Honest Truth About Blogging #2

I don't know about all of you, but blogging is one of my favorite things to do. I know I have said that many times, but it's true. You know what else is true about blogging?

It's not always fun. Yep, I said it. I have read so many blogs that say things like "don't blog if you don't enjoy it," "it shouldn't feel like work," yada yada yada. I'm going to be brutally honest. I don't always love blogging. It's not always enjoyable. Sometimes I post things that are hard to write. Sometimes I post things that aren't peachy and pretty. Sometimes I sit down to write a post and literally, my mind goes_______________! Completely blank! No joke! Ever been there?

I sat down just yesterday to write a fun post about the lake and the things that the Lord revealed to me while I was there and just the fun stuff I did and when I sat down. Nothing!

Days like that are not fun. Days where I have a billion thoughts going through my head and absolutely everything I type leads me to another thought and I can't type fast enough to get it all out. Not only can I not get it all out, but I can't organize it at that moment, and when I get done typing, I am so worn out that I don't want to go back and read all the jumbled mess that I just wrote out.

I know that a huge part of blogging and keeping your readers engaged continuing to post (most people suggest that you post at least two times a week) however, that is difficult sometimes. I know that life gets crazy, busy, and you don't even care to write sometimes, but you do it anyway just to "keep readers engaged," but I have to be honest. I don't think that keeps them engaged when you just write random nothing and post it to get views, engage people, etc. I think this honestly draws them away from your blog.

I have been guilty of this and I totally bought into the lie that I had to post something not to lose readership, followers, fans, etc., but the truth is, your content is key! Don't just post random junk. I will be the first to admit that I have posted junk. I made an editorial calendar and then, just because next week has three post ideas and deadlines, I would normally try to write them all out and get them done, but I am learning that CONTENT is seriously the key to post success!

What is post success? Well, that depends on your own personal beliefs. For me, I count success in posting as sending something out into the world wide web that is potentially beneficial to someone, keeps with the theme of things on CTB, encourages, builds up, and speaks truth. A successful post is one that doesn't necessarily have 10,000 views the first ten minutes it's posted, but you can be content and happy with the content you put up.

Happy Typing bloggers!

Let's Be Friends #64

I am so excited to be joining in again to the Let's Be Friends Blog Hop! It has not only grown, but it has gotten better than ever! Tiffany over at The Dwelling Tree (you can click on her button over here >>> to the right and go check it out) has now made her blog hop a content share link up instead of just a you follow me, I follow you blog hop (which is what the majority of the ones I have ever participated in have been). But this is such a neat and fresh take on blog hopping. You go read the blogger's best posts from the week and get to know their writing style and passion a lot quicker. You don't just see a blog hop button but you see great content and the blogger at her/his best. I am so excited about this and will continue to join in as much as possible and you should too!


P.S. For all of you bloggers if you missed the start to the Blog Calendar Editorial Guide, here it is.

8 Questions You Should Answer in Order to Create an Effective Editorial Calendar

So here it is! I have been working on this FOR-EV-ER! I am finally sitting down and finishing it and can tell you what not to and what to do in order to make it your own and make it functional.

My Editorial Calendar will start and end in May, NOT January, like I am sure most everyone's does and should, but for my life, May works better I guess.

Before you read the Monthly list of suggestions, Please read through the 8 Questions You Should Answer in Order to Create an Effective Editorial Calendar:

Before you create your Editorial Calendar:

1. Do you want yours to look similar to everyone else's or do you NEED it to be unique to your crazy schedule. With this question remember that you don't have to do a monthly calendar, you could just do a simple idea calendar or a quarterly update calendar, etc. Be Creative!
2. How often do I want to create a new post and schedule it? You DON'T HAVE to post Every single day if you don't want to, it's your blog! Hello!
3. Do I have a niche? What is it? How do my post ideas fit in that niche?
4. What are my "MUST HAVE" Post Ideas?

After you create your Editorial Calendar:

1. Do the ideas I have down help anyone else or are they just for reading pleasure? Should I change this if it isn't helpful?
2. How many hours/week will the ideas I have down take me to sit and write out.
3. Do these posts require anything such as pictures, artwork, a download link, links of any kind, etc. to be added before posting and how long will adding all of that into my post take?
4. Do I feel good and confident in my ideas?

IF you are good with all the answers to all of the questions above, then get busy! 

If you are interested in a free downloadable worksheet please feel free to send a quick email to: info{at}chosentheblog{dot}com with the subject line saying: "Editorial Worksheet Please!" And I will send it right over to you (you don't have to write a message, if you don't want I know what you are looking for, but I'd love to hear from you if you're feeling chatty)

Quick Idea Generating Monthly Cheat Sheet:

May
Flowers
My Husband's Birthday
My Mom's Birthday
National Teacher's Day
Mother's Day
Armed Forces Day
Memorial Day
Blog Goals for the Year
Graduations

June
Summer
Father's Day
Vacation Ideas
Weddings

July
Independence Day
Traveling
Cookin' Out (Chili Cheese Dog Day- A Made Up Holiday I would love to celebrate)
Summer Outing Ideas

August
Mine & My Brother's Birthday, and My Step-mom's Birthday
Back to School Fair
Cleaning our SUMMER JUNK! (How does that stuff accumulate anyway?!?)
Normal Schedule Back in order
National Marshmallow Toasting Day (Yes! We will Celebrate!)

September
Labor Day
Dad' s Birthday
Grandparent's Day
Fall, Fall, Fall!!!
Remembering 9-11

October
More Fall
Hello Lovely Blog Awards/Conference
Trunk or Treat

November
Thanksgiving Day
Black Friday
Veteran's Day
Thankful for My PawPaw

December
Snow
Decorating
Apple Cider
Gift Ideas
Christmas
Jesus' Birthday
Christmas Eve Gift
Missions Conference

January
Wedding Anniversary
Goals
New Year's Ideas
Organization Ideas
Cleaning out Christmas Clutter

February
Valentine's Day
50% off Chocolate Day (day after Valentines day)
Love
Single's Valentine's Day Celebration Ideas
Date Nights

March
First Day of Spring!
Spring Cleaning
Gardening Ideas

April
Rainy Day Ideas
Easter
Earth Day
Going Green Ideas
Passover

I hope this helps! If you have any suggestions, PLEASE add them in a comment below. I would love to hear them!

Honest Truth About Blogging

I have been dreading this post but I feel it is necessary. I keep sending out all of these posts apologizing for spending so much time away from my blog, but the more I think about it…the more I'm not sorry. During the past few months, getting married, going on our honeymoon, moving into his house, adjusting to living together, getting a new job, AND blogging. I admit, I have been absolutely horrible! I said HORRIBLE at doing all of that AND blogging, but that's life. Blogging can wait.

With all of that said, I do love blogging, it just takes time! So, I have decided for the rest of the year I am going to focus on living life and NOT blogging. BUT I am going to blog while I do it and here is how:

1. I'm going to schedule time every Friday to sit down and go over what happened that week so I can develop what parts I want to put on here.
2. I'm going to make an editorial calendar that works and fits my schedule. 
3. I'm going to start carrying a Blog notebook with me everywhere I go.
4. I'm going to let it slide when I forget to blog about something or just simply don't have time to get on my computer to post something.
5. I'm going to write out my "weekly" or "series" posts all at once and schedule them to be posted.

I hope these 5 Steps will help any of you struggling to keep up with your blog as well.

5 Marketing Mistakes Bloggers Make

1. Only having a bolg doesn't help much with marketing your blog or shop. The most common place that I know of to not only gain readership but also keep up with your favorite blogs is Bloglovin'
2. Not Linking your blog to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. There are a number of other sites that allow you to link in your blog as a part of your profile. These are just a few examples, but a necessary place to link your blog to. I have been shocked to see how many people don't link their blogs to their Facebook pages.
3. Not using an editorial calendar. I have found that the hardest part of blogging is getting too busy. I forget to post things like Thankful Thursdays (last week for example) and I know I do it every week, but I haven't been keeping up with my calendar in order to keep up my posts. Continuing posting on a regular basis is a kind of a big deal when it comes to marketing. It helps your followers know when to look for new content, what to expect, etc.
4. Not Keeping Up with followers. Don't forget about the people who comment on your posts. Keep up with them. Visit their blogs. Comment on their blogs and help them out whenever possible. I know for me, Tiffany at The Dwelling Tree has been a huge support in my blogging and it is always encouraging to hear from her. 
5. Not commenting on other blogs. Just like keeping up with your followers and keeping up with the people that comment on your posts. You should return the favor and comment on blogs that you visit frequently. As well as, stopping by to check out a few of their followers blogs too.

Give people plenty of avenues to get to your blog.

Give them plenty of content to read (good content!).

Write read-worthy content regularly.

Resources for Blogger* Bloggers

I have been trying for months to update my html to get a custom Pin button on my blog photos. After trying to do it myself through using all the code my brain knows. I took it to Pinterest. Instantly felt dumb and stubborn for not doing so before and found this awesome tutorial:

Then there's my signature. I haven't been trying for months to automatically add it to my posts, because I didn't even know you could do that! So while looking at Pinterest for the first tutorial, I found this one: 

I have also been debating for the last few months on whether or not to create a Facebook page. Well, I did it! This tutorial made it extremely easy to customize and, you know, make it cute! 

Plus her blog is awesome!

Finally, this was my own pin, but in case you have bloggers block, ever! Here is my list of go-to's. I created it with a few prompts that could be used throughout the year and more than once. 

Blogger's Block? Here's Your Cure!

1. We all love pictures! Pick 3 from your phone or camera and tell us a story about each one.
2. Tell us about your favorite childhood memory.
3. Give us your best dating advice.
4. Married? Re-tell us about your wedding day, would you do anything differently? Was is perfect? Give us some cute pictures!
5. Not married? Tell us about your dream wedding, include pictures and or link your Pinterest board to your post.
6. Give us a list. We like lists! Of your favorite blogs.
7. Have you been wondering about something lately, big or small? Ask us! Let us answer your question.
8. Favorites Post! These are some of my favorite to read. Pick 10 Categories and tell us your favs!
9. The Classic, "A Day in the Life" of YOU post.
10. Ask for a guest post from a friend.
11. Do a review. I don't really love these, but they're helpful!
12. Give us a piece of your mind. Tell us something you are passionate about. Even if we already know, figure out how to tell us in a new and fresh way.
13. Go on an adventure and tell us about it.
14. Do a throw back, tell us about an old adventure that we've never heard about.
15. Recipe, Recipe, Recipe. Give us one or two or a few of your all-time favs and we want to see pictures of your creations.
16. What are your Go-To sites for blog help or resources? Please share them.
17. Be Real! Tell us how you learned from a failure.
18. Six Post! This is actually a new series I am going to do in August. Start telling us six random things about you each week. Or just do this as one post.
19. Write a review of a new movie that has recently come out and you've seen. It's a good excuse for a movie night!
20. Your favorite movie. Even if it's old school. Tell us what it is and why you love it.
21. Your favorite book. Tell us all about it!
22. Try something new. Then write about it and take pictures!
23. Tell us your testimony (even if you already have tell it again…)
24. Has the Lord taught you something new? 
25. Favorite scripture or just one that means a lot to you and why?
26. Do a fashion post. Tell us what your favorite summer wears are.
27. What do you worry about? We all do it, tell us something you have given to the Lord that you have worried about in the past? Or that you still worry about.
28. Do a blog challenge. This could be one (51)
29. How do you wear your hair on a daily basis? Always the same? We want to see it. Always different? We want to see it. Take pictures and tell us about it.
30. How often do you deep clean your house/apt.? Give us a room by room list of what that consists of for you.
31. Did you go to college? Now would be a perfect time to help out those new students with first time college advice.
32. Co-Host a blog party. There are tons of bloggers that do this and would be happy for you to co-host. Tiffany @TheDwellingTree hosts a great one!
33. Are you an expert? At anything? Washing dishes, budgeting, writing, listening, crafting, movie trivia, song lyrics, making ice cream, texting, etc. Tell us about your random expert-ness. We want to hear about it.
34. Visit any new Pinterest links lately? Tell us about your Pinterest adventure.
35. Tell us about a person that inspires you.
36. Tell us about a person that you love.
37. What is your dream vacation? Have more than one, do a dream vacation mini-series.
38. Tell us what your dream job is and why. If you already have done this, use your imagination and dream up a new one.
39. Tell us about a new style you want to try but haven't yet (don't worry if anyone steals it, it will be time stamped on your blog so you can claim it).
40. Indoors or Outdoors? Which do you prefer and why? 
41. What's your favorite color combination? Or combinations? Show them to us and tell us why.
42. Start a bucket list. Already have one? Add to it and do an update!
43. Set goals for your blog this month and let us in on what they are.
44. Start a new series. Examples: Thankful Thursdays
45. What holiday is coming up next? Don't just do the normal, here's what i did with who and give pictures (well do that too) but we want to hear about something random, like your holiday outfit, or your favorite thing you ate during the holiday, or start a series on Christmas and incorporate one of these things a day. Make up some new traditions or tell us about ones you already have.
46. Find a cool YouTube video and share it with us. Tell us why you like it first though!
47. What are your thoughts on movie ratings these days? Should the movies we watch in theaters be allowed on TV? Does this say something about the movies we watch in theaters? 
48. Do your nails! Tell us about it, did you go get them done? Do you have a nail lady? What's her story? Did you do them yourself? What color did you paint them (the actual name on the bottle)? What brand? Give us a picture of it so if we like it we can be copy cats and give you the credit. 
49. Try a new restaurant and then tell us about it. Meet the owner and tell them they're food is going to be put on your blog. Ask if you can take a picture with them. Make sure and say thank you too much!
50. Ever won an award or do you have something you're proud of or have accomplished? Tell us! We want in on it!
51. BONUS: Turn this into a challenge introduce it before you actually start it, call it the Blogger's Block Challenge, and invite your friends to do it with you. 

I hope this is a helpful list. It's always good to have go to places when your brain just won't work. Happy blogging lovely bloggers! Remember the Lord loves and cares about you today! Seriously! He does! and so do I and if you ever need to chat or need something to be prayed for let me know!