CrystalandComp.com

16 Twitter Tips for Bloggers

You’ve got your blog going.

You’ve implemented the 20 blogging tips I shared a few weeks ago.

Now you want to tackle Twitter, don’t you?

Twitter is one of the best social media outlets for connecting with other bloggers as well as brands and companies. While Twitter is not my top referring social media outlet, it has certainly allowed me to build some amazing relationships and connections which have brought me some great opportunities.

I want to help you figure Twitter out and I know it can be very overwhelming.

Top 16 Tips for Using Twitter as a Blogger

Have a Twitter user name that is relevant to your site name. If you are Crystalandcomp on Twitter and the name of your site is Mom to 5 Boys.com, people may not realize you are the same person. Make it easy for people (companies, readers, fellow bloggers) to mentally associate your tweets to your blog.
Have a Twitter follow icon on your site, preferably above the fold, where your readers can click to follow you on Twitter. Do not make your readers or brands work to follow you. Make it easy, with the click of a button. Evaluate some of the top blogs/sites that you follow. Where are their social networking buttons placed in their site? I am willing to bet they are above the fold.
Wanting to know how to use Twitter effectively? Here is an excellent article about Twitter Best Practices, written by Gail over at GrowMap.
Wondering who is following you back and who is not? Wonder how many Twitter followers you may have lost recently? Who Unfollowed Me is an excellent site for tracking this information. They have a free version and a very affordable paid version.
Twitter only allows 140 characters on each update. Use Bit.ly to shorten a link when sharing a post from your blog, for example. Side note, Bit.ly is also trackable so you can see how many people click-through on your link as well. Here is an example of how I used Bit.ly to keep a Twitter update under 140 characters while including a URL: RT @crystalandcomp is giving away a #free copy of #TotallyTogether by @stephanieodea. Mange your household with ease! http://bit.ly/pn1csc
Use hashtags. Hashtags are a way for people to search for tweets by topic. So, if you are offering a giveaway, for example, use hashtags like #win, #free, #giveaway in a tweet that is promoting this giveaway. This way, people who like to win free stuff can do a search for those hashtags and your tweet will show up in the results even if they do not follow you on Twitter. It is all about exposure, baby!
Use TweetReach! I just learned about this service last month. The brilliant Holly Homer of June Cleaver Nirvana and Business2Blogger shared this tool with me. There is a paid version and a free version, but basically this is a tool that allows you to track the exposure and reach of your tweets. Excellent for providing metrics to brands you are promoting them on Twitter.
Watch this video from Holly Homer where she goes into 8 minutes of detail telling us How Twitter Can Help Us Work With Brands. Did I mention she is brilliant?
Start a Twitter Networking Group. How? Find friends on Twitter that are in your niche. Maybe they blog about crafts like you do. Maybe they are a mom, like you are. Maybe they are a foodie, like you. Follow them. Do some tweeting back and forth. Work it, baby, work it. Repeat with others in your niche. Then ask 5-10 of them to join a Twitter RT Group with you. Basically everyone submits a couple of tweets each day and each person in the group retweets each others tweets. It is like the cherry on top of the cherry on top, and networking. My friend Kelli did this and it has worked beautifully!
Are you on WordPress? Install the plugin TweetMeme. Once installed, it will display a button on each blog post. Now, your readers can easily tweet your posts. Their followers now see your post. They come over. They read. Another cherry on top.
Hop over to Tip Junkie and read this awesome post about How Twitter Works, ’cause I know you’re wondering.
Use Twaitter to schedule tweets. It is free. Say you are working with a brand and you want to give them lots of Twitter exposure. Schedule 2-3 tweets a day for a week about their products. They will notice.
Check to see who is mentioning you. Use the @mentions button on the home screen when logged into your Twitter account. Then, respond to them or tell them thanks for the mention. This will build relationships.
Consider having your Twitter background designed to match or coordinate with your blog design. Branding, baby. When people think of your site, you want your brand to stick with them. Be it a logo, your face, the colors used on your site, be as consistent as possible.
I am told Twitter is most active Tuesday and Thursday from 10a – 2p. Try to be as active during this time frame as possible. And if you are unavailable during that time frame on those days, schedule tweets for that time frame.
RT anything you see that will be of value to your readers. The person you RT’ed will likely stop by and RT something of yours. Or at least mention you and say thank you, which gives you exposure.

Have questions? I will try my hardest to answer them. Share them in the comments below so everyone can learn!

I am sharing this blogging tip on these resourceful sites: i heart naptime, the girl creative, C.R.A.F.T. craftomatic, crafts keep me sane, skip to my lou, making the world cuter, sumos sweet stuff, mad in crafts, tip junkie, craft edition, hope studios, todays creative blog, sew much ado, someday crafts, we are that family, blue cricket designs, somewhat simple, paisley passions, house of hepworths, fun to craft, fingerprints on the fridge, tidy mom, a few of my favorite things and it’s a hodge podge life. Looking for a more copious list? Here are over 50 sites to search for and share projects and tutorials.

20 Tips to Improve Your Blog and Your Online Presence

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 120 Comments

Although I started blogging a little over 3 years ago, it has been a slow and organic journey. By choice.

It is like the guy that starts out in the mail room and then works his way up the ladder. Over time, when he finally makes it to mahogany row, he values every piece of growth along the way.

Image of http, Web Page, Computer Icon, Web Address

I started off on the Blogger platform and honestly saw absolutely no reason to change to WordPress. It really just seemed like a pricey headache. And what does self-hosted mean any way?

Kidding.

Then I started hearing and reading about things like SEO, Google Pagerank, plug-ins, keywords, Google Analytics, Alexa, blogging conferences. For crying out loud, I still get a little overwhelmed with it all.

Soon I found a mentor and started studying the sites I really connected with. I accessed each of these sites from every angle. I would ask myself, why does this reader pull me in?, what is it about their site that makes it easy for me to navigate?, what is it about their site that makes me feel like I am walking away with valueable information when I leave? (Even if it was not tangible, what was I walking away with?) And forget the stereotypical description of the traditional thoughts that pop into your head when you hear the word BLOG. Some of these blogs look like professional websites. They are not just journals anymore.

Earlier this year I made the switch to WordPress. I have not looked back since. Actually, it has inspired me to create a couple of new sites, completely unrelated to Crystal & Co. One thing I’ve realized is that I have gained some pretty valuable information along the way. Some do’s and don’ts, if you will, and I would love to share them with you if you’re new to blogging or considering starting your own.

20 Blogging Tips

The number one tip to always have at the front of your mind is that content is key. Without good content, readers will not stick around. You can have the most beautiful site design, but without quality content you’re not going to keep readers.
Purchase your URL before someone else does. It costs less than $20 a year in most cases.
Install the Alexa toolbar. Here is a great article on the benefits of Alexa.
Have a home button in your navigation bar. You do have a navigation bar right? I do not want to have to manipulate the browser address just to get back to your home page. Here is a tutorial for making your own navigation bar in Blogger.
It is perfectly fine to start off on Blogger to see if blogging is something that you are defiantly going to stick to. After all, WordPress.com requires self hosting, an owned URL, and is generally more expensive to have designed. But once you know your site is a career choice for you, make the switch to WordPress. Does moving intimidate you or seem too expensive? Here is an affordable e-book that walks you through the step by step process of moving from Blogger to WordPress in layman terms.
If you are on Blogger, turn the comment Captcha off. Please. I beg you. It makes me crazy and I hate leaving your site without letting you know I was there. But after I have fought with Captcha a couple of times, I leave your site. And that makes me sad. On WordPress there is an easy plugin to prevent SPAM. Just sayin’.
Install Google Analytics so you can track your growth. You will be surprised where some of your traffic comes from and which posts are most popular. Observe the key words that people are searching when they land on your site. Be aware of which sites are referring visitors to your blog.
Connect with other bloggers. Make an effort to leave comments on five other blogs each day. You’ll meet new people, and it is a great way to get your site out there since your comment can link back to your site.
Have a search box at the top of your site, preferably above the fold. I hate it when I have to spend time hunting it down. Say I land on an awesome craft blog and I want to see if they have birthday party invitation ideas, but I have to spend 5 minutes just searching for the search box. At some point I am just going to move on to the next site.
Have your site categories identified and clearly visible. Your site header is cute. I see a few posts with some good information. But I want to be able to get a general idea of what your site is about in the first 15-20 seconds of arriving.
Be a reader of your own site. Is it easy to search for content and topics? Is your site visually appealing and easy to read? Does it take too long for the site to load? See what other people see when they log onto your site each day.
Go easy on the eyes. While some fonts can be really fun, be considerate of the fact that pretty fonts are not always easy to read. There is a craft site I frequented and I just had to stop. Her font made my eyes crazy. Half the time I could not figure out what the title of each post said. In the same regard, I do not suggest an overly busy layout either. While we all want a pretty site, do not let your layout take away from your great content.
Have a welcome box and/or about page. I want to know more about you. Now, I do not want to know every detail of your life, but I do like to know what we have in common. I want to connect even if it is only virtually. We all want to know there is someone else out there in similar places as our own.
Make contacting you easy. Maybe you are using a way cool plugin for your recipes or I have a simple question I want to ask you directly instead of leaving it in the comment section. I do not want to have to hunt for an email address. Make it obvious by using an icon to catch my eye and maybe even list it in your about me page as well.
Get rid of the clutter. When your sidebars are covered from inch to inch and I do not know up from down and it gets a little overwhelming. Ask yourself before putting it in your sidebar, can my readers benefit from this?
Get involved in linky opportunities within your niche. It is a great way to grow and expose your site to new readers.
Be predictable in the sense that your readers want to know what to expect. If you only post 3 times a week, stick to that. Just say it somewhere- like your about me page. Obviously there are exceptions because we all have a life outside of our sites. But if you go weeks without posting and this is not your norm, your readers may lose interest in coming back. If you’re taking a vacation, just let your readers know you are unplugging for a week. Or schedule some bloggers to guest post on your site.
Respond to comments that people leave you. You do not have to respond to every single one of them, but at least let your readers know that you know they are there.
Get social outside of your blog. Start a community on Facebook and/or Twitter. If time allows, start a Pinterest account (way cool) and Stumble Upon accounts. Is that too much or does it make you feel overwhelmed? Just pick one and start there building your presence and getting to know other bloggers as well as your readers. If your involvement on social media sites affects your ability to produce great content (they can be time suckers), consider some of the free online resources that allow you to schedule Facebook and Twitter updates.
Allow your readers an option to subscribe via feed or email. Feedburner is an awesome and free solution.

What tips have you learned along the way? I would love for you to share them in the comments.

More Blogging Tips from Crystal & Co.

How I Get 120k Pageviews a Month
16 Twitter Tips
Can You Make Money Blogging?
Tip Junkie’s 30 Day Worskshop- From Mom Blog to Money Blog

Blogger Appreciation: June 2011

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 2 Comments

June was an awesome month for Crystal & Co. Our audience is steadily growing- with over 26,000 pageviews for the month! Thank you for always reading, commenting and allowing me a place to share.

I am joining Kelli again this month with 3 Boys and a Dog. I’ve used Google Analytics to determine who my top referring sites are for the month of June. I am not surprised that the top ten blogs that sent traffic my way are all sites that offer weekly linkups which I am committed to participating in.

Crystal & Co’s Top 10 Referring Sites for June

We Are THAT Family– sent 1085 visitors to my site. I love her Works for me Wednesday link up and all the ideas everyone shares!
Tip Junkie– sent 738 readers to my site last month. Have you participated in her Tip Me Tuesday linky? Check out all of her topic specific mini-sites as well. You can search all day long!
Skip to my Lou– sent 721 people to my site. Love her Made by You Monday linky. She has lots of awesome free printables too!
Tatertots and Jello– referred 640 readers to my site. She offers a Friday night link up. Awesomeness my friend.
I Heart Naptime– directed 550 people my way. Love her new lay out and all the ideas people link up and share on her Sundae Scoop linky. Very crafty site.
Org Junkie– sent over 331 visitors. Her Monday Meal Plan linkup keeps me so motivated!
Today’s Creative Blog– sent me 327 readers last month. Monday nights you’ve gotta get your craft on and share you latest project.
Blue Cricket Design– sent over 281 viewers. Another great crafty site with a Tuesday sharing party!
Craftomatic– sent over 257 visitors. She shares awesome crafts and hosts a Sunday night linky so we can share our crafts as well.
The Girl Creative– sent 202 readers to my site. Lover her Something I Whipped Up sharing party every Sunday evening.

Are you wondering if social media sites help send readers to your blog? I say yes, and here are my results for the month.

Social Media

Facebook– referred 878 to my site. Tons of people shared my 80 Summer Activities post on Facebook.
Pinterest– sent over 306 visitors. Have you been introduced to this site yet? Really awesome.
Twitter- sent me 119 peeps. I am a tweeting machine these days.

Most Popular Post

80 Summer Activities for Kids– was clicked on 4,900 times just in June alone. Since it went live back in May it has had over 8,000 clicks being the most popular post ever on Crystal & Co.

WordPress/Thesis Stas

I spent a substantial amount of money back at the first of the year to have my site transferred to WordPress, which is self hosted and also operated under an SEO template called Thesis. Thesis does lots of search engine optimization for me to promote my site. Was it worth it?

Yes.

During the month of June 2011, Google organically sent 4,225 readers to my site who were searching keywords like pirate cupcakes, summer activities for kids, free summer activities, etc. Compare that to one year ago when my site was literally owned by Blogger, and Google organically sent 31 readers to my site.

I say WordPress and Thesis are certainly blogging solutions!

Blogger Appreciation Day: May 2011

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 8 Comments

May was a very good month here at Crystal & Co. We had 23,606 pageviews.

My referral numbers are through the roof this month. One post in particular brought tons and tons of traffic to my site. Which post you ask- 80 Inexpensive or Free Summer Activities for Kids. From March 22-30 this post alone had 3,121 pageviews. I even found this sucker listed on one of Disney’s forums, baby! It has been everywhere and viewed by many.

As I have shared with you before, each month I make a concentrated effort to share any post that includes tips, tutorials, crafts, resources, mommy solutions, and now recipes, on different blogs that offer linkups. By doing this, people interested in subjects I write about are finding my site where otherwise they may not have. In turn, they are becoming followers of my site, via RSS feed, Google Friend Connect, or email subscription. While my pageviews are awesome from all the referrals I receive by linking up to other sites, I think it is important to note my site is also gaining regular and consistent readers.

To that I say thank you. Thank you to those who are reading what I publish here at Crystal & Co. I hope that what you find here is interesting and helpful. I hope that you see it as a place to gain all kinds of information about this journey we call mommyhood.

With that said, here are the sites that sent readers my way last month.

Top 10 Referrers for May 2011

Skip to my Lou- brought me 1,254 visitors.
We Are That Family- sent 784 readers my way.
Tip Junkie- referred 642 people to my site.
I Heart Naptime- sent 406 visitors to Crystal & Co.
Org Junkie- brought me 316 visitors last month.
Todays Creative Blog- referred 298 visitors to my site.
Blue Cricket Design- sent over 262.
Be Different Act Normal- brought 204 readers to my site.
Tidy Mom- forwarded 195 people over.
The Creative Girl- brought 178 people my way.

My message to other bloggers– linking up works if you are wanting to get your site out there and bring readers your way! I think my numbers certainly support that. Find bloggers in your niche that offer opportunities for you to share what you’re publishing on your site.

Social Media Referrals

Social media is hot and happening. Each time I publish a post, I share it on Facebook and Twitter. I also work hard to share any article or blog post I find as I am out surfing cyberspace with my followers in these two communities. I have a strong desire to build a relationships with my readers, bringing them value each day, both on my site and in the places they follow me. Here are the referrals from each of these platforms for the month of May.

Facebook: sent 764 visitors
Twitter: sent 118 visitors

Want to dissect your blogs analytics? Check out Kelli over at 3 Boys and a Dog. Each month she offers a blogger appreciation day where we all thank our top ten referrers.

Editing Photos

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 9 Comments

My good friend Kim recently purchased her first DSLR camera. Digital single-lens reflex camera, in layman terms. I’ve been telling her about some online editing programs, specifically the editing program I use for the photos that I post here on my site. I know all of this can be a little overwhelming, but I figured a post would be a great place to share some the online tools I use as well as illustrate just how easy it is to edit and give your photos a whole new life and a new story or spin.

I use Picnik.com, which is owned by Google. Anyone can get a free account and it is super duper easy to use!

There is a paid version of their program as well, but it is very affordable. The paid version gives you access to all of the premium editing features and it allows you to store up to 100 photos at a time. I do their month to month option for $4.95, but you can get a year long premium membership for around $20.00. With all of that said, when you’re just starting out, the free version is perfect.

The interface is so user friendly, yet gives your photos a professional feel. I know people who use it just for their personal use, as well as for editing their photos for their blogs and even professional photographers who use it as their main editing tool in their business.

I am going to share two photos that Kim sent me from a family event we were both at this weekend. (She has no idea I am doing this….) Hi Kim!

Editing Photos Using Picnik Online

Here is the original photo untouched:

. . . . .

For this edited version I:

cropped (edit tab)
clicked autofix (edit tab) this button automatically evens out all the tones and brightens it a bit
click cross process feature (create tab)
add text with color (create tab)

. . . . .

For this edited version I:

cropped (edit tab)
clicked autofix (edit tab)
clicked vibrance(create tab) vibrance is a premium feature, but the one I use most often
added my site as a watermark in text (create tab)

. . . . .

For this edited version I:

cropped (edit tab)
clicked autofix (edit tab)
clicked 1960’s feature with rounded corners (create tab)
added a quote using text (create tab)

. . . . .

Here is another original photo of Matthew with my friend Kim’s oldest son Sean. Hi Sean!

. . . . .

For this edited version I:

cropped it (edit tab)
selected the bunny tone feature (create tab)- this is an ‘Easter’ feature that lightens your picture signifigantly
selected the vignette feature (create tab)- this is what gives the photo the darkened edges
added text with my site address (create tab)

See how much the picture changed? Same images, so many possibilities! And it really is simple!

You can also save your edited images to a card, disc, etc., and take them to the local drugstore or print shop and print pictures to your hearts content.

I am sharing this post on these crafty and rsourceful sites.

Candidly Speaking

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 13 Comments

Babble has released their annual top 50 mom blog list. There are categories such as; Babble Best, Funniest, Most Controversial, Most Useful, Best Written, etc. A couple of the blogs I follow are listed- Pioneer Woman and Enjoying the Small Things. As I looked over the top 50 list, I started to feel like a real loser. Which is just silly, but I did. A loser because I am left thinking, oh my goodness how the heck did they do this? These women truly are amazing!

When I started blogging (next week I will have three years under my belt), it was just a means of informing my family of the latest antics my kids were pulling. Even if no one read what I was writing about, I felt like I was getting it out there. Being a stay at home mom can be brutal and isolating and we start to think are my kids the only ones who do crazy crap, like put the handheld can opener in the microwave and press the on button simply to point and laugh at the sparks?

And I will be honest. When I first started blogging I had no idea women made money doing this. Then, when Matthew was a baby, I was nursing him in the rocking chair and watching Oprah, and she had this slew of bloggers on her show- Dooce was one of the headliners. Dooce blogs and makes 6 figures at it. As I recall her story, Dooce’s husband left his corporate job to work with his wife at running her site. Their story is not the only one. Many, many women make money doing this. They get book deals, the are hired to run sites for larger companies (from home), they run the social media communities for large well known brands, etc. Who stinkin’ knew?!

My goals started out small. One of my first goals was to simply post on a regular basis. Provide consistent content that connects with mom’s. Then, I wanted to reach 1,000 pageviews a month. Then I wanted 1,000 pageviews a week. Once I hit 6,000 pageviews in a month I wanted 10,000. You get it- blogging is like crack. Connecting with other mom’s is addicting. Now my site is reaching anywhere from 18,000 – 24,000 pageviews a month, and while this is amazing to me, there are sites getting that much traffic in one single day.

I love to write. I love to share. If I have given anyone the impression that I am this June Cleaver, cupcake bakin’, perfect little ’round the clock Mommy Blogger, boy is that far from the truth. For crying out loud, ask anyone who calls my house after 9:00 at night, my kids are generally still causing havoc in the background. Your kids are likely in bed. As a matter of fact, Matthew was playing baseball (in the house) while wearing nothing but a Pull-up (are Pull-ups not the biggest waste of money?) with daddy at about 10:00 last night. ‘Cause that is how the chaos rolls at my house. My site is not about looky- looky at how great I am. And if you are left feeling that way, that is truly not my intention. Just know that while I am baking those cupcakes, my house is a holy-hell mess.

My point? Blogging is real. Being a Mommy Blogger, Food Blogger, Craft Blogger, or whatever you choose to identify with, can be a real job. You can make revenue. And yes, naturally, that has become my next step. Blogging is my career path. It is. And, if Pillsbury wants to buy an ad spot in my sidebar, more power to them, to you, and to me. We all benefit. If you are a blogger yourself this will not come as a surprise to you, but honestly, preparing content for this site, editing (photos and content), networking in the social media realm, sending/checking/responding to emails, negotiating offers with companies, working with PR groups to obtain giveaways and items for review, and just the day to day doings of running this site easily consumes 40 hours of my life every week. Easily! So, at some point if I can make a full time income from it, I am on board. Because connecting here is my passion. Being a resource to other mom’s is important to me. And sharing the struggles and successes is what this is all about. In my world anyway.

Blogger Appreciation Day: December 2010

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 2 Comments

It is time to analyze my blog’s traffic from last month. This will tell us where my traffic is coming from, as well as how many visitors and pageviews my site is receiving.

Let me just say, WOW! December brought the most pageviews for me since I started blogging- 9,588! This is huge for my site as I continue to work, grow, and provide my readers with resources.

Sure, there are blogs that get 150,000 pageviews per month. Maybe I will be there someday. But in the meantime, I am going to enjoy the milestones I reach as I work hard to share things each day with other mom’s.

What did I do different this month from other months? Three things.

1) I had a week of steady giveaways/product reviews. This is all thanks to an awesome group of bloggers that I am networking with- The Better Living Network.

2) I shared my crafts and tutorials on oodles of sites. This was a lot of time invested, but in turn, new readers found me.

3) I’ve really kicked my networking with other blogger up a few notches.

Below is a list of the top 10 blogs that sent traffic my way in December.

1) We Are That Family– sent me 636 visitors. Every Wednesday I participate in her Works for Me Wednesday link-up sharing a post that could be helpful to other parents.

2) OrgJunkie– sent me 396 visitors. Every Monday I share my weekly meal plan on her site.

3) Tip Junkie– sent me 306 visitors. I list my giveaways on her site from time to time . But, the last week of December I participated in her Tip Me Tuesday link-up, which I had never done before. My traffic skyrocketed that day! (Tip Me Tuesday is different from submitting a tip to her that she later features in a post.)

4) Tight Wad in Utah– sent me 258 visitors. This is a new-to-me-site. She will list any giveaway you have that is ending within a week and has less than 200 entries.

5) Eat At Home– sent me 138 visitors. I love her site and her recipes!

6) Blue Cricket Design– sent me 133 visitors. This is another new-to-me-site that I found in November. Every Wednesday she offers a link-up for crafts and tutorials. Love this! Check her out.

7) Some Day Crafts– sent me 108 visitors. Another site I found recently that offers a weekly link-up for crafts and tutorials. Cute stuff over there!

8) Blog Giveaways– sent me 95 visitors. This is a blog that will list your giveaways for FREE! I love her site.

9) Creative Party Place– sent me 78 visitors. I love sharing any of my tutorials that are perfect for a party or celebration. If you are having a party sometime soon, this is a great site to search for ideas.

10) The Creative Girl– sent me 67 visitors. Another site that I just found recently and starting linking-up my crafty tutorials.

Here are the social network numbers. I like to share these because I when I started using Twitter and Facebook as a way to network, I repeatedly heard from other bloggers that Twitter was the bomb. While it is great, I really like the relationships I get to build with my readers using Facebook.

Facebook– sent me 214 visitors.
Twitter– sent me 134 visitors.
Stumble– sent me 312 visitors. This is something I just started using and as you can see it rocks! It is a way to network and share but is different from Facebook and Twitter. My amazing readers and online friends have Stumbled what I write and in turn people visit my site.

Here is my advice to you, if you are not participating in weekly link-ups in your niche, give it a try. This will help readers find you and just might bring you new loyal readers as well!

Want to join in the fun and share your thanks to the sites that referred traffic to your blog? Hop over to Kelle’s blog, 3 Boys and a Dog, and join in the fun.

Thank you to everyone who helped make December an AMAZING month for Crystal & Co.!

Blogger Appreciation Day- November 2010

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 2 Comments

It is that time again where we reflect on our blogs traffic, growth and improvement.

There is a great blog I follow- 3 Boys and a Dog. The author, Kelli, allows us to all link up once a month and share our growth and give gratitude to those sites who have sent traffic our way. It is a great opportunity to learn from one another, but most importantly, thank the sites that are referring traffic to you.

Traffic lands on your site one of three ways- directly, refereed by another site, or by search engines. Here is a break down of mine for the month of November:

Almost 80% of my traffic comes from other blogs, websites, feeds, linkups (also known as memes or blog carnivals) and social media outlets. ï»¿

Here are the top ten sites who referred traffic to my blog during the month of November. And to them I say a big thank you!

: :

We Are THAT Family– sent 724 visitors to my site. Seriously! She offers a weekly link-up (meme/blog carnival) where we all share things that work for us. I participate every week. So I am here to tell you that linking up does help you increase your exposure.

Org Junkie– sent 566 visitors to my site. Every Monday I link-up with hundred of others and share my weekly meal plan. Again, participating in these link ups really help increase your traffic and help you get found.

Creative Party Place– sent me 111 visitors in November. I have shared many of my birthday party ideas over on this site over the last six months or so and readers are still visiting my site from these link-ups.

Eat at Home– sent me 80 visitors. Not only do I love her site and regularly create her recipes for my family, but we are also part of a Better Living Network together. In other words, networking rocks!

Tip Junkie– sent me 69 visitors. I love to share anything fun I make over on her site. I also list my giveaways on her site as well.

Mommy PR– sent me 64 visitors in November. An excellent site for sharing your giveaway opportunities. Use this form for submitting your giveaway to their awesome site!

Tidy Mom– sent me 40 visitors. Each Friday she offers a link-up where you can share any crafty tutorial you’ve done on your site.

Multiples and More– sent me 36 visitors. I am on their blogroll. This is an excellent site for anyone expecting multiples or raising multiples. Lots of advice, pointers and tips from been- there- done- that moms!

The Creative Girl– sent me 36 visitors. I link up at her site on Monday’s and share any crafty tutorial or DIY project I’ve done.

House of Grace– sent me 33 visitors. On Tuesday’s she offers a link up to share any Twice Blessed item(s) you’ve found. I like to share my Goodwill and thrifty finds.

Social Networking is a big deal for me as well.

Facebook– sent me 138 visitors (I love Facebook!)

Twitter– sent me 51 visitors (learning to love Twitter)

Stumble Upon– sent me 46 visitors (this is new to me)

Now, I’m off to leave a comment on each of the above sites to thank them for sending traffic my way. It is the nice thing to do! 🙂

Want to participate in Blogger Appreciation, too? Hop over to 3 Boys and a Dog for all the details!

(Also, swing by and check out an awesome article from another great blog I follow, Mommy Moment, Top Ten Blog Traffic KILLERS!)

Love Your Work and You’ll Find Pleasure in Mastering It

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 11 Comments

So this is how the story goes…

I went to this conference last month- well, I prefer to call it blogging professional development. Hey, why not? I paid for it. I learned. I acquired some new skills. I was developed- professionally. (Yes, my family thinks I’m ~~a little~~ off my rocker. I beg to differ.)

Imagine a room of 100+ women. Blogging women to be exact. (Me in the corner sucking my thumb.) It was our chance to connect and network and of course learn. Topics like understanding SEO, blogging your truth, maintaining your privacy, and a tool kit to keep close to you were the topics that met our crack-like-blogging-needs. We were totally like kids in a candy store.

While professionally developing at this conference I met some of the real, living, breathing people behind some of the blogs I follow. The author of Ramblings of a Closet Writer was one of them.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am back to life as normal- always on time to the carpool line, joyfully embracing hours of never ending 6th grade homework, never getting kicked out of the public library because my 19 month old is too loud, a spotless clean house with perfectly folded and put away laundry. (Have you seen my header? You know I am lying.) Christina reached out to me and asked if I would like to be involved in a project where a group of us share basic tips and advice for newbie bloggers. The topic she wanted me to write about- loving your work to find pleasure in mastering it. (Crap, did I really post this quote on my Facebook page?)

My chin hit the floor, cause honey in human years I am still a newbie myself. In blogging years, every six months gives you tenure. And every six months you add a jewel to your maven crown. Let’s face it, this blogging stuff can be pretty cut throat. People start new blogs every day and within a few months they’ve lost their desire or drive or just did not find their voice or their audience. It can totally turn Donald Trump on ya- you’re fired!

The real kicker to me was that Christina is calling our group The Blogging Mavens. This absolutely rocks my world because in my real life I am surround by a houseful of boys (five to be exact). I regularly sit on a toilet seat covered in pee. I run sticks, rocks, bugs and MP3 players through my washer and dryer. (If you want to keep your stuff you better check your own pockets ’cause I’ll wash it.) For crying out loud, I’ve walked through the grocery store with a child’s booger smeared on my neck, unbeknownst to me of course. And I constantly find myself in a foggy room filled with… what in creation is that smell!? (I swear they are gentlemen.) So to be a maven, even if only virtually, is such a special treat. To finally act like I know what I am doing…

Hold on a second while I fix my crown.

Ok, I’m back.

We all blog for different reasons. We all find our voice at a different speed. We all fall into a niche of some sort. Some do not want to be called mommy bloggers. Others have an eye for writing about fashion or fitness or strictly crafts. Maybe your thing is home renovation, real estate trends or economics?

We can all fake it ’til we make it (a brilliant quote I can not take credit for- thank you Tiffany of SITS), but here is the thing, if we do not love what we’re doing, just like in a nine to five gig, we will never find pleasure in mastering it.

The same is true for blogging.

For me, blogging is my soundboard. It is my place where I share the struggles of the day to day life doing the thing I absolutely love- being a mommy. I share the crazy stories about my kids, the things that work for me and my absolute hate for laundry. (Laundry is something I will never find pleasure in mastering in case you’re wondering.) There are times I can not sleep because there is something I have got to write about, this moment, and I honestly get up at 3:00 a.m. to blog it (as one of my four year olds would say). There are days that I give hours and hours of my life to writing and editing content. And why? Because I know I can be a resource to others. I know someone out there (an absolute stranger probably) can walk away with some sort of connection even if it is simply just knowing they are not alone in the imperfect mommy experience. And I absolutely love that. The being a resource. The sharing honesty. Giving a part of myself to those who stop by and take a minute to read. That mom out there that needed confirmation today that she is not the only one feeling lost on this journey through motherhood who does not recognize that woman starring back at her in the mirror.

Hold on- I gotta regroup. Breathe.

And this my friend is what I love. It comes natural. I feel like I’ve some how made a difference. Not to mention it supports my oldest child birth order needs to be the helping mother hen.

Maybe you are just starting out and you’re trying to find your voice? Are you struggling with content or what to write about? Kelley is your Content Maven. Maybe you have a story but just do not feel like a confident writer because grammar and all that important punctuation stuff gets in the way? Missy is your Word Nerd Maven. Maybe all the social networking and building your community just kinda sends you over the edge? Liz is your Twitter Maven.

You have this voice. You have this passion. But how do you funnel it into a piece of work?

You must love it first. It must be a desire you truly want because if you love what you’re doing, and what you’re doing is blogging, you will absolutely find pleasure in mastering it.

At your speed.

On your time table.

In your corner of this blogging world sharing your voice.

Dang, forget this maven stuff, I shoulda been a life coach or something.

Now, do you want to take your blog to the next level? Make sure you check out Holly tomorrow who is the author of June Cleaver Nirvana and is our Rollin’ in the Dough Maven. She’s got your back if you’ve got your passion.

As a side note, if you’ve got a minute, you need to check out the story of LaQuishe Wright. If this message about loving your work to find pleasure in mastering it hits home for you, her story totally sums it all up. Her site started as an escape from the pressures of daily life with two little ones, one of which was diagnosed with a life changing medical condition. She started writing about her new found favorite film star- Channing Tatum. It was her passion… her outlet. A couple of years later her passion has turned into a full time opportunity where she professionally promotes Channing’s movies and projects (as well as his wife’s)! She is totally their sidekick. And it all started as a passion- one that she loved and one that she certainly mastered!

Blogger Appreciation October 2010

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 11 Comments

When I attended Bloggy Boot Camp, Laurie Turk, the author of Tip Junkie, expressed the importance of thanking the sites who send visitors to your site.

I’ve been doing this for a while- we call it Blogger Appreciation.

As a matter of fact, each month Kelli over at 3 Boys and a Dog, hosts a link up for everyone to share our posts where we give Blogger Appreciation to the top ten sites that referred visitors to our blog. (Use Google Analytics to provide these stats to you. The stats below reflect my top referring sites for October 1- 31, 2010.)

Why should you do this each month?

1) It let’s other bloggers see where and how you get your traffic. New bloggers are always wondering how traffic lands on all these amazing blogs out there in cyberspace.

2) It is a way for the sites that take the time to coordinate link ups/carnivals/memes. etc., to see their efforts are providing a resource for others.

3) It is another way to network.

I also suggest that after you publish your Blogger Appreciation post, you visit each of the ten sites on your list and leave a comment letting them know how many visitors they referred to your site for the month and thank them. Provide a link to your Blogger Appreciation post in the comments. From there, other readers will be interested in your success and visit your site. The blog author will be happy to see your success too because it is a success for her as well. She’ll likely visit your site once she reads the comment! (awesome!)

Then link up over at Kelli’s site and share this success with the lovely group of blogger over there as well.

Essentially it is another way to network and share our progress and allow other bloggers the opportunity to indirectly learn more about the great sites out there that are increasing traffic for each of us!

Now, here are my top ten referring sites for October 2010:

We Are THAT Family– sent me 488 visitors. Every Wednesday I link up and share the latest thing that works for me and my family. Sometimes it is a craft, sometimes it is a tip or pointer, but the point is it drives traffic to my blog and I am providing a resource for readers!

Org Junkie– sent me 360 visitors. Every Monday I link up and share my weekly meal plan on this site. 300-400 other women do the same and we all visit each other’s blogs to get new dinner and recipe ideas. In turn, it drives more traffic to my site.

Eat at Home- sent me 189 visitors. I visit this site regularly and leave comments about the delicious food she makes. I make a lot of her stuff too and then leave my feedback about how much my family enjoyed it. I also guest post from time to time and share one of my recipes with her readers. This sends traffic to my blog.

Creative Party Place– sent me 181 visitors. Totally dig this site. I submit all of my fun party ideas here and people come and check out my site after viewing some of my projects that I have shared over there. If you are planning a birthday party or celebration of any sort check this site out for tons a great ideas! Seriously!

Twinfinity– sent me 97 visitors. The author of this site is Sonora and she is on my Twins {& MORE} Board. She guest posts on my site once a month and her awesome readers stop by my site to check out what she has to say!

Tip Junkie– sent me 70 visitors. This site has ideas for everything! Refinishing furniture, holiday decorations and ideas, crafty tutorials, teacher gift ideas, the list goes on and on. I submit all of my fun crafty things over at her site- and you should too! It is an easy way to build your readership!

The Girl Creative– sent me 43 visitors. New site that I just found last month. She does a weekly link up where bloggers share their crafty ideas.

Tidy Mom– also sent me 43 visitors. Another new site that I just found last month. Every Friday she offers a link up for bloggers to share their cool crafty ideas. I only participated once last month and by participating one Friday it sent 43 visitors to my site. That is awesome!

Blog Giveaways– sent me 38 visitors. I list all of my giveaways on her site. It is free and an awesome resource.

House of Grace– sent me 37 visitors. Once a week she does a link up called Twice Owned Tuesday. Bloggers share their thrifty finds. I love to show the things I score at Goodwill, garage sales and local resale shops! Cool site with lots of ideas!

Each month I also like to share my social network referral numbers. A lot of bloggers rave about Twitter and how it helps build their readership and community. For me, while Twitter is awesome, I have found that Facebook sends more readers my way. Every time I update my blog, I share the new post on both Twitter and Facebook. Here are the referrals from each site:

Facebook– sent me 132 visitors.
Twitter- sent me 51 visitors.

Now, hop over and share your success and top referrals at 3 Boys and a Dog! Here is to an awesome November!

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