Monday, October 31, 2011

EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival - for 10/31/11 thru 11/07/11

Fall Memories


Welcome to this edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival! Here are the topics to select from:

1.) Who were you for Halloween? and show me the loot or decor if you dare.

2.) An ode to fall. What are your favorite memories of fall?
Do you have any favorite fall traditions?

Leave a comment with the link to your post. And please be sure to visit the blogs of the other participants too!

Posted for the EtsyBloggers team by: LizsWares See EtsyBloggers team membership requirements here: etsybloggers.comGot a blog? Love Etsy? Check us out!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

8 Tips for Writing Quality Blog Posts

As I promised you last Wednesday, today I start with my blogging guide, originally published on Kanelstrand Organic Living. Read the rest of the posts: Post 1, Post 3, Post 4,

So everyone around you has a blog, you constantly read in all the etsy forums and on every other website about the benefits of having a blog not only for you but for you business as well. There are so many people who appear to always know what to write and when to write it, and you wonder how on earth do they do it? How do they come up with so many interesting posts and even have plenty of comments?

There comes the day when you finally succumb to the idea, regardless of your prejudices or fears. You sign up for a blog, come up with the cutest name and there you are, all alone in front of the vast Internet empire with the empty space of your brand new blog. Feel inspired?
Photo: churl
The truth is that people are not born with the knowledge. It takes hard work, a lot of research and consistency to become successful in any field of life. But hey, don't feel intimidated, everybody has started small! Take every life challenge one step at a time and you will be surprised when you turn back and see how far you have reached by simply following yourself!

Before I give you the 8 tips for writing quality blog posts, let me stress on the fact that people come to your blog to take something from you. Be aware of that and give it to them! Whatever it is - fun, information, tutorials, etc. And don't be afraid - the more you give, the more you will get in return!

Here are the 8 tips for writing quality blog posts:

1. Target
Determine your target audience. Which groups of people would be interested in your blog and what would their expectations be? Pick up an appropriate tone for your audience.

2. Read
Every successful writer is a very experienced reader. Read extensively blogs and websites with a similar theme to yours, learn from them and put to practice what you have learned.

3. Write
Share your own opinion, don't risk of being accused of plagiarism or violating copyright laws. There is no point to copy and paste text from another website. The problem is that not only the author will soon find that out but that once Google finds duplicated content, your page rank wouldn't have a chance to get high.

4. Link
If you find something interesting on the web which you would like to share, do so! But don't just post links! Talk about your experience, and your point of view.

5. Illustrate
Everyone loves eye candy! Strive to have at least one picture on every blog post. If you haven't taken appropriate pictures yourself, the web is full of photographs licensed under Creative Commons, i.e. free to use as long as you link back to their author.

6. Interact
Do not limit yourself to posting. If you want to encourage your readers to comment, do that yourself! Reply to their comments on your blog, visit their own blogs and take the time to comment as well, everybody loves feedback! Plus, out of that interaction you will get many ideas for new posts!

7. Schedule
If you know in advance when the holidays are, you can easily prepare appropriate posts not only about Christmas and Easter but for Mother's day or any other special international or national occasion.

8. Keep it simple

Your blog's appearance is even more important than its content. You can create brilliant content but if you don't present it in a pleasant way it will not be read. Try to have a clean and uncluttered blog template. The more widgets and gadgets you put, the longer it takes for your blog to load which can turn readers off. Try to have your posts reasonably long and with short paragraphs. In the age of information you need to get to the point quickly and sharply if you want to attract your readers' attention.


Is there a tip that you follow and don't see in the list? Please, share it with us in the comments!

Posted for the EtsyBloggers team by: Kanelstrand
See EtsyBloggers team membership requirements here: etsybloggers.com. Got a blog? Love Etsy? Check us out!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

EtsyBloggers Style File - Ghoul's Night Out!

Hello and good morning all you Etsy-loving, blogg-writing, awesome-stuff-making readers!


I am super excited to be posting here today - I can't wait to share this new feature with you, guys and gals...so excited in fact, I had a hard time getting to sleep last night! (Thank goodness for the little coffee shop at work!) 


I'm sure you're wondering, 'What the heck is this Style File thing-a-ma-bobber?' (What's that? You weren't wondering? Oh...well...just drink your coffee until I get through the explanation.) The EtsyBloggers Style File is a collection of items from various EtsyBloggers Team members. Each month we have a team ROLL CALL; any team member who checks-in to ROLL CALL is eligible to be included in the Style File. Then I'll go through the list of shops, finding items that can be pulled together to create a complete look - anything from clothing and accessories to home decor items. I actually keep a style file handy at all times in case I am out shopping or decide to get my hair cut on a whim, I can just whip out my phone and look at some of the outfits I've saved! Our fearless team leader came to me after seeing one posted on my blog for one of our blog carnivals and wondered if I'd be willing to do this for the team...of course I said yes!


So...with that little explanation out of the way...let's get down to business! May I present to you, wonderful readers, the first ever EtsyBloggers Style File! 


EtsyBloggers Style File - Ghoul's Night Out


I hope you enjoyed the first edition of EtsyBloggers Style File as much as I enjoyed putting it together! We have some wicked-talented folks on the team, and I highly recommend checking out their shops! 



A HUGE thanks to EtsyBloggers Team Captain Joey & Aleethea for extending the opportunity, and for all the awesome work that goes on behind the scenes! 

Until next time...

Posted for the EtsyBloggers team by: ThePeachMartini  See EtsyBloggers team membership requirements here: etsybloggers.com  Got a blog? Love Etsy? Check us out!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

How to Blog Like a Pro

Most people believe that quality blogging is only for professionals with much time on their hands. Yes, you do have our own blog, you invest time and efforts in it, you update it maybe 3 times a week but most of the time you feel lost and as if you are talking to the vast nothing. But let me tell you, you CAN blog like pro, you CAN gain loyal readership, you CAN get your blog high in Google's search results and you CAN even make money blogging.

Parada Creations
Although getting to the level of a pro blogger won't happen in a day, once you set your mind to it, you are well on the way of achieving surprising results. I am sure that by now you already know that very often you need just a little push, a system to follow, in order to realize you are actually better than you thought; and that is quite the same with blogging.

Whether you started blogging because of your etsy business, or as a way to learn more about yourself, or to share your exquisite crafty designs with the world, you are out there not only because you are a selfless human being that needs to share knowledge with the world for free but because you also need to be appreciated, and why not get some money out of your awesomeness!

Starting next Wednesday, October 26th, I will share with you the 7-part blogging guide I have devised to help you take concrete steps to organize your blogging time, enhance your blog, and write better and more effective blog posts.

The guide will include:
  1. 8 Tips for Writing Quality Blog Posts
  2. How to Attract More Traffic to Your Blog
  3. 15 Places to Find Free Photos for Your Blog
  4. Why Guest Blogging is a Win-Win Situation
  5. To Blog or Not to Blog While on Vacation 
  6. How to Attract Readers to Your Blog and Keep Them 
  7. Blogging for Success
If you want to know more about me and why I am sure that you will achieve success, read my blog, Kanelstrand Organic Living.

Are you ready to set on that journey with me?

Posted for the EtsyBloggers team by: Kanelstrand
See EtsyBloggers team membership requirements here: etsybloggers.com. Got a blog? Love Etsy? Check us out!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival - for 10/17/11 thru 10/30/11



Welcome to this edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival! Here are the topics to select from:

1) What are your plans for Halloween? Have you made anything in your shop with Halloween colors/theme? Show it to us.

2) Do you have an idea in mind for your EtsyBloggers team? Maybe a new team event or a team promotion? Share it with us.
 


Leave a comment with the link to your post. And please be sure to visit the blogs of the other participants too!

H o p e   y o u r  H a l l o w e e n   is  s u p e r !!





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See our website for a Blog Carnival Tutorial, the Blog Carnival Schedule, or how to become a member of the official EtsyBloggers team.



Posted for the EtsyBloggers team by the Team Captain and Admin: joeyandaleethea.com/blog

See EtsyBloggers team membership requirements here: etsybloggers.com Got a blog? Love Etsy? Check us out!