blogging – Page 4 – Catholic Writers Guild

Using Facebook and Twitter to Promote Your Blog

January 25, 2012/2 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

Though I have a reluctant relationship with Facebook at best, I’ve come to accept that, many times, Facebook is where I’m going to get readers and interaction.

The people following me on Facebook are, in theory at least, interested in what I have to say on my blog and are invested in me since we’re “friends.”

Today, I thought I’d point out a few ways you can use Facebook and Twitter to promote your blog posts, since your followers/friends in those venues might not take the time to click to your blog or even know that you have a blog they want to read. They also might not want to read everything you write

Here are a three easy-to-use tools that can help you use Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about your blog. They are all very similar in their capabilities and ease of use.

For people who use Facebook (or Twitter, for that matter) like a feed reader, this is an invaluable service. For those of us who don’t, it doesn’t hurt anything.

dlvr.it (pronounced “deliver it”)
I have Jen Fitz to thank for bringing this to my attention in the comments of a previous discussion of traffic. It’s an all-in-one service, including both Facebook and Twitter. You’ll need to open an account with them and then link up your blog feed (for those of you non-technical types, this is usually as easy as just entering the web address of your blog, if you haven’t changed things or set up a feed).

Networked Blogs
This is a popular service that I’ve been using for quite a few years to deliver my blog posts to Facebook automatically. Here’s the way it works: you enter the information and bam! Your blog appears in your Facebook feed. You can also set up a feature called “Syndication” that will let you publish your blog’s feed to your Facebook profile/timeline, any or all of your Facebook pages, and any or all of your Twitter accounts.

Twitterfeed
Much like dlvr.it, Twitterfeed is an all-in-one service. You set up an account, link to your Facebook, Twitter, and blog accounts, and you’re done. You’ll get some stats that are available to you through this, such as how many people clicked through or read from Facebook or Twitter.

If you have a WordPress blog…
It bears mentioning that if you have a WordPress blog (as I do), you can set it up to automatically use your Twitter account and post your new blog material there automatically. I’ve used the Twitter for WordPress and Twitter Tools plug-ins with some success.

YOUR TURN: what questions does this bring to mind? Do you have any tips of your own to share?

Blogging for Beginners: Stats & Stuff

January 18, 2012/6 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

In my less compulsive moments, I like to think that I don’t care about my blog stats.

And really, I blog anyway. Even though they’re not spectacular or crashing the server with their high numbers.

It’s not about the numbers.

Go ahead. Laugh. I just did. Because it’s SO EASY to forget.

What they are:

Stats tell you how many visits you have to your blog. They can vary in the amount of detail they give you, depending on the software you use or the blogging service.

Your stats (or statistics, if my shortening the word is giving you the shakes) can tell you a few things. They can tell you how many views your blog is getting. They can tell you where people are coming from and what’s bringing them to you. They can tell you that on a certain day in July, you had some highly unusual traffic.

They can drive you crazy. Be warned.

You can usually find them through the Dashboard of your blogging service. (In order not to make this a highly technical post, I’m going to point you to Google for specifics beyond that.)

How to look at or use stats:

Using your stats as a guide can be helpful. You can get a feel, for one thing, of who your audience is.

To check the number of people you have in Google Reader, you click on “Feed Settings” at the top, and then on “View details and statistics.”

And no, I won’t be sharing my numbers with you, though you can check them for yourself. (I made the mistake of checking a few of my favorite bloggers first. My dignity is still intact, but barely.)

You can see what topics or posts are popular. One thing I’ve noticed is that at certain times of the year, certain posts from my archive get popular. I’ve also noticed that I get a bit of traffic from Google Images, which isn’t the same as people coming by to read my stuff (though maybe, just maybe, one or two do).

A few ideas to improve your stats:

Improve your post titles. Say what you’re going to say, but do it in a way that catches someone’s attention, as in “The “Control” of Self-Publishing.” Or be straightforward and use a list, as in “5 Reasons Your Would-be Publisher Was Not Very Nice.” Want some tips? Read this, especially the part about search engine optimization.

Interact elsewhere online. Be part of the community. Make people want to visit you and read what you have to say.

Read the blogging blogs and do all the little tricks. Though, arguably, if you’re blogging just to get traffic, maybe you and I have different ideas about why we blog in the first place (see the point below about blogging purpose).
Write for your audience. So you have a group of committed readers. Who are they? What do they like about what you’re writing? They’re already coming and reading, so tap into that!

How to stay sane despite your stats:

Be realistic. I have to remind myself, day in and day out, that I am not the next Jennifer Fulwiler or Simcha Fisher or Danielle Bean. I can only be Sarah Reinhard, and that is all. In fact, there can be some very detrimental things with comparing myself too much with those pillars of blogging, those bastions of my feed reader, those favorites of mine. I have to be happy with who I am.

But…it’s good to set goals, to set high standards, to not settle. (How’s that for contradicting my previous paragraph?)

Revisit your blogging purposes. Why are you blogging? Should you blog? Do you need more or different focus? Would another alternative–such as a Facebook page or a general website–build your platform in a way that’s better for you?

Blog traffic is not the same as book sales. Sometimes, you have to just stay sane and ignore your stats. I know one heavyweight blogger who gives up looking at her stats for Lent. If you find yourself too attached to the numbers, I would encourage you to do the same.

YOUR TURN: What questions do you have about stats (aside from the technical “how specifically do I check them in my blogging software”)? What tips and pointers do you have to share?

image credit

Living Life Offline

January 11, 2012/8 Comments/in Blogging, Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Sarah Reinhard

My husband made a comment in a teasing sort of way, mid-December, that there was no way I could spend a week offline. I needed no further impetus to answer a pull I’d been feeling for a while.

I spent the week between Christmas and New Years mostly offline. I didn’t read blogs, post status updates to Facebook or Twitter, or read my email.

I read four books, an advance manuscript, and a friend’s first-draft manuscript. I puttered around the house, doing my usual assortment of household things, and waited for my phone to ring (it didn’t, though I’ll bet that would have changed if I had refused to text).

The week was wonderful, in many ways. It was a tangible reminder that, as online as I may be with so much of my work and communications, I have to live my life offline.

My best ideas and my best inspirations come from the world around me.

Though I read plenty of things online and there is a lot of room for inspiration, for me, the best is what’s happening around me: the brilliance of the sunrise, the book I’m reading, the antics of my family.

When I am online all the time, I run the risk of living an alternate life. I become the Sarah people think I am, as opposed to the Sarah who’s really here, right now, tapping away during the baby’s nap. I lose sight of the humor and heartache in my real world, and while there’s room for my world to include the internet, I have to remember my priorities.

My best source remains real life. The rest is extra.

Immediacy is sometimes overrated.

As I’ve been at this writing thing longer, I’ve noticed that the ideas that really need to stay…do. The more I try to catch and capture and keep, the more they seem to slip between my fingers.

On the other hand, the more I sit back, rely on God for my inspiration, and trust in His ways, the better everything seems to go.

(All of that, mind you, is easy to type and advise you. It is much harder to follow it myself.)

When I’m online, it’s harder to slow down, to think, to ponder, which leads me to my next observation.

I’m less distracted when my online time is segmented.

The internet looms around me. It will take over every single minute that I let it have.

Now that I have an iPad, it seems it never stops. I can drop in and check email after the kids are in bed, even though my laptop’s tucked away and I’m technically offline. I can ignore what I dubbed “Offline Evenings” a few Lents ago, because I’m just popping in.

The problem is, the “popping in” lasts all evening, and I’ve not only lost the only real reading time I’m guaranteed, but also any chance I could have had to interact with my husband.

I’m a better blogger because of time spent offline.

I am forced to focus, to keep it real, and to be efficient. I have to pay attention to my priorities, and if I’m not careful, they’ll creep in the wrong direction.

Do you spend focused time offline? What have you found?

image credit

Taking My Own Advice (and an Invitation to You!)

December 14, 2011/4 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

It’s December and, thanks to mysterious graces from above, I’m less stressed than I was at the beginning of Advent.

I found my Advent wreath! And I set it up! (Yes, it was well into the second week of Advent before I did, as the picture proves.)

We’ve made it through one family Christmas, with another to go before we hit Christmas week. The tree is up, the kids haven’t electrocuted themselves yet, and I appear to be keeping most of my sanity.

Let’s not talk wrapping. Or even whether all the gifts have been purchased.

If you’re interested in seeing how a blog carnival works, (and hey, if you want to participate) visit my place this week. I’m soliciting pictures and posts from people of their Advent wreaths (today’s the deadline to submit, though I’ll do my best to get everyone in, whenever they submit).

In terms of taking my own advice, I’ve requested a break for the rest of the month from our illustrious blog editor. I promise to return in January and to regale you with stories of my blogging adventures. (We are working on some behind-the-scenes things with this here space!)

Sometimes, you just need to cut the cord, and that’s what I’m doing, at least here. (I’ll also be taking a break at my place, but not until the end of the month.)

How do you rest and rejuvenate this time of year, in the midst of the stress?

What blogging topics do you want me to cover in January?

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When Sarah Reinhard isn’t blogging at SnoringScholar.com, she can usually be found on Twitter and Facebook. She’s in denial about the amount of reading time she doesn’t have right now and has authored a number of titles, including her latest, Welcome Risen Jesus: Lenten and Easter Reflections for Families.

Avoiding Holiday Hangover on Your Blog

November 30, 2011/2 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

You schedule things ahead of time, get yourself raring to go, and then you walk away from your virtual world for a while.

There’s nothing wrong with that, and I think it’s a good thing to do from time to time.

But have you noticed how you feel sort of hungover when you get back to the reality of regular blogging? It’s like Monday times ten.

Here are three of my strategies for dealing with holiday hangover on my blog:

1. Ease into posting.

This takes a variety of forms, including posting a picture or three, sharing lighthearted fare, and even scheduling a guest post.

Instead of jumping back in full-force, I find it’s better for me (just as it is with a cold swimming pool) to ease into the schedule of posting, whatever it is. I give myself permission to miss a day (or three).

2. Schedule some things BEFORE the holidays strike.

I like to have a few things in my line-up well in advance. (Note: I fail regularly at this.) Maybe it’s a “Happy {insert holiday name}” message or a quote that’s struck me recently. I might have a guest post that works well.

3. Pray. Smile. Repeat.

For those of you rolling your eyes, I know. I know! How is this a strategy? How is it helpful? Am I just desperately trying to find a third thing?

But here’s the thing: we’re all Catholic writers, and if we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing, there is prayer involved, first and foremost. Nothing–nothing–is too small for God, and I would argue that your blogging–which probably takes up a fair amount of your writing time–should be something that’s in God’s hands.

So discuss this holiday hangover business with him. Ask for his guidance. Accept the graces and ideas that come to you from him.

How about you? I’d love to hear YOUR strategies for dealing with holiday hangover on your blog!

image credit

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When Sarah Reinhard isn’t blogging at SnoringScholar.com, she can usually be found on Twitter and Facebook. She’s in denial about the amount of reading time she doesn’t have right now and has authored a number of titles, including her latest, Welcome Risen Jesus: Lenten and Easter Reflections for Families.

What you should know as a Catholic blogger

November 16, 2011/6 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

We interrupt the Blogging for Beginners series because, well, I have sick kids and didn’t manage my time well enough to get my second installment posted.

In the meantime, here are a few must-reads for all of you Catholic bloggers:

5 Things Every Catholic Should Know about How Search Engines Work

Jen Fulwiler shares from her extensive technical web-building knowledge and makes it easy-to-understand. She also gives us all a call to action.

Blogosphere Trends + Improving Readability

I took away some good tips from this, and I’m betting you will too, even if you’ve been blogging and/or writing for a million years. Who knew that including links in your text can hamper readability? I do it anyway, but I like the idea of including a summary at the end of posts with a listing of what you’ve linked to.

The 6 Ugly Truths about Blogging

I don’t subscribe to some of the negativity in this, but again, I think there’s room for each of us to take away some tips about this. I heartily disagree about keeping your personality out of your blogging, but I will spare you from my line-by-line critique of this post. I include it here in part because I don’t agree with everything in it…it gives you another viewpoint, right?

And with that, I have to go break up a fight, convince a baby to quit climbing on bookshelves, and continue my novena for an end to coughing and puking…here’s hoping you have a great week!

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When Sarah Reinhard isn’t blogging at SnoringScholar.com, she can usually be found on Twitter and Facebook. She’s in denial about the amount of reading time she doesn’t have right now and has authored a number of titles, including her latest, Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families.

Helpful Blogging Links

October 26, 2011/0 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

Are you a non-technical type? Are you new to blogging and feeling quite overwhelmed and unsure of where to start?

I found a few links and, since I’m tight on time this week, thought I would share them with you. Next month, we’ll dive into some blogging for beginners posts. Until then, this is your homework. If you’re confused about something specifically, feel free to leave it in the comments and I’ll do my best to field your questions.

Blogging for Creative Professionals

– This has a lot of useful information and links. It explains some of the terms that I use rather freely (RSS, anyone?) and also outlines

Blogging Basics

– This post has some useful information in it, though it seems aimed at the travel industry.

WikiHow on Blogging

– I know, by now you probably have a blog already. But sometimes I find it helpful to go back through the steps of something I don’t understand that well.

Seth Godin’s Free E-Book, Who’s There

– The link above opens a PDF file, but it’s worth your time. I found it as I was preparing this post, and as a fan of Seth Godin, I’m pretty sure I’ll learn something from it. I’m pretty sure, knowing Seth Godin, that you will learn something too. So let’s read it, and if anything strikes us, we’ll discuss it in the combox or a future post.

With that, I have to spank some deadlines into shape. Have a great couple of weeks, y’all!

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Sarah Reinhard blogs at SnoringScholar.com and is also on Twitter and Facebook. She’s the author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families.

Let’s Talk Traffic

October 19, 2011/19 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

It never fails. I start talking blogging, and people want to talk traffic.

We’ve talked about this before, back when I shared some tips for gaining readers and more recently when we talked about judging blogging effectiveness.

Today, let’s talk traffic. That’s where the reality check is at, after all, right? That’s what’s important, right?

I have a tendency to be obsessive about things, and what better place to obsess than with the numbers? And how better to judge my effectiveness in this online world than by my numbers? Right? I have to remind myself, again and again, that no, this is not the case, at least not with the blogging I do.

I blog for me, because I felt like I had to. I can’t spend a lot of time with my stats, or I lose all focus for the real reason behind my blogging.

Why do you want traffic?

Are you trying to make money? Or do you want to establish a community around your blog? Or is it a pride thing, where you just want people to fawn over you and love you?

What are your reasons for wanting traffic? Spend some time with that. Dare I suggest you pray about your blogging efforts? Yes, and I even dare to suggest that maybe you shouldn’t blog.

How can you generate more traffic?

I’m turning to the experts (I am not one!) for help with this.

In a list I found recently at Problogger of 65 different ideas, I found myself thinking of some ways I could improve my traffic. Write a “5 ways to…” post is actually easier sometimes than anything else, and I needed the reminder.

My concern is often keeping traffic at my site once I have it, and there are tips here for not only getting the traffic, but keeping it once you have it.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step approach, try these five steps.

And if you’re pressed for time, here’s a post that talks about building traffic by writing less.

Offset all of that handy list with this post, which shares some blogging lessons we could all take to heart. But wait, I think that’s digression. We were talking traffic, right?

Consider engaging your readers and using some of these tips for doing that. Getting your readers engaged will likely get them talking about your blog, which will increase your traffic.

If traffic = popularity, then maybe you should consider how you can become more popular. There are a few tips (and action points) here, and I especially like how it encourages you to think about who your reader is. (Not so different from what you’d do in a book proposal, come to think of it…)

So what are you going to do first?

My plate is pretty full with other things right now, but I think I’m going to seriously consider putting some of this into action for my own personal blogging.

There’s always room for improvement, and whatever your blogging goals, traffic may be a way to measure your success. (I don’t think it’s the only way, mind you, but it is one way.)

What are you going to try? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

image source: Marketing Hackz

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Sarah Reinhard blogs at SnoringScholar.com and is hopelessly active onTwitter and Facebook. She’s the author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families.

How Facebook Has Changed My Blogging

October 12, 2011/7 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

I have a love-hate-hate relationship with Facebook.

I much prefer Twitter, which is more like a crowded lunchroom, where you can pop in and out (or not) as you please. You can stick around and converse (or not) or browse around (or not).

I love Google-Plus, which is like a restaurant (at least the way I’ve been able to use it), where you can come all the way in and sit down or you can pop in and grab a drink at the bar.

Facebook is more like a living room, sometimes crowded and sometimes empty. It requires ongoing maintenance and the interaction can be unending.

(The “unending interaction” thing is true of all three, admittedly. I just find it harder to manage on Facebook.)

In the five years that I’ve been blogging, things have changed in the blogosphere, in part because of how I now use social media, particularly Facebook.

For one thing, I definitely get less comments on my blog. The comments come over at Facebook much more frequently (I have my posts published through RSS on both my personal wall and on my page).

For another thing, I tend not to blog the short snippet posts that I used to post to capture “kid moments” and those sorts of things. They are the things that I now use as status updates or tweets.

However much I may struggle with Facebook, there’s no denying that it’s changed my blogging.

How about you? How has Facebook impacted your blogging?

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Sarah Reinhard blogs at SnoringScholar.com and is hopelessly active on Twitter and Facebook. She’s the author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families.

Being a Better Blogger: Judging Your Effectiveness

September 28, 2011/1 Comment/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

One step to being a better blogger is knowing the standards by which you judge yourself.

Oh, there are plenty of other people’s standards that you could go by. You could look at your traffic. You could measure number of comments and hot topics.

But all of that leaves a bad taste in my mouth and here’s why: I blog because a like it.

I’m a writer, and blogging lets me write. It’s a short and easy way to be published. It’s a way to interact with others, which is what I long for, many times.

Judging the effectiveness of your blog depends, first and foremost, on what standards you’re using. So let’s come up with some, shall we?

If you’re a writer, the writing should be good. Period.

If you need editorial help (some of us are better at self-editing than others), consider joining a group blog or a webpage where there’s an editor involved. Alternatively, you might ask someone to serve as your editor and to read/edit your stuff before you put it out there live on the internet.

Be passionate. Be interested. Be interesting.

Do people enjoy reading what you write? To some extent, this is an opinion, but there’s also a consideration here that’s worth your time.

If you are serious about writing–and since this is the Catholic Writers Guild, I gotta think you are–then it’s worth investing the time to be relevant and interesting to your audience.

Know who’s reading.

This isn’t meant to be tricky, but you should have an idea who’s reading your writing online. If you’re not sure, then compile a sample person.

Just as I do with a book proposal, I try to think of a specific person–or a couple of specific people–who I know are reading my blog. I even sometimes go so far as to name them: Sally, for example, is a sleep-deprived mom who has a baby on her hip and appreciates that I take the time to read books for her, so she doesn’t have to waste her time on them (not that I ever post a bad review, mind you), while George reads because he found my last article in the diocesan paper amusing and we both live in Ohio.

Don’t get me wrong: I write my blog for me, not for anyone else (and I know this about myself). It’s my outlet. But I still have an idea who reads. (It helps with those aforementioned book proposals, too.)

Now, I’m outta time for writing this post.

Your turn: how do you judge your effectiveness? What questions have I raised with this post?

image source: Sid’s Side

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Sarah Reinhard is the author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families. You’ll find more of Sarah at her blog, SnoringScholar.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

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