Spring Cleaning Tips For Your Blog

Seriously, how excited are we all that spring is finally on the horizon? I feel like it's time to thaw out, emerge from hibernation (I wish I could sleep through winter) and get into spring cleaning mode. While you're getting ready to overhaul your wardrobe or turn the house upside down until it's spring-ready, don't forget about your blog. It's a new season and your website needs your attention too, so here are some spring cleaning tips for your blog.

The Sidebar

Is your sidebar a cluttered mess or are there outdated links hanging around there? Take some time to clean it up. Even if you're blogging for yourself, and not for money, a messy sidebar can be so distracting. You want people to focus on your posts not a slew of ads redirecting them to another site. Fix any broken links and also look into updated banners if you belong to any affiliate programs.

The Design

I really try to keep my site updated and user friendly. Sometimes a change in season can give us the kick in the butt we want to change up our blog's design. I'm not saying you need to spend a ton on a graphic designer or brand consultant, I mean little things like your profile picture or maybe even your blog header. You can use free photo sites like Pic Monkey to easily edit pictures or even make your own signage. If you are really feeling the need for a refresh, there are inexpensive templates you can purchase from Etsy for Blogger or WordPress. Just pop over there and take a look at what some of these designers have to offer. Don't forget we have awesome talent in our NE Bloggers group too that can help you with your blog design needs!

About Me Page

I'm sure you're all tired of hearing how important your About Me page is so I won't blab on about that. Why not spruce it up a bit? Add in some more photos (bright, clear ones are best), update any old information and add any new accomplishments you would love to tout. This is your place to promote yourself, so just go for it! 

Content

How about adding some fresh new content to your blog? Is there a series you've been thinking about running or a link up you would love to start with a bloggy friend? Do it! Try it out and if it just doesn't resonate with you (or readers) dump it. You'll never know unless you try. Put yourself out there and reach out to other bloggers, 99% of the time they are so happy to collaborate (especially your fellow NE Bloggers!). Take some time to go through your editorial calendar (if you use one) and plan some great content for spring.

Do you plan on sprucing up your site for spring? Have you set new blogging goals?

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5 Tips for Blogging Etiquette

Let's talk blogging etiquette.  While we like to say there are no "rules" to blogging, as each person's blog is unique to their life and voice, there are some unspoken guidelines all bloggers should take into consideration.  Most of these seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how often we see these etiquette guidelines broken!

1. Don't steal photos.
Simple enough right?  Don't take photos from another bloggers blog, Facebook page or instagram and say they are your own!  You shouldn't take photos from Pinterest and edit them to look like they aren't from Pinterest.  It's just plain wrong to take another bloggers photos!

2. Don't steal content.
Often times you will see similar ideas for posts on different blogs.  This happens, especially with things like holiday post, recipes and craft ideas- hey there are only so many ideas out there, right?  But, to blatantly copy-paste from another blogger's post?  That is just a huge no-no!

3. Post your disclosures.
If you received product or monetary compensation, you must disclose this information in your post.  This is more than just etiquette, it is actually an FTC guideline.  Be sure to disclose that you received free product or compensation in exchange for your post and use the hashtag #ad when you post about said products on social media.  Remember, these are not blogger "perks," they are considered payment for your services as a writer.

4. Give credit when credit is due.
If you do use someone's photo, with permission of course, be sure to give credit to that person!  The same goes for content ideas- it's courteous to say you were inspired by so-and-so's post or recipe or even to link over to them if you are using one of their ideas in your post!

5. Act professional.
If you are making money as a blogger, you are a professional.  Even if you aren't making money you are building a brand around yourself!  How do you want others to see you and your brand?  Be proud of your work and demand to be treated as a professional by acting like it!

What are you tips for blogging etiquette?  We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Blogger Luncheon: NYC

Hello Everyone!

We had such a great time at our last Blogger Brunch in December and I'm so happy to share this next event that I have planned. While I couldn't get enough feedback for a February meet up, I am going ahead with a March date. I've learned that it just works better when I pick the date, so here we go!

WHAT:
NYC Blogger Luncheon

WHO:
Open to ALL, not just NYC residents

WHEN:
Saturday, March 7th, 12:00 PM

WHERE:
ABC Cocina (38 East 19th Street, between Broadway and Park Ave South)

RSVP: 
You MUST RSVP for this event as I have a reservation BOOKED! If there is not enough interest, than I will need to cancel the table by the morning of 3/6. So please, please send me your response by 3/5!!
Email me at karenssoiree@gmail.com with your name and your blog's name.

ABC Cocina is an awesome spot where brunch is served not only tapas style but also with full plate options. It's another affordable NYC spot.

At the December event our bloggers suggested doing a little grab bag and I would love to do it for this luncheon. The limit to spend is going to be $10. Obviously this is nothing to stress over, it's just something fun to add to the event. I will post more details as RSVP's come in.

Thank you all and please remember to RSVP and join us!! It's so much fun to meet fellow bloggers in person!



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Blogger Tips and Tricks!

Are you on the blogger platform?  Check out these great tips and tricks from fellow Northeast Blogger Amy Marie, who writes the blog Champagne and Pearls!

Check out Amy Marie's post over at her blog!  She discuses some great tips for using the blogger platform such as:

• How to center page links
• Blog links in comments
• Adding a blog signature 
• How to remove the shadow/border around your pictures

Click here to read all the tips in detail and get the codes you need to do the above items!

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Friday Five and Five Ways To Keep Your 2015 Goals

Happy New Year! I don't know about you but for me the new year is a clean slate. It's the perfect time to set some new goals. And when I say goals, I mean actual goals and not resolutions. Does anyone actually keep to their resolutions past February? I usually don't. That's why I thought I would share five ways to keep your 2015 goals.

1. Keep it short and sweet: For me, I chose to make 5 main goals for 2015. Maybe that sounds low but it seemed realistic. With 5 goals I could focus my energy on them throughout the year.

2. Put it in writing!: Sometimes writing out your specific goals can help you feel more motivated. Write them in a journal, on your blog or just on whatever piece of paper you can find. Put them in writing so you remember exactly what you hope to accomplish. Make it pretty if you need to or add a favorite inspirational quote, whatever you think you will find inspiring just do it.

3. Keep that goal sheet accessible: Now that you wrote down what your 2015 goals are, make sure you keep them in a place where you can reference back to them throughout the year. Some people keep them on an inspiration board above their workspace, some people actually laminate them for their planners, and I've even had a person tell me their goals are displayed on their refrigerator. Obviously you need to find what works for you but the point is to be able to access them easily.

4. Make them attainable: I think this is so important because why should you set yourself up for failure? Now I'm not saying to aim low but goals have to be realistic. Now let's say one of your goals is fitness related, for example, to start to running. Are you really going to set a goal of running a marathon in February? Not really. Maybe a more appropriate goal is to conquer 3 miles. Sometimes if we set our sights too high, the disappointment of not accomplishing it by a certain time leads us to abandon the goal all together.

5. Keep going, no matter what!: I have this as my laptop background and I love seeing it everyday. Work hard and don't give up. If you lose focus just get right back on track.

So how about you, any big goals for 2015? How do you plan to keep them?


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The Friday Five Hop and 5 Blogging Resources

Welcome to the Friday Five, our weekly link up for all those Friday Five, Five on a Friday, High Five for Friday types of posts!  Check out our Friday Five post and then link up below!

Today we are sharing five resources with some great tips for blogging!

1. The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Pinterest 
2. How to Take Your Own Head-shot (with an iPhone!)
3. How to Embed a Tweet in Your Blog Post 
4. Time Management for Bloggers 
5. Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas 

I hope you find some useful information here!

And now it's your turn!  Do you have a Friday Five post to share?  Link up below and be sure to visit and comment on a few others in the link up!


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Blogging Inspiration

I have been blogging for well over ten years, since before the term "blogging" was even a thing. If you're also a person who writes, you know all of its benefits. Blogging helps to tell a story, your story, and the blank screen can act as a friend, therapist, blank canvas and employer.

My blog has evolved as I have. When I started, I was a twenty something, with my first "real" job and living in my first "real" place. It's followed me all the way into parenthood, documenting all of the changes along the way. I have always been drawn to writing, and as I grew as a person, I found myself sitting in front of the computer more often, ready to document the happenings of any particular day into posterity. The screen became the place I would turn to inscribe my feelings about a good day, something delicious I tried, anything that was making me cranky, and the moments that were too beautiful not to share.

For me, it was always a natural thing, as I think it is for anyone who writes. In the same way that a photographer will carry his or her camera to capture a moment, I would find myself jotting down ideas or turns of phrase for me to complete when I was able to write. Even within the confines of my very ordinary life, I found that I didn't want to miss a moment. Blogging meant that not only could I capture a moment in the now, I would have it stored away forever.

Despite the fact that I am writing about my own life (on my personal blog), I can still sometimes fall victim to writers block. I find that this is most likely to happen when I have <i>too much</i> to talk about. If there's something too heavy, too real, or too honest, I sometimes have a hard time getting started. When that happens, I just take a deep breath and start typing. Eventually, something that resembles the story I want to tell pours out. My friend Jacob Kruger gave me this advice, and it has made all of the difference in the times when I am crippled by writers block. (NYC-area writers should really consider taking one of his classes. Jake is an incredibly talented writer and teacher and also, a wonderful person!)

Being someone who writes acts as a challenge in and of itself. The amazing, beautiful, terrible, heart wrenching, wonderful moments in life inspire me to put them down into words, and wanting to write allows me to find the loveliness in the moments that may have otherwise passed me by. When I was much, much younger, this meant scribbling feverishly in notebooks and diaries (girls, remember the ones with the little heart-shaped locks on them?) and now, it looks like sitting at my laptop, usually with a coffee next to me. The method of inscription has changed, but the need to write is the same.

Why do you write? What inspires you??

Brie Latini is a writer, mother, wife, sister, friend, and lover of books, coffee, and trashy TV. She tells her stories at her personal blog, {...a breezy life}, and has been featured at Mamalode, Jersey Moms Blog, and Virtua Woman.



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Friday Five Hop and 5 TED Talks for Bloggers

Welcome to the Friday Five!  We invite you to write your own Friday Five post about anything you want and link it up with us below!  Just one stipulation: if you link up, it must be a Friday Five type of post!  Today's guest Friday Five post comes from Farin who writes over at The Newest Vazquez's.  Farin researched and listened to a bunch of TED talks and is sharing her top 5 talks that bloggers should check out!

5 Essential TED Talks for Bloggers

I love TED talks. Essentially, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talks are videos that allow experts- on a variety of topics- to get their ideas to a large audience. These talks range from "the smelly mystery of the human pheromone" and "how to separate fact and fiction online" to classics such as "my journey to yo-yo mastery".

And since the TED app allows me to save these 'talks' for offline viewing during my commute, I am able to keep myself entertained by a large amount of information. And oftentimes I am watching something and I think "I know someone who could use this information". And, so I've been keeping a list to share with you.

1. Mena Trott: Meet the founder of the blog revolution

2. Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days

3. Jennifer Golbeck: The curly fry conundrum: Why social media “likes” say more than you might think

4. Adam Ostrow: After your final status update

5. Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome

Thanks for sharing these with us Farin!  They all seem like great "talks" to go and listen to!

And now it's your turn!  Do you have a Friday Five post to share?  Link it up below and be sure to hop around to visit and comment on a few others in the hop today!

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The Friday Five Hop & 5 Blogging Tips for New Bloggers

Welcome to the Friday Five!  Each week you can link up you Friday Five post with us!  Whether it's 5 random things from your week, 5 tips on something or 5 places you'd like to visit- all posts of 5 are welcome!  Today's guest Friday 5 post comes from Northeast Bloggers founder, Rachel!

5 Tips for New Bloggers

These tips might be for new bloggers, but sometimes it's nice for even seasoned bloggers to go back to the basics and evaluate their blogs!  I surveyed some fellow bloggers and asked them what blogging tipsthey would give to new bloggers and here are 5 tips I found!

#5: Get Involved in blogging groups so you can network and education yourself! 

From: Reesa of Mama Lew's Blog

If you're part of the Northeast Bloggers then you've already made a step in the right direction on this one!  Joining networking groups on their websites and in their facebook groups is a great way to put your blog out there, gain valuable feedback and grow your blog (not to mention your blogging knowledge!)

#4: Consider your blog design!

There are plenty of free and cheaper templates out there, or you may choose to hire a designer.  Think about how you want to "brand" your blog, what colors and fonts you want to use and what you want to include on your sidebar and pages.  Try to strike the balance between too busy and too boring!  A designer can help you with all of that and more!  One of my personal favorites is Melanie of Adorability Designs!

#3:  Use a great head shot! 

From: Ellie of Creative Geekery

A nice photo of yourself is an important aspect of your blog because, besides your header, it should be one of the first things people see when they go to your site!  Be sure your head shot is clear and don't forget to edit.  Take a lot of photos so you have options to choose the best one!

#2: If you're serious about blogging, go self hosted from the start and buy your domain name!

From: Larisha of We're Parents

There are many reasons to do this, the main one being, of course, ownership of your own content!  Setting it up that way in the first place saves you the hassle of having to switch down the road if you realize you want to make that switch!  For a self hosted blog you will need a hosting service and to purchase your domain name.  I recommend Web Hosting Hub, as they do both for you and they have excellent customer service!  As a bonus they are also offering a discount to Northeast Bloggers members of $3.99/month! (be sure to click the link in this post or on the sidebar for the discounted price!)

#1 Above all, just be yourself!

Don't try to imitate other bloggers.  Write what you know and what you feel comfortable with!  What works for one blogger or another may not work on your blog, just be yourself and the rest will follow!  Think about why you want to blog and what you enjoy about it and focus on those things!

What are your tips for new bloggers?

And now it's your turn!  Do you have a Friday Five post to share with us?  Link it up below, and don't forget to visit a few others in the hop and leave a nice comment!

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