more than I should. I told you how I struggle with housekeeping routines, even though I’m a total clean freak. And I want to make more time to take Abby fun places around town. So I’m going to really work on sticking to a time limit on how many hours I spend online. {That doesn’t count my iPhone though… Words with Friends anyone?}

What are YOUR goals for 2012?

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Tools | 17 Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012 – Day 2: Finding Systems and Building Presence

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am very excited to be a part of a great group of bloggers as we challenge ourselves to “Build a Better Blog in 2012!” Today is Day 2 & we will be going over Chapter 2 in ProBlogger’s “Guide to your First Week of Blogging”. I highly recommend purchasing and reading this e-book {and subscribing for email or RSS updates from Problogger.net too!} Click here to view more details on how to get a copy of the ProBlogger’s ebook. {And if you missed Chapter 1, read more – Build a Better Blog in 2012 Intro Post.}

Chapter 2 – Publish and Build Presence

Since I didn’t get the copy of this first book, I’m following along by using the notes on CEO of Me, Inc – So if you’d like the full run down of all of the key points from Chapter 2, read her post first. She covers everything really well – So I’ll just add some of my thoughts to the points that she covers.

Reviewing Your Posts

This is SO important. Errors happen to the best of us – and if you’re blogging full time like I am, plus keeping up with the house and family, you sometimes write posts in a rush, which leads to mistakes. But – Spelling and grammar errors make your blog look unprofessional, so do your best to avoid them! A few tips:

1. Spell check! This is such a simple tool, it only takes a moment, and there is no reason not to use it. I use Google Chrome as my browser, and it has a built-in spelling and grammar check – Love that!
2. Proof read. I admit, I don’t always have time for this. I sit down with an idea, and I write until I’m done. 90% of the time I go back through and read my post again, and usually find a few spots to change up – so I’m sure that mistakes are getting through on the other 10% of the time. If you can’t proof read every post – that’s ok. The most important posts to double check are the ones that are “Evergreen” content – This means, a post that won’t get outdated. A post about a sale at Macy’s = Not Evergreen. A post about tips on cleaning your kitchen = Evergreen.
3. Effective closing. Make sure that you close with a call to action. This can be as simple as saying – “Like this post? Use the buttons below to share it to your favorite networks!” I guarantee you’ll see a jump in sharing, just for asking. Or close your post with an open-ended question, to encourage comments and discussion. Are you selling a product or service? Then remind them why and how to buy. Whatever you want a reader to do with the information you’re sharing – remind them of it at the end of the post.
4. Set up a Post Checklist. This is great for beginners, and can even be a great activity for advanced bloggers too – Sit down and make a list of what you should be doing on every single post. After awhile, you won’t need your list – it will become a habit.

What should be in a Post Checklist?

The following are just some ideas that you can use – Add your own too, print out a list of them all, and add it to your blogging binder, planner, desktop calendar, or just pin it to the wall above your desk! {And watch for a post next week on how I set up my blogging binder to stay organized…}

Make sure your title is not too long, and has loads of keywords.
Include an image that’s relevant and high quality.
Spell check!
Does your closing encourage interaction and sharing?
Did you cross link to other related content on your site, if possible?
SEO – are you optimizing your post to be found in search engines? {Hint, get a Plug-in like Yoast for WP!}
Are you adding the right categories and tags to each post?
And are you sharing posts to social media?

Building a Presence on the Web

The more addresses you have on the web, the more likely people are to find you. Some people ask – “Why should I get a Twitter account? I already share everything to Facebook – can’t they check it out there?” But it’s important to remember that everyone has a favorite network, make sure your readers can follow you where THEY want to follow you! Here are a few places where you can find me – some networks I’ve had for a long time, and have built a large fan base. Some are brand new, with few followers. Some of them I use daily, and some I have only used a couple of times. A goal for 2012 is to get them all built into fun communities, where I can interact with some new faces. If you’d like to join me, I’d love to “meet” you too!

Facebook – My favorite social media site!
Twitter – I’m new to Twitter {8 months} – and finally “get” it.
LinkedIn – Great networking site.
Google+ – I’m excited to see what happens here.
Pinterest – I am a total Pinterest junkie – LOVE it!
YouTube – Very new, but video reviews will be rolling out in February!
Tumblr – Brand new, and ready to have some fun setting it up.

Closing Notes – Day 2

The main lesson of Chapter 2 is to get into good habits, and find systems that will work for you. {I talked a little about how to stay organized in yesterdays post too – Building a Better Blog Day 1} Setting up some great systems will make you MORE efficient, and make you LESS stressed. My big goal for this month is to take on very few new projects, so that I can really get organized again, set very ambitious goals for the new year – with monthly steps to achieve them! – and find some new systems, apps, sites, and gadgets to help me work smarter – so that I actually have time to live a life worth blogging about! Lol.

What do YOU Think?

What are your biggest challenges to staying organized in your blogging? What solutions have you found that work best for you? Share them in the comments – they might be just what another reader has been looking for!

We’re starting the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge next week! If you’d like to join us, just purchase the book from ProBlogger so you can follow along {Click here to view more details} and then add your link below!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 4, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Tools | 3 Comments

Building a Better Blog in 2012

Join Me in Building a Better Blog in 2012!

I’ve partnered with a group of bloggers to follow the advice from the super duper amazing guys at Problogger, to follow the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog book together – And I am SUPER excited to take on this challenge! I started my blogging journey in late February of 2011, and what a fun {and sleepless!} year it’s been so far! Now that I feel like I’ve got my feet planted pretty firmly here on my little patch of the web, I’m ready to take things up a notch. I think that the 31 days of ideas, tasks, projects, and posts is going to be pretty darn cool. I’m also participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month too – And again, I’m a day behind – {I’ve got a sick baby, so I’m lucky to get anything done at all!} – so this is my post for Day 2 – share a resource that’s been super useful to you.

Getting Started

I bought the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook to use for this challenge – Then learned that some of the ladies in the group wanted to also get a jump start on our big Blog Improvement project by starting out with ProBlogger’s Guide to your First Week of Blogging. I didn’t buy this one, and wasn’t planning to join in on this – But have had a last minute change of mind after reading a few of their posts. While the information in the ‘First Week’ book is geared towards beginners, it’s always helpful to get back to basics, to make sure that you’re still on track and headed the direction you intended to go.

Chapter One

Since I didn’t buy this first book, I’m following along by reading the notes and main points from the book that the totally amazing Misty has been posting over in CEO of Me, Inc. – Read Day 1 of Building a Better Blog here. {Sign up for her email updates if you’d like to follow along too!} You can start this at any time too – each days info will be linked up at the bottom of this post as we go, so if you are finding this after we’ve completed the First Week, you can still learn the material!

CEO of Me, Inc = Rock Star

Since Misty already covered the key points from the chapter really well, I won’t share it all again. But I’d like to add my thoughts and tips to some of the points that she covered. These are things that are super helpful to me – and I hope that some of my tricks can help YOU this year too!

Build an Idea Folder

This is an idea that you simply MUST act on! At first, you find yourself with a million and one ideas that you want to post about – how could you ever run out of things to say! You finally have your own website! Hooray! …. But eventually, like any new adventure, reality sets in. Sometimes you lose a bit of the excitement, and struggle to create new content. If you build up a collection of inspiration and fun ideas, you always have something to come back to. Here a few ways you can do this:

1. Paper and Pen – Keep a notebook on your desk, in your purse, next to the bed, everywhere. Whenever someone asks a great question that you could answer with a blog post, write it down. Funny story you’d love to share? Write it down. Totally world changing great idea? Write it down, so you can share it on your blog. Trust me, if you don’t capture it – odd’s are that you’ll never remember it again.
2. Press This – This deserves it’s own blog post, coming soon. Press This is a super duper amazing little gadget that you simply add to your toolbar – then you use it to collect little shiny tidbits you find around the web, like a Magpie! {Yes, my name is Meagan. Sparkle is my favorite color – everyone knows that. So I’ve of course been nicknamed Magpie many times, lol} If you get distracted easily when online the way that I do, this is a total must have, since it helps you organize all of those cool ideas you come up with while surfin’ around.
3. Pinterest – I also use Pinterest to help me organize my ideas. I have tons of boards, and am always adding more. Instead of filing all of those helpful articles, fun tips, and creative ideas into email folders, I can Pin them to different boards – which makes it SO much easier to find post inspiration! If I’m looking for fun holiday ideas – I’m building boards for each holiday! If I want to write about kids crafts – there’s a board for that. Blogging tips? Yep, I have a new board for that too! If you’re a Pinterest addict too, come and visit me!

Get into a Posting Rhythm

This is very important – and there is no “Right” answer. You have to find what works best for you, and stick to it. This is important for you, so that you can plan your weekly schedule. It’s also important for your readers, so they know what to expect. Here are a few ideas:

1. 10+ times per day: This is a necessary part of the game if you’re a deal blogger: sales, coupons, and freebies expire quickly, they’ve got to post the hottest finds as they come across them. Don’t judge yourself because you post less often – The majority of deal or coupon posts are short and sweet, making them easy to pop out a bunch real quick. I know this, because during big shopping seasons, I post like this too!
2. Once a Week: If you blog is mostly crafts or cool DIY projects, it might work best to post just once a week. It takes some time to complete those amazing projects, take pictures, edit them, put together tutorials, and the make it all work together in an informative post. Try posting on the same day each week, so that your readers know when to come visit and find your latest creation.
3. Post Daily: This one is a little tougher. It takes a lot more planning and organization to post daily. If you’re trying to come up with original content every single day, if you have to find new ideas to write about every day – you need to do some prep work. And that’s what the these two books are all about!

Build on the Basics

Before I started Sunshine and Sippy Cups, I bought a few books to help me get an idea of how to get started. I was {and still am!} totally tech-challenged. I read a lot of blogs, I felt like I had a ton of great info to share, but I had no idea where to start. The first two books that I read are still my VERY favorite – ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, and Using WordPress, which now comes with a DVD – awesome. In Using WordPress, Tris Hussey has such an easy to read, funny way of explaining all of the tech stuff – I was totally encouraged, and realized that I could do this whole blogging thing. Then I read Darren’s ProBlogger book – and ohmyheck! I was so excited to get started. It is seriously a must-read. So I am totally excited to get back to basics like this – The First Week of Blogging book reminds me to make sure I have a good foundation, to get more organized, and ensure that I’m moving in the right direction. I’m positive that this challenge is going to set me up for a great 2012!

What do YOU think?

Have you read any of the books? Excited to check them out? I’d love for you to share your goals or challenges in the comments here – I learn so much from other bloggers! And, If you are participating in our Building a Better Blog Group, please add your blog to the linky below, so I can read your posts too. Who’s ready to Build a Better Blog in 2012??

Building a Better Blog – Day 2, Finding Systems and Building Presence

Building a Better Blog – Day 3, Concentrate on Content

Building a Better Blog – Day 4, Understanding Your Blog as a Product

Building a Better Blog – Day 5, Putting Yourself Out There

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 3, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blogging Tools | 4 Comments

List Your Blog on The Blog Guidebook for Free

The Blog Guidebook Rocks

Their site has an incredible amount of really great information that can help you whether you’re a brand new blogger, or a pro. You’ll find some newbie blogger tips and tutorials, tips on using new tools, like this one how to make cool photo-collage tutorials, and a great resource page of linky parties to join each week. Awesome stuff, right?

Add Your Blog to the Guidebook Listing

To add your site to their listing pages, simply go visit Blog Guidebook and click the tab that says {SIGN UP} and follow the directions. You can add your blog to as many categories as you like. And make sure to check out some of the other sites too – you might find a new favorite.